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Post by sc on Apr 30, 2018 0:43:53 GMT
S.C - do you think Tories will gain overall control of any Councils? I can't see it myself although I guess if as in your case there are some votes to be moved that otherwise went to some crank oddball party it's plausible. I had choice of the Greens, Lib Dems, Labour or Tory. Bye bye UKIP. It's a shame but really hope voting isn't drawn upon Brexit or other National issues but no doubt it will be Do not underestimate the work of local party activists and the major influence they can have by organising and door knocking especially at the end of a campaign. I am sure their work was not reflected in opinion polls prior to the last general but helped generate more labour votes which surprised many experts on the night. Totally agree, because in local elections the candidates are known, they sort your problems out, you can meet them in the pub, you know them. Nationally it is much more difficult to get that relationship |
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Post by mikey on Apr 30, 2018 5:56:02 GMT
S.C - do you think Tories will gain overall control of any Councils? I can't see it myself although I guess if as in your case there are some votes to be moved that otherwise went to some crank oddball party it's plausible. I had choice of the Greens, Lib Dems, Labour or Tory. Bye bye UKIP. It's a shame but really hope voting isn't drawn upon Brexit or other National issues but no doubt it will be The problem is that the left is split 3 ways, Labour, Lib Dem and Green. The right was split 2 ways Tory and UKIP (although some were UKIP Labour), now UKIP has gone in a lot of areas, the left is still split 3 ways and no splits on the right. The UKIP voters will need to go somewhere! This may be the outcome that Cameron wanted, despite screwing up the country over brexit. With UKIP voters looking elsewhere , they may be more inclined to go Tory. Brexit worked so turning to the party that looks most likely to ‘deliver’. If remain vote had won, then at least go to the party that let us have a say. Oh David, was it all worth it? after reading today’s online guardian update, I am hoping the people in London will vote against all the candidates who are involved with housing development companies, either directly employed or taking hospitalility. Sadly, this appears to be prevalent across the two main parties. |
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Post by Zenrider on Apr 30, 2018 21:28:21 GMT
Pretty much convinced many Republicans are not running this time around is they don't want to be in office when what they have done imploads. Bet they are back blaming everyone, but themselves. If only there was a way to inaugurate Hillary, declare everything they have done null and start as if much of this mess hadn't already happened. Sadly, the lives that have been lost American and around the world because of this nightmare, can not be brought back. It was nice taking a short self imposed news break since Thursday, but wow, what I've missed.
It's starting to look like this world could become a reality far too soon.
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Post by sc on May 4, 2018 12:54:11 GMT
Postal vote sorted and posted. Id imagine Labour will win nearly all Council seats here in Reading Yes, Reading looks very solid Labour, down here in Maidstone it's quiet scary and I think there is a real risk of Maidstone falling to the Tories on Thursday. Currently Maidstone is officially "No Overall Control" but in reality it is a "minority" LibDem, the party make up is: Conservative 21 Lib Dem 22 Independent Group 4 Independent 1 Independent Maidstone 4 Labour 2 Vacancy 1 Total 55 So with 55 Councillors any party needs 28 to have a working majority. Right so, it gets complicated now, in Maidstone, there is an unofficial agreement that the LibDems leave Labour alone and Labour leaves the LibDems alone, we don't target each others seats, the common enemy are the Tories and at a local level the two parties are very similar as Brexit/Remain; Hard Left/Centre Left; Controlled Immigration/Relaxed Immigration, etc. don't really come up in local politics. So Lib Dems and Labour vote together which makes LibDem/Lab votes up to 24, then you have the Independents, "Independent Maidstone" is the new local brand name for UKIP, when it comes to votes that don't involve "Immigration and Europe" which after all are National issues, then "Independent Maidstone" Councillors vote with their individual hearts, so they are open to persuasion, much like the two other Independent groups. But it is knife edge stuff. Now, in Thursdays Election, No "Independent Maidstone" (were UKIP) are standing, so their votes will go somewhere. They will without doubt go to a Pro-Brexit Party so will go to either Labour or Conservative, and definitely not Lib Dem or Green. Now if we look at the ward I live in, in 2014 the result was: LibDem 491 Conservative 421 UKIP 370 Lab 164 Green 133 So LibDems won by 70 votes, however now UKIP (Independent Maidstone) are not standing (anywhere in Maidstone) so there are 370 Pro-Brexit votes up for grabs; (in my Ward alone) the question is how many of them want a "Tory Brexit" and how any want a "Labour Brexit", one thing is certain, they won't be voting Lib Dem or Green! To compound the issues, The Greens have decided that this Ward will be their target Ward for Maidstone, loads of voters here would love the The Greens (including myself) to do well, but where are they likely to take votes from? I would suggest 75% from Lib Dems, 25% from moderate Labour. The result of all of the above is that UKIP voters will push up Tory and Labour votes and a push from the Greens will reduce Labour and Lib Dem votes. Result a swing to the Tory votes, and we only have a margin of safety of 70 votes. The Political balance of a whole Council hangs on such a few voters, feeling "flat" with British Politics and it's undemocratic voting system of First Past The Post. Unfortunately my fears came true, The Tories got UKIP vote and the Greens weakened the Lib Dems, result in my ward a Tory gain  LibDem 491 (2014) 540 (2018) +49 Conservative 421 (2014) 650 (2018) +229 UKIP 370 (2014) 0 (2018) -370 Lab 164 (2014) 170 (2018) +6 Green 133 (2014) 226 (2018) +93 Shame we didn't have a Progressive Alliance between the Greens and Lib Dems, would have smashed the Tories with 766  Ho hum that's the garbage democracy system we have |
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Post by deserttraveller on May 4, 2018 16:36:42 GMT
Ah what you need do is fund advertising- for UKIP!! Split the Tory vote again.
