2024 Election thread
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I can see the bookies' odds just like anyone else but never underestimate the ability of Labour to drop the ball. It's theirs to lose and so far they've demonstrated that they can't even spell 😊
"I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]0 -
Listening to the standard BBC outside broadcast / vox pop among the great British working classes this morning highlighted the problem the Tories have. They interviewed two lifetime Tory voters who came across as fairly sane initially when highlighting why they wouldn't vote Tory this time. When asked who they were going to vote for the one said Reform as the Tories aren't getting things done and the other isn't going to vote as apparently all the Parties are fighting for the centre and there's no difference between them (if he thinks that then maybe it is a good thing he's not exercising his democratic right!). Basically, the voters they appealed to last time feel they haven't gone far enough right-wing on things like immigration and tax cuts so are defecting to Reform as their loons are worse whereas those who want a traditional centre right Party are having to either vote for Labour / Lib Dems or not vote at all.
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It felt like Kinnock's falling in the sea moment.
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I suspect that won't be quite enough to turn the tide.
I expect they are not unhappy to see the idea of GB Energy getting more airtime either, even if it's because of a tyop.
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Anti-smoking policy being binned as well it seems. Makes me wonder if something has gone on in the background within the party that made him go for July.
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Sunak asks workers at a brewery in Wales if they are looking forward to all the football.
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Wait. A typo in a Labour video?
I'd say the campaign launches are about even now.
“New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!0 -
In other hilarity.
Reform made a pact with TUV in NI but forgot to register in NI
“New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!0 -
The second one made me laugh out loud.
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I'm impressed anyone managed to listen to what he was saying. All I heard was "Furlough bla bla" "just get on with it", "things can only get better", then "why doesn't he have an umbrella?".
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The DT reads a bit like New York Times Pitchbot on Twitter
"Sunak gets soaked at election announcement: why that spells trouble for Starmer".
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It's another example of Sunak thinking he can engage with people without having anything like enough depth of experience to know how to do it. He'd look like a bit less of a twerp if he followed my approach of trying to make fun out of the fact that I know nothing about football, or films, or TV, or pop music (etc., the list is quite long) but then asking questions about the subject, if he wants to engage with normal people. But I suspect he is deeply uninterested in normal people, so it all comes across as really awkward.
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Shame he didn't ask them for advice on organising a piss up.
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I know it's obvious but to be a politician you do need to be interested in people. He's also just not confident at this stuff. You can feel the awkwardness.
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I can empathise with that but I'm aware enough of my shortcomings in that area that I haven't felt it would be a good idea to become a politician (and shy away from 'business development' in my professional life).
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On the plus side, at least he didn't ask them who they are supporting at Henley this year like Johnson or Rees-Mogg probably would. He at least took the route of trying to work out what the oiks generally like to watch but just knew nothing about the subject.
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Yeah I work with plenty of people who can actually do this. You can spot them a mile off - they are just confident in themselves and at ease with others, and they are good conversationalists (which you can learn, FYI).
It's not rocket scinec.e
BTW the smoking-ban hasn't made it through parliament so it's not happening. Good.
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I think this highlights the fundamental issue with Sunak, Truss and Johnson. They were all solely invested in becoming PM to satisfy their ego's, none of them had any interest in people, policy or just generally making good decisions for the country. I could never agree with the policy making of someone like John Major, but I could never doubt his commitment to serving with integrity and his belief that his decisions were benefitting people.
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We had a company training day with a guy who was supposed to teach us how to do that sort of thing followed by an evening networking event to give us a chance to test our new found skills. It was a complete load of bollocks although I appreciate the issue is mainly with me as I just don't like chit chat. I find that when I'm in the company of someone I like I just do it naturally even if I've only just met them but most people just bore me especially in a work environment where they just want to talk about themselves.
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That's it though. People do like to talk about themselves. The trick that people forget is the person asking the questions is in control of the conversation, and so if you ask the right question about people, you'll get the right answer...
Challenge is in politics is that you don't want some unpredictable bell end to blow up your camera shot because you gave them a chance to say something - but good social skills will let you spot the bell ends before.
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I definitely think there is large environmental aspect to this, i.e. where you grew up and your family dynamics. Being from the West Mids originally, most areas are just sociable and speaking to all manner of people is standard practice. You will also regularly get total strangers strike up conversations (in a non weird or threatening manner!). I think therefore you just become used to it from a young age. Pretty much all of my friends, family, acquaintances etc. are in jobs that require lots of interaction with other people.
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I think it's a confidence and experience thing too. Boris is almost inexplicably good at it given what should be obvious failings.
The issue Rishi has is that he's a bit rubbish at this, and then doesn't shine anywhere else.
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David TC Davies two seats to his right, my parents know him and he used to be OK but has mirrored the Party in moving more towards the loony wing. I suspect he'll be looking for a new job in 6 weeks, he represents the constituency I was raised in and voted in for my first few GEs. It's one of the few in Wales that regularly elects a Tory MP although it flip flopped regularly in the 90s and early 00s (has been quite comfortable since Davies took the seat in 2005 though with a majority of between 11,000 and 8,000 - currently around 10,000).
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No
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“New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!0
