Zack Polanski

Polanski is dangerous. He would quite happily scrap our nuclear deterrent and slash spending on defence, while allowing open borders. I wouldn't want someone like that running the country.

Oreo

FranP

Hannah Spencer is the sort of person you might vote for regardless of her party. Real, down to Earth.

My recollections of a chap called Arthur Skeffington was a hard working local chap who was approachable and did his best In a very mixed working class area, he was re-elected time after time. Many people voted for him despite his party not because of it. When he died the Tory party put up a no-hope new guy, thinking it was such a safe seat and got trounced.

Think she is going to be like that - people will vote for HER not her party

Especially if she’ll pop round and fix the leaking tap.

My recollections of a chap called Arthur Skeffington was a hard working local chap who was approachable and did his best In a very mixed working class area, he was re-elected time after time. Many people voted for him despite his party not because of it. When he died the Tory party put up a no-hope new guy, thinking it was such a safe seat and got trounced.

Arthur Skeffington was a Labour MP.

Hayes and Harlington returned another Labour MP after his death, then a Tory.
Present incumbent John McDonnell.

FranP

Hannah Spencer is the sort of person you might vote for regardless of her party. Real, down to Earth.

My recollections of a chap called Arthur Skeffington was a hard working local chap who was approachable and did his best In a very mixed working class area, he was re-elected time after time. Many people voted for him despite his party not because of it. When he died the Tory party put up a no-hope new guy, thinking it was such a safe seat and got trounced.

Think she is going to be like that - people will vote for HER not her party

Especially if she’ll pop round and fix the leaking tap.

Mollygo

Allira

I just don't understand them, Mollygo ☹

Don't get me started in potholes either! Ours have got (become) worse since Greens took over our council. When I complained, their response was that the problem existed before they took over!🤣🤣

Potholes can be very useful, Mollygo

Actually, they can't be filled successfully when it constantly rains. Good for the plants though 🌻

I think Hannah Spencer won the by election because of her personal qualities, not because of the Green Party. If Andy Burnham had been allowed to stand, I think he would have won.
I certainly wouldn’t vote for them because they want to allow unlimited immigration! No wonder they’re keen to build more houses! 🙄

Allira

I just don't understand them, Mollygo ☹

Don't get me started in potholes either! Ours have got (become) worse since Greens took over our council. When I complained, their response was that the problem existed before they took over!🤣🤣

I just don't understand them, Mollygo ☹

Allira
Well, when the Greens here want to build hundreds of houses on floodplains in an environmentally sensitive area . . .
They already have in our area, on an area where, as a school, we raised money to help the existing houses that were flooded when DGD was at primary school.

FranP

Hannah Spencer is the sort of person you might vote for regardless of her party. Real, down to Earth.

My recollections of a chap called Arthur Skeffington was a hard working local chap who was approachable and did his best In a very mixed working class area, he was re-elected time after time. Many people voted for him despite his party not because of it. When he died the Tory party put up a no-hope new guy, thinking it was such a safe seat and got trounced.

Think she is going to be like that - people will vote for HER not her party

Yes, she's obviously very keen and eager which is refreshing in itself. I am sure she will try to work very hard for her constituents but in reality as a backbencher and a minority party there won't be that much she can actually do.

Hannah Spencer is the sort of person you might vote for regardless of her party. Real, down to Earth.

My recollections of a chap called Arthur Skeffington was a hard working local chap who was approachable and did his best In a very mixed working class area, he was re-elected time after time. Many people voted for him despite his party not because of it. When he died the Tory party put up a no-hope new guy, thinking it was such a safe seat and got trounced.

Think she is going to be like that - people will vote for HER not her party

Mollygo

^Zack's economic ideas are sound and based on a better understanding of how a national economy works than most politicians (and voters) have.^

DGS studying politics and economics said Greens are lacking decent policies.
But then, what do these teenagers know?

Well, when the Greens here want to build hundreds of houses on floodplains in an environmentally sensitive area, I'm rather dubious about their policies and their abilities.

MaizieD Polanski seems to think that raising taxes for the very wealthy will fund the policies he'd introduce. I thought you've always disputed that taxes fund anything?

