POLITICS CORNER

[Stanley]

THIS residual matter from Brexit hasn't gone away....
The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader has brought the Irish Sea border into the centre of Northern Ireland’s election campaign. That internal trade border exists as a result of the UK’s 2019 Brexit deal with the EU. It has been modified, simplified and repackaged in subsequent deals but is still there. As he was confirmed as leader this week Gavin Robinson told his party: "We will continue to fight to fully restore Northern Ireland’s place within the United Kingdom, including removing the application of EU law in our country and the internal Irish Sea Border it creates."
Was there ever such a catastrophic policy as Brexit?

[Tripps]

The Libdems are formidable election campaigners. I got yet another in a long sequence of leaflets last night from them . Double sided A4 with just one topic the NHS. Must be important - they gave me two copies.

I'm hoping for a personal door knock - since their leader one Ed Davey, said yesterday that their policy would be for Premier League football matches to be made 'free to air', and I'd like a bit more detail from someone. Did he perhaps knock his head when he fell (five times) from his paddle board, or when he scooted down the kids water slide in a rubber ring in a most indignified manner ? Has he got the prior agreement of the FA and Sky, and all those who are paying already for the service? I doubt it.

The last (and only candidate ever) to ring my bell (literally as well as metaphorically) was Heidi Allen - on a hot Saturday afternoon, unaccompanied by minders, armed only with her personality. It all ended in failure and chaos unfortunately. I thought she lost the plot when she wanted to be Mayor of Cambridge as well. I have a fond memory of the conversation though. I had done my research, and was able to talk of her family business making spray paint canisters, her degree in astrophysics, and her time working for the Post Office which she swore was enjoyable.

Her picture still is on display in my kitchen.

HeidiAllen.JPG

[Stanley]

I think your loyalty to the lady is touching and I'm sure she would be pleased if she knew.....

I saw THIS and had to read the article to make sure that this time we have a clear story. It looks as though it might be true.
Diane Abbott has said she intends to stand for Labour at the general election, after a row over whether the party would pick her as a candidate. After days of speculation, the veteran left-winger said she was the "adopted Labour candidate" in Hackney North and Stoke Newington. A bitter row over whether the party would select her as its candidate in the seat has dominated the first week of campaigning. Ms Abbott also denied reports she was among a number of Labour MPs who had been offered peerages in return for standing aside. Writing on X, she said: "I have never been offered a seat in the Lords, and would not accept one if offered". "I intend to run and to win as Labour's candidate," she added. The party is yet to comment.
I saw this a bit further into the text;- Baroness Chakrabarti, a close ally, urged her to "take some time" to consider whether she wants to stand for Labour at the general election. The Labour peer said the party's treatment of her "dear friend" had been "appalling," and she hit out at briefings she would be barred from running.
I agree with the Noble Lady. God knows what was happening in Starmer's head, does he have no perception at all of what his actions have signalled to Left Wing black voters?

[Whyperion]

Did Sunak, etc, have a plan, a bit like "doing all we can" seems to be sit on hands and hope something gets better all by itself.

Nigel Farage - If he is not going to stand for election can we ignore him. "Put Up Or Shut Up" as I understand Yorkshire Folk say.

Update, Farage is now standing in the GE as candidate for Clacton-On-Sea, Essex, has taken on role as Leader of Reform Party ( note the reform sought appears not to be related to the three reform acts of the 1800s as to rights to vote ), with Tice going to Chairman of Said Party.

Can Farage win a parliamentary seat ? Its not impossible, he did get nearly a third of vote in Thanet in 2015. With Labour high in general polls can they actually get 35percent or more in Clacton, assuming tory vote collapses for the area its not mathmatically impossible.
What is worrying in Clacton is the BBC soundbite/web report of at least one person not going to vote as they belive it does not make any difference (while the rotating red/blue centre party seems to be the main part of british politics for 60years and indeed circumstances on a bigger world economic scene appear to be the greater dictator to impact in the UK I do feel that sending a message is part of being a participant in the voting process (back to those victorian reform bills again)

Dianne Abbott might be the only left wing labour candidate standing in the General Election, which may be interesting

[Stanley]

I was wondering how Farage could get his headlines when I saw THIS. He has changed his mind. Knowing him, this was always the plan I think....
Nigel Farage has announced he will run as Reform UK's candidate in Clacton, after previously saying he would not stand in July’s general election. The former UKIP and Brexit Party leader said he had changed his mind after spending time on the campaign trail, adding he did not want to let his supporters down. The Essex seat, which was the first to elect a UKIP MP in 2014, has a Conservative majority of 24,702. Mr Farage also revealed he was taking over from Richard Tice as Reform's leader for the next five years.
We wait now to see what Fedora Man will do with the Worker's Party.

