UK election 2024

[Christine]

Well, it's an idea. But while there may be people willing to put their lives, careers etc on hold to spend a couple of weeks on jury service, somewhere fairly local to them, I think you'd find it exceptionally difficult to find people prepared to effectively up sticks to London for 5 years to be part of a legislature selected on jury-style basis.

And, sure there are plenty of useless MPs. But I really don't like this 'they are all the same, all as bad as each other' narrative. There are plenty of really hard-working and exceptionally effective MPs - and that is across all parties. But there is a difference between the job of a constituency MP and that of a minister and the government.

Yes. It would have to be a compulsory civic duty. And you would need a robust, independent judiciary and properly impartial civil service to go with it. It would mean no member of the legislature was a "career politician". Reduce the opportunities for corruption. Anyway, a pipe dream and seriously off-topic now, sorry.

[Nearly Sane]

ModeratorA couple of posts have been moved to the Election Trans thread, as they were closer to that thread's topic

[Nearly Sane]

'X takes action on deepfake network smearing UK politicians after BBC investigation'.

It's a huge worry but still I don't think it's affecting the opinion much.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq55gd8559eo

[Nearly Sane]

Kuenssberg on Sunak's shocking week


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cz55kvkp0ymo

[Nearly Sane]

.

[SteveH]

Why is the Hate-Mail, of all papers, exaggerating Labour's lead and suggesting that the Tories will end up well down in two figures, rather than suggesting that the Tories will make a big come-back by polling day, as you'd expect them to? Are they trying to scare their readers into sticking with the Tories rather than voting reform or not bothering to vote? Risky strategy, if so.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/tories-face-election-wipeout-with-labour-set-to-gain-a-416-majority/ar-BB1nS2No?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=HCTS&cvid=bdc4d9b58568419e9d77387e8b691d1d&ei=7

[Nearly Sane]

Points to Shabana Mahmood on calling Farage out on his comment about Sunak, I think Mel Stride should have been just as clear.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx005vdgg5yo

[Nearly Sane]

First 'party leader' to say they are going to resign in the campaign

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ceddenl8xz4o

[jeremyp]

First 'party leader' to say they are going to resign in the campaign

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ceddenl8xz4o

Well that's refreshing: a Conservative politician resigning without having to be strong armed out.

[Nearly Sane]

Well that's refreshing: a Conservative politician resigning without having to be strong armed out.

I think the hints in the article are that he was told to since there looked to be a big chance that standing to be an MP when he said he wouldn't, on top of the shafting of Duguid, meant that they would lose the seat.

Though I'm not sure if your post was entirely serious.

[ProfessorDavey]

Views of various Reform candidates:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cjmmrwexv4ko

[Nearly Sane]

Views of various Reform candidates:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cjmmrwexv4ko

Almost impressively they appear to be the views of a single candidate.

[Nearly Sane]

.

[Nearly Sane]

Record number of candidates


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3ggeng6kqxo

[Nearly Sane]

The parties position on climate policies. I have to admit to being surprised that the Tories haven't courted more possible Reform voters by going further than they have in dropping climate policies.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp335p7x315o

[SteveH]

Record number of candidates


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3ggeng6kqxo

I've just, out of idle curiosity, tried to discover which constituency has the largest number of candidates standing, but neither Google nor Bing seemed to even understand the question, however I phrased it, though you'd think it was fairly straightforward, so I still don't know. Does anyone else?

[Nearly Sane]

I've just, out of idle curiosity, tried to discover which constituency has the largest number of candidates standing, but neither Google nor Bing seemed to even understand the question, however I phrased it, though you'd think it was fairly straightforward, so I still don't know. Does anyone else?

Richmond and Northallerton with 13


https://democracyclub.org.uk/blog/2024/06/08/2024-uk-general-election-candidate-summary/

[jeremyp]

I've just, out of idle curiosity, tried to discover which constituency has the largest number of candidates standing, but neither Google nor Bing seemed to even understand the question, however I phrased it, though you'd think it was fairly straightforward, so I still don't know. Does anyone else?

It's almost always the one where the current PM is standing.

Edit: And I wrote that before seeing

Richmond and Northallerton with 13


https://democracyclub.org.uk/blog/2024/06/08/2024-uk-general-election-candidate-summary/

[Nearly Sane]

On trying to find which constituency had the most candidates for Steve, I looked at a couple of things, and wiki had a section on former MPs standing, and I found Dave Nellist, blast from the past, is standing. I had thought he must be ancient but he's , in US Presidential terms, nobbut a lad of 71.


 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Nellist

[Nearly Sane]

Triggered by Steve's question, I'm currently looking for how many constituencies have either all female or all male candidate lists. In 2017 the constituency I was in, I haven't moved but the constituency has ceased to be, had the only all female list, and it was the first one since 1997. There were iirc 92 all male lists in the 2017 election.

[jeremyp]

I don't know if this has been posted before, but it's worth a look even if it has.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zf397hCmnZ8

It's Richard Holden doing a pool interview. It's "the Thick of It" level.

[Nearly Sane]

Oddschecker now has Rochdale odds up. Labour odds on to win but still tight, see picture. If Galloway loses, and I really hope he does, he will set a new record for MPs losing their seat at one GE, winning a by election, and then losing that in the GE see second picture.

[Nearly Sane]

"Couple caught in deposit trap want election to unlock home-owning dream" - this is always an interesting one, as the article makes clear, for houses to be more affordable politicians would have to commit to house prices stagnating or falling, and they don't want to do that. Even the Greens, who aren't tied to the idea of increasing house prices,are caught by this because to do it would mean loads more houses and that goes against what they want in terms of development.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cjrrqn0jvgro

[SteveH]

Richmond and Northallerton with 13


https://democracyclub.org.uk/blog/2024/06/08/2024-uk-general-election-candidate-summary/

Thanks.
I've noticed that the neo-fascist far-right parties such as NF and BNP (as opposed to the hard right, such as reform, which is not overtly racist) seem to have disappeared from the electoral scene.

[SteveH]

"Couple caught in deposit trap want election to unlock home-owning dream" - this is always an interesting one, as the article makes clear, for houses to be more affordable politicians would have to commit to house prices stagnating or falling, and they don't want to do that. Even the Greens, who aren't tied to the idea of increasing house prices,are caught by this because to do it would mean loads more houses and that goes against what they want in terms of development.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cjrrqn0jvgro

Peter and Rebecca sounds like a middle-class, professional couple from Surrey, but in the photo they look more like Darren and Jayde.