UK Politics Thread IX: Try turning the UK off and on again.

[Dystopian Florida]

Who do you think does most of the fighting? Rich men's kids?

Did we move from an all-volunteer army back to conscription while I wasn't looking? And why is it only Iraq that's harmful to the working classes? Why not Afghanistan? Or Kosovo?

Those, too. But Iraq looms larger in my mind because the British stepped literally back into a place that had already been screwed over by British imperialism. And in an all-volunteer army, the incentives are strongest for the poor to enlist. My biggest issue is their jettisoning of Corbyn and his agenda of a more socialist economy. Their return to Blairite neoliberal centrism.

[The Huskar Social Union]

Did we move from an all-volunteer army back to conscription while I wasn't looking? And why is it only Iraq that's harmful to the working classes? Why not Afghanistan? Or Kosovo?

Those, too. But Iraq looms larger in my mind because the British stepped literally back into a place that had already been screwed over by British imperialism. And in an all-volunteer army, the incentives are strongest for the poor to enlist. My biggest issue is their jettisoning of Corbyn and his agenda of a more socialist economy.

Corbyn lost two elections and despite 2017 being a pretty good gain in terms of votes and winning some more seats, coupled with the Conservatives absolutely humiliating themselves under May, 2019 was a crushing defeat that was one of the worst results Labour has ever had. In no way was he staying after that.

[Vassenor]

Did we move from an all-volunteer army back to conscription while I wasn't looking? And why is it only Iraq that's harmful to the working classes? Why not Afghanistan? Or Kosovo?

Those, too. But Iraq looms larger in my mind because the British stepped literally back into a place that had already been screwed over by British imperialism. And in an all-volunteer army, the incentives are strongest for the poor to enlist. My biggest issue is their jettisoning of Corbyn and his agenda of a more socialist economy. Their return to Blairite neoliberal centrism.

And still avoiding the question of how Brexit is good for the working classes in order for not supporting it to be abandoning the working classes.

[Dystopian Florida]

Those, too. But Iraq looms larger in my mind because the British stepped literally back into a place that had already been screwed over by British imperialism. And in an all-volunteer army, the incentives are strongest for the poor to enlist. My biggest issue is their jettisoning of Corbyn and his agenda of a more socialist economy. Their return to Blairite neoliberal centrism.

And still avoiding the question of how Brexit is good for the working classes in order for not supporting it to be abandoning the working classes.

I'm willing to concede that I could have been wrong about that one. Maybe.

[Terruana]

Those, too. But Iraq looms larger in my mind because the British stepped literally back into a place that had already been screwed over by British imperialism. And in an all-volunteer army, the incentives are strongest for the poor to enlist. My biggest issue is their jettisoning of Corbyn and his agenda of a more socialist economy.

Corbyn lost two elections and despite 2017 being a pretty good gain in terms of votes and winning some more seats, coupled with the Conservatives absolutely humiliating themselves under May, 2019 was a crushing defeat that was one of the worst results Labour has ever had. In no way was he staying after that.

Its a shame that voter turnout doesn't seem to matter much to anybody in UK politics. It would be nice to see anyone in a position of power actually treat it as something that needs to be worked on. I mean, just look at the police and crime commissioner elections

[The Nihilistic view]

You're arguing that Labour abandoned the Working Classes by not supporting Brexit, but can't explain how it was good for the working classes for it to happen. And how did the Iraq War harm the working classes?

Who do you think does most of the fighting? Rich men's kids?

Erm yes given 50% of officers are privately educated and officers generally face higher casualty rates. The sons of wealthy people are overrepresented in the British Military.

[The Nihilistic view]

Corbyn lost two elections and despite 2017 being a pretty good gain in terms of votes and winning some more seats, coupled with the Conservatives absolutely humiliating themselves under May, 2019 was a crushing defeat that was one of the worst results Labour has ever had. In no way was he staying after that.

Its a shame that voter turnout doesn't seem to matter much to anybody in UK politics. It would be nice to see anyone in a position of power actually treat it as something that needs to be worked on. I mean, just look at the police and crime commissioner elections

Cos crime commissioners are a pointless layer of politics wasting everybody's time. Even I spoil my ballot for that one.

[Terruana]

Its a shame that voter turnout doesn't seem to matter much to anybody in UK politics. It would be nice to see anyone in a position of power actually treat it as something that needs to be worked on. I mean, just look at the police and crime commissioner elections

Cos crime commissioners are a pointless layer of politics wasting everybody's time. Even I spoil my ballot for that one.

True, but the turnout for our general elections isn't great either

[Celritannia]

Its a shame that voter turnout doesn't seem to matter much to anybody in UK politics. It would be nice to see anyone in a position of power actually treat it as something that needs to be worked on. I mean, just look at the police and crime commissioner elections

Cos crime commissioners are a pointless layer of politics wasting everybody's time. Even I spoil my ballot for that one.

[Chartania]

Cos crime commissioners are a pointless layer of politics wasting everybody's time. Even I spoil my ballot for that one.

