2024 Local, Mayoral and PCC Elections

[Gloster]

At this point I'm hoping Count Binface gets more votes than Hall does. If only to see how the Tories try to spin that one...

At least Count Binface has a few sensible policies.

 

[Thirteen]

I wonder where Binface will stand in the GE, I think Richmond, Yorkshire must be on the most likely one.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I was surprised to find that when I went to vote for the Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner this morning that there were actually four candidates; only one of them had actually bothered to send any information around so we could have been forgiven for thinking it was just the incumbent versus that one!!

Incidentally, the very title itself is a bit long winded. We only need the "Police Commissioner" bit. Including the "...and Crime..." bit makes it sound like the job includes commissioning crime all over the place!!!

 

[ainsworth74]

I wonder where Binface will stand in the GE, I think Richmond, Yorkshire must be on the most likely one.

Well, assuming Rishi is still PM at that point

 

[danbarjon]

North East Mayor Election is set to be very close between Independent candidate and Labour.

 

[nw1]

Well, assuming Rishi is still PM at that point

If they try to replace Sunak with another Tory rather than an immediate GE, I suspect there will be a full-on revolt....

 

[takno]

North East Mayor Election is set to be very close between Independent candidate and Labour.

Is there any polling to support that? I'm not saying it's wrong, but he does seem to be a bit of legend in his own mind rather than a bona-fide local hero.

I was surprised to find that when I went to vote for the Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner this morning that there were actually four candidates; only one of them had actually bothered to send any information around so we could have been forgiven for thinking it was just the incumbent versus that one!!

Incidentally, the very title itself is a bit long winded. We only need the "Police Commissioner" bit. Including the "...and Crime..." bit makes it sound like the job includes commissioning crime all over the place!!!

I saw the Devon and Cornwall candidates P&CC candidates giving their pitches on the local news. It sounded like they'd all (presumably including the incumbent) only been told they were standing 5 minutes before going on air - no sense that any of them wanted the job or had any plans for what they might do.

 

[DelW]

I was surprised to find that when I went to vote for the Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner this morning that there were actually four candidates; only one of them had actually bothered to send any information around so we could have been forgiven for thinking it was just the incumbent versus that one!!

As another Surrey resident, I only had a single leaflet too. Before voting I did find a website which listed the four candidates and their election statements, but being pro-active enough to do a leaflet drop did encourage me to vote for the relevant candidate.

 

[YorkRailFan]

I wonder where Binface will stand in the GE, I think Richmond, Yorkshire must be on the most likely one.

I'm not sure about Richmond, Binface tends to stand in a constituency where that MP is set to become MP. I think he would stand in Holborn & St Pancras.

 

[bahnause]

Wrong thread…

 

[brad465]

For the millionth time in UK politics, you couldn't make it up:

Politics latest: Local elections voting into final hours - as former PM forgets his photo ID

Millions of people across England and Wales are voting in today's local elections, though former prime minister Boris Johnson failed at the first attempt after forgetting his photo ID. Up in Scotland, John Swinney looks set to become the next SNP leader and first minister.

news.sky.com

Johnson turned away from polling station after forgetting photo ID​

Boris Johnson was turned away from a polling station when trying to vote in the local elections after forgetting to bring acceptable photo ID.
Sky News understands polling station staff were forced to turn the former prime minister away after he initially failed to comply with legislation he introduced while he was in Downing Street.
Mr Johnson, who introduced the Elections Act requiring photo ID in 2022, was attempting to cast his ballot in South Oxfordshire, where a police and crime commissioner for the Thames Valley is being selected.
Boris Johnson introduced the Elections Act himself
In England, passports, driving licences, blue badges and certain local travel cards are accepted forms of voter ID.
A spokesman for Mr Johnson did not deny he had failed to bring ID, but did say he'd managed to vote today.
Make sure you don't make the same mistake if you haven't voted yet - we've got a full list of acceptable ID in this post.
If only Mr Johnson had checked the Politics Hub before he went out...

