Local Elections And Hartlepool

[selby]

  And Boris has the big one Billy, lifting the last lockdown rules when he wants to.

[wesisback]

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/hartlepool-by-election-poll-labour-conservatives-b1841659.html 

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

Still think it's a stretch for the Tories to win it and it means nothing (bar an increase in their majority) in the long term.

The Tory mayor has done pretty well up there so that plus a badly performing MP plus brexit makes it tough for labour.

[drfchound]

Almost four hours since Starmer was interviewed on the bbc breakfast programme.
Surprising that no one has bothered to make a comment about it.
It appears to me that he is so much on the fence.
He also failed to answer some of the questions that were put to him.
Not that that is unusual for politicians by the way.
It was also odd that he said that over the last year he hadn’t been able to go out and meet the public but later on said he had been up to Hartlepool three or four times.

[BillyStubbsTears]

From my side Hound that's because.

a) I never watch Breakfast TV
b) I've been in video meetings since 9:00.

I did hear Starmer on the R4 Today programme this morning and there was one standout moment. He was asked if there were lessons for Labour from Biden's spending approaches, to which he immediately jumped in and said "Yes. We have to change our approach to Givt spending and support for the economy. The old way was broken before COVID and we can't just go back to how things were."

The interviewer was trying to make this a "Gotcha!" moment by immediately responding with "But...but...deficit!?!" but Starmer brushed that aside. We need a hell of a lot more of that approach from him from now. Labour has to passionately make the case that Austerity was wrong when it happened and a return to it would be catastrophic. They have to point to Biden's America which is going to run up huge deficits, but which will be economically turbocharged. This morning on R4 felt like the first sign of that approach from Starmer.

[Ldr]

Never in a month of Sundays did I think I'd see this sort of polling.

https://twitter.com/ElectionMapsUK/status/1389489509671256064?s=19

[Herbert Anchovy]

Never in a month of Sundays did I think I'd see this sort of polling.

https://twitter.com/ElectionMapsUK/status/1389489509671256064?s=19

It’s no real surprise though. The vaccine ‘feelgood’ factor is resonating over everything and people are comparing our handling of it compared to the rest of the world, putting 2+2 together and getting Johnson.

As I’ve mentioned on here before, the Tories will win Hartlepool and do well in the council elections. Nobody should be surprised. The big challenge for the Tories will be when the bills for Covid begin to arrive. Who’s going to pay for it? History tells us that the Tories don’t think twice about squeezing the working and middle classes whilst letting the rich off the hook. When towns like Hartlepool begin to feel the pinch in reductions to public services (which will definitely happen) is when Labour need to offer a viable alternative.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Agreed, the Tories will win Hartlepool and that is a major issue for Labour to address. Nationally though, the polls are definitely tightening again, and it is a long, long way until the next election.

[Ldr]

Agreed, the Tories will win Hartlepool and that is a major issue for Labour to address. Nationally though, the polls are definitely tightening again, and it is a long, long way until the next election.

They'll widen again post may 17th when pubs open and again post June 21st. The public are easily pleased

[Herbert Anchovy]

Agreed, the Tories will win Hartlepool and that is a major issue for Labour to address. Nationally though, the polls are definitely tightening again, and it is a long, long way until the next election.

They'll widen again post may 17th when pubs open and again post June 21st. The public are easily pleased

Absolutely right Ldr. Was it John Lennon who said “Give people cheap tellys, fags and booze and they’ll accept anything”!!!

I suspect that Labour will accept a thrashing this week, in the knowledge that the Tories will probably screw the very people supporting them when they inevitably cut public services to pay for Covid. That’s when Labour will hopefully step up their game.

[Bentley Bullet]

When are they gonna start giving people cheap telly's, fags and booze?

[selby]

Don't give up lads, the remainers were winning at this point in 2016

[drfchound]

When pressed this morning about the Hartlepool outcome, Starmer said that if they lost he would take responsibility for the defeat.
The presenter asked him if that meant would he resign.
Starmer simply said that he would take responsibility, he was asked again whether he would resign and rambled on about something else.

[wilts rover]

I said it before but I think it's worth repeating - its not the local elections or even Hartlepool that is important on Thursday - it's what happens in Scotland. And if the polls are right there - the almighty consitiutional row which will develop from them.

[Herbert Anchovy]

When are they gonna start giving people cheap telly's, fags and booze?

When Lennon said this a packet of 20 fags cost 25p, a pint was about 10p and a telly cost about £70. So I guess they’ve already done it.

[SydneyRover]

Attention, Attention, Starmer condemned for not answering question ............. I wonder how you would be treated if you were a life long liar, cheat and philanderer?

[selby]

  Whats the answer Wilts, march in and give some welly out and arrest the leaders and imprison them like the Spanish government in Catalonia? The EU won't say anything.