True, but the turnout for our general elections isn't great either

I get why though. They ignore the wishes of the people who elected them in the first place, then pull things like the Downing Street party, then get re-elected anyway. Until people's votes actually mean something (such as if some future government were to implement PR), then I can't see the turnout situation improving for the forseeable future.

[The Huskar Social Union]

So you reckon the Liberal Democrats will win North Shropshire now with the Conservatives tanking in the polls and getting flak for the christmas party stuff.

[The Notorious Mad Jack]

Embracing Blairite neoliberal centrism

"Blairite neoliberal centrism" was literally one of the best things to happen to this country.

Under Blair NHS spending tripled, and the number of people waiting longer than 6 months for an operation fell from 283,866 in 1997, the year Blair came to power, to 199 in 2005.

That's not 199,999, that's 199. The average wait time for an operation in 2005 was 6.6 weeks. The number of patients waiting longer than 6 months for an operation in 2018 was 211,434.

This country desperately needs a dose of 'Blairite neoliberal centrism'.

[Philjia]

So you reckon the Liberal Democrats will win North Shropshire now with the Conservatives tanking in the polls and getting flak for the christmas party stuff.

It's far from certain but conditions aren't exactly looking favourable for the Tories. There'd need to be a 26.35% swing away from the Tories to the Lib Dems for it to happen, but they managed a big swing in Chesham and Amersham. Boris badly needs to win here, I suspect the 1922 committee won't accept the loss of another safe seat.

[Yankee Rike]

Those, too. But Iraq looms larger in my mind because the British stepped literally back into a place that had already been screwed over by British imperialism. And in an all-volunteer army, the incentives are strongest for the poor to enlist. My biggest issue is their jettisoning of Corbyn and his agenda of a more socialist economy. Their return to Blairite neoliberal centrism.

And still avoiding the question of how Brexit is good for the working classes in order for not supporting it to be abandoning the working classes.

Globalization favors the domestic rich and international working classes at the expense of domestic working class. The British working class was having to compete with cheaper outsourced labor in Eastern Europe (particularly for the back-office operations of British companies). Why pay a Briton the going rate when someone in Riga who speaks enough English will do it for 1/3rd of that?

[Yankee Rike]

Embracing Blairite neoliberal centrism

"Blairite neoliberal centrism" was literally one of the best things to happen to this country.

Under Blair NHS spending tripled, and the number of people waiting longer than 6 months for an operation fell from 283,866 in 1997, the year Blair came to power, to 199 in 2005.

That's not 199,999, that's 199. The average wait time for an operation in 2005 was 6.6 weeks. The number of patients waiting longer than 6 months for an operation in 2018 was 211,434.

This country desperately needs a dose of 'Blairite neoliberal centrism'.

Iraqi kids tremble in fear.

[Ifreann]

So you reckon the Liberal Democrats will win North Shropshire now with the Conservatives tanking in the polls and getting flak for the christmas party stuff.

Archregimancy for PM.

[Soviet Ostmark]

George Galloway. All the way. Workers Party of Britain.

[Vassenor]

George Galloway. All the way. Workers Party of Britain.

Nah.

[Forsher]

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-59625432

Question: did Boris participate in the Christmas parties?

(a) yes
(b) no
(c) it looks like it
(d) they were work meetings that just happened to incorporate festive quizzes that Johnson participated in

[The Archregimancy]

So you reckon the Liberal Democrats will win North Shropshire now with the Conservatives tanking in the polls and getting flak for the christmas party stuff.

I have the party's internal polling to hand - indeed came into the thread to share it.

It's desperately close. Among those intending to vote, it's CON 40, LD 39, LAB 11.

The key factors are likely turnout, how many Labour voters are willing to vote tactically, how many disgruntled right-leaning Tories vote Reform or Reclaim in protest, and whether there are any further scandals this coming week.

[Vassenor]

MoS reports that Boris is bitching that the BBC insists on covering Partygate rather than kissing his ass about the vaccine rollout.

Apparently not toeing the government line means the BBC is being partisan then.

[Dakini]

MoS reports that Boris is bitching that the BBC insists on covering Partygate rather than kissing his ass about the vaccine rollout.

Apparently not toeing the government line means the BBC is being partisan then.

I thought that the UK's vaccine rollout had sort of slowed down lately.

[Vassenor]

MoS reports that Boris is bitching that the BBC insists on covering Partygate rather than kissing his ass about the vaccine rollout.

Apparently not toeing the government line means the BBC is being partisan then.

I thought that the UK's vaccine rollout had sort of slowed down lately.

Yeah, but they're still trying to use it as a distraction from their shady bullshit.

[Dumb Ideologies]

George Galloway. All the way. Workers Party of Britain.

Has he gone back to being a socialist yet or is he still focusing on giving Islamists the come-to-bed eyes?

[Ostroeuropa]

George Galloway. All the way. Workers Party of Britain.

Has he gone back to being a socialist yet or is he still focusing on giving Islamists the come-to-bed eyes?

He should dress up in a cat fursuit and get a voice modulator, then start espousing the most based takes. Purely for the "ITS ME BRITAIN! ITS ME BRITAIN! IT WAS ME ALLLLL ALONG BRITAIN!" moment.