POLITICS CORNER

[Tizer]

Surely with all the power of Facebook and Google data and from all the other sources they can use AI to work out exactly each of us will vote. So it's no longer a private vote. Perhaps I should put that within [irony on] [irony off] tags?

[Tripps]

Serious business Postal Voting

[Whyperion]

How do you know the result of the postal votes? Well, yes, ahum, let me think. Get Brexit Done. (punching air with left hand). But what did draw my attention to it was that the Conservative letter I received said ' Your postal vote is on its way, let us know if you have not received it'. Was this just a guess on post codes, age group or some inside knowledge? I did read somewhere that older folk tend to use postal voting and by extension are predominantly Conservative. As for the remainder of my post just ignore it like everybody else does.

Postally voting has a marker on the electoral list which candidates use to write the appropriate letter or not write if passed deadline

[chinatyke]

I wonder when my postal vote will arrive? Yes, I am registered.

[Stanley]

" just ignore it like everybody else does"
I don't ignore your posts P, give yourself a break!
Tiz, too much analysis, Tories get wet and cold just like Labour! Keep it simple, vote to exclude Johnson and his ilk.
Latest polls show gap is closing between Tory and Labour and nobody knows who will vote tactically so no certainties! I shall keep the faith and vote Labour.
I see Raab is forecast to be the Portaloo Moment, I certainly hope so!

[Tizer]

Serious business Postal Voting

Now where was it I heard that the Labour and Tory Party offices are both in minute by minute contact with the people who handle the postal votes? Not sure if someone else mentioned it on here perhaps?

[Tripps]

Labour and Tory Party offices are both in minute by minute contact with the people who handle the postal votes?

Surely not - that would be against the law.


I got yet another Lib Dem flyer this morning - with my name printed at the top. They're formidable at elections.

Well - I've done the deed. I didn't get a voting card this year - or I've misplaced it which is quite possible these days. No problem at all. I was asked for my address and name then 'good to go'.

No tellers to have a conversation with - a bit disappointing. Seemed quite busy I'd say.

[Tizer]

The heavy rain stopped about 2.00pm and we ventured forth to make our mark. We asked the officials about turn out and they seemed quite excited and said "It's been very good! Much better than usual" (their emphasis). That's amazing considering it's been raining all morning. I suppose it will be a combination of all the publicity and the fact that it's like two elections combined, one for a party and the other for Brexit versus Remain.

Tripps, we've had lots of flyers from the LibDems, all shapes and sizes. Some addressed to Mrs Tiz, some to me. Some from the party, some personalised. A number of them are formatted as letters from people who have switched parties to LibDem. One was a former Assistant Head of the Met Police. They've really pulled out all the stops!

[Tripps]

it's like two elections combined, one for a party and the other for Brexit versus Remain.

That's the heart of the matter. I've got the popcorn in for tonight and my fingers crossed.

[Tizer]

it's like two elections combined, one for a party and the other for Brexit versus Remain.

That's the heart of the matter. I've got the popcorn in for tonight and my fingers crossed.

Enjoy your popcorn, we'll be getting a good night's sleep and ignoring it all until tomorrow morning. I'll stick my neck out and make a guess that it's going to be a hung Parliament, so we'll be on tenterhooks for a long time yet.

When we got back from voting there was another flyer on the door mat. Red, white and blue and I thought it might be a late Brexit Party one. But no, it was a promo from a local double glazing company! (I shouldn't joke about that - they're probably getting their promo in when they believe there will be a big `feel good' spike tomorrow if Boris gets in and Tory voters want to splash out on new windows.)

[Pluggy]

I did the deed as did Mrs Pluggy.

[Big Kev]

We've been and done the deed.

[Tripps]

Fingers uncrossed. . . .

[chinatyke]

So far 6 results declared, 5 Labour wins and 1 Conservative. Many a slip 'twixt cup and lip.

[Whyperion]

Turnouts are in London particulary up by about 7%, other places turnout up/static/down a bit.

Tories indeed taking seats, on a mix of an increase in their vote, from last time, but this does not appear generally to be coming from Labour mass vote switching to Tory- it is going in dribs to lossing libs and greens, and with about 8% of its previous vote just not voting Labour (**)(***)( if these are leavers that could not vote tory, then Labour did not get any message that 'getting brexit sorted - with a 'better' deal - did not get through ). I would not worry about Labour losing seats to SNP in Scotland- that is becoming a different country in Westminster shaped parliament - Scottish Labour in Scottish Assembly remains having a strength. (**) exceptions the other way in London. (***) Look like flipping to SNP in Scotland.

To some extent Johnson has claimed a percieved 'liberal' social expenditure illusory increase in the manifesto and beyond, will this be a reality.

