this post was submitted on 22 May 2024
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UK Politics

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[–] flamingos 31 points 6 months ago (5 children)

Apparently Tories are sending letters to the 1922 Committee over this. God, please let the Tories have a leadership election now. It would be so funny.

[–] 9point6@lemmy.world 19 points 6 months ago

Maybe the lettuce will get a go this time

[–] NotACube 8 points 6 months ago

* tory moment *

[–] ajoebyanyothername@lemmy.world 7 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I'm guessing the election still goes ahead even if they get rid of Rishi beforehand?

[–] Twig@sopuli.xyz 5 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I'd imagine so. Can't unset that in motion.

[–] HumanPenguin 1 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

They can untill Thursday. Once the king devolves parliment. Any change is pretty much impossible. But till then. Yes a new leader could halt it.

But my gowd are they nuts. How freaking bad would it look. Come the end of Jan when they are forced to run. I can see voters really punishing them.

But even now its look like sunak called the election to try and stop another leadership challenge.

[–] david 5 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

It would be hugely entertaining. However, the 1922 committee bend the rules when it suits them. There's no way they'll admit in public that the threshold has been reached even if it does, and I don't think it will because even the loony right has a majority who have a sense of self interest. It's too late politically now that the general election has been announced, and there'll be a leadership election after the general election anyway, even if something remarkable happens and they keep a slim majority or achieve a coalition.

[–] pre@fedia.io 3 points 6 months ago

@flamingos@feddit.uk That's why the sudden rush-move. Calling the election before enough letters can arrive to have him kicked out.

[–] 9point6@lemmy.world 30 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (2 children)

Probably goes without saying in a politics community, but:

Everyone go and double check that you're registered to vote at your current address and make sure you arrange for a postal/proxy vote if you're gonna be on holiday or otherwise away (particularly students who may have registered at their uni addresses, this date is almost certainly partly chosen to disenfranchise students)

Don't ever believe polls no matter how safe things look, surprises on polling day are not uncommon.

[–] Twig@sopuli.xyz 9 points 6 months ago (2 children)

You'd hope after AV and Brexit, people would know better.

[–] david 7 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

And 1992. Labour started off way ahead in the polls but they narrowed and then one poorly conceived party political event knocked them into second place. Labour have a big lead now in the polls, but they're coming from a long, long way behind.

[–] julietOscarEcho@sh.itjust.works 1 points 5 months ago

AV was a different kettle of fish. Garbage turnout and masses of undecideds in polling. I don't think anyone ever thought it was nailed on even if technically AV was ahead in some polls. Point stands though.

[–] HowManyNimons@lemmy.world 6 points 6 months ago

Also make sure you have voter ID!

[–] maculata@aussie.zone 18 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Yay! HANG THE TORIES!!!

Oh wait. Sorry. Not like that.

But then again…

[–] Emperor 11 points 6 months ago

Hang them out to dry

[–] PeteBauxigeg@lemm.ee 15 points 6 months ago (1 children)

🚨 GENERAL ELECTION 🚨

[–] mannycalavera 13 points 6 months ago

It's happening

[–] TIN 13 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Febrile atmosphere here for the first Lemmy ukpol election

[–] Jaysyn@kbin.social 9 points 6 months ago

The Tories absolutely need to go the way of the Whigs, but it's all just window dressing until money is removed from politics.

[–] cupcakezealot@lemmy.blahaj.zone 7 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Gonna be great to exist as a trans person the next month...

[–] frankPodmore@slrpnk.net 6 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)
[–] Jackthelad@lemmy.world -2 points 6 months ago (3 children)

Why would I want to disgrace myself by volunteering for a political party?

[–] Tagger@lemmy.world 7 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Because Labour are better than the alternative and helping to bring about a better government would be a productive use of your time?

[–] Jackthelad@lemmy.world -4 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I mean, "better government" remains to be seen.

These are politicians we're talking about.

