UK election 2024

[SteveH]

Risky pretending he cares tuppence about football.

[Roses]

Hardly anyone, in my neck of the woods, is displaying party-political poster in their windows or gardens. I've only seen one, for the Lib Dems. Does this indicate apathy?

I haven't seen any posters either, in windows either which is very unusual, although many people are talking about the up coming election..

[SteveH]

I think Prof. Davey is right: people nowadays express their loyalties on social media.

[Nearly Sane]

Risky pretending he cares tuppence about football.

I'm inclined to accept that he cares enough about it to be excited by a last gasp equaliser, and extra time win in the Euros for England. There are lots of people who might watch and get excited by this, or sports at the Olympics that never watch it outside of them.

Good piece of propaganda from the Tories though

[Nearly Sane]

I think Prof. Davey is right: people nowadays express their loyalties on social media.

I was in Amersham just before the by election in 2021 and it was covered in Lib Dem posters. I suspect that it may be in certain seats that there is more activity. I wonder what Rochdale or Clacton or Bristol West look like. Perhaps Jeremyp could help with the last one?


Anecdotally, I've seen less posting on social media this time from friends than 2019 though probably more from parties.

[ProfessorDavey]

Risky pretending he cares tuppence about football.

I'm no fan of Sunak, but I think that is a lazy assertion.

As far as I understand Sunak grew up as a pretty big fan of Southampton and I've no doubt he has retained an interest in both them and football in general thereafter. To imply that because he is from a hugely advantaged, elite background - being sent to private schools, including one of the top ones in the country, plus Oxford etc, plus his wealth means he cannot be interested in football is a bit of a lazy generalisation.

Actually I think both Sunak and Starmer are pretty keen football fans.

[Outrider]

As far as I understand Sunak grew up as a pretty big fan of Southampton and I've no doubt he has retained an interest in both them and football in general thereafter.

As a child of the Portsmouth area, I have it on good authority you can be a lifelong fan of Southampton and not care about quality football at all...   

O.

[ProfessorDavey]

As a child of the Portsmouth area, I have it on good authority you can be a lifelong fan of Southampton and not care about quality football at all...   

O.

Indeed - and I gather those in Southampton think exactly the same ... about Portsmouth!!

[SteveH]

I was in Amersham just before the by election in 2021 and it was covered in Lib Dem posters. I suspect that it may be in certain seats that there is more activity. I wonder what Rochdale or Clacton or Bristol West look like. Perhaps Jeremyp could help with the last one?

I read this and wondered why there would be Lib Dem posters in the Netherlands. I misread "Amersham" as "Amsterdam"!

[ProfessorDavey]

I was in Amersham just before the by election in 2021 and it was covered in Lib Dem posters. I suspect that it may be in certain seats that there is more activity. I wonder what Rochdale or Clacton or Bristol West look like. Perhaps Jeremyp could help with the last one?

By-elections are certainly a bit different to general elections in terms of visibility.

My impression is that posters etc tend to be restricted to parties that are minor enough not to seem threatening but major enough to have the resources. So LibDem and Green largely and pretty minimal presence for Labour and virtually non existent for the Tories. And, of course, it also depends on which parties are most likely to be competitive in a particular constituency.

We've got a decent amount in St Albans, but then there is always a pretty good presence even at local elections. Certainly less than 1997 or 2001 etc but still a reasonable amount. Both my next door neighbours have stake/poster - one side LibDem, the other both LibDem and Green!! I used to always have a Labour stake (indeed for many years I was one of the team going around putting them up) but gave up when I stopped being a member after Corbyn became leader.

[ekim]

Indeed - and I gather those in Southampton think exactly the same ... about Portsmouth!!

Nah, who ever heard of a Saints supporter being able to think?

[SteveH]

Just received two leaflets from Labour and one from the Greens through the door. The Labour ones can be used as small posters - just the word "Change" on a red background - so I put one in the front window, and one in the side one. Pity, really - I'd love to support the Greens, but the only chance of defeating the Tories in Hemel is by voting Labour. Still, the Labour bloke seems like a good bloke.

[Roses]

Ed Davey's silly stunts are doing the Lib Dems no good whatsoever. I know some people who usually voted for them aren't going to do so this time around, because they have been put off by his behaviour. My husband and I used to vote Tory when were were young, but decided to give the Lib Dems our vote, when Maggie Thatcher met with our disapproval. We certainly wouldn't be voting for them now!

[SteveH]

Ed Davey's silly stunts are doing the Lib Dems no good whatsoever. I know some people who usually voted for them aren't going to do so this time around, because they have been put off by his behaviour. My husband and I used to vote Tory when were were young, but decided to give the Lib Dems our vote, when Maggie Thatcher met with our disapproval. We certainly would be voting for them now!