Personally I feel Johnson is best equipped to get some kind of brexit done, but will have to live the consequences by about 2022, including a Nationalist Scotland that will have to fight if it really does want independence within the EU when there is an English Tory majority. If the locals dont get the expected reward from the tories by 2023 accross England then again the Conservatives might regret winning the election, Labour if they had won, might have regretted winning too- the promises being probably not affordable as markets just would not allow them. Should Labour , etc, have backed the idea of an election now ? Probably not.

[Stanley]

I've just got up and so far it looks like a disaster for Labour. I shall be back when I have heard more.
02:50. Labour have lost Burnley. Bishop Auckland (!) has fallen to the Tories.

[PanBiker]

Turkeys voting for Christmas just about sums it up. If the exit poll holds up to any great degree, those that voted for this will have five years to live with their decision. We have Tory line boy Stephenson to put up with. Been a long day, off to bed.

[Stanley]

I'm finding I can't concentrate on anything, this is too dreadful to ignore. Just listening to Jon Lansman, leader of Momentum and Corbyn making his acceptance speech in Islington.
03:45. Jo Swinson has lost her seat. It's clear now that both Labour and LibDems are immediately into leadership elections.
Raab has survived but with a massive cut in his majority.
I'm going to stop this running commentary but continue listening. What strikes me apart from the Labour disaster is the fact that in Scotland the SNP have almost cleared the board. This makes pressure for independence the big story. The same looks to be true for Northern Ireland, the unionists have taken a hammering, Nigel Dodds has lost his seat and for the first time it looks like a nationalist majority if and when they have a working parliament again. Combine that with the effects that can be expected from Tory management of Brexit and again, a change in the status of N Ireland looks more likely.
As for Brexit, nothing has changed, Johnson's triumph makes no no difference to the minefield we are walking into. I still believe that failed trade negotiations are on the cards and if the Tories stick to no extension, No Deal is on the cards. I leave you to work out what that can mean.
I was wrong to support Corbyn and what looked like a democratic election process, it was ruined by internal division and dithering, in short Corbyn failed miserably to control his party. Time for a purge?

[Stanley]

Had to come back, Dennis Skinner has lost Bolsover to the Tories. He's ill and 85 year old so he won't be father of the House.

[Stanley]

I've just seen that Moonface has won with an increased majority. Deep, deep joy......

[Sue]

No change much in Rochdale except the numbers, I think Tony Lloyds lost votes went to the Brexit party. I have very mixed feelings today but in my book an expected result. Rochdale voted alarmingly high for Brexit, with a huge dissatisfaction with Jeremy Corbyn, but the hard core central Rochdalian will never vote Tory. The outlying commuter belt are different. .

[plaques]

Time for a change of allegiance, well done Boris, Lets get Brexit Done. No more austerity, now to be called rationalisation. Lets get rid of these so called cultural mill stones. Libraries, sport centres. theatre venues, community centres, nothing more than breading grounds for descent and disruption. Send all these foreigners and their dependents back home and make them pay £10 grand per year (non-refundable) per individual visa. Stop this pampering of pensioners, fuel allowance (climate change) and a massive increase in pension of 25p per week at 80 is just encouraging them to live longer. We should be thinking about reducing pensions at 80 by 20% per year, after all they've had a good wack at the pension pot.
The NHS could be saved by removing all tobacco and sugar restrictions but make people with health problems which are smoking related or overweight pay a premium towards their care.
I will think of some more fantastic programmes for my next post.

For Tripps, Scrambled Roniy .

[Tizer]

I was wrong to support Corbyn and what looked like a democratic election process, it was ruined by internal division and dithering, in short Corbyn failed miserably to control his party. Time for a purge?

I'm sorry for you but I'm glad you've seen the light. I've been warning about him and his gang for ages. Unfortunately people who lock themselves to political parties also lock themselves into an echo chamber, they see and hear the cheering but get insufficient feedback from those on the outside. Yes, time for a purge. Corbyn and his `Four Ms' have got to go. I blame these people for the fact that Boris has won this general election. The Tories had done so much damage to this country in recent years and then plunged us into Brexit chaos that Labour should have been able to easily sweep a victory. But instead Corbyn et al have divided the Party. Blair set it in the right direction in 1997, making it a Labour Party for the 21st Century and appealing to a far wider section of the electorate. I could have voted for that type of party. Instead, Corbyn and his chums have now frightened off many voters with promises of changes too extreme for the modern UK public. We now need a much better Opposition Party. Will it be a reformed Labour or a new party altogether?

This morning I opened our advent calendar for Friday the 13th and it showed...a blue star! I should have opened it a day early and I could have predicted the outcome of the election!

And when I looked at the BBC weather map this morning this is what it showed (honestly, I'm not joking.)...

[Big Kev]

20191213_101216.jpg

[Tripps]

Well done for that Big Kev. Nobody died - we'll all get over it.

The 7 stages of grief

Shock and denial. This is a state of disbelief and numbed feelings.
Pain and guilt. ...
Anger and bargaining. ...
Depression. ...
The upward turn. ...
Reconstruction and working through. ...
Acceptance and hope.