Current Events > UK government may be about to call a General Election

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-69042935

• Downing Street has declined to rule out a general election in the summer, amid speculation that Rishi Sunak could announce one imminently
• The SNP's Stephen Flynn pressed the PM about this point directly at PMQs, asking, "Does the prime minister intend to call a summer general election or is he feart (scared)?"
• Sunak repeated his line that the vote would be held in the second half of the year, but didn't specify when
• Cabinet ministers have been summoned to a meeting due to take place this afternoon
• Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has delayed a trip to the Baltic states while Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron cut short a trip to Albania to "attend a meeting in London"
• The chancellor - who was supposed to appear on ITV tonight to discuss latest inflation figures - has recently backed out of that interview

Please do it, make my day. The Conservatives are almost certainly heading towards electoral oblivion if the polls are to be believed (and they were right in the local and by-elections)

Trelve posted...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-69042935

* Downing Street has declined to rule out a general election in the summer, amid speculation that Rishi Sunak could announce one imminently
* The SNP's Stephen Flynn pressed the PM about this point directly at PMQs, asking, "Does the prime minister intend to call a summer general election or is he feart (scared)?"
* Sunak repeated his line that the vote would be held in the second half of the year, but didn't specify when
* Cabinet ministers have been summoned to a meeting due to take place this afternoon
* Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has delayed a trip to the Baltic states while Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron cut short a trip to Albania to "attend a meeting in London"
* The chancellor - who was supposed to appear on ITV tonight to discuss latest inflation figures - has recently backed out of that interview
Please do it, make my day. The Conservatives are almost certainly heading towards electoral oblivion if the polls are to be believed (and they were right in the local and by-elections)

Will this replace the upcoming general election or will these results just hold until then? I know they have to do it at least every 5 years but beyond that my knowledge gets sketchy.

They might as well. It's only going to get worse for them if they hang on to the bitter end. Probably reckon a couple of months of falling inflation and an interest cut is their best bet.

Sooner they fuck off, the better.

they fucked up the uk so bad what else can they do

ScazarMeltex posted...

Will this replace the upcoming general election or will these results just hold until then? I know they have to do it at least every 5 years but beyond that my knowledge gets sketchy.

You get five years after a general election to call the next one. (Which a government may do at any time).

ai123 posted...

You get five years after a general election to call the next one. (Which a government may do at any time).

Ah ok. That's kind of what I thought but wasn't sure. So next question is, why would the Tories do this now? Why not cling to power a bit longer?

ScazarMeltex posted...

Ah ok. That's kind of what I thought but wasn't sure. So next question is, why would the Tories do this now? Why not cling to power a bit longer?

The economy is starting to look a tiny bit better. Sunak handled himself well in the aftermath of the infected blood scandal. That's about as good as it is going to get. Nice weather, and a good performance by England at the Euros will also benefit a sitting government (yes, really).

Basically, it's not going to get any better, and people's resentment will only build if he clings on.

Looks like 4th July will probably be the date if the rumours circulating are true. Rishi Sunak has convened a cabinet meeting this afternoon and afterwards will go and see the King to ask him to dissolve parliament.

Trelve posted...

Looks like 4th July will probably be the date if the rumours circulating are true. Rishi Sunak has convened a cabinet meeting this afternoon and afterwards will go and see the King to ask him to dissolve parliament.

Banking on England making the quarter finals (which they should).

But they have a few more months left in which to give their mates billions and sell off some companies for pennies to provide us with a worse service for double the price!

And dont forget about protecting the water companies who have now seen pretty much every water supply in the country infected due to them dumping waste in our rivers

Funkydog posted...

But they have a few more months left in which to give their mates billions and sell off some companies for pennies to provide us with a worse service for double the price!

And dont forget about protecting the water companies who have now seen pretty much every water supply in the country infected due to them dumping waste in our rivers

They're at the stage where they're happy to dump that literal shit on Starmer, and come back in five years.

We need a new and improved Guy Fawkes.

ai123 posted...

They're at the stage where they're happy to dump that literal shit on Starmer, and come back in five years.

And we will all fall for it yet again.

I want to have hope for y'all, but Starmer seems determined to trot out the Clinton/Blair playbook yet again in 2024. These types never seem to understand that yes it's ""popular"" at first. But when you don't solve any of the problems and continue the trends that created the problems, and you sell ordinary people/the working class/minorities out on your watch, that does permanent damage to the party, electoralism, and democracy.

Here it comes, Sunak to give a statement "shortly".

ai123 posted...

They're at the stage where they're happy to dump that literal shit on Starmer, and come back in five years.

Tory Leader (Braverman?) in 2029: Labour ruined our relationship with the EU and took us out without a plan!

I feel like they keep doing this, because if they don't, they'll lose the general election, but not the special election. Boris did this iirc and so did May.

ClayGuida posted...

I feel like they keep doing this, because if they don't, they'll lose the general election, but not the special election. Boris did this iirc and so did May.

There isn't a special election.

On a national level, there are only General Elections. These must take place every 5 years, but the sitting government may call them early if they wish. Then the clock is reset and the 5 year countdown starts again.

