Follow the Polls

12:32Wyllow3

What's your proof he's not afraid. He afraid all right, he's afraid he won't have pre knowledge of the questions and he can't cope without his script, just my opinion.

12:37Wyllow3

Perhaps protest in China or India then they are the cause of all the world's polutition not the UK. Doesn't everyone care about their children and grandchildren I certainly do, I thought it was a given and you didn't have to explain.

You are assuming that 6 debates are both necessary and desirable. Why are they?

Craig Mackinlay, the Conservative MP who lost all his limbs to sepsis, will not run for his South Thanet seat in the upcoming general election. I do feel sad for him, because he had hoped to have a phased return, but understandably he says he cannot cope with the campaign at the moment.

Whitewavemark2

Oreo

Whitewavemark2
How can you agree with both me and Casdon on this aspect?
Tbf it was me that agreed with you when you said that Starmer needs to make waves soon and that invisibility won’t cut it.
It won’t.

Quite easily. I think that Starmer needs to reach out to the vast majority of voters who take zero interest in politics and will be entirely unaware of Labours plans, hopefully they will be made much clearer in the lead up to the election -thus “the waves” remark

With regard to his character, I want a steady, serious man of integrity and I think I have got that in Starmer, but I do think that this sort of personality does not necessarily gell with the general public,

I agree with you about his character, decent, hardworking and a real family man.
Also that those character virtues don’t always gell with the public cos their window cleaner can be all of that, they want more from a prospective PM.
That’s why he needs to be visible from day one, not later leading up to the GE. From people I talk to socially and at work hardly anyone knows anything about him.
Maybe he needs to have more vocal people from the shadow cabinet around him to help with voter appeal?
Labour has a massive lead in the polls, but when it comes to the election am thinking there will be a real low turn out to vote and split between many parties which could lead to a hung parliament.
More needs to be done, people watch tv and more debates in front of the camera the better.I don’t think that two are enough to get him really recognised.

Wyllow3

You are assuming that 6 debates are both necessary and desirable. Why are they?

For the reason I highlight above, tho I know that question wasn’t for me.

LizzieDrip

^Starmer is refusing to dance to Sunak’s tune^

Agreed WW. And, Oreo, I’m pleased that KS isn’t a ‘natural showboater’. We’ve had more than enough of them in recent government.

Some showboating and a bit of the old razzle dazzle can be a good thing at election time.
Do you realise that a lot of the general public don’t know a thing about Keir Starmer and a lot don’t even recognise his photo.People watch tv! Debates are a great idea, and would have been a great chance to be in front of big audiences once a week for six weeks and become known to them.

Well, it would be a chance for Sunak to spell out what his party have achieved over the past 14 years. The only good things I can come up with being gay marriage and a tax on plastic bags.

Another Tory MP is leaving, Greg Clark, MP for Tunbridge Wells.

This apparently means a total of 75 Conservative MPs are standing down, which equals the total from the 1997 election.

Do you realise that a lot of the general public don’t know a thing about Keir Starmer and a lot don’t even recognise his photo.People watch tv

You raise a very interesting point here Oreo, and one which feeds into my earlier post about media bias against Labour. Until recently KS was given very little air time on main stream TV news. Frequently, when, as a member of the Labour Party, I knew he had made an important speech it was not reported by MSM. So, IMO, the media has intentionally contributed to people’s ‘lack of awareness’ of KS. Of course, they have to give him ‘unbiased’ airtime now, but the print media is still able to present utterly biased reporting.

Regarding ‘showboating and razzle dazzle’, that’s not who KS is, and he’s not the sort of man to pretend to be someone he’s not. I respect and admire him for that. It always backfires anyway - like Sunak pretending to be a ‘man of the people’ in a Welsh pub!!!

KS doesn’t come out of this well. Gives the impression that he knows he won’t excel in these debates so is taking his bat home.
No reason why it need be a circus. That’s sour grapes.
The advantage of debates is that everyone hears the same. Promoting one policy in Portsmouth and another in Pontefract won’t be at all the same thing.
It was during the reign of Boris that we all said we’d rather have Boring. But Sunak can do boring too.
KS needs to quickly say what he will do instead.

Casdon

Another Tory MP is leaving, Greg Clark, MP for Tunbridge Wells.

This apparently means a total of 75 Conservative MPs are standing down, which equals the total from the 1997 election.

Are they standing down because they think they will not win or are they retiring because they have had enough of the cut and thrust of 21st century politics.

23 Labour MP’s (to date) are also standing down at the GE.

Oh surely mainly the former GG13. T Wells council went Lib Dem earlier this month. Writing on the wall.

GrannyGravy13

Casdon

Another Tory MP is leaving, Greg Clark, MP for Tunbridge Wells.

This apparently means a total of 75 Conservative MPs are standing down, which equals the total from the 1997 election.

Are they standing down because they think they will not win or are they retiring because they have had enough of the cut and thrust of 21st century politics.

23 Labour MP’s (to date) are also standing down at the GE.

I’d imagine it’s a mixture, but a lot of the ones who were retiring regardless of which way the political wind was blowing announced it some time ago to allow their constituency parties to select alternative candidates. I’ve seen that two in the last two days ware going because they have major health issues too, which makes them standing down now understandable. There’s a running list of the date of resignations somewhere, I’ll see if I can find it.

Here it is, I tried the House of Commons Library version but it won’t open!
www.politicshome.com/news/article/conservative-labour-lib-dem-green-snp-mps-standing-down-2024-general-election
The intention to retire/resigns were announced from 2021 onwards, so people have had plenty of time to state their intentions - but all the pundits say this date was a surprise to MPs, so it looks as though a lot are on the hop.

Also politics is becoming a young person’s game, wh I think a pity. The H of C needs experience and political wisdom.

John Redwoods standing down!

I just watched Teresa May’s final speech, I agree with what she said about MPs being there for the people they serve and never to forget that.
Incidentally she was wearing a trademark massive necklace, I hope the next generation of MPs keep up the sartorial traditions.

Sunak is just making lots of little gaffes so far, allowing for sarky headlines from the non-client media (and Ruth Davidson)

“The deluge launch drowned out by D:Ream.

A brewery visit with a teetotal PM, so no chance of a piss up.

Now a site visit to something famous for sinking.

Is there a double agent in CCHQ, and were they a headline writer in a previous life? 🤦‍♀️”

Whitewavemark2

Urmstongran

Great 👍

Yes but I understand say 10/1 - that £10 back for every pound you bet.

But what does 2/17 mean?

10/1 you bet £1 and win £10

2/17 you bet £17 and win £2

“A brewery visit with a teetotal PM, so no chance of a piss up.”

I’m not sure mocking someone’s faith is clever!

MayBee70

John Redwoods standing down!

Well he is 72 years old.

Even Conservative MP’s should be able to retire…

Another resignation. Tory MP Sir David Evennett, Bexleyheath and Crayford. He’s another old stager, age 75.

I wondered if our Labour MP from years ago might stand again but he's 72 and went on to pastures new.

Seventy six trombones LEFT the big parade, …. 🤣