[Youngian]

Tories select a straight talker for the Tamworth by-election

[Andy McDandy]

They're throwing it. Either they know it's pointless trying to win, as they'll be wiped out next GE, or they're doing rope-a-dope, aiming for a paralysed government, so they can push a "we tried but the woke lefty blob was too much for us" narrative at said GE.

[Boiler]

The country will be in such a ruined state by 1/25 that Labour won't be able to fix it, should they get in - and then the performing seals of the client media and their core voters can shout from the sidelines "See? We told you Labour were rubbish, only we can fix it" - and the nodding dogs* that are their core voters will nod along?

*I apologise for insulting nodding dog toys because I am suggesting they have the intelligence of a Tory voter.

[Andy McDandy]

Not helped by the fact that in all the talking heads media fora, there's one demographic section you never hear from first hand - poor people (OK, you get the occasional Jack Monroe, but look at how they were derided for daring to think bigger than cooking chips). For the overwhelming most part, be it newspapers, radio or TV, it's well off people telling poorer people what they're doing wrong.

[kreuzberger]

An exception to that would be the BBC with their provincial vox pops, explaining why the tories are so great.

[Boiler]

What about the Spoons demographic?

[Yug]

They're the ones the BBC talk to, which is misleading in itself because they are not representative of the majority of people who are receiving, shall we say, substantially less than half of the published national average income.

[Malcolm Armsteen]

Rather like Sky's unerring ability to find the thickest person in the street.

[Andy McDandy]

You can't spend that long in the pub every day if you're actually poor. Even a Spoons.

As for Sky, all I'll say is that I once got vox-popped, only to be told my comment was too wordy for the local news. It's a bit like "citizen reporters", or game show contestants. It's about giving the people watching someone to sneer at, and the feeling that they're in on the joke.

[Boiler]

Well, we all know what Hartlepool is famous for.

[RedSparrows]

You can't spend that long in the pub every day if you're actually poor. Even a Spoons.

As for Sky, all I'll say is that I once got vox-popped, only to be told my comment was too wordy for the local news. It's a bit like "citizen reporters", or game show contestants. It's about giving the people watching someone to sneer at, and the feeling that they're in on the joke.

Never forget the only time I've been vox-popped, probs mentioned before.

'How do you feel about all these roadworks in Oxford?'
'Admittedly I don't drive here, so it's not affecting me too much, but surely you have to upgrade roads at some point. Prevention is better than the cure.'
'Fair enough.'

Reader, I did not feature.

[Spoonman]

What about the Spoons demographic?

I don't think I'm confident enough to speak on behalf of them TBH.

[Watchman]

Looks like 30p is sending out the candidate and the MP briefing notes

[Abernathy]

,

[Bones McCoy]

Bone(r)

[Tubby Isaacs]

All this rubbish and still without a seat.

Yeah, Seb. Bit of a stretch to say all these people were marching for Hamas, but anyway. And I bet Javid and Louise Casey would have fixed everything. Javid btw wasn't so much "moved" as took a promotion to Chancellor.

[Youngian]

Brilliant piece of work

[Andy McDandy]

Been looking at the initial reactions to last night. Usual stuff - people unhappy, protest vote, just more evidence that the government needs to do more of what it's doing.

While I get that no government would want to say "Hmm, looks like people really don't like this stuff we're doing; let's completely change tack", I can't think of any other business where a total inability to address reality is seen as a solution.

[Boiler]

Yep, from an apologist elsewhere;

I’ve yet looked at hard numbers rather than turnout percentages, but I’m seeing the key result being for “none of the above”. Turnout for these is both sub-40%.

My hunch is that the key factor is Tory vote collapse rather than opposition win, with some noise caused by gammons r us, oops, Reform

[Abernathy]

Indeed. I was marvelling at Greg Hands in the 8:10 interview slot. Tory voters just “did not turn out”, and there was “no real enthusiasm” for Starmer. I suppose this sort of bollocks is to be expected from the Tory Chairman the morning after two exceptionally violent by-election rogerings, but this was quite remarkable. “Long term decisions”, doncha know?