 

[Whistler40145]

It is an end of discussion moment. I have never voted Tory and I never will. Ever. They are a disgrace and need flushing away.

This lot aren't even Tories anyway: They are corrupt, lazy, crank right, nationalist, populist chancers and they need to go. I HONESTLY don't know how any one in thier right mind could think of voting for them.

Local Councillors are complicit in the destruction of our public services by advocating for the very polices that cause the problem. They provide the base for the national party and provide the local cover for destructive polices that damage our communities and make lives harder than they should be.

PS don't get me started on Houchen. I will have an aneurism

I've never voted Conservative in my life and never will

 

[Busaholic]

I was surprised to find that when I went to vote for the Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner this morning that there were actually four candidates; only one of them had actually bothered to send any information around so we could have been forgiven for thinking it was just the incumbent versus that one!!

Incidentally, the very title itself is a bit long winded. We only need the "Police Commissioner" bit. Including the "...and Crime..." bit makes it sound like the job includes commissioning crime all over the place!!!

Don't go giving them ideas.

 

[Trackman]

For the millionth time in UK politics, you couldn't make it up:

Thanks for the link, got the usual 'dogs at polling stations' photos !
It is a live news text feed, so fair enough.

 

[Class 317]

Lots of Vote labour adverts on you tube, Instagram and Spotify today.
Was coming up every new podcast or I loaded today.

 

[nw1]

Similar here, my local councillor actually goes about talking to people, replies to emails and does useful things. He doesn't just blow about looking for photo ops. If there were local council elections here tomorrow I would vote for him despite the fact that he's a Tory.

Meanwhile the local Tory MP sent me a fake newspaper today listing his 5 biggest achievements since being elected in 2010, with number 2 on the list being "I got rid of pacers".

"I supported Brexit and Boris, but hey, I got rid of Pacers!! Aren't I wonderful!! No-one will have to suffer the 'agony' of travelling on a Pacer again!!!!"

Thanks for the link, got the usual 'dogs at polling stations' photos !
It is a live news text feed, so fair enough.

I saw a dog at my polling station, funnily enough!

 

[birchesgreen]

No dogs at my polling station though there was a young child who nearly toppled the voting booth over.

 

[DanNCL]

Is there any polling to support that? I'm not saying it's wrong, but he does seem to be a bit of legend in his own mind rather than a bona-fide local hero.

Yes. https://www.moreincommon.org.uk/our...-a-dead-heat-between-mcguinness-and-driscoll/

Our poll finds Labour’s Kim McGuinness 2 points ahead of Independent candidate Jamie Driscoll (35% McGuinness to 33% Driscoll) - meaning a win from either candidate would be well within the margin of error.

 

[Kite159]

I was surprised to find that when I went to vote for the Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner this morning that there were actually four candidates; only one of them had actually bothered to send any information around so we could have been forgiven for thinking it was just the incumbent versus that one!!

Incidentally, the very title itself is a bit long winded. We only need the "Police Commissioner" bit. Including the "...and Crime..." bit makes it sound like the job includes commissioning crime all over the place!!!

At least you received some info, I had no idea on the 4 people for Hampshire so just picked one at random. Not like it makes a blind bit of difference

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Well no surprises that Labour have taken Blackpool South from the Tories in the Westminster by-election, since it was marginal-ish anyway, and Labour-held from 1997 through to 2019. But the size of the swing was extraordinary, with Reform UK getting almost as many votes as the Tories:

Lab 58.7% (was 38.3% in 2019)
Con 17.4% (was 49.6%)
Reform 16.8% (Brexit party had 6.1%)
LibDem 2.1% (was 3.1%)

I don't see any way the Tories will take that seat back. Even if you add the Tory and Reform votes together on the (questionable) assumption that many Reform voters will swap back to the Tories in the general election, Labour are still miles ahead. (Interestingly, if you do that, you get something that looks almost identical to the 1997 result).

I would imagine that Reform almost managing to beat the Tories and come 2nd will do nothing to deter Richard Tice from his aim of standing a Reform candidate in every seat.