[Stanley]

THIS seems to be all the politics there is this morning.
The TV debate last night between Starmer and Sunak seems to have been bad tempered. That's it!
It would appear that I missed nothing of consequence.

[Stanley]

The spat over tax levels between Sunak and Starmer still heads the political news but THIS is what grabbed me.
The former Labour candidate for Chingford and Woodford Green has announced she is now standing as an independent candidate. Faiza Shaheen quit the Labour Party on Tuesday following her deselection as its candidate for the east London constituency. Ms Shaheen announced her new campaign on X, formerly Twitter on Wednesday afternoon. The academic was deselected by Labour after liking a series of posts on X that allegedly downplayed antisemitism allegations.
This signals to me that the Starmer clique still has a bias against coloured left wing women despite Dianne Abbott being waved through after Angela Rayner voiced her opposition.
Leaving aside the disputes over tax, I am having difficulty finding any major difference between Labour and the Tories. Why isn't Labour talking about the effects of Austerity and the need for food banks. Instead they are both concentrating on tax. You only pay that if you have a wage. Possibly 50% of the population is being ignored!

[Tripps]

I'm hoping for a personal door knock -

Well my wish was granted last evening. I made a hash of it though. I was nodding off when the bell rang and wasn't my usual razor sharp self. A pleasant young man with perhaps a trace of an Eastern European accent enquired if I had received their leaflets, and how I felt about it all. I said "as yet undecided, but defintely not Liberal Democrat". OK thank you, he said very politely, and left.

I was tempted to call "wimp" after him, but resisted the urge. In the old days - Miss Hunter would never have let me get away with that. I miss her.

[Stanley]

Nobody ever knocks on my door David. Even the Jehovah's Witnesses have given up on me!
Nothing on BBC politics but I found THIS on the Guardian site.
Rishi Sunak has been criticised for leaving the D-day commemorations in Normandy early on Thursday, with reports that he returned to the UK to do a prerecorded TV interview. The prime minister attended an event at Ver-sur-Mer in northern France, which was also attended by King Charles and Queen Camilla, and the French president, Emmanuel Macron. But he did not attend the late afternoon ceremony at Omaha beach, in Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer, and instead returned to the UK. Paul Brand, ITV’s UK editor, said the prime minister returned from Normandy to do an interview.
As I understand it the timing was set by Downing Street and if so this is indeed extraordinary behaviour, not only on the part of the PM who was representing the country but on anyone who could see the interview as more important than the commemoration.
This confirms me in my opinion that the man is a spiv and cares only for himself.
So I agree with you David, surely this must be seized upon by his opponents.....

I also saw THIS......
The Labour Party has abandoned longstanding legal action against five former members of staff who have been accused of "conspiring" against Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership. The action is estimated to have cost the party millions of pounds, which critics said could otherwise have been spent on the general election campaign. The five included two key figures from the Jeremy Corbyn era – ex- director of communications Seumas Milne and Mr Corbyn’s former chief of staff Karie Murphy. They were accused of leaking a controversial report soon after Sir Keir became the Labour leader in 2020.
I see this as part of Starmer's campaign to move Labour to the right in an attempt to capture centre ground voters . Spending members subscriptions on tearing the Party apart is not my idea of good management.

[Stanley]

You were right David, It triggered that rarest of reactions from a politician, especially a PM.... a full confession and apology by tweet at 08:00 this morning.
I understand there's a full debate on TV tonight, watch out for sparks as his opponents pile in. Particularly Nigel Farage......

[Stanley]

As we all forecast yesterday, Sunak's D-Day gaff dominates the headlines followed closely by bad tempered exchanges over tax and defence. The whole larded by the inevitable promises of jam tomorrow that will never happen. Two things grabbed me, first the wheeling out of the Golden Oldie about tax benefits being paid for by addressing tax dodgers and non-doms, this used by both Labour and the Tories and second THIS report about Cameron being hoaxed.
UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron has fallen victim to a hoax call with someone pretending to be former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, the Foreign Office (FCDO) said. A number of text messages were also exchanged between the impersonator and Lord Cameron, who regretted his mistake, according to an FCDO spokesperson. "Whilst the video call clearly appeared to be with Mr Poroshenko, following the conversation the foreign secretary became suspicious," the spokesperson added. The caller also requested contact details, after which Lord Cameron stopped responding.
This doesn't surprise me because I never saw Cameron as being the sharpest knife in the box.
Just another episode in the current story about political folk. None of which will make a jot of difference to our future.