I think he knows what he's doing - he wants to portray himself as not taking himself too seriosly.. His stunts don't seem to be harming the Lib Dems in the polls.

[ProfessorDavey]

Ed Davey's silly stunts are doing the Lib Dems no good whatsoever. I know some people who usually voted for them aren't going to do so this time around, because they have been put off by his behaviour. My husband and I used to vote Tory when were were young, but decided to give the Lib Dems our vote, when Maggie Thatcher met with our disapproval. We certainly would be voting for them now!

I disagree and so do a load of political commentators who think that Davey's approach has been pretty inspired.

As a small party it can be pretty difficult to get any kind of 'cut through' in the media. Davey has done this, by getting media coverage for his 'stunts' but each one is actually backed up by a pretty carefully worked through serious point. His serious points have got heard because his stunts have got people's (and the media's) attention.

He's also got Daisy (Cooper - deputy leader) as his 'serious' side kick - he does the stunts and sometimes he does the serious follow up, sometime daisy does. Whichever way they've been heard in a way they weren't in 2017 and 2019.

[SteveH]

I disagree and so do a load of political commentators who think that Davey's approach has been pretty inspired.

As a small party it can be pretty difficult to get any kind of 'cut through' in the media. Davey has done this, by getting media coverage for his 'stunts' but each one is actually backed up by a pretty carefully worked through serious point. His serious points have got heard because his stunts have got people's (and the media's) attention.

He's also got Daisy (Cooper - deputy leader) as his 'serious' side kick - he does the stunts and sometimes he does the serious follow up, sometime daisy does. Whichever way they've been heard in a way they weren't in 2017 and 2019.

Is he a relation?

[Nearly Sane]

I disagree and so do a load of political commentators who think that Davey's approach has been pretty inspired.

As a small party it can be pretty difficult to get any kind of 'cut through' in the media. Davey has done this, by getting media coverage for his 'stunts' but each one is actually backed up by a pretty carefully worked through serious point. His serious points have got heard because his stunts have got people's (and the media's) attention.

He's also got Daisy (Cooper - deputy leader) as his 'serious' side kick - he does the stunts and sometimes he does the serious follow up, sometime daisy does. Whichever way they've been heard in a way they weren't in 2017 and 2019.

Agree, and part of it is that it gives news broadcasters an easy story with pictures as opposed to visiting a factory and giving a speech. They then will tend to cover it, and there's even been a sort of relief when they get to the story.

[ProfessorDavey]

Is he a relation?

No - but good spot.

I actually think he's been a pretty useless leader - Daisy would have been much better. But he and the LibDems have come up with a pretty inspired way of getting coverage when your leader is (on the face of it) pretty dull and uninspiring.

[Aruntraveller]

The Little Racist Frog - The Marsh Family

https://youtu.be/RhBYzNv4N_E?si=vmOJUCZYyzrzotoC

(Normally I'd put this on the music thread - but I think it sits better here)

[Stranger]

Just watched the latest Last Week Tonight with John Oliver on the UK election. Well worth a watch if you have access to Sky or NOW. Classic rundown on the last 14 years of Tory nonsense, including this classic clip (which I'd almost forgotten) in which Boris Johnson, while being confronted by an angry parent about the NHS, lies that there are 'no press here' while literally being filmed by the press.

'There’s no press here?': father of hospital patient confronts Boris Johnson

[Nearly Sane]

'Backlash as Tories attack Starmer for saying he wants to spend time with his family after 6pm on Fridays' - and good for the backlash.


https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/keir-starmer-6pm-tories-sunak-election-b2572324.html

[jeremyp]

I think he knows what he's doing - he wants to portray himself as not taking himself too seriosly.. His stunts don't seem to be harming the Lib Dems in the polls.

I think the Lib-Dems are benefitting a lot from the "vote tactically to get the Tories out" campaigns.

Electoral Calculus currently predicts them forming the Official Opposition.

[SteveH]

A cartoon in the latest 'Private Eye' points out that our election is on July 4th, America's traditional fireworks night, while theirs is on November 5th, our fireworks night.

[Nearly Sane]

'Backlash as Tories attack Starmer for saying he wants to spend time with his family after 6pm on Fridays' - and good for the backlash.


https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/keir-starmer-6pm-tories-sunak-election-b2572324.html

it's actually still amazing to me how much distilled idiocy there is in all the Tory quotes here.

[SteveH]

The latest 'Private Eye' describes the action of the woman who threw a milkshake at Farage as "lactosing the intolerant".