General Election 2017: The Results and Aftermath

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Going back over the last 20 years, noting the required figure of 326 seats to have an overall majority, the Labour Party's record of seats won in General Elections have been...

1997...418 seats...A Blair win for Labour
2001...412 seats...A Blair win for Labour
2006...355 seats...A Blair win for Labour
2010...258 seats...Labour loss
2015...232 seats...Labour loss
2017...262 seats...Labour loss

The figure of 262 seats for Labour in this 2017 election, just four more than in the 2010 General Election, shows that they will still be 64 seats short of the 326 required mark.

Despite all the Socialist hate for Tony Blair and New Labour amongst many strident Socialist voices, the figures above tell no lies about those aspirations.

 

[Groningen]

Pro brexit: Old people Anti brexit: Young people
Conservative: Old people Labour: Young people

So in 4 or 8 years Labour will will the elections.

 

[LiftFan]

I'm dreading the thought of what the DUP will do to this country... Remove gay rights? Remove the women's choice for abortion? Make this country believe what they tell us in religion? I also hope the NHS doesn't get privatised - if it does, prepare to become like America and make a decision on eating tonight or going hungry again to save up for a dying relative's life to be saved...

 

[najaB]

I'm dreading the thought of what the DUP will do to this country...

Very little. While they may play the role of kingmaker, it only takes a few Tory abstentions for any Government motions to be defeated.

 

[me123]

Pro brexit: Old people Anti brexit: Young people
Conservative: Old people Labour: Young people

So in 4 or 8 years Labour will will the elections.

Undoubtedly. I know of very few young people who will vote Conservatives, and after the last month's performance I can't see that changing. Their policies specifically harm young people, so they're unlikely to gather many new voters. The Tory voters are largely going to start dying off, to be replaced by young predominantly Labour voters.

Labour is going to rise again, and it's going to be a long slog for the Conservatives to get back into power when that happens.

In the meantime, we have a PM who is clearly unhappy with the electorate. Expect her to push through some rather unpopular ideas in the upcoming Queen's Speech.

 

[Groningen]

Still with the DUP involved; the majority will be small. Looking forward what post they get in the government. Give them the post of Boris Johnson!

 

[Dave1987]

Despite your accurate (to a degree) observations and however unpalatable it is for you to digest she still emerged as leader of the largest Party in terms of seats and votes

If Labour was trying to cobble together a Coalition would you be equally critical ?

Yes she is still the leader of the largest party but it isn't as big as it was! It was pure opportunism on her part. The absolute key here is she did not have to call this election. She already had a working majority. I was very critical of Labour before this. But I have been very impressed with Corbyn during the campaign. May avoided any kind of scrutiny as much as she could. She was incredibly complacent. A hung parliament is perfect. Stops the extremist policies getting through. If Labour would have tried to cobble some kind of coalition together I don't believe it would have lasted as Labour have gone far to far to the left. That doesn't stop me warming to Corbyn because of the way he conducted his campaign. But as far as I'm concerned May deserves all the criticism she gets and more. She did not need to call election, pure opportunism, she didn't want to be scrutinised and surrounded herself with the Tory faithful, and she was extremely complacent with regards to the early polling so thought she could get away with controversial policies. She brought all of this on herself. You won't find me voting Labour until they come back towards the centre ground but currently I utterly hate the Tories under May, something I never thought I would feel a few years ago.

 

[adrock1976]

Regarding the DUP, let's be clear Arlene Foster is a crook, a corrupt politician who helped her wealthy friends to make £490 million out of the taxpayer. She was directly responsible for the Renewable Heat Incentive scandal or Cash for Ash as the hacks dubbed it.
As revelation after revelation came to light her continued arrogance in refusing to stand down and allow an independent inquiry to take place caused the Northern Ireland Executive to collapse and the Northern Ireland Assembly to be dissolved.
She is the leader of the DUP and Theresa May now calls her a friend in a desperate bid to prop up her own failing administration.


She personally opposed the Good Friday Agreement and was a member of an extreme right wing group called the baby barristers who campaigned against David Trimble and his attempts to bring peace to Northern Ireland.


