General Election '24

[El Pollo Diablo]

I'm going to have to amend my polls tracker to weight the polls by frequency if they're done more regularly than weekly, I think. Polling frequency will ramp up now, we've already seen two More In Common polls in the space of a few days.

[Trinucleus]

It’s quite amazing that Gove is not standing. Next we’ll hear that Hunt isn’t standing (I hope).

With all these fresh retirement announcements, how are they going to get candidates in place for the 8th June deadline? I suppose the local parties may have been told the MPs plans in confidence so they could do some preliminary work, but they wont have know when the election would be, and couldn't have started a full process without spoiling the incumbent's surprise?

[Sciolus]

A competent organisation would have contingency plans for an MP's sudden death/major scandal or whatnot, so should be used to mustering a replacement candidate fairly quickly. There will be plenty of people willing to step forward, but they might not be the best candidates if rushed through (as if their predecessors were any good).

[Sciolus]

Most Tory MPs will have been getting their new jobs lined up for months now. I assume Sunak finally got a written offer of a paper round on Wednesday.

I'm sure Private Eye will have a few articles comparing what MPs have done in the house over the last few months with their new employment positions.

[Trinucleus]

A competent organisation.....

Ah............

[jimbob]

Rishi's day off to reset is interesting.

No idea what they might try. I've got nothing. All options are bad.

1. Keep on with Sunak presidential touring, a one man band. Trouble is he's terrible at it. And it gets boring. This isn't America, with a big entertaining show.

2. Cabinet ministers doing the usual rounds. But they're all hopeless. Because they change jobs every 6 months few people know who the education minister is or the Home Office or any of the cast. Cameron is a big name but has checked out already. Will be interesting to see if Hunt goes national for the party or stays home to save his own seat. Mordaunt is known but she tends to keep her head down.

3. Unleash the fascist wing. Let Badenoch and Co bash immigrants and wokies. But culture war hasn't been working for them, why would it suddenly start now? Reform wants an election fought on that battlefield. It is unusual for any election to stray too far from NHS, education and the economy - but this year if it does it'll be on sewage.

4. "Labour is an uncertain risk, stick with what you know". Just doesn't play, because Tory infighting means nobody expects stable government. Hunt could stand up to say trust me with the economy - but Reeves will point out he'll be fired in 6 months. Change is more stable than continuity.

5. Dirty tricks. Too late in the day. Crooks and liars can't plausibly throw mud.

Anyone got any ideas I can pass on to Tory HQ?

If he does nothing, he's not *actively* making gaffes.

Yes he looks bad in general but someone might have pointed out how badly he's started.

[Grumble]

In the “would you like to have a drink with this man” stakes, which is the most important factor when comparing the leaders in my eyes, I’m not sure either one comes out well but probably Starmer does better.

[monkey]

On the other hand, I know lots of people who I enjoy a drink with, but I would not trust a single one with the running of a country.

Which I suppose makes them better than Starmer and Sunak.

[Grumble]

On the other hand, I know lots of people who I enjoy a drink with, but I would not trust a single one with the running of a country.

Which I suppose makes them better than Starmer and Sunak.

I didn’t say it was a sensible metric, it’s complete b.llsh.t, but here we are.

[Gfamily]

The reason, the real reason Sunak called it now
https://x.com/DrMatthewSweet/status/1794320255076217188

[Grumble]

The reason, the real reason Sunak called it now
https://x.com/DrMatthewSweet/status/1794320255076217188

Huge if true

[tenchboy]

The reason, the real reason Sunak called it now
https://x.com/DrMatthewSweet/status/1794320255076217188

Huge if true

It's bigger than huge G, it's gigantic.

[Trinucleus]

What we need is to bring back national service

No, seriously

[lpm]

Bonkers.

[Grumble]

What we need is to bring back national service

No, seriously

For aging tv presenters?

[jimbob]

What we need is to bring back national service

No, seriously

Because the armed forces really need to have 700,000 poorly motivated 18 year olds who wouldn't be politically able to be sent on active service unless there's WWIII. That would improve their capabilities and wouldn't use up a massive chunk of the defence budget.

[Martin_B]

5. Dirty tricks. Too late in the day. Crooks and liars can't plausibly throw mud.

Seems to work in America!

[kerrya1]

What we need is to bring back national service

No, seriously

Because the armed forces really need to have 700,000 poorly motivated 18 year olds who wouldn't be politically able to be sent on active service unless there's WWIII. That would improve their capabilities and wouldn't use up a massive chunk of the defence budget.

I don't thing the armed forces will need to worry that much when the alternative is...

Their other option would be to volunteer one weekend per month - or 25 days per year - in their community with organisations such as fire, police and the NHS.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpddxy9r4mdo

Not that the fire, police, or NHS are crying out for 100s of thousands of poorly motivated teenagers to "volunteer" for less time than it will take to train them to do anything useful.

[Sciolus]

The reason, the real reason Sunak called it now
https://x.com/DrMatthewSweet/status/1794320255076217188

What we need is to bring back national service

No, seriously

I wish you lot wouldn't post true fantasy bonkers stuff mixed in with false fantasy bonkers stuff. It's very confusing.

[Trinucleus]

What we need is to bring back national service

No, seriously

Because the armed forces really need to have 700,000 poorly motivated 18 year olds who wouldn't be politically able to be sent on active service unless there's WWIII. That would improve their capabilities and wouldn't use up a massive chunk of the defence budget.

I don't thing the armed forces will need to worry that much when the alternative is...

Their other option would be to volunteer one weekend per month - or 25 days per year - in their community with organisations such as fire, police and the NHS.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpddxy9r4mdo

Not that the fire, police, or NHS are crying out for 100s of thousands of poorly motivated teenagers to "volunteer" for less time than it will take to train them to do anything useful.

Or have staff spend time not just training volunteers but supporting, organising, and ensuring their safety, legal compliance... at a time when charities are strugglingling just to meet basic needs

[lpm]

I'm in favour of the plan.

Force the idle 18 year olds to do useful stuff.

They should spend a weekend working in a food bank. Or clearing sewage off beaches. Or getting tea for dying people waiting on trolleys in hospital corridors. Or give school lunches to starving children during holidays. Or watch refugees stuck on barges to make sure they don't commit suicide. Or sit on our aircraft carriers making plane noises so the Russians will think we have planes.

[jimbob]

So this would cost £2.5Bn

Even more ammunition for Labour about unfunded spending

[noggins]

Its a great idea, but doesnt go far enough.

Since National Service is A Good Thing, clearly it would be Even Better if Everyone did it.

Make the state pension conditional on having done a years service. Its a winwinwin.

[jimbob]

So this would cost £2.5Bn

Even more ammunition for Labour about unfunded spending

£2.5Bn with 700k eighteen year olds and army recruits in training earning £18k per year.

That's £12.6Bn in wage costs alone

[bjn]

I broke the news to my teenagers about impending national service should the Tories get in. The words were quite choice, their vocabularies are wider than I knew. How to alienate a generation in an attempt to woo a minority of boomers of never had to do national service but think the youth are too soft.