Surprised that the little good news they had recently is enough for them to bet their jobs on already.

July 4th confirmed.

Or in other words - independence day.

The Tories are just giving up, I guess.

People gonna like Starmer?

Starks posted...

The Tories are just giving up, I guess.

People gonna like Starmer?

I trust Starmer a lot more than any Tory. He's not as charismatic as Tony Blair but I think he'll be a good PM.

Starks posted...

People gonna like Starmer?

Eh. He's pretty much just a Diet Tory himself.

But given that the current Tories are pretty far to the right even by their own standards, I'll take Diet Tory over Ultra Tory.

Starmer isn't a great option, but he's an infinitely preferable option.

OH IT'S ON.

Looking forward to getting the chance to put my vote in and oust these bastards.

Rishi Sunak is a shameless liar who says whatever he thinks will win him votes even if completely contradicts what he said the previous week, panders to racists and transphobes, promotes authoritarianism and appears interested in helping only rich people at the expense of everyone else.

Keir Starmer is a shameless liar who says whatever he thinks will win him votes even if completely contradicts what he said the previous week, panders to racists and transphobes, promotes authoritarianism and appears interested in helping only rich people at the expense of everyone else.

The only major difference between them is that Starmer has been more successful in establishing iron-fisted control over his own party.

Tories are going to be very deservedly crushed.

I wonder if it'd be possible that they finish third?

K181 posted...

Tories are going to be very deservedly crushed.

I wonder if it'd be possible that they finish third?

I'd love to see Liberal Democrats pulls ahead of them but I don't see it happening. I think most people will defect their vote to Labour.

K181 posted...

Tories are going to be very deservedly crushed. I wonder if it'd be possible that they finish third?

Some recent polls have suggested it. I very much doubt it will happen, though.

TomClark posted...

Eh. He's pretty much just a Diet Tory himself.

But given that the current Tories are pretty far to the right even by their own standards, I'll take Diet Tory over Ultra Tory.

Starmer isn't a great option, but he's an infinitely preferable option.

Yeah, I may vomit and hate myself but at least... well I'm sure something has to better than the Tories, right?

...right?

Funkydog posted...

Yeah, I may vomit and hate myself but at least... well I'm sure something has to better than the Tories, right?

...right?

I'd sooner vote your vomit into power than vote for the Tories.

I'm guessing he wants to be out of power by august so he can take the millions he leeched out of the country and go take a summer trip to a donor's summer house in barbados

Funkydog posted...

Yeah, I may vomit and hate myself but at least... well I'm sure something has to better than the Tories, right?

...right?

The Tories have been in power for 14 years, that's well beyond their sell-by date.

Blair/Brown were in power for 13 years before them, Cameron/May/Johnson/Truss/Sunak have made it to 14 years since.

I do wonder how much Scotland will come into play again with the current implosion of the SNP.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/9/950c7355.jpg

RSmit posted...

I do wonder how much Scotland will come into play again with the current implosion of the SNP.

they're a lot less popular than they were in 2015, but starmer has done scottish labour no favours in the slightest

The Tories are corrupted, stale, and out of all but the most bizarre and desperate ideas (see: Rwanda, everything Truss did).

Anything's better. Even Starmer.

Neoconkers posted...

I'm guessing he wants to be out of power by august so he can take the millions he leeched out of the country and go take a summer trip to a donor's summer house in barbados

Fun fact: Sunak is wealthier than the King.

Neoconkers posted...

they're a lot less popular than they were in 2015, but starmer has done scottish labour no favours in the slightest

That's true but the same can be said about the various Tory PMs and Scottish Conservatives.

ai123 posted...

Fun fact: Sunak is wealthier than the King.

Isn't that his wife? You know, the one who has non-dom status?

RSmit posted...

The Tories have been in power for 14 years, that's well beyond their sell-by date.

Blair/Brown were in power for 13 years before them, Cameron/May/Johnson/Truss/Sunak have made it to 14 years since.

I do wonder how much Scotland will come into play again with the current implosion of the SNP.

Maybe Liberal Democrats might pick up a few scraps in Scotland. Not sure about Labour picking up many votes. Conservatives will get fucking nothing in Scotland.

I think the SNP will still be the leading party in Scotland. As disfunctional as things are with them, they have mainly been a protest vote against England based parties for a couple of elections now. Can't say I can blame them.

RSmit posted...

Isn't that his wife? You know, the one who has non-dom status?

He is wealthy by marriage, yes.

-Crissaegrim- posted...

I'd sooner vote your vomit into power than vote for the Tories.

Lately I am more tempted to vote for my vomit than Starmer as he desperately courts the far right

Funkydog posted...

Lately I am more tempted to vote for my vomit than Starmer as he desperately courts the far right

It's OK, we can all relax.

Starmer says a vote for Labour is a vote for 'stability'. But also change. Unless you're worried about change, in which case there will be lots of stability.

ai123 posted...

It's OK, we can all relax.

Starmer says a vote for Labour is a vote for 'stability'. But also change. Unless you're worried about change, in which case there will be lots of stability.

Also he wont be changing any of the abhorrent tory laws. He also wont be performing austerity. Just performing everything austerity means.

