Theresa May calls General Election on 8th June.

[bramling]

That's because, as dangerous and atrocious as Corbyn is, his team consists of John McDonnell, Diane Abbot, Emily Thornberry, Barry Gardiner. They are truly dreadful people; whatever the antonym of 'dream team' is.

I just can't see that line-up winning. They are such a turn-off. The thought of Diane Abbott being Home Secretary is scary, and the prospect of Mc D being chancellor is even worse. At the end of the day this is what will probably secure success for May.

No matter how flat May's campaign may have been, come voting day better the devil one knows and all that.

 

[Domh245]

It's remarkable how Labour has become a one man party. Time and time again on forums and Youtube I see people say "I'm voting Corbyn" as though they live in his constituency. Back in the day I don't remember anyone saying "I'm voting Callaghan" or "I'm voting Kinnock" .

Not dissimilar to the Theresa May Party (formerly The Conservatives) although I don't know how effective that push has been - have there been many posts to the effect of "I'm voting Theresa)

 

[EM2]

It's remarkable how Labour has become a one man party. Time and time again on forums and Youtube I see people say "I'm voting Corbyn" as though they live in his constituency. Back in the day I don't remember anyone saying "I'm voting Callaghan" or "I'm voting Kinnock" .

Amber Rudd started her summary by saying 'A vote for anyone other than Theresa May...'.
Even if I wanted to, I'd find that incredibly difficult as I'm certain her name won't be on my ballot paper.

 

[northwichcat]

At least May did not do a u-turn on the decision to participate unlike Corbyn

I can't really blame her after watching that debacle that purported to be a debate. Where is DD when you need a steady anchorman or even LK for an anchorwoman on the BBC.

Six against one poor Amber did her best !!

The Conservatives and UKIP agree as much as Labour and the Greens agree.

"Judge us on our record" said Rudd. Their record is significantly worse than the record of John Mayor's government who, with inflation taken in to account, had to deal with a recession as bad as the 2008 one but Ken Clarke wasn't stupid enough to give cash handouts to well off people while trying to recover from a recession.

 

[northwichcat]

Can't or didn't want to - not really the same thing.

Having said that I do think she should have participated. Can't see it altering anyone's vote though. If anything the flat manifesto is more of a turn-off, but I think people will still see it as the least-worst, or at least least-risky, option on the table. For all May's lacklustre campaign, at least voters know that if she wins then Diane Abbott won't be Home Secretary.

In 2010 it was a Conservative opposition who called for leader's debates then when they get in to power and have more to lose than to gain they don't want them. May has proved she's a much weaker leader than Brown ever was by refusing to take part.

 

[northwichcat]

Amber Rudd started her summary by saying 'A vote for anyone other than Theresa May...'.
Even if I wanted to, I'd find that incredibly difficult as I'm certain her name won't be on my ballot paper.

Indeed and by that argument we've had an unelected PM for the past year and an unelected Leader of the Opposition for almost 2 years.

 

[northwichcat]

May's arrogance has well and truly ****ed her in my opinion. As someone who definitely does not want to see Corbyn as PM, it's disappointing.

I shall be voting LibDem, but I was disappointed with Farron's performance. He was far too reliant on soundbites and stories etc

I also agree that the audience was very biased. Seemed full of lefties

It was supposed to have around half Remain voters and around half Leave voters as well, so the Remain voters weren't on Rudd's side and a number of Leave voters will be Labour supporters.

Undecided voters might have needed more questions asked of them. I imagine there's a number of voters who would usually vote Labour but aren't sure with Corbyn leading the party.

 

[northwichcat]

All the party leaders agreed to submit answers to questions for Martin Lewis' MSE Leader's Debate on personal finance but Paul Nuttall failed to submit any responses.

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/ne...exit-as-party-leaders-take-part-in-mse-debate

In the summary the things that stand out to me are:
- Lib Dems' 'Rent to Own' model.
- Labour giving first time buyers the first option on new build houses.
- Greens mentioning a 60% tax rate.
- Theresa May giving generic answers as usual e.g. making train fares simpler and fairer - how many times have we heard that before?

 

[chris11256]

Another few polls out in the last few days.

With each saying different things. YouGov yesterday put Labout on 39 and conservatives on 42. However another pool by Kantar Public put Labout 10 points behind on 33. ICM and ComRes also have polls showing a gap of over 10%.

So there's a poll for everyone to use & claim they're in the lead.

The interesting question is how each poll is worked out. I think one of the flaws in the 2015 polls was that it was much easier to find & talk to Labour voters than conservative voters.

Personally, roll on next Friday when this is all over.

 

[telstarbox]

Without getting too carried away, what's the minimum number of Conservative seats for them to lose their working majority? I've got:

650 - 4 Sinn Fein = 646

So 311 Cons + current 8 DUP and 2 UUP = 321 which is two short of 322 (half of 650).

 

[chris11256]

Labour would need also to gain a large number of seats, as they're currently on 229. Unless they gain about 40-45 seats, they're without a majority even with the SNP.