[Stanley]

THIS in-depth assessment by Laura Kuenssberg is somewhere near the truth I think. Sunak is demonstrating his incompetence as a politician never mind as Prime Minister. It conforms what I have said about him all along, he's a chancer who fell into the job of Leader of the Tories by accident when another failed PM (Johnson) was finally destroyed by the accumulated weight of his lies and mistakes. (I don't count Liz Truss, she was just a complete aberration and was so bad that she only lasted six weeks in the job.)
The sooner we have a vote and confirm what we all suspect the better. After that we enter a very uncertain future and unless there is some sort of Damascene Conversion in the Labour party it will be a centre right government when what we need is a radical social democratic administration prepared to take risks.
I am not optimistic!

[Stanley]

All the parties are making promises, being quizzed about their tax plans and in some cases like Nigel Farage, opening their mouths and speaking without putting their brains in gear. Expect much more of the same!

In another part of the forest, Europe has had a significant night, see THIS BBC report.
France's President Emmanuel Macron has called a bombshell snap parliamentary election after being defeated by the far right in the European elections - in a night of drama that overall saw the centre-right tighten their grip on the EU Parliament. Mr Macron made the announcement after losing to his rivals Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella and their National Rally party. France’s result was one of the big gains that Europe’s far-right parties had expected, and confirmation came with all the exit polls giving National Rally more than 30% of the vote, double that of Mr Macron’s centrist Renaissance party. But beyond France, the broader story of Europe's four-day vote marathon really belonged to the parties of the centre-right. They strengthened their majority in the European Parliament, with victories in Germany, Greece, Poland and Spain, and significant advances in Hungary, against long-dominant Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Here the Tories are promising to recruit Community Police Officers. Strange when they have always averred that more police on the streets will not improve policing.

[Tripps]

Not to mention the Prime Minister of Belgium in tears on the rostrum and resigning shortly after the results were announced. The French seem to be able to get it over with in three weeks - whilst we need six. We need a new system. The first couple of weeks of the 'campaign' has been enough to melt down the Tories. and Sunak has been concealed for now. Will we see him again?

[Stanley]

He surfaced briefly this morning to criticise Farage's comments about him..... But only a faint little voice, no real fire which is what the Tories need.
I see Suella Braverman is advocating Farage as the new Tory Leader. She's a little charmer isn't she.....

[Stanley]

Sunak has surfaced, see THIS report of an interview with Nick Robinson.
The Conservative manifesto will include tax cuts, Rishi Sunak has said. The prime minister told the BBC's Nick Robinson: "We're going to keep cutting people's taxes. You'll see that in our manifesto tomorrow." Challenged over how he would fund his policies, Mr Sunak said they would all be "fully funded and costed". He insisted day-to-day government spending on public services would continue to increase ahead of inflation under a future Tory government. But when pressed over whether certain departments would see cuts, he acknowledged "all governments prioritise within that".
Two things about this, it takes a politician's version of logic to be able to justify a statement like 'We're going to keep cutting people's taxes.' when after almost 15 years of Tory mismanagement of our finances taxation is higher than at almost any time in history. The second thing is that this is yet another bunch of pledges and promises and as David said yesterday, we have had enough. This campaign is too long. We should have had the GE on the same day as the Council Elections, cheaper, much quicker and we could have been into some sort of a recovery phase.

[Stanley]

HERE'S a telling article....
Trust and confidence in the UK’s politics and election system has never been worse, according to analysis by the electoral expert, Sir John Curtice. His report for the National Centre for Social Research finds record numbers of voters saying they “almost never” trust governments to put country before party or politicians to tell the truth when in a tight corner. “The public is as doubtful as it has ever been about the trustworthiness and efficacy of the country’s system of government and the people who comprise it,” Sir John says. The report suggests disillusionment over Brexit among leave voters is one of the main reasons for the collapse in trust. Political scandal and the cost-of-living crisis are also to blame, according to the report. “Those struggling financially are particularly disenchanted with the state of government and politics in Britain,” Sir John explains. The report, entitled ‘Damaged Politics’, finds 45% of voters would “almost never” trust the government to put country before party - the highest proportion ever.
I think this is an accurate report and it demonstrates the sad state of our politics at the moment. It will take a long time for it to heal, if ever.
A very sad state of affairs......

[Tizer]

The report suggests disillusionment over Brexit among leave voters is one of the main reasons for the collapse in trust.

I listened to him saying this and remembered how we predicted it on OG years ago. The Brexit vote showed how gullible people have become. Gullibility and libertarianism are a dangerous mixture.

[Stanley]

Yes Peter. Isn't it funny how a bunch of amateurs like us could see what was going to happen when the expert politicians couldn't (or wouldn't).
I had a weird thought this morning, if a trader sells you goods on a false prospectus there is recourse in law on the grounds that the goods weren't of marketable quality and that's a felony under the law. Why can't the same thing apply to politician's promises. Make manifestos binding and when the pledges weren't kept, apply sanctions on the people who made the promises.
As David would say..... Silly me!