She is also probably the greatest threat to the Northern Ireland peace process since Ian Paisley, the previous leader of her party who opposed both the Anglo Irish Agreement and the Good Friday Agreement and also established the loyalist paramilitary group Ulster Resistance as a direct response to the Anglo Irish Agreement.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Pro brexit: Old people Anti brexit: Young people
Conservative: Old people Labour: Young people

So in 4 or 8 years Labour will will the elections.

Both my wife and I are in our 70s, so are most concerned that you feel that we will be both dead in 4 to 8 years... Is this something that seems to occur in your country?

Incidentally, both of us were staunch "Remain" voters at the referendum, despite what you say above. so you are wrong to tar us with the "Leave" campaigners.

 

[me123]

Both my wife and I are in our 70s, so are most concerned that you feel that we will be both dead in 4 to 8 years... Is this something that seems to occur in your country?

I don't think he said that you and your wife would be dead (to pick two specific septuagenarians would be very odd), rather he points out the simple fact that the older electorate as a whole are naturally more prone to dying than the younger ones. And that's a looming problem for the Tories - their electorate is naturally going to diminish, and in their place comes a number of disillusioned young voters who will not support the party. They have done precious little to endear themselves to those under the age of 25.

 

[AlterEgo]

Still with the DUP involved; the majority will be small. Looking forward what post they get in the government. Give them the post of Boris Johnson!

They're not going to get any Cabinet posts. There's no formal coalition.

The DUP will be content to wallow in their own unexpected and fleeting relevance and push through some local issues.

 

[me123]

Just watched an interview with TM. Link to video (Guardian website).

She is clearly angry. Not so much sad or remorseful, she is angry. She hints at being angered by the electorate, which won't exactly endear her to voters. A quick look at some right wing sources suggest that she is not popular, so could well lose a further election. Her days must be numbered.

 

[507021]

Just watched an interview with TM. Link to video (Guardian website).

She is clearly angry. Not so much sad or remorseful, she is angry. She hints at being angered by the electorate, which won't exactly endear her to voters. A quick look at some right wing sources suggest that she is not popular, so could well lose a further election. Her days must be numbered.

She has nothing or nobody to blame but herself. It was her call, nobody else's.

I predict another election well before 2022, maybe as early as next year.

 

[AM9]

... In the meantime, we have a PM who is clearly unhappy with the electorate. Expect her to push through some rather unpopular ideas in the upcoming Queen's Speech.

Trying to punish an electorate who has just rejected a government's performance by cutting their majority back to a hung parliament is a novel - (if politically suicidal), strategy for future success. That would make me wonder if she is headstrong and mentally unstable!

 

[AM9]

She has nothing or nobody to blame but herself. It was her call, nobody else's.

I predict another election well before 2022, maybe as early as next year.

I can hear Brenda from Bristol's voice already.

 

[Tim R-T-C]

As revelation after revelation came to light her continued arrogance in refusing to stand down and allow an independent inquiry to take place caused the Northern Ireland Executive to collapse and the Northern Ireland Assembly to be dissolved.

She is the leader of the DUP and Theresa May now calls her a friend in a desperate bid to prop up her own failing administration.

Well they clearly have similar frames of mind about staying in posts beyond their welcome...

 

[Darandio]

She has nothing or nobody to blame but herself. It was her call, nobody else's.

No, not at all. Crispin Blunt said 'The Electorate Plainly Got It Wrong'. Therefore, it's all our fault.

It is linked somewhere on this live page.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/election-2017-40171454

 

[507021]

No, not at all. Crispin Blunt said 'The Electorate Plainly Got It Wrong'. Therefore, it's all our fault.

It is linked somewhere on this live page.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/election-2017-40171454

You couldn't make it up.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

At least the next year of time in Parliament is going to be dominated by stuff to do with Brexit, so anything else will likely go on the back-burner

 

[D365]

At least the next year of time in Parliament is going to be dominated by stuff to do with Brexit, so anything else will likely go on the back-burner

That's really not a good thing.