If Labour stay as they are(seat wise), with the SNP they'd have 283 seats.

In terms of a majority, you also need to ignore the Speakers seat, plus two deputy speakers.

 

[Kite159]

It's scary to think that the Dream Team of Labour could pull off a surprise victory next week.

 

[chris11256]

One funny thing I've just spotted with YouGov's new model is the seat distribution

link

Given that result it'd be difficult for any party to gain a working majority.

 

[tony_mac]

One funny thing I've just spotted with YouGov's new model is that it gives UKIP 9 seats, which I find unlikely and suspicious.

Try again! (UKIP have 0, Lib-Dems have 9)

Given that result it'd be difficult for any party to gain a working majority.

Cool, we could have another election, just what everyone wants....

 

[Y961 XBU]

Read again, It gives the Lib Dems 9 seats and UKIP none

 

[chris11256]

Sorry must have been my eyes going funny!!

Thought that was odd.

Even so, still very difficult for a working majority to be formed.

 

[phoenixcronin]

LibDems on 9 would mean no net change. But I think Vince Cable will win back his old seat in Twickenham, offset by perhaps Norman Lamb losing his leave-voting Norfolk seat

 

[Howardh]

May's Q&A

Q: You said recently there would be dire consequences if we do not get a Brexit deal. What would they be? And in what circumstances would you walk away?

May says people in Europe are saying they want to punish us. That would amount to a bad deal. And there are people in the UK who want a deal at any price. That would be a bad deal too.

Q: How do you think the campaign is going? Did you ever think it would be like this?

May says she is visiting all parts of the country, taking her message across. She wants to talk not just about getting Brexit right, but having the best future after that.

Q: What have you done to try to persuade President Trump not to pull out of the Paris climate change agreement?

May says at the G7 summit last week she told him the importance the UK attaches to the Paris deal.

Q: [From Channel 4 News’ Michael Crick] Aren’t you doing badly because all you come out with his cliches. Can you tell us where the extra funding for the NHS will come from?

May says the Tories have shown that, with extra money from a growing economy, they are able to generate more money for the NHS.

Q: So if the economy goes downhill, the money won’t be there?

May says people should vote Conservative to ensure it does not go downhill.

Q: Do you accept that cutting immigration will have an effect on the economy? And how much will it come down by?

May says the Tories have kept their commitment to cut immigration because they recognise the impact it has on jobs and services. They want to train more people.

Q: Two days ago you launched a blistering attack on Jeremy Corbyn. Today you are calling for unity. Is your messaging mixed?

May says today she has said Corbyn is not up to the job.

Q: The latest poll gives you a lead of just three points. Why has the 24-point lead that you had evaporated?

May says there is only one poll that matters, the one next week. The choice people have is, how do they see the future. Do they want her or Corbyn?

Q: You are a feminist. Your candidate in Darlington has said in the past a woman’s sexual history should be brough up in rape trials because a woman of low morals is more likely to consent to sex. Is he appropriate to be a candidate?

May says the candidate has made clear his views have changed. She says more people are reporting rape, and being prosecuted for it. She will bring in legislation on domestic violence, she says. She wants to eradicate this abuse.

Q: Will you be disappointed if President Trump ignores your advice on the Paris climate change agreement?

May says the UK will retain its support for the Paris deal.

Q: Do you agree with Boris Johnson about the audience at last night’s debate being the most leftwing he had seen?

May says Amber Rudd did an excellent job in the debate.

Q: Did you watch the debate?

May says Amber Rudd did an excellent job in the debate.

Q: You have said that twice. Will you make her chancellor if you win the election.

May laughs. She says she is focusing on making sure that people know what the choice is at the election.

 

[Busaholic]

The Cornishman newspaper, one of a group of 3 local papers which cover the whole of Cornwall, reported their poll results this morning in all Cornish constituencies, all of which were taken by Conservatives last time. They did show a 32% 'undecided' vote, so that has to be taken into account: also the dates and means of polling were not given, but I suspect were several days, even a week, ago'

The only constituency which appears to be 'in the bag' for the Tories is SE Cornwall. Two constituencies show significant leads for other parties, namely Camborne where Labour have a 5 point lead over the Tories (25 to 20%) and St Ives where the LibDems have a 14 point lead (34 to 20). In St Ives only 23% were undecided, and the Tories are seriously rattled: the newspaper came wrapped in a 4 page ad for Theresa May, or so it appeared. In Truro and Falmouth, Labour are (surprisingly) second in the poll, just ahead of the Lib Dems, and not too far behind the Tories. UKIP are only contesting Truro because the MP was a 'remainer', so their vote there could be crucial. North Cornwall is close (2% lead for Tories over LibDem).

All quite striking for a county that voted strongly to leave the EU, but the reality of losing the EU grants and little prospect of long-term replacement, has sunk in, perhaps. A couple of Plymouth seats will probably go to Labour too, and Torbay to the LibDems. Schadenfreude.