Zack's economic ideas are sound and based on a better understanding of how a national economy works than most politicians (and voters) have.

DGS studying politics and economics said Greens are lacking decent policies.
But then, what do these teenagers know?

Gosh, what a touchy lot.

From what I've read the Green's 'policies' really aren't very well developed at the moment. I'd reserve judgement until they produce a proper manifesto.

In the meantime, they won the by election on a platform of inclusion, not the divisiveness of Reform, and attention to the sort of issues that many Labour voters feel are close to the old Labour principles. Labour trying to out Reform Reform has lost an enormous number of previously loyal voters. Starmer's dreadful letter to Labour MPs in the wage of the Green's victory has lost even more.

Zack's economic ideas are sound and based on a better understanding of how a national economy works than most politicians (and voters) have.

Grandmotherto8

That's not even his birth name! He was born David Paulden. Obviously Zack seemed cooler to him. Worrying.

Zach is short for Zachariah, a Hebrew name.

Doodledog I agree although I have reservations about the Greens being in charge of Local Government too.

I always read all your comments at bedtime and I really enjoy the contributors.Now, Zak Polanski ? If we took him seriously he would be dangerous.

MaizieD

As the Greens really aren't pitching for the granny vote I don't suppose he'll lose any sleep over this thread

What's the 'granny vote'? As far as I am concerned my vote is as valuable now as it was when it was part of what you might call the 'young vote', the 'mummy vote' or the 'middle age vote'. Ageism doesn't come into it, and I put as much thought into my vote now as I did at other stages of my life. If any politician thinks they have my vote because of my age or reproductive status they can think again.

As for ZP - I don't care what he looks like, but I can't agree with him about men becoming women, or about legalising hard drugs, or about sex work being like other forms of work. I think a government with him in charge would be disastrous. I would be happy with a Green local council, who might sort out things like recycling (which is dire round here), but when it comes to serious national policies and defence - absolutely not.

His looks to me are irrelevant, his politics and policies awful, the old greens would have got my vote, not nowadays.

That's not even his birth name! He was born David Paulden. Obviously Zack seemed cooler to him. Worrying.

Greens and Reform can do well in by-elections without necessarily doing that well in the next general election. It's still a long way to go before the next one and Labour will hang on as long as possible, I'm sure.

The Greens winning that by-election doesn’t guarantee a good national performance — it could and I expect it is in many cases simply protest voting, plus Dave" aka Zack needs to be a MP to make any impact.

MaizieD

As the Greens really aren't pitching for the granny vote I don't suppose he'll lose any sleep over this thread

Well if that's their attitude they can forget about my vote.

Oreo

BlueBelle

So many personal remarks on here, how horrible to comment on his teeth, his hair, his stubble. Reminds me very much of the thread about Angela Reynor and the way she dressed.
Nasty

And the comments about Boris, his hair and him looking like a burst sofa?
The fact is commenting on public figures disrespectfully is part of our British heritage 😁

That made me laugh but it’s very true.

The comments about Boris went on the whole time he was PM.It was relentless. Rishi Sunak was the butt of jokes about his tiny frame and tailored suits. Theresa May’s big necklaces and fancy footwear always got lots of criticism.

MaizieD

As the Greens really aren't pitching for the granny vote I don't suppose he'll lose any sleep over this thread

And that’s a typical government attitude. The grannies aren’t really useful to political parties, except when the party is in power.

Then it’s Ooh! We might be able to get some money out of them! What can we tax . . . ?

MaizieD

As the Greens really aren't pitching for the granny vote I don't suppose he'll lose any sleep over this thread

Oh the Greens don't care about older voters? Hope nobody over 50 votes for them then, otherwise it's turkeys voting for Christmas.
Polanski is an egotist who in an interview about women being a distinct sex class said he knew better than the Supreme Court judges. The highest court in this country and he'd disregard them.

I voted Green for many years. They are not anything like the party I used to vote for. The last few leaders have been dreadful. I continued to vote for them because we had a good local candidate. I live in what was a very safe Tory seat so my vote was never going to really make any difference to Parliament. I can't vote for them anymore they are beyond awful and Zack Polanski is really rude and obtuse in a lot of interviews. I am at a loss as to who I vote for in future elections.