Discussion: UK Politics

[Iceman]

Yeah it honestly feels like a phoned in punt from Labour. Corbyn was a **** guy to back and they thought just because BoJo was the guy they were running against they didn’t need to take it seriously.

Time for the left to wake the **** up and realize if they don’t revamp their approach they’re going to keep losing elections and all their moral proselytizing isn’t going to be worth a damn.

BoJo and co didn’t have to take it seriously as Corbyn and Abbott did all the work for them. Hopefully this is a wake up call for the left.

 

[jolldan]

I know a lot of folks are emotional about the result I wouldn't have voted for the mumbling milky bar kid if you'd paid me but I really wish this whole #notmygoverment wasn't trending.

Honestly it makes you look little more than bitter, not the result I wanted either but it is the result.

 

[Lily Adler]

 

[Klank]

Labour won't get anywhere with Corbyn and Abbott.

But Diane Abbott was nowhere to be seen this election. I don't recall seeing her campaigning on national media or even online. She really played zero part in this.

They’re completely high on “being better than the right” in terms of progress on social issues they’ve forgotten they actually need to show up and do a proper ****ing job. How on earth anyone thought a tepid weasel like Corbyn was the horse to bet on is an absolute mystery to me.

It's not like Corbyn just happened though, is it?

The reason he fought this election was because he oversaw (practically on his own) an almost historic increase in seats and vote share at the last general election only three years ago. When you pull that off you earn the right to fight the next one.

It's not like it's some baffling concept how he even came to lead the Labour party in the first place, he won two leadership elections by historic margins twice in what is the biggest party in Europe. A more important point thought is; Who else have they got?

As much as think Owen Smith is a complete wet wipe I'll give the guy credit that he thought Corbyn was a problem and actually stepped up to challenge him. Labour had plenty of 'moderate' MPs and even some that veered more to the left but had a better image that could have mounted a decent challenge but they didn't. Most likely they thought any election in the near future would be a wipe out no matter and didn't want that failure on their record. So they hoped to sit it out until he had no choice but to resign which didn't happen...well I suppose it finally has now four years later. If these supposed moderates had not been so cowardly back in 2016 all this could have been avoided.

I'm not sure what you mean by 'social issues' other than Corbyn was seen to be too friendly to marginalised groups. It's not like social policies even dominated the conversation it was always his domestic economic policies that were talked about and they proved very popular. I do think he pushed it a bit too far with the 2019 manifesto. No matter how fully costed it was people are cynical of left wing party spending and the question of how they would pay for it all always comes up. It's annoying because the historically the Conservatives have always been worse for this but it is what it is.

Still the one sensible, moderate policies that all the sensible, moderates pushed Corbyn into in the election; a second referendum is what got him defeated. In 2017 white working class Northern Voters either liked Corbyn or were willing to hold their noses and vote for Labour led by him. This time time they all turned away and their reason was he "blocking Brexit".

 

[Reaver027]

Just for fun. The results with proportional representation:
Tory 284
Labour 209
Lib Dems 75
SNP 25
Green 18
Brexit 13
DUP 5
SF 4
PC 3
UKIP1
Others 13

Of course Others is a very undefiened group that should realistily lead to most of those seats be distributed among the other parties.
Labour, Lib Dems, SNP and Greens could form a coalition.

And for even more fun the results with proportional representation and a 5% hurdle like we have here in Germany.
Tory 324
Labour 239
Lib Dems 87

Labour and Lib Dems could form a coalition with only a 2 Seat majority.

 

[Lily Adler]

 

[Lily Adler]

 

[Iceman]

But Diane Abbott was nowhere to be seen this election. I don't recall seeing her campaigning on national media or even online. She really played zero part in this.

She played a direct part in my vote (I'm a floating voter and have voted for all the major parties in the past) and in the vote of many people I talk to who usually vote Labour and at least never Tory (& who voted LD this time). Keeping a high profile, loud senior character who embodies incompetence shows a lack of judgement at the top. She may have played zero part in your vote but she has left a stain on the Labour Party profile that affects other people who are in the middle and is a contributory factor in finally ditching the party. Party loyalty can only stretch so far.

Labour with David Milliband would have done so well IMO. The had Ed the fool and followed up with a firmly left wing Eurosceptic, probably the worst combination to have at the forefront during Brexit. Inappropriate leadership has been the most important factor hamstringing Labour over recent years. I would have been interested to see what Chuka Umunna could have done but he chickened out when the opportunity was there.