 

[Qwerty133]

The Cornishman newspaper, one of a group of 3 local papers which cover the whole of Cornwall, reported their poll results this morning in all Cornish constituencies, all of which were taken by Conservatives last time. They did show a 32% 'undecided' vote, so that has to be taken into account: also the dates and means of polling were not given, but I suspect were several days, even a week, ago'

The only constituency which appears to be 'in the bag' for the Tories is SE Cornwall. Two constituencies show significant leads for other parties, namely Camborne where Labour have a 5 point lead over the Tories (25 to 20%) and St Ives where the LibDems have a 14 point lead (34 to 20). In St Ives only 23% were undecided, and the Tories are seriously rattled: the newspaper came wrapped in a 4 page ad for Theresa May, or so it appeared. In Truro and Falmouth, Labour are (surprisingly) second in the poll, just ahead of the Lib Dems, and not too far behind the Tories. UKIP are only contesting Truro because the MP was a 'remainer', so their vote there could be crucial. North Cornwall is close (2% lead for Tories over LibDem).

All quite striking for a county that voted strongly to leave the EU, but the reality of losing the EU grants and little prospect of long-term replacement, has sunk in, perhaps. A couple of Plymouth seats will probably go to Labour too, and Torbay to the LibDems. Schadenfreude.

I don't know about in your particular area but many local newspapers have polls that are conducted in such a way to be as meaningful as picking the level of support out of a hat.

 

[phoenixcronin]

I just watched May's Q&A and she looked so awkward and unnatural. Her movements were jerky and weird and she kept stopping mid sentence etc.

Really unsettling...

 

[northwichcat]

LibDems on 9 would mean no net change. But I think Vince Cable will win back his old seat in Twickenham, offset by perhaps Norman Lamb losing his leave-voting Norfolk seat

That could change as it was before last night's BBC debate and Farron's BBC interview hasn't yet been broadcast.

 

[EM2]

I just watched May's Q&A and she looked so awkward and unnatural. Her movements were jerky and weird and she kept stopping mid sentence etc.

Really unsettling...

They obviously forgot to recharge her batteries, or they're in a dodgy wi-fi area and the signals aren't getting through

 

[Cowley]

They obviously forgot to recharge her batteries, or they're in a dodgy wi-fi area and the signals aren't getting through

Was she wearing a necklace that just kept going around and around while she was hesitating?

 

[EM2]

Christopher Hope, Chief Political Correspondent of The Daily Telegraph, is reporting that Theresa May will not be interviewed by BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour tomorrow and is sending Justine Greening instead.
https://twitter.com/christopherhope/status/870310676501278720

 

[DarloRich]

listening to a debate about the election with several students in Sheffield on Radio 5. Some of them were well informed but several were touchingly naive and will be in for a shock once they get out into the real world. Surprisingly several were very anti labour and against removing tuition fees.

 

[Busaholic]

I don't know about in your particular area but many local newspapers have polls that are conducted in such a way to be as meaningful as picking the level of support out of a hat.

Perhaps, but for two points:-

Virtually all local papers in my region are owned by the Daily Mail's owners, and while they are careful not to overtly support the Conservatives they (shall we say) never carry disobliging stories about them, or individual peccadilloes shown by prominent members of the party like MPs, whereas they'll highlight the human failings of members of other political parties.

Secondly, my local paper carried an extraordinary editorial after May announced the election saying that Corbyn's policies were 'as welcome as a vagrant in the opera house'. Pure Bullingdon Club.

Just read courtesy of Huff Post that YouGov's latest poll in London has Labour on 50% and Cons on 33% i.e. the same ratio as in Tony Blair's landslide election year of 1997.

 

[Groningen]

So there seems to be a record called "Liar, liar" by Captain Ska boycotted on the radio, but number 1 on iTunes. And the liar seems to be Theresa May. As said above; it seems that (at this moment) the elections will not be a landslide for Theresa May. It was weak of Theresa May not to have a debate with Corbyn. Is there already a newspaper saying if Corbyn wins, than they can put out the light?

 

[Howardh]

So there seems to be a record called "Liar, liar" by Captain Ska boycotted on the radio, but number 1 on iTunes. And the liar seems to be Theresa May. As said above; it seems that (at this moment) the elections will not be a landslide for Theresa May. It was weak of Theresa May not to have a debate with Corbyn. Is there already a newspaper saying if Corbyn wins, than they can put out the light?

Yes, they ask May to put the light out but unfortunately she's nowhere to be seen.
As Tim farron said, if she's no time to speak to the public, then why should the public find the time to vote for her?
What do Europeans think of May (not that they care, I suppose)? Just some kind of eccentric old lady that keeps a cat, a complete buffoon (see under "Boris") or a genuine leader with a mission and respected for it?


Sorry, I'm just laughing at what I wrote at the end there.

 

[northwichcat]

Surprisingly several were very anti labour and against removing tuition fees.

I imagine even some 18 year olds going to university wouldn't object to the old Labour approach of tuition fees of around £1000 a year but those from poorer families are exempt.

And of course those not going to university might argue why will they have to pay taxes to fund others going to university.