[Stanley]

I've been watching the video of Sunak recounting his deprived childhood when he hadn't access to Sky TV.
Has this bloke any idea of how normal people live? What fascinates me is how badly the Tory campaign for re-election is being managed. Old hands in the Party at Westminster must be appalled.... I get a feeling we are going to hear from them at some point. there are going to be repercussions for this.

[Tripps]

I missed Starmer's effort, but I believe he didn't deny the strong rumour that his father was a tool maker.
I watched most of Sunak's gig - He's not big in Grimsby - I think he may have mentioned that his dad was an NHS doctor, and his mum was a pharmacist. I couldn't get an image of the late Max Wall out of my mind.
Show me as 'bored with the whole business', and there are still three weeks to go. Not sure I can take much more.

[Stanley]

I know the feeling David and I think it is shared by some politicians. Shapps has given up the fight already, he's concentrating on pleading with Tory voters for them to stay loyal and not break away to Reform.
The overwhelming impression we are getting is that there is nothing else matters more than money. Once again, as I complained before in the Brexit debate, nobody is campaigning on principles. They aren't seen as important but we have children going hungry, people who can't get hold of a doctor when they need them an d old and disabled people being neglected.
So you're right, three weeks today and until then we will have to endure the politicians running round like headless chickens saying the same tired things over and over again. Deep Joy!
(I understand the Max Wall reference David. I keep hearing Stanley Unwin in my ear.)

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC report of Jeremy Corbyn's attack on Starmer.
Jeremy Corbyn has accused Sir Keir Starmer of "rewriting history" when the current party leader claimed he had known Labour would lose the 2019 general election. Sir Keir was a leading member of Mr Corbyn's shadow cabinet in 2019, when Labour suffered one of its worst general-election defeats. He has since distanced himself from Mr Corbyn's leadership and many of the policies the former leader put forward at that election. Sir Keir has even accused the Conservatives of building a "Jeremy Corbyn-style manifesto" that will "load everything into the wheelbarrow" without explaining how to pay for it.
I am sad to see this but hardly surprised as Starmer has made it quite obvious that at heart he is way to the right of Corbyn and it's hard to see any difference between his policy aims and those of the Conservatives.
Whatever the outcome of the General Election there is going to be trouble in the Labour Party about this and I fear it may damage any chance there might be of Labour changing this country's politics for the better.

[PanBiker]

There will be no change to the countries politics until we have a fairer voting system. We need to have a proper grown up debate about PR versus First Past the Post and then a referendum as to how we choose our representatives. It should not be solely down to the politicians who will all continue to protect the status quo as long as it keeps them in a job.

Time to demand this and take back our right to real democracy. Folk should be protesting in the streets that we elect Governments often on minority turnouts. It's clearly an outdated method of voting and needs to change. While we are on with that we should also introduce mandatory voting and put an abstain box on the ballot paper.

Big hurdles because the "Palace of Westminster" would also be redundant but could become a revenue earning major tourist attraction in London. It would also release the dozens of Open Reach engineers that more or less have to live in the basement to keep the telephone system going!

Use a brownfield site in the Midlands somewhere around Derby to build a new modern Parliament Building and campus for the MP's. Rental for accommodation deducted from their salary before they get it. Give them office facilities in the flats and Gigabit broadband as part of the deal. Job done. They could use the money they saved from HS2.

It doesn't always have to be in London.

[PanBiker]

Grrr, whoever was marking off the voters on the electoral registers at Linden Road Community Centre at The local elections in May didn't do a proper job!

Convention for marking the registers is as follows. The paper registers that they work from have all the current postal voters indicated with an A and their entry in the register has a single strike through their name and house number.

Electors collecting their ballots and voting at the polling stations in person are indicated with a full strike through of their elector number, name and house number. This makes it easy to see the ones that vote in person as they stand out from the postal / proxy entries.

Whoever was marking the registers for the polling district GF ballot box decided to mark them more or less the same as the postal voters with only a partial strike through of their name and house number.

What does it matter you ask? Well if you purchase the marked up registers, as most of the political parties will do we input the information into our respective electoral systems as it allows you to see all the folk who actually vote as opposed to the majority on the register that don't!

Fortunately all the other 8 registers for our patch were done correctly.

I am coming to the end of my entry of the marked registers for all of the polling district in the Barlick Ward and those in the Earby and Coates Wards. All have to be manually entered as the council does not produce an electronic version of the Polling Station data. Data for Postal and Proxy voters who return their ballots is available as an electronic file which is considerably easier to enter as it just needs knocking into the right format for our system and then uploading.