 

[Class 317]

Another interesting result so far is the conservatives holding Harlow council by 1 seat.
Harlow is a Labour target seat for the general election.

 

[YorkRailFan]

For the millionth time in UK politics, you couldn't make it up:

Politics latest: Local elections voting into final hours - as former PM forgets his photo ID

Millions of people across England and Wales are voting in today's local elections, though former prime minister Boris Johnson failed at the first attempt after forgetting his photo ID. Up in Scotland, John Swinney looks set to become the next SNP leader and first minister.

news.sky.com

UPDATE: Boris Johnson tried to use an envelope with his name and address on it as photo ID

https://twitter.com/PolitlcsUK/status/1786127915106644121?t=vsJ5btc-q_9SoNM8WMirJA&s=19

This sort of feels worse, as he knew he needed ID but brought an envelope with his name and address instead.

 

[Snow1964]

So far of the 985 Conservative seats being defended, of those that have declared, they lost more than retained.

Currently 117 retained, 122 lost.


Meanwhile Labour seems to be struggling where there is high Muslim population, partly due to its Gaza & Israel stance.

 

[nw1]

Meanwhile Labour seems to be struggling where there is high Muslim population, partly due to its Gaza & Israel stance.

A mistake, IMV: Labour should be coming out more strongly against the bombing in Gaza.

They would certainly have retained Rochdale had that been the case, I suspect, and spared us all from the Trumpist rantings of Galloway.

Another interesting result so far is the conservatives holding Harlow council by 1 seat.
Harlow is a Labour target seat for the general election.

Perhaps this is a case where local factors come into play: Harlow council are possibly doing a fairly good job in the eyes of many people - despite being Tory

In the GE I suspect it could be different, as long-time MP Robert Halfon, who I get the impression has a big local following, is standing down. If he had stayed as the candidate I suspect the Tories could have held the seat but not sure now.

 

[ainsworth74]

For the millionth time in UK politics, you couldn't make it up:

Politics latest: Local elections voting into final hours - as former PM forgets his photo ID

Millions of people across England and Wales are voting in today's local elections, though former prime minister Boris Johnson failed at the first attempt after forgetting his photo ID. Up in Scotland, John Swinney looks set to become the next SNP leader and first minister.

news.sky.com

Meanwhile I was able to vote by simply wearing my works photo ID badge around my neck: "Do you have ID... Oh I can see your badge never mind."

 

[skyhigh]

For the millionth time in UK politics, you couldn't make it up:

Politics latest: Local elections voting into final hours - as former PM forgets his photo ID

Millions of people across England and Wales are voting in today's local elections, though former prime minister Boris Johnson failed at the first attempt after forgetting his photo ID. Up in Scotland, John Swinney looks set to become the next SNP leader and first minister.

news.sky.com

What are the chances it was deliberate to try and divert some headlines? Pretty high I suspect.

 

[nw1]

Most ridiculous comment of the day so far from Tory chairman Richard Holden: (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-68609729)

"Overall a disappointing night for us but that's what you expect from parties in mid-term of government," he adds.

Mid-term? More than 4 years since the last GE and about 5 months, presumably (much of which is the summer recess anyway) until the next one?

 

[TrainGeekUK]

A Tory Wipeout looks a certainty at the next election if the pattern of the locals continue.

Sunak has to go. I would say he is less popular than Thatcher was to most ordinary folk.

 

[ainsworth74]

Most ridiculous comment of the day so far from Tory chairman Richard Holden: (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-68609729)



Mid-term? More than 4 years since the last GE and about 5 months, presumably (much of which is the summer recess anyway) until the next one?

Personally I think things like that comment, which is objectively bonkers, are a psychological defence mechanism. He knows that they're stuffed. He knows that there's nothing they can do to turn the situation around. But it's too hard to accept that that is the situation.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Meanwhile I was able to vote by simply wearing my works photo ID badge around my neck: "Do you have ID... Oh I can see your badge never mind."

Surely that's not an officially accepted ID?