Anyone else feel a sense of impending doom that we’ll have a Labour government tomorrow?

Witzend

The other day I asked a young relative, a student doctor, who’s just finished her 3rd year, whether she was going to vote (for the first time).

No, because she hadn’t got around to registering.
I can’t help wondering how many students would say the same.

Yes, I wondered whether that had anything to do with the timing. University has finished, most students will have moved back home or be on holiday. I wouldn't mind betting that many of them aren't registered.

Boz

My husband, for the first time, is refusing to vote! I'm off on my own as women died for my vote.
Nothing will change - it rarely does.

Well, Boz, women died for our ‘right’ to vote, isn’t it up to us whether or not we exercise it?

We had an excellent SNP MP, who had a large majority, but now have a ‘knife edge’ situation between SNP and LibDems, only 149 votes in it. I fear that the SNP will have lost support because of the financial mess, and there is a real possibility that Alex Salmond’s Alba will pick up votes from independence minded voters.

I’m unsure why posters who live abroad will celebrating (or commiserating) after the election.
It doesn’t affect them since they have chosen to live abroad.

Sidelined

I'm going to vote soon and expect Labour will win. I'd like to think the future is bright but have we ever had the perfect government? Each one inherits the problems left by the previous lot and change isn't easy or instant. They do what they want to do, what they think is the best option and we have to get on with coping with the consequences. Left or right, the outcome for us everyday folk is just the same. Pay your taxes, do your best with what's available, live in hope.

I don't agree that the outcome is always the same.

I don't want another 14 miserable years of Tory chaos - long NHS waiting lists, can't see a GP, no dentist, poor housing, and sleaze of course.

MaizieD

Is Labour the favourite to beat Kemi, growstuff?.

(Yes, I know it's a very long shot)

Hmmm! Interesting question! Yes, that's what the tactical voting sites have been claiming, although the local LibDems have been denying it. The LDs were second in 2019. Locally, the LD party has collapsed. The former "core" of activists got older and haven't really been replaced. Local LibDem members weren't called on to canvas in the constituency, but were asked to concentrate on South Cambridgeshire, which they have a chance of winning. The only placards I've seen in this constituency have been Labour. I'm a bit cross that Labour and the LibDems couldn't come to some kind of agreement.

Kemi is very unpopular locally because she's never here and is seen as being more interested in herself and personal ambitions. She lied about moving here from South London, doesn't hold local surgeries and fobs off most requests for any help. She really has no idea about local issues. Nevertheless, it's a hard core Conservative area and I suspect she will win, but I think it will be with a considerably reduced majority. The Reform candidate was one who was forced to withdraw, so the right wing vote won't be split (as I'd hoped). She's so arrogant that she won't admit that people don't like her, but will blame the national situation.

I'm going to vote soon and expect Labour will win. I'd like to think the future is bright but have we ever had the perfect government? Each one inherits the problems left by the previous lot and change isn't easy or instant. They do what they want to do, what they think is the best option and we have to get on with coping with the consequences. Left or right, the outcome for us everyday folk is just the same. Pay your taxes, do your best with what's available, live in hope.

The other day I asked a young relative, a student doctor, who’s just finished her 3rd year, whether she was going to vote (for the first time).

No, because she hadn’t got around to registering.
I can’t help wondering how many students would say the same.

Boz

My husband, for the first time, is refusing to vote! I'm off on my own as women died for my vote.
Nothing will change - it rarely does.

Boz my husband has repeatedly said he’s not going to vote in this election. I’m still trying to persuade him to go with me when I go to vote. His reason? Nothing will change.

Good post Monica.
I have no faith that Labour will undo any damage that has been inflicted by the Conservatives Nannytopsy, in fact I think it likely that over the term of the next parliament they will inflict further damage. Like the Blair/Brown government did.

Is Labour the favourite to beat Kemi, growstuff?.