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Post by mikey on May 6, 2018 7:03:35 GMT
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Post by Zenrider on May 7, 2018 4:36:28 GMT
People are having a harder time thinking, than believing, and that's a very serious problem right now.
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Post by digitalmonkey on May 8, 2018 21:26:23 GMT
Tories gained two seats here in Reading local elections, taking the soltary Lib Dem one and another from Labour.
Surprised to see Tories making gains but I guess likely to be UKIP vote. My ward remained Tory, turnout near 50%, not bad,but still Labour dominates overall here and no threat of them losing control
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Post by digitalmonkey on May 8, 2018 21:30:01 GMT
I actually think we should give the guy a chance, if he can sort out the Windrush scandal, or at least minimise the damage he should be applauded. I myself was disappointed to see Rudd go as one of the Tories who I didn't consider a hard right lunatic. |
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Post by digitalmonkey on May 13, 2018 17:11:33 GMT
I didn't want to create a new thread but I feel this really does deserve a mention
RIP Tessa Jowell. I real inspiration.
Sadly today politics today has leaned far too much to the left or to the right. A world where a way thinking of themselves is important than others, Tessa was a politician who served others brilliantly well, including in recent times of personal tragedy.
Yes, a clearly a loyal Blarite but that's no bad thing in my book.
I really wish for a world where our Government was run by the principals of people like Tessa.
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Post by mikey on May 19, 2018 21:43:35 GMT
So, an American preacher says love can end poverty
Perhaps telling her to sell that massive diamond tiara and give the proceeds to the less fortunate would be a better way to end poverty.
To quote Gerard Winstanley (via Leon Rosselson), I do not worship the God you serve, the God of greed who feeds the rich while poor men staff.
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Post by calndel on Jun 13, 2018 22:11:48 GMT
so why did the SNP walk out of parliament today? it was plan as part of was use a recruitment drive for the SNP along with pop demonstrations around Scotland the real reason who to bury the news that they had been block and censtoing information in freedom for information requests which is a scandalous abuse of power FOI story |
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Post by Zenrider on Jun 14, 2018 1:55:17 GMT
Common, no one is worse than The Donald. Seriously, he's given North Korea The world for nothing in return. Well, maybe a resort deal for the Donald. The Donald is excelling at so many things: corruption, fraud, abuse of power, using office for personal gain...
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Post by mikey on Jun 14, 2018 5:55:27 GMT
Maybe the Donald is doing the right thing and we will live in a safer world. Although I am extremely sceptical of his motives and abilities.
No one seems to be commenting on South Korean security. DT is strengthening the hand of Pyongyang by going ‘promises’ to abandon atomic development and if the US withdraws military support for the south committing forces elsewhere. Is there an increasing risk of a ‘conventional’ invasion of the south?
In one newspaper they reported Trump as praising the Freddie Kruger of human rights. I wonder if the killing, internment’s, starvation and general suffering of a population is be ing forgotten.
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Post by Zenrider on Jun 15, 2018 2:19:02 GMT
We are not safer. North Korea is not going to give up its nuclear weapons and made no agreement to do so.
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Ho hum that's the garbage democracy system we have 