He also supports trans people. But also supports them the laws against them.

ai123 posted...

It's OK, we can all relax.

Starmer says a vote for Labour is a vote for 'stability'. But also change. Unless you're worried about change, in which case there will be lots of stability.

Think you'd have to be pretty dense to not understand the basic point he's making is that the past 14 years, and especially the past 3 it has been utter chaos with no sign of stability. His basic message is that he is offering change via a competent and stable government who are fit to govern, as opposed to the current shambles lurching from scandal to scandal and crisis to crisis.

Similar to all the edgy apathetic messages of "Labour are just Tory Lite!" - really lazy takes you'd expect from Reddit or some A level student. The Manifesto will be measured and realistic and won't go as far as many of us will want because of that, but there will be clear divisions between Labour and the Tories in it on key issues, both in things we already know and in areas that they've been waiting to set out via Manifesto commitments once the GE had been announced.

fbp posted...

Think you'd have to be pretty dense to not understand the basic point he's making is that the past 14 years, and especially the past 3 it has been utter chaos with no sign of stability. His basic message is that he is offering change via a competent and stable government who are fit to govern, as opposed to the current shambles lurching from scandal to scandal and crisis to crisis.

Similar to all the edgy apathetic messages of "Labour are just Tory Lite!" - really lazy takes you'd expect from Reddit or some A level student. The Manifesto will be measured and realistic and won't go as far as many of us will want because of that, but there will be clear divisions between Labour and the Tories in it on key issues, both in things we already know and in areas that they've been waiting to set out via Manifesto commitments once the GE had been announced.

This.

I cannot, by any stretch of my imagination believe that Labour will pursue policies anywhere near as daft and fucking hostile as some of the shit the Tories have been trying to pull.

Like the recent move to arrest and charge homeless people 2000 if they get caught being smelly. Insane policies from a completely out of touch and irresponsible government.

I could never vote for a party like that.

-Crissaegrim- posted...

This.

I cannot, by any stretch of my imagination believe that Labour will pursue policies anywhere near as daft and fucking hostile as some of the shit the Tories have been trying to pull.

Like the recent move to arrest and charge homeless people 2000 if they get caught being smelly. Insane policies from a completely out of touch and irresponsible government.

I could never vote for a party like that.

But if you simply refrain from doing the batshit stuff and don't fundamentally change/improve anything, you'll just be back in the same position at the next general when people turn on a do nothing Labour party. It's so predictable it's borderline guaranteed. And it'll be even worse next time after X years of additional conservative brain rot, economic decline, and left wing demobilization.

Doing nothing to fix the core problems you face with huge majorities discredits your party for at least a generation.

After decades of Tory scaremongering, it's not hard to see why Labour prioritize not scaring away voters with 'radical' policies.

I hope they get a large majority. I hope they use it to implement a humane immigration policy, properly fund education, welfare, and the NHS, and look to repair the UK's relationship with Europe.

legendary_zell posted...

But if you simply refrain from doing the batshit stuff and don't fundamentally change/improve anything, you'll just be back in the same position at the next general when people turn on a do nothing Labour party. It's so predictable it's borderline guaranteed. And it'll be even worse next time after X years of additional conservative brain rot, economic decline, and left wing demobilization.

Doing nothing to fix the core problems you face with huge majorities discredits your party for at least a generation.

The hostile actions and insane policies of the Conservative party has discredited them for, at minimum, the rest of my entire bloodline.

ai123 posted...

I hope they use it to implement a humane immigration policy, properly fund education, welfare, and the NHS, and look to repair the UK's relationship with Europe.

They've gone to considerable effort to make it clear that they won't be doing any of those things.

Starks posted...

The Tories are just giving up, I guess.

They are just picking the less worst time.

Today the UK reported a drop in inflation figures which are almost back to Bank of England targets. This is alongside an almost 30% drop in average energy costs.

There are also strong indications that the upcoming legal challenges to the Rwanda plan (scheme to send migrants off to Africa in case you were curious) are likely to fail so they'll want one before that hits the fan.

Interesting times ahead for the next two months. Shame we can't talk about politics on the UK board any more. Politics is probably the biggest discussion raiser we have on that board and incidentally post and topic counts have massive dropped since it was banned.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/business-69027403

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/b/b5735091.png

ai123 posted...

After decades of Tory scaremongering, it's not hard to see why Labour prioritize not scaring away voters with 'radical' policies.

My real fear is they get TOO BIG of a majority which will empower the different factions within the Labour party to start thinking they can make demands and threaten not to not tow the party line.

I hope they get a large majority. I hope they use it to implement a humane immigration policy, properly fund education, welfare, and the NHS, and look to repair the UK's relationship with Europe.

There's also the fact the Tories haven't really let on to what sort of state the coffers are in. Labour can't promise anything until we get an accurate figure on the books. I believe now the election has been called they'll get access to the books.

The unknown state of funds is one of the reasons they've been playing it safe and not committing (much to the disappointment of Labour supporters) because they just don't know how much money they'll be to spend when they get in. Hopefully how we'll in election territory and they get access to the books we'll get some more concrete commitments in the manefesto.