[albie]

I said it before but I think it's worth repeating - its not the local elections or even Hartlepool that is important on Thursday - it's what happens in Scotland. And if the polls are right there - the almighty consitiutional row which will develop from them.

I reckon that is the big question, with no clear answer from either Labour or the Tories on what to do next.

The position of Labour supporting Unionism is in sharp focus.
Without a Labour revival in Scotland, there is no viable route to power in the UK under FPTP.

Steer Karma has nailed his colours to the Union, if Scotland rejects that where does he go?
Pitching to Red Wall over 65's is not going to cut the mustard.

[SydneyRover]

As the voting age is 18 in UK (marriage and driving is lower and far more dangerous) maybe there should be an upper limit also 

[Bentley Bullet]

Skippy, I would gladly give you my vote if I thought you were bright enough to invest it properly.

[SydneyRover]

What would I do with a far right vote, donate it to tommy robinson?

[selby]

The sad not so slow I suppose death of a political party that has lost it's core support being played out in public and becoming irrelevant.

[Herbert Anchovy]

The sad not so slow I suppose death of a political party that has lost it's core support being played out in public and becoming irrelevant.

Labour won’t die Selby. Politics is cyclical. I remember people saying the same about Labour in the 80’s and the Conservatives in the 2000’s and yet both came back. In all those examples the parties lost touch with their core supporters but came back strongly. Labour will eventually do that once they get their arses in gear.

[selby]

  Herbert, I can't see any of the no marks they put forward to put their case publicly being able do do anything but lead them deeper into the mire buddy.
  And then there are still the old prats that are keeping a low profile publicity wise, but are still there agitating to get rid of the no marks, just what chance do you think they have  of being relevant.
  With average house prices over £250000 just how many of those people do you think want to share their lifestyle, and think of themselves as working class.
  It's gone buddy the whole idea is history, just how many of the people buying new houses on the outskirts of Edenthorpe, Thorne, Askern, Harworth, Cantley, Edlington and most villages in the Doncaster Area think labour and go to the local working men's club.
  Doncaster has every chance to be a Tory area in the very near future.

[BillyStubbsTears]

The sad not so slow I suppose death of a political party that has lost it's core support being played out in public and becoming irrelevant.

A party that was polling 38% on Monday, 2% behind the Tories.

You don't half spout some ignorant b*llocks.

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

  Herbert, I can't see any of the no marks they put forward to put their case publicly being able do do anything but lead them deeper into the mire buddy.
  And then there are still the old prats that are keeping a low profile publicity wise, but are still there agitating to get rid of the no marks, just what chance do you think they have  of being relevant.
  With average house prices over £250000 just how many of those people do you think want to share their lifestyle, and think of themselves as working class.
  It's gone buddy the whole idea is history, just how many of the people buying new houses on the outskirts of Edenthorpe, Thorne, Askern, Harworth, Cantley, Edlington and most villages in the Doncaster Area think labour and go to the local working men's club.
  Doncaster has every chance to be a Tory area in the very near future.

On the contrary Selby edenthorpe where I live has a fair mix of smaller type houses and some really quite expensive ones.  The only party to show any interest here has been labour. Not even a flyer from any other party and the councillors do a decent job too so will easily win.  But the village has a make up between both lower working class and the higher paid.  Even my street is quite mixed, with only 9 houses covering 3 different council tax bands for example.

Parliamentary elections are different but it should be safe labour in the locals.

[drfchound]

The sad not so slow I suppose death of a political party that has lost it's core support being played out in public and becoming irrelevant.

A party that was polling 38% on Monday, 2% behind the Tories.

You don't half spout some ignorant b*llocks.

I suppose that depends on which poll you have seen and believe in.
A recent post on the Congratulations Keir Starmer thread suggests different figures in another poll that was taken.

[selby]

BFYP, I have always been of the opinion that party politics should not be part of local elections.
  This country missed a trick when the Rate Payers Association tried to become a force in the 1970s local elections, and although standing on good platforms and getting some representation on local councils, when policy committees are formed in the county councils they are done on per centage representation  and therefore had no authority to implement  the actions they were elected to do.
  Labour, liberal and the Conservative parties have got it wrapped up.

[BillyStubbsTears]

The sad not so slow I suppose death of a political party that has lost it's core support being played out in public and becoming irrelevant.

A party that was polling 38% on Monday, 2% behind the Tories.

You don't half spout some ignorant b*llocks.

I suppose that depends on which poll you have seen and believe in.
A recent post on the Congratulations Keir Starmer thread suggests different figures in another poll that was taken.

That was the most recent nationwide poll to be published. All other ones in the past week have had Labour in mid-high 30% range.

What was your point? Given that I was responding to a post by Selby announcing Labour's decline into irrelevance.

[DonnyOsmond]

All polls in the last week have it between 1-5%, after the latest on Boris being a dodgy guy came out.