Have we changed to being Communist China without me noticing or do right-wing one party states just use the same rethoric?

People vote for the best they consider on the day . We vote at least every 5 years . There'll be an election before 2024 no doubt as the present PM is an expert politician who'll play the polls right . He'll win , no change till he steps down , he's too clever to fail , that's just a fact !

MaizieD Thanks for the correction. Silly of me.

GG13 "politically homeless" probably describes quite a number of people including me. I was conservative for many years but just can't support them now and Labour doesn't seem to be strong enough in opposition.

MerylStreep

It’s quite amusing to note that the one TV channel that some of you love to hate is the only one that doesn’t pull it’s punches when criticising this government.

Yep, totally correct ??

MerylStreep

It’s quite amusing to note that the one TV channel that some of you love to hate is the only one that doesn’t pull it’s punches when criticising this government.

I don't need a TV channel to tell me what this government is doing wrong. I have great reading ability and good comprehension skills. I've also seen the arch scrounger performing on PMQs...

It’s quite amusing to note that the one TV channel that some of you love to hate is the only one that doesn’t pull it’s punches when criticising this government.

Dinahmo

Whitewavemark2

Apparently Frost has just told the Lords that he intends to dismantle the GDPR - data protection scheme and other regulations.

This is the same Frost who denied using personal emails and telephone for govt work. When asked to produce his phone, ot was lost, the it was found but broken, then it wasn't broken but had been given to a family member.

No, it's poor Lord Bethell who is having such a difficult time remembering just what he did with his old phone. Unfortunately it had a rather large number of texts and whatsapp messages on it by which he was conducting government business.

goodlawproject.org/update/ever-growing-mystery-missing-phone/

GrannyGravy13

PippaZ I like most have no idea when the next GE will be called however, it would be nice to know what the opposition stand for .

As mentioned previously in another thread, have a look at the 2019 manifesto (there is a short version). In this document the LP spells out what it stands for. Not much has changed.

Whitewavemark2

Apparently Frost has just told the Lords that he intends to dismantle the GDPR - data protection scheme and other regulations.

This is the same Frost who denied using personal emails and telephone for govt work. When asked to produce his phone, ot was lost, the it was found but broken, then it wasn't broken but had been given to a family member.

Was 'The will of the people' not bandied about freely with regard to Brexit. Also remember those headlines about judges being 'Enemies of the state'.

We are being persuaded that the government's actions are what we would want when the majority did not vote for them.

MaizieD

^As I seem to recall Labour had quiet a penchant for throwing peoples this that and the other around last time they were in power^

Apart from 'the people's Princess' what other 'people's xyz' did Blair throw around, GG13?

He certainly never invoked 'the will of the people'. I think he could recognise a fascist trope when he saw on...

Let's hope we won't be having posters like this one:

(National Socialism - the organised will of the country)

PS. We've already got the flags.

As I seem to recall Labour had quiet a penchant for throwing peoples this that and the other around last time they were in power

Apart from 'the people's Princess' what other 'people's xyz' did Blair throw around, GG13?

He certainly never invoked 'the will of the people'. I think he could recognise a fascist trope when he saw on...

PippaZ, Of course, this government knows that appealing to base instincts of winning and losing will get them votes.

Exactly. But as long as we have a populace that believes the lies, there isn't much that can be done. I do wonder WHY people continue to believe the lies. But as long as so many people take at face value what is pumped out to them, RATHER than looking at the actual evidence, what can be done?

Pammie1

I don’t think anything will change until we have effective opposition. It was the same in the eighties - the Labour Party had a series of inept leaders and we ended up with around 18 years of tory rule. Then came new labour for 13 years because the tories were chopping and changing leaders, making them just as bad. Not good for the country.

That is how I feel, as someone who has voted Conservative I am seeing nothing from the opposition to tempt me onside, as it stands I will in all probability spoil my ballot paper (unless our constituency MP lifts their game)

PippaZ

I do notice GrannyGravy that you don't seem to have commented on the cringeworthy "People's Priorities".

Didn’t realise it was a compulsory section of your OP.

As I seem to recall Labour had quiet a penchant for throwing peoples this that and the other around last time they were in power

I don’t think anything will change until we have effective opposition. It was the same in the eighties - the Labour Party had a series of inept leaders and we ended up with around 18 years of tory rule. Then came new labour for 13 years because the tories were chopping and changing leaders, making them just as bad. Not good for the country.

All well and good PippaZ but there are a lot of the electorate who are politically homeless at the moment, these could be hoovered up and converted to the opposition parties long before the next GE.

As it stands we are heading into a situation whereby folks will continue to vote as they have in the past and could see another majority Conservative Government and yet another ineffectual opposition.

I do notice GrannyGravy that you don't seem to have commented on the cringeworthy "People's Priorities".

GrannyGravy13

PippaZ I like most have no idea when the next GE will be called however, it would be nice to know what the opposition stand for .

You will - but in their time not yours. My guess, for what it is worth, is that unless we have a really bad winter Covid-wise, the parties will start to feed out more succinct information soon. They have policies already but they will simplify them, I'm sure.

There are umpteen different versions of democracy. I wish it weren't treated as a sacred cow.

I seem to remember that the Labour Party loved using ‘Peoples’ this and that when it suited them.I don’t think it’s exclusive to any one political Party.
Since we have had a FPTP for a long time I don’t see that the UK is any less democratic either.

PippaZ I like most have no idea when the next GE will be called however, it would be nice to know what the opposition stand for .

GrannyGravy13

Whitewavemark2 I think it’s high time that the opposition parties nailed their colours to a particular mast in order that the electorate actually know what they stand for and what they would have/would do under these current circumstances.

The electorate are becoming disenfranchised with politicians/politics as it is predominantly negative campaigning which is no good for anyone knowing what they wouldn’t have done.

Do you know more about when the election is coming than we all do GrannyGravy? I think the opposition parties will let you know their policies when it suits them and their supporters. Why would they want to give those who are Tory through and through the chance to manufacture more lies as they have done in recent elections?

The level of disenfranchisement of the electorate has a lot more to do with the lies of the party that now holds a majority. Far more than it does with the next election and on what platform others are standing.

(I know saying they lied sounds negative; it is of course. Even more so because it's the truth.)

GrannyGravy13

Whitewavemark2

It is all so utterly depressing.

It maybe but we have general elections every 5 years, so there is always change.

Johnson will have an election when he wants it. Haven't they talked about getting rid of the Fixed Term Parliament?

The fact that they are working towards more FPTP elections worries me. It seems to build on the idea of winners and losers. That idea did the country so much harm (and still is) when it came to Brexit.

I can only think of it as the dissolution of yet more of our democracy. Democracy is not about winning and losing; it is about the representation of the whole electorate. Some of the electors may have fewer people to represent their views and some more. Of course, this government knows that appealing to base instincts of winning and losing will get them votes.

gg13 I agree.