[–] Zorque@kbin.social 5 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Ah, good ole' "They're all bad and there's nothing we can do about it so might as well just sit on our asses as the world burns down around us instead of doing literally anything meaningful to help"

Such a classic.

[–] Jackthelad@lemmy.world -2 points 6 months ago (2 children)

Are you familiar with the Post Office scandal, or maybe the infected blood one instead?

Because both of those things happened under Labour and Conservative governments, and neither has done anything about it. The idea that somehow one side is inherently better than the other is pure copium.

People don't really care much for Labour. They just don't want the Conservatives anymore. That's not a recipe for amazing success in government.

[–] david 8 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

Are you familiar with Brexit, Teresa May's Hostile Environment for Immigrants, Windrush, partying while the Queen mourned alone following the covid rules, Trussonimics sending inflation soaring and Sunak literally today denying that there's a problem with DWP putting hundreds of thousands of unpaid carers into thousands of pounds of debt by not allowing them to earn a penny over £151 if they want to keep a single penny of their payment for providing care, noting in their system that the increase in the minimum wage put them over, not warning them, not even cancelling the payment, just waiting for literally years then taking them to court to claim back all the money in the intervening time?

The Conservative Party membership is pathologically committed to choosing the worst possible Prime Minister from any pair of candidates.

This "both sides" stuff is such a croc of *.

[–] Zorque@kbin.social 3 points 6 months ago

So better to just do nothing instead, aside from bitching on the internet, amirite?

No government is going to be perfect, but it's never going to get better unless people actually do something instead of sitting on their ass and whining.

[–] Zorque@kbin.social 6 points 6 months ago

Think less of it as volunteering for a political party and more as volunteering for ideological pragmatism. You don't have to have cloned sensibilities to work with someone or some organization to better your country/county/city.

[–] Twig@sopuli.xyz 2 points 6 months ago

Is it really that disgraceful?

[–] Twig@sopuli.xyz 6 points 6 months ago (1 children)

HIGNFY is going to be interesting!

[–] perviouslyiner@lemmy.world 4 points 6 months ago

And just after Private Eye was printed!

[–] thehatfox@lemmy.world 6 points 6 months ago

About bloody time.

It’s been raining hard nearly all day today, only just stopped. But I guess it’s true that every cloud has a silver lining.

[–] Zip2 5 points 6 months ago

July 4th is going to be a double British thanksgiving!

[–] obinice@lemmy.world 0 points 6 months ago (6 children)

An election to change governments away from one that I feel has been greatly damaging to the nation and my life should be a happy occasion.

Yet, I look at the alternative in our two party system, the new government, Labour, that will undoubtedly get voted in (unless they somehow catastrophically implode within the next few weeks, getting caught sacrificing goats during an orgy at Stonehenge or something)... is basically just a slightly different shade of Tory.

That's not to say everyone in the party is, or that they're identical, but enough are, especially the ones in power, and while small things will change for the better, Labour, like the Tories, are too far gone to actually fix any of the underlying issues we face.

Are they going to reverse privatisation of the failing NHS, failing water suppliers, failing rail infrastructure, etc etc? Of course not. Are they going to stand up for unions, workers rights, and our rights to protest? Of course not.

Are they going to begin the long slow process of rejoining the EU, which was such a huge benefit to the UK and yet was taken away through brainwashing, misinformation, and good ol' right wing racism, a process that I will only see come to fruition within my lifetime if started right now? Of course not. They can't anger the right wing portion of their following that they've been slowly building since dropping the guise of being an even slightly to the left of centre political party.

They're certainly not going to go against big what big business and the rich want, because those are the groups keeping the ruling class of the nation - including the government - in power, and in the lap of luxury, both now and when they leave office and move on to a private paycheque full-time.

Notice how both parties harp on about "the economy", (as well as the media that tells us all what to think - owned by the rich), and do everything they can to make it happy and healthy, but do nothing at all to address the growing - now utterly gigantic - distribution of wealth gap between the rich and the majority of us, which stretches much further than simply poor wages - it affects what we have access to, what job and education opportunities we have, how healthy we are, who we're able to meet and spend time with....it affects everything, and it's all being ignored in favour of helping "the economy".

