2024 Election thread
Comments
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Well I guess some people let Rayner off things like being at best naive on defence and accusing the the Tories of 'Abstract failure', whatever that is 😄
"I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]0 -
I mean, I’m interested, but only in the same way I follow the EU elections or the US elections. That directly affects me too but I wouldn’t expect to have to sit through their pitches for votes from their countries to hear the pitches for parties I can actually vote for. If they want to be regionalists that fine, go pitch to your region.
The (English) audience largely switched off during the Welsh and Scottish lot, the main parties largely ignored them too. The vibe was largely “yeah yeah get on with it”
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I didn't watch, but that doesn't surprise me.
I have to say, if you compare regional UK politics to US or EU politics, you do rather confirm what I'm saying. This is also why those regional parties get so much of a following, despite clearly lacking in substance.
Should Reform have been included? That's a protest party as well.
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Reform are standing 300 odd candidates and are polling at almost the same as the Tories, so yes.
I’ll be honest, I am generally anti regionalists and I think they’re a narrow minded bunch who do as much to alienate their region from the decision makers in London as the decision makers in London do.
I also really disagree with the Crick argument that MPs must hail from the constituency they come from. Sometimes it’s more important to have good quality leaders in your cabinet and you need to make sure they stay there.
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Depends if you're going on seats in the last parliament or support in the polls.
"I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]0 -
Not an easy balance, but the BBC did both fairly well I guess.
What about the Greens?
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Tbh I think those voices would be more useful if they came from parties that represented the whole of the UK, rather than parties who sole goal is dismantling the UK.
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I don't get to choose, but I'd prefer regional voices that weren't intentional on dismantling the UK.
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Possibly. I certainly think it is the case that the regional parties are not inclusive for people who moved there. In nearly 20 years I never heard a Scottish politician with an English accent. Given that about 8% of the population they allegedly represent are from England I always found that troubling and I believe that regardless of whether I agree with the SNP it would be better so shine a light and engage with their follies rather than dismissor ignore. I imagine there are analogies with Wales.
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That's not the the test I would apply. You are welcome to. But respectfully I disagree.
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Sure but broadcast that on your Scottish channels with your local Scotts if that’s important. Each proper party has their own Scottish leader.
im not saying let’s not hear them, I just don’t know why we all have to listen to a load of parties we can’t vote for.
I’d say to qualify for the GB or UK wide debate you need to be standing across the country.
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Then you under represent people who happen to live in areas where those parties are standing, or where they have elected MPs. That ceases to be a UK wide debate, which is why those parties got elected in the first place.
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Yeah I’m ok with that.
No one is losing sleep about not hearing from the Yorkshire party. How terrible. (Same population as Scotland)
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What level of support does the Yorkshire party have in Yorkshire? Presumably it wasn't nearly 50% at the last election, and they don't have 49 mp's?
And if there was a strong regional movement relevant to the great northern cities of Leeds, Bradford and Sheffield, personally I wouldn't be ambivalent.
The thing about the regional issues that are represented is that they also vicariously benefit those that aren't, incidentally.
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Failure as an art form
“New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!0 -
Meh ok. Not much more to say other than I don’t think regional representation is necessary or helpful at a national level and you do 🤷🏻♂️
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You could class Rayner's language failure as that. Maybe that's why she used to be shadow educayshun sekretery?
"I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]0 -
Most of the UK population is "regional"
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Everyone is from one region or another, so what?
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So Ricks not interested in anywhere outside of the SE, I don't think. It isn't an uncommon perspective, the end of one's nose.
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Tories probably like them as they generally take seats that would otherwise be Labour.
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I know you didn't compile the tweet....but the greens aren't 1 party
“New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!0 -
Why are there seats where Labour (1 seat) and the Conservatives (2 seats) aren’t standing?
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A paperwork balls up has prevented Reform from standing in NI
The TUV have also been banned from referring to Reform on their literature as a result
“New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!0 -
Lyndsay Hoyle will be unopposed in Chorley, so that would account for one of the Conservative seats, I think?
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Who cares?
"I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]0 -
What's the number of candidates got to do with anything? Or polling, for that matter?
Roughly a fifth of the UK population are represented by seats where Nationalist parties are standing (and are already a significant). There's not really a good reason why Plaid and SNP were invited but not the NI parties. You don't have to agree with the Nationalist parties to accept that they enjoy significant support (which in turn affects the number of seats the two larger parties hold and to some extent influence their policies (establishment of devolved government didn't arise during the Blair government by chance). It's not just a thing that happens over there.
You can also disagree with the way Parliament is formed but until someone changes it that's the system we have. Even the PM has a constituency.
1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
Pinnacle Monzonite
Part of the anti-growth coalition0
