General Election 2024

[Stephen]

I don’t know what all the fuss is about with the betting saga. Unless they placed bets having insider information then what’s the difference between this and placing a bet on a horse.

[Onelife]

Maybe now that Detectives are handling the betting problem, the media will now concentrate on the politics

Whilst it could be argued that the media seek, report and highlight issues within the political system, they also, in my opinion are the biggest cause of political upheaval…it sometimes appears that their main objective is to set one political party against the other thus creating political mayhem within the system.
I would like to see the scrapping of “televised” PMQ as it serves no purpose other than to give the two puppets a platform for their weekly panto shows… with the media’s interpretation of who Punched Judy the hardest.

[Onelife]

I don’t know what all the fuss is about with the betting saga. Unless they placed bets having insider information then what’s the difference between this and placing a bet on a horse.

It appears that they did have inside information and as within the betting/horse racing industry the punishments are severe…ten-year bans are not uncommon. The implications of insider information are that it has severe consequences for the integrity of racing and in this particular case the integrity of parliament.
Once an industry loses the confidence of the customer it is a downward slope where no one wants to participate.

[Mervyn and Trish]

We sent off our postal votes before we left home for our cruise, so they can promise what they like now it won't make any difference to our choice.

[david63]

We sent off our postal votes before we left home for our cruise, so they can promise what they like now it won't make any difference to our choice.

Not quite the same because we are not on a cruise but we have done our postal votes and the day after had a leaflet through the letterbox from the Green Party promising what they would do if they won.

Perhaps I am being a bit naive here but surely the political parties know when postal ballots go out so should they not try and get their message across before then and not after?

[Mervyn and Trish]

Prior to receiving our votes we had multiple leaflets from the Tory candidate and absolutely nothing from the other four!

[oldbluefox]

On the TV last night the Green woman said she would solve the immigration problem and Rwanda at a stroke. She would let them all in!!! What sort of planet are these people on? Where would they all live, go to school, get health treatment etc etc? Do they not think about what they are saying?

[Stephen]

This chap gets my vote

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/c9ee9ed8dg7o

[david63]

On the TV last night the Green woman said she would solve the immigration problem and Rwanda at a stroke. She would let them all in!!! What sort of planet are these people on? Where would they all live, go to school, get health treatment etc etc? Do they not think about what they are saying?

The point is that they can say whatever they want because they know that they will never be forming a government and have to implement those policies.

I though rule number one was "engage brain before opening mouth"!

[david63]

This chap gets my vote

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/c9ee9ed8dg7o

You can't argue with that.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Same question in the US.

[Onelife]

This is the difference between Insider information and placing a speculative bet.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cxw2lm2mm14o

In this instance he is placing his bet on his judgment as to his chances of retaining his seat…nothing wrong in that in my opinion. I suppose one could argue that his efforts to retain his seat could be deemed as a non-trier but that would be for his party to decide.

[towny44]

We sent off our postal votes before we left home for our cruise, so they can promise what they like now it won't make any difference to our choice.

Now I see why you were saying you were a floating voter.

[CaroleF]

This time next week it will all be settled, or will it? I have no idea what the composition of the new Government will be. I remember those days after the 2010 election when we weren't certain which party was going to go into a coalition with which other party. Could we be in for a similar situation I wonder, I wouldn't be that surprised? Not sure if there's going to be a Labour landslide as the papers would have us believe.

[david63]

This time next week it will all be settled, or will it? I have no idea what the composition of the new Government will be. I remember those days after the 2010 election when we weren't certain which party was going to go into a coalition with which other party. Could we be in for a similar situation I wonder, I wouldn't be that surprised? Not sure if there's going to be a Labour landslide as the papers would have us believe.

If you look at the "poll of polls" then it has Labour hovering around 40% - but that is of the electorate so I don't know how that translates to seats.

My guess is that Labour will be the largest party and if they have an overall majority (which I am not totally convinced about) then it will only be a small one.

[towny44]

This time next week it will all be settled, or will it? I have no idea what the composition of the new Government will be. I remember those days after the 2010 election when we weren't certain which party was going to go into a coalition with which other party. Could we be in for a similar situation I wonder, I wouldn't be that surprised? Not sure if there's going to be a Labour landslide as the papers would have us believe.

If you look at the "poll of polls" then it has Labour hovering around 40% - but that is of the electorate so I don't know how that translates to seats.

My guess is that Labour will be the largest party and if they have an overall majority (which I am not totally convinced about) then it will only be a small one.

I would like to hope you will be right David, I would love to see how Labour cope with a wafer thin majority, Sir Keir and Angela with a landslide win just does not bear thinking about.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Unless the polls are way out, which of course they could be, I suspect Labour will have a big enough majority to do just what they want. Once they've decided what that is.

[oldbluefox]

All will be revealed......once they get in.

[Stephen]

And then the backtracking will start.

[Onelife]

I wonder how many voting slips will be spoiled with “none of the above” this time around?

[Stephen]

I think there will be allot of ‘pin the tail on the donkey’ at the voting booths.

[david63]

Did anyone see the interview with Starmer last night? A lot of what he was saying made sense, as does a lot of what the others say, and he was doing OK until he came out with the comment that if he was in power he would instruct the police to not make arrests in some situations in order to relieve the pressure on the prisons.

What sort of a message is that? If you have done wrong then it is up to the courts to decide your fate - not the government.

[Stephen]

It’s just giving the green light to things like shop lifting and burglary. Talk about a broken system.

[Onelife]

I’m pleased to hear words such as “Broken System” creeping into our political debates.

[Mervyn and Trish]

It'll be even more broken when Starmer gives the vote to 10 year olds and bribes them with free lollipops to vote for him.