They tell us that a strong economy will bring us all prosperity, that somehow the billions in profits made by the rich will drip down into our teacups for us to lick up, but the reality is that the businesses they serve just find more ways and excuses to raise prices, reduce service quality, cut wages, and get more payouts.

The current government is the worst of the lot, to be sure, and I'm glad they're going soon. But I'm sad, because I know we won't get any real change in this election. Just a chance of colour scheme, and a shuffling around of minor priorities and allocations for services, which will make some people happy, as it will appear as if the new government are truly changing things...

But it's akin to rearranging the furniture in a house that's on fire. It might feel fresh and better for a few people for a short time, but the whole thing is still burning down in the background.

Probably because the heat from the fire will keep "the economy" nice and warm.

:-(

[–] Streetlights@lemmy.world 18 points 6 months ago (1 children)

"Less shit" is better than "total shit".

[–] Tagger@lemmy.world 15 points 6 months ago (2 children)

This, this is what the left wing never seem to get! They'd rather stand on principle and let the Tories stay in power.

Incidentally, I actually think Starmer's Labour will be a very positive government, but even if they were just 'better than Sunak', they would be better than Sunak so let's get them into power.

[–] Streetlights@lemmy.world 11 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Tell me about it, tankies love a good purity test. Well shit the bed mate you might just have to vote for someone who doesn't 100% agree with you.

[–] Twig@sopuli.xyz 4 points 6 months ago

Winning the argument(!)

[–] Twig@sopuli.xyz 4 points 6 months ago

Hopefully there are enough on the left who are pragmatic

[–] TIN 7 points 6 months ago

When's the Stonehenge orgy? Asking for a friend.

[–] Zorque@kbin.social 7 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

Labour, like the Tories, are too far gone to actually fix any of the underlying issues we face.

The only way this is ever true is because people refuse to accept that change is possible. Even Tories could be reformed if enough people of conscience stood up and made their voices heard. Remote as that possibility is... it's still a possibility.

The truly irredeemable only exist in fantasy, as a cheap source of righteous fury for the heroes. The real world is far too grey to accept such absolutes.

[–] david 3 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

Are they going to reverse privatisation of the failing NHS,

Not really, but they'll stop speeding it up.

failing water suppliers,

Only partly and not very effectively, but they'll strengthen regulation

failing rail infrastructure, etc etc?

Yes they will

Are they going to stand up for unions,

Partly in terms of legislation, but they'll be terrified of picket lines and press coverage, so very little in terms of mood music.

workers rights,

Actually, yes, just not as much as we want

and our rights to protest?

I hope so.

Are they going to begin the long slow process of rejoining the EU

Absolutely not. But they might well strengthen common regulation and win concessions for trade with the single market.

[–] HumanPenguin 1 points 6 months ago

Post 2019. When starmer was living to us. Was when we needed to do more. And unfortunately failed.

Now we have to accept the simple choice. Vote for the lesser of to evils. Or get the greater.

Because not voting really is just favouring the incumbent party. Hell that's why the work to make it harder.

Ignore polling. It really only takes some crap lie for it to swap. And sunak is really trying to come up with any crap he can. Interpreting Starmers comment as refusing to debate.

The bacon sandwich event is going to happen. He has too much media support for it not to.

And only one party is using outright cruelty to the disabled and trans rights. To desperatly try and launch a culture war.

[–] samsterby@mastodon.green 0 points 6 months ago (1 children)

@obinice @PeteBauxigeg @Sarahw well, if you want all that lot, there’s likely to be one candidate where you are offering pretty much that. #VoteGreen

[–] HowManyNimons@lemmy.world 1 points 6 months ago

Before you vote green, please make sure your vote isn't needed elsewhere to dislodge a Tory.