 

[Lilbaz]

Anybody seen this? Would make sense, massive investment in the north to keep them happy and tides us over till trade deals can be made. Could see china wanting to invest too.

 

[TheGuy]

 

[Lily Adler]

 

[Catoti]

I live in England, but I'm a foreigner (French) so I couldn't vote in the general election because administration stuff etc etc, and I honestly didn't really have an opinion on anything because I couldn't tell what was going on half the time, even if I tried to research the topic.

I had friends/family with multiple different opinions and it was just...a mess? I felt bad for my friends who could vote having to pick who to vote for with the chaos of information they were given.

 

[Iceman]

Looks like the Labour leadership race is about to get going.

 

[chamber-music]

Anybody seen this? Would make sense, massive investment in the north to keep them happy and tides us over till trade deals can be made. Could see china wanting to invest too.

I don't see it happening.

The British government is notoriously terrible at long term large scale infrastructure planning.

Things like Hs2 and a third runway for a airport in the south east have been talked about for decades yet still have not happened.

Crossrail is years behind schedule.

Tories have been talking about creating a northern powerhouse of interconnected northern cities for over a decade now yet have made little movement.

As the above video said any freeport would require large amounts of government investment. Private business very rarely provides all the capital for these projects.

The British government did come up with policies to stimulate redevelopment of the Docklands area but it was primarily successful down to the private sector and London's position as a global financial hub city.

There are already large ports in the UK like the London Gateway which has received over billions in private investment and handles large shipping containers but these large ports with existing infrastructure aren't located in the poorer areas that need jobs so desperately.

 

[Lilbaz]

I don't see it happening.

The British government is notoriously terrible at long term large scale infrastructure planning.

Things like Hs2 and a third runway for a airport in the south east have been talked about for decades yet still have not happened.

Crossrail is years behind schedule.

Tories have been talking about creating a northern powerhouse of interconnected northern cities for over a decade now yet have made little movement.

As the above video said any freeport would require large amounts of government investment. Private business very rarely provides all the capital for these projects.

The British government did come up with policies to stimulate redevelopment of the Docklands area but it was primarily successful down to the private sector and London's position as a global financial hub city.

There are already large ports in the UK like the London Gateway which has received over billions in private investment and handles large shipping containers but these large ports with existing infrastructure aren't located in the poorer areas that need jobs so desperately.

The reason that britain is usually so slow is that we go through years of consultation everyone wants their say and politicians don't want to upset people (we also have a lot of nimbys due to population density). Obviously we have trouble with construction delays (as every country does). When we put our mind to it we can push them through though, the olympics being an example. Boris is an egocentric that loves his big projects, i think he'd push it through.
As for money i doubt he'd care, he never has before. Think he'd feel if it pushes up the debt fair enough, we print our own money. Any inflation probably wont be felt for years. China might be willing to invest, an extention to their belt and road initiative.
The important thing for him is that the north sees him doing something. He'd have every photo op/press conference possible.

We'll see though.

 

[Iceman]

Hopefully we can have an opposition again!

New Labour leader to be announced on 4 April

 

[jolldan]

They can't replace Corbyn with someone simiar if they want to have any hope next time.

 

[Lily Adler]

UK lawmakers back EU exit deal, turning page on Brexit crisis

Looks like you guys are Brexiting.

 

[Iceman]

I need to see how this shakes out for my work.

 

[thangaran]

What sort of work do you do if you don’t mind me asking? Hope this process doesn’t impact you in a negative way.

I find most politicians across the globe right now are in serious need of multiple massive, hot, dense, thick, eggy farts passed right into each of their mouths so they can taste the stench. There are so many that are screwing their own country and the planet.

 

[Iceman]

What sort of work do you do if you don’t mind me asking? Hope this process doesn’t impact you in a negative way.

I find most politicians across the globe right now are in serious need of multiple massive, hot, dense, thick, eggy farts passed right into each of their mouths so they can taste the stench. There are so many that are screwing their own country and the planet.

Finance, and I don't know what the new rules will be. There's a possibility I could have to move countries! Thanks for the concern.

 

[jolldan]

Not good news on a potential collapse of Flybe.

Especially after Boris made a big deal about improving transport links between The North of England and Scotland.

If they lose Flybe it will actually put them in an even worse position than they started the year in.

 

[Lily Adler]

At the Stroke of Brexit, Britain Steps, Guardedly, Into a New Dawn

 

[Aurakles]

Silver lining in this is that it might be enough to trigger Scottish Independence.

 

[jolldan]

UK seem to be being overly ambitious in my mind moving the petrol & diesel car sales ban down to 2035.