What should the Tories do now?

They need to move back to the 'One Nation' Compassionate Conservatism of the 1960s and 70s before Margaret Thatcher took over.

Since I want shot of them, I think they should carry in as they are, or tack further right still.

And, although there are clearly more votes available to them if they move to the centre, I don’t for one moment believe they will.

Allsorts

I think they should hang on for the election until the last minute, they know they have lost.. Tories been in so long it’s inevitable the country needed a change, no faith in Standback .though, he got in my nerves all through Lockdown, never opened his mouth but you can’t have just the same party in office you need a break, Tories held power for over 60 years out of last hundred I think. First job I suppose will be to make country more attractive than it is now for our sea faring arrivals and spend, spend, spend.

Why do you think that would be the first job?

Of course the Tories will hang on. They need time to look for lucrative jobs and keep being paid as MPs while stacking up pension benefits. Sunak can keep them in some sort of order by privately threatening an early election. His talking up the possibility of a hung Parliament is a jolly good reason for more people to vote Labour.

Grantanow

Of course the Tories will hang on. They need time to look for lucrative jobs and keep being paid as MPs while stacking up pension benefits. Sunak can keep them in some sort of order by privately threatening an early election. His talking up the possibility of a hung Parliament is a jolly good reason for more people to vote Labour.

It’s a con to suggest a hung parliament at this stage, because apart from history proving that people do vote for the major parties at general elections, when you read the small print of the calculations done since the local elections, they assume that Scotland, Wales and NI will remain exactly as they are, eg the Tory seats will remain and Labour and the other parties won’t make any gains - which definitely isn’t going to happen.

Given so many Tories know they are going to loose their seats, they want to delay the GE as long as possible to drain their gravy train as far as possible. No plan for next steps just bleed the system and watch the party haemorrhage ministers as more and more announce they won't stand again ie before being humiliated.

I don't think it's the people who are confused, it's the government. If they are waiting for a miracle to save them they are deluded. They should stop trying to justify their failures and call a general election now.

I think we are getting ahead of ourselves. The GE in 2019 had a voter turnout around 67 percent. This recent local election was what? Around 40 percent?

The Conservative Party has a few months to improve its communication skills. I remember that Boris Johnson over spun and over communicated when prime minister and Rishi Sunak has no easy mass communication skills at all.

Arguably even with improved messaging, there needs to be a strong realisation that Conservative policies are not working well for certain groups in the UK and life has become difficult for anyone who is not an established millionaire. I don’t think there’s a quick fix for that…..

Bring back Boris . Barricades up!

The election is inevitable NanKate.
Actually I hope the Tories do bring Boris back, there’s nothing like an unelected, disgraced leader returning to put paid to the idea now that he will ever be able to return long term - otherwise we will have the inevitable ‘Boris could have saved us’ calls for the next five years.

I just hope they won’t wait until December. I doubt they’ll hold it in the summer - too many people will be away and won’t have bothered or remembered to sort out postal votes.
September or October would IMO be good.

True Conservative values are NOT Far Right, this is another example of the lefties not tolerating any other view except theirs, a lot of which are much more extreme so they label anything that doesn't fit their narrative far right. One size does not fit all, we are not all the same!

Hoist by your own petard there JudyBloom. ‘Lefties’?

JudyBloom

True Conservative values are NOT Far Right, this is another example of the lefties not tolerating any other view except theirs, a lot of which are much more extreme so they label anything that doesn't fit their narrative far right. One size does not fit all, we are not all the same!

Your real problem is that “true” conservative values disappeared down the pan alongside truth and integrity at the end of the last century. Cameron tottered along for a bit but was soon defeated by the right and their divisive and corrupt politics. Johnson got rid of all the Tories with traditional values.

I think Whitewavemark2 has that about right.

Sunak really doesn’t have an original idea about anything. The scaremongering about a hung Parliament, with Labour propped up by the SNP, is a much used trope, and bears no relation to today’s political reality.

JudyBloom

True Conservative values are NOT Far Right, this is another example of the lefties not tolerating any other view except theirs, a lot of which are much more extreme so they label anything that doesn't fit their narrative far right. One size does not fit all, we are not all the same!

What's a "lefty"? If it's anybody not in agreement with the current regime, it must be most people in the country.

Don’t be so sure Siope
If anything tho, it’s a good thing as it’s a warning not to be complacent and make sure you vote the right way in the GE.

That’s what all the opinion polls, and all the election results in the past year say Oreo, so it’s difficult to argue that growstuff is wrong.

Frankly to suggest that there May well be a hung parliament must surely favour labour, as it will concentrate people’s minds and encourage them to turn out to vote I would have thought, rather than people thinking labours win was a done deal.

I am also going to suggest the following😮😮

Not sure that a hung parliament - provided the Tories get nowhere near it, is no bad thing.

I would like to think that pressure is put onto the majority party for things like getting rid of FPTP, sorting the House of Lords and other constitutional stuff that badly needs addressing.

I think delay the election as long as poss and resign, get someone people can relate to and like and have a concerted effort to ‘sell’ them. Under Sunak the Conservatives are doomed, no chance whatsoever.

Galaxy

They need time in opposition to thrash it out. If history is anything to go by they will pick a couple of mindnumbingly useless leaders then get it 'right'. I would quite like them to do this quickly but that isnt the usual pattern. I think as we have witnessed governments with large majorities and no effective opposition are not a good thing. I say this a labour supporter.

Starmer isn't " mind numbing". The most boring man to enter politics.

I think we are using mind numbing in different ways, when I am referring to the mindnumbingly useless Tory leaders following Blair's victory I was talking about their inability to sort out their own party and gain popular support. That isnt a problem that Starmer has despite his people may view his personality.
My view of his personality for what its worth is ruthlessly ambitious.

Starmer isn't " mind numbing". The most boring man to enter politics.

I believe people said similar about Clement Attlee. One of the most radical PMs we have ever had...

Competence interests me more than charisma. Starmer has demonstrated competence. Whether he can exercise it in a way that benefits the UK remans to be seen.

MaizieD

^Starmer isn't " mind numbing". The most boring man to enter politics.^

I believe people said similar about Clement Attlee. One of the most radical PMs we have ever had...

Competence interests me more than charisma. Starmer has demonstrated competence. Whether he can exercise it in a way that benefits the UK remans to be seen.

Yes this is true.