[Yug]

The animals looked at the Tory commenters, and back to the Corbynites...

It really is getting hard to tell them apart.

[Andy McDandy]

Just looked up Tom Harris.

Worracunt.

His politics seem to be somewhat all over the place - on the one hand a committed trade unionist, on the other arguing that Labour should leave the unions and public sector behind and embrace the private sector. Doesn't like PC stuff, women playing Dr Who, anything other than FPTP voting. His time as a Labour MP was unremarkable. Basically a homegrown Trumpian, "what about the real working class?" tosser.

[Youngian]

You may want to apply some sunblock before reading on any further, as this is one white-hot take:

Is ‘vote LD get Miliband /Corbyn’ going to work in Escher or Windsor with Starmer in the seat? Voters have just shown it won’t. So it’s for the benefit of the nativist voter, ‘Brexit is brilliant don’t let them ruin it.’ If this tips the balance to retain Stoke (a dubious proposition) it’ll cost the Tories more seats in other parts of the country.

[Andy McDandy]

I suspect it might be more about getting the core vote out, not least so Sunak has someone to have a leadership contest with.

[Tubby Isaacs]

More election winning stardust here.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... ister-says

Ministers will have to “grasp the nettle” on bringing forward the rise in the state pension age to 68 in the first couple of years of the next parliament, Mel Stride, the work and pensions secretary, has suggested.

This doesn't look great, does it? "We won't do this now because it's unpopular, but we'll do it after the election". If it's inevitable, surely you have to announce it now and give people the maximum time to plan?

[Tubby Isaacs]

How are the polls?

Er, you''ve seen off the Lib Dem surge.

[Youngian]

More election winning stardust here.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... ister-says

A Brexit civil war with the ERG is unlikely to boost numbers, either.

[Tubby Isaacs]

If the Reform Party follow through and run candidates everywhere (and avoid confusion with the Reclaim Party, whose anti-vax will upset Brexit pensioners), then a war with the ERG could be a problem. But I don't think there are enough of them to be noticed outside of the Telegraph and GB News. Sunak might get some business support back from telling them to fuck off.

[mattomac]

More election winning stardust here.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... ister-says

Ministers will have to “grasp the nettle” on bringing forward the rise in the state pension age to 68 in the first couple of years of the next parliament, Mel Stride, the work and pensions secretary, has suggested.

This doesn't look great, does it? "We won't do this now because it's unpopular, but we'll do it after the election". If it's inevitable, surely you have to announce it now and give people the maximum time to plan?

Like most things dump it for Labour to deal with, there is a chance to think big with workers rights on this, universal income when you hit a certain age, more holiday time, flexi and hybrid working as standard.

Protection on certain occupations, I sadly don’t expect to retire but offer me a lifestyle that I can live til 70/75.

Quite possibly be the biggest thing Labour can do, if it just does what the Tories do what’s the point. Maybe I should try and get on the national policy forum.

[Youngian]

But I don't think there are enough of them to be noticed outside of the Telegraph and GB News. Sunak might get some business support back from telling them to fuck off.

It only takes two or three disgruntled MPs not toeing the line for the press to run split and civil war stories (see the Labour Party). If the press believe power has evaporated from Sunak, they’ll want to bundle in (See John Major).

[Tubby Isaacs]

Depends how the Telegraph and co go, I suppose. If they have the sense not to bother too much, then I think it doesn't matter. They probably won't have that sense though.

I see Rishi's "concentrating on the day job" is going well. 0.1% growth in quarter one.

[Yug]

Did you just mention the Telegraph and "sense" in the same paragraph?

[Tubby Isaacs]

I'll spare you the usual here. This gag basically tells itself.

[mattomac]

Depends how the Telegraph and co go, I suppose. If they have the sense not to bother too much, then I think it doesn't matter. They probably won't have that sense though.

I see Rishi's "concentrating on the day job" is going well. 0.1% growth in quarter one.

While you snipe from the sidelines he is "delivering for the british people", it might work if he was delivering.

[Andy McDandy]

Delivering for the British people, in the sense that the British people got a note saying he'd be calling round sometime today, and it's now just past 4.30 and there's no sign of him, and the order tracker just says "out for delivery"...

[Bones McCoy]

Delivering..

But the product is a paper bag of flaming dogshit.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Probably an outlier in its extent, but it seems like Sunak isn't doing well in the polls since the local elections. Is it possible that lots of people who don't normally pay much attention took notice at the clusterfuck and have bailed out?

[mattomac]

However much you scream bad news for Labour, a minus 1000 number is hard to get around for the Cons.

[Youngian]

However much you scream bad news for Labour

That’s the job of Dan Hodges, John Rentoul and that ex-Labour Tom twat at the Telegraph

[mattomac]

I’ve realised he is only in this position currently because he avoids scrutiny.

He turns up at these arranged press things and doesn’t really say much and no one really wants to ask him anything, he lets idiots like Hands speak for him.

I do wonder if they are shit scared of putting him further out there, suppose it’s an attempt at what Johnson did, avoid it at all costs, fine when your running against Corbyn but not really when your running against Starmer who not massively popular has some popularity and isn’t seen as a threat.

Snapps on Ridge evidently was attempting this but couldn’t answer Ridge’s question on what policies were radically left wing so shifted back to him being in Corbyn’s shadow cabinet for Ridge to then say he had since been kicked out by Starmer.