(Yes, I know it's a very long shot)

I remember the day after Blair won the election in 1997 and feeling an overwhelming sense of optimism after the years of Thatcher and those following. I don't feel like that (and won't tomorrow), even though I think the last 14 years (well, last 9 years at least) have been far worse than the Thatcher years. Starmer has had to occupy some of the ground vacated by centrist Conservatives and I'm not overly optimistic that he'll do anything very radical, but he will still be many many times better than the last shower.

PS. I've just voted Labour for only the second time in a general election.

I don’t expect miracles

There won’t be any.

Well explained MOnica. I think that Keir Starmer is honourable and has the best interests of people at heart. It will take a very long time to undo the damage the Tories have done to the UK. I hope he gets time to do it.
Even as a pensioner, I would pay a bit more tax to put things right, provided the rich pay their share too.

if this thread was an election, I would have won!

At the weekend Maurice Saatchi, the advertising guru who handled the Conservative advertising for many years was saying that, in general. the Conservatives were seen as competent, but nasty and Labour as incompetent but caring, but in this election the Conservatives are seen as incompetent and nasty.

The electorate, as a whole, is centrist and do not like parties that stray too far, that is why the Labour party have had their biggest losses when they have left windg leaders, whether Michael Foot or Jeremy Corbyn.

yggdrasil, if I may say so, your views of what Labour should be, as an enthusiastic Labour party member, are actually irrelevant. The only policies of the Labour party that matter are the ones that the electorate, the vast majority of whom do not belong to any political party, are prepared to vote for. That is why Labour under Corbyn was such a disaster. And why Tony Blair, and, no doubt, Keir Starmer, will succeed. There is nothing wrong with the kind of Labour party I suspect you want, you just have to accept that it is probably unelectable.

The Conservatives have always been far more pragmatic and tailor their policies to the electorate, not the zealots in their party. That is why they have, generally, been more successfull.

However, this last Conservative government are best compared with the Labour under Corbyn. They have let the lunatics take over the mad house and have pandered to their extreme right wing.

The reason is what is known as a 'black swan event' An event that no one could forecast - and that black swan is called Nigel Farage. Reform would be nothing without him. he made a name for himself over Brexit and has been careering wildly through the political world since like an out of control car. One moment he is of no relevance at all, the next moment he is a deal maker, then he is irrelevant - and so in in infinitum.

The Conservative response has been to try and second guess him and be more Reform than Reform. They should have held fast and ignored him. As they will see n this election, most voters hold the middle ground and that is who they should have tailored their policies for.

I just wonder what comedians will do! The Conservatives have been their main fodder for years

It doesn't matter which party is in power, they'll do some things that we (as individuals) agree with and some things we don't.

It's time we had a change. But I always see a change of government as giving us a different group of people to moan about.

I was thinking about not voting too Joseann but like you I'll show up and do my bit", thankful that we live in a country where we are free to do so.

MEN!!!!!

My husband, for the first time, is refusing to vote! I'm off on my own as women died for my vote.
Nothing will change - it rarely does.

Huge relief at the departure of the Tories. They have run the country into the ground and it will take a long time to get it back on track because there is so much that needs to be done.

What I fail to understand is why so many people still support them, as evidenced on here. I can only guess that they haven't been affected by the policies of the last 14 years.

We won't have a Labour govt tomorrow. Whatever Starmer calls it, it bears no relationship to the Labour party I have supported for years. I will just wait to see what he really has in mind, what else could I do

I do feel that Sir Keir Starmer will give it his best shot. The country needs to find a new identity and direction if it is going to succeed in the long term.

I agree with MOnica. Labour is not much different to the Tories these days so there won't be much change.

Sparklefizz

And Angela Rayner has set up a domain "Angela 4 PM"

TwobDaily Fail columnists claim (correctly in one case, I can’t be bothered to check all three) that those domain names are registered. There is nothing to say Rayner set them up (as the Mail article eventually gets round to admitting).