 

[thejuggler]

Just watched an interview with TM. Link to video (Guardian website).

She is clearly angry. Not so much sad or remorseful, she is angry. She hints at being angered by the electorate, which won't exactly endear her to voters. A quick look at some right wing sources suggest that she is not popular, so could well lose a further election. Her days must be numbered.

Only heard that in the car, I could only watch 30 seconds of it. However if you manage to get through it note her answers.

Her approach to any interview is to have three points and use these whatever the question is. Most politicans do it to an extent, but she really is an automaton and seems to have no ability to at least widen an answer to include something, anything, of relevance to what is being asked.

If you get the full video on BBC and skip through to her speaking you will quickly realise its like a loop tape!!

 

[507021]

At least the next year of time in Parliament is going to be dominated by stuff to do with Brexit, so anything else will likely go on the back-burner

The interesting thing will be if this minority government and or May last long enough to conclude the Brexit talks. I think we're talking months, rather than years, that May has left as Prime Minister. She hasn't endeared herself to her colleagues and I think she's potentially angered even more voters by turning to the DUP for support.

 

[Mordac]

I'm dreading the thought of what the DUP will do to this country... Remove gay rights? Remove the women's choice for abortion? Make this country believe what they tell us in religion? I also hope the NHS doesn't get privatised - if it does, prepare to become like America and make a decision on eating tonight or going hungry again to save up for a dying relative's life to be saved...

Mate, the DUP will ask for some extra ££££ for Northern Ireland and that's it. I don't know where this idea that they would be asking for changes in GB only policies came from. Their manifesto certainly doesn't mention it. I suggest you read that rather than believing the nonsense that's being posted on social networks.

EDIT: Someone dug up what the DUP were asking for in 2010 and 15 in case of a hung parliament: https://twitter.com/SJAMcBride/status/873204318542995456 I suggest anyone panicking to read it before hyperventilating.

I for once welcome this proposal: "Northern Irish Tayto to be made official Tayto and Republic Tayto to be banned"

 

[Busaholic]

I don't get how people think Corbyn can go on. He will be 78 at the end of the next parliament if they both last 5 years as they should and very few people would feel comfortable having a prime minister of that age. Additionally by resigning now he would have the chance to ensure a younger person from his side of the party took over rather than a Blarite as would probably be the case if the leadership election was in 4 years time.

He's younger than me, and I'll be (just) 74 if this parliament lasts five years (which it won't - probably less than five months, in fact). How old was Churchill when he ceased to be P.M.?

 

[Darandio]

He's younger than me, and I'll be (just) 74 if this parliament lasts five years (which it won't - probably less than five months, in fact). How old was Churchill when he ceased to be P.M.?

80 or 81 i think?

 

[najaB]

How old was Churchill when he ceased to be P.M.?

He was in his 81st year.

 

[Busaholic]

Very little. While they may play the role of kingmaker, it only takes a few Tory abstentions for any Government motions to be defeated.

Death and/or serious illness, though not restricted to one side of the House, will be enough to scupper the Tories.

 

[Busaholic]

Just watched an interview with TM. Link to video (Guardian website).

She is clearly angry. Not so much sad or remorseful, she is angry. She hints at being angered by the electorate, which won't exactly endear her to voters. A quick look at some right wing sources suggest that she is not popular, so could well lose a further election. Her days must be numbered.

The pivotal moment for me came when May 'explained' why she wouldn't take part in the TV debate. She revealed she thought debate was 'a waste of time'. What a democrat!

 

[EM2]

Death and/or serious illness, though not restricted to one side of the House, will be enough to scupper the Tories.

They've already got Craig MacKinlay to worry about.

 

[Busaholic]

No, not at all. Crispin Blunt said 'The Electorate Plainly Got It Wrong'. Therefore, it's all our fault.

It is linked somewhere on this live page.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/election-2017-40171454

He's come out of the woodwork, has he?! The last time I saw him was on 'Newsnight' when Boris Johnson was running for Tory leader and he was absolutely skewered by Evan Davis, whom I have never seen more angered by his (non) responses. A ridiculous man!