UK General Election 2024

[GusB]

Thus far I've only received Tory propaganda through my door; I pity the poor postie who has to lug that rubbish around all day.

 

[WesternLancer]

I along with my wife get several different leaflets/ letters a week. Just today, I had to throw away 4 leaflets/ letter campaigning, even though our box clearly says no junk mail....

Just a waste of paper and money! And I've just posted my ballot, after looking at information online about the candidates, so even more pointless sending me information over the next few weeks.

Sounds like you are in a marginal seat!

Your leaflets may have been delivered by Royal Mail under the system that obliges them to deliver one item from each candidate if the candidate provides the material - this applies in certain elections esp General Elections. Royal Mail would not be allowed to not deliver it just because you have a 'no junk mail' type sticker on your letter box. It's also possible that a party is paying more for other letters to be delivered, again I assume Royal Mail can't just not deliver stuff someone has paid them to deliver - assuming the letter box is not sealed up etc.

If you don't want more from party volunteers delivering put a note up saying you have already voted by post. That might work - they don't want to waste their leaflets either really.

Mind you I've knocked on doors to speak to voters who then say things like 'we never hear from you' - at which point I do politely point out the 'no junk mail / no leaflets' notice on their door...

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

So they're going a step further than Labour with the nationalisation of rolling stock and ticketing.

There are no "UK owned" rolling stock suppliers.
There are some UK component suppliers.
Bi-mode diesel power packs come from MTU in Germany who are Rolls Royce-owned, making a mockery of the "buy British" slogan.

 

[Gloster]

According to a friend, only yesterday the Conservatives put out a message on Twitter (or possibly one of the other thingies) saying something like ‘you can bet on Labour to cost you more’; it has been pulled. I really do wonder if they are trying to lose: even rank incompetence and bad luck have their limits.

 

[HSTEd]

There are no "UK owned" rolling stock suppliers.
There are some UK component suppliers.
Bi-mode diesel power packs come from MTU in Germany who are Rolls Royce-owned, making a mockery of the "buy British" slogan.

I'm fairly certain they mean the ROSCO, not manufacturers.

 

[JamesT]

There are no "UK owned" rolling stock suppliers.
There are some UK component suppliers.
Bi-mode diesel power packs come from MTU in Germany who are Rolls Royce-owned, making a mockery of the "buy British" slogan.

By nationalisation of rolling stock, I would assume that means the ownership of the trains in use. So the function currently provided by the ROSCOs would end.

 

[brad465]

This betting scandal is getting worse, data has now been released showing a huge spike in activity ahead of the election being called:

Unusual burst of bets preceded Rishi Sunak’s election announcement

Betting market data analysed by FT shows surge in gambling on July election before prime minister called snap poll

on.ft.com

An unusual burst of bets on a July poll preceded Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s announcement of the UK general election, according to an analysis of public market data by the Financial Times.


(Graph displaying betting volume on Betfair Exchange in 2024 so far, which includes a record spike over £5000 worth on the 21st May 2024, more than 5x any other day.)

 

[DarloRich]

The SDP's manifesto features quite a few transport policies

The SDP are not the same party of old - would the "gang of 4" have done a pact with Farage and Reform?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 20 Jun 2024 ==

This betting scandal is getting worse, data has now been released showing a huge spike in activity ahead of the election being called:

And just today the Tories issued them pulled this social media post. Oops.

 

[jon0844]

A Sunday Times columnist last weekend was speculating on the fleet of expensive 4X4s with tinted windows that whisk Farage around and all the goons associated with that trade, but I suspect a company is providing all that free of charge. I do hope Reform remember to account for it when the time comes!

Well, he has said he never uses trains as they're not safe (sadly he wasn't asked to elaborate on how he came to that conclusion).

 

[LowLevel]

Well, he has said he never uses trains as they're not safe (sadly he wasn't asked to elaborate on how he came to that conclusion).

I am far from a fan of Nigel but to be fair he said he doesn't use trains as it's not safe for him which is different to the train itself not being safe. I sort of get his point given his propensity for unwanted baths in soft drinks

 

[ainsworth74]

I am far from a fan of Nigel but to be fair he said he doesn't use trains as it's not safe for him which is different to the train itself not being safe. I sort of get his point given his propensity for unwanted baths in soft drinks

Which quite disappoints me really. One things I like about our politicians and political culture is that is safe for them to use public transport either with no specific protection at all or only limited light touch protection.

 

[Energy]

I am far from a fan of Nigel but to be fair he said he doesn't use trains as it's not safe for him which is different to the train itself not being safe. I sort of get his point given his propensity for unwanted baths in soft drinks

Yet Sunak uses the train to get to his constituency....

 

[JamesT]

Yet Sunak uses the train to get to his constituency....

I’d expect Sunak to have some armed policemen around him, being prime minister.

 

[Busaholic]

Well, he has said he never uses trains as they're not safe (sadly he wasn't asked to elaborate on how he came to that conclusion).

Between Charing Cross and Grove Park on a train you don't hear English spoken, according to an infamous Farage quote from his UKIP days. I suspect not being able to smoke, and there being no First Class either, is more the reason.

 

[YorkRailFan]

What, only just had your first leaflet?

I along with my wife get several different leaflets/ letters a week. Just today, I had to throw away 4 leaflets/ letter campaigning, even though our box clearly says no junk mail....

Just a waste of paper and money! And I've just posted my ballot, after looking at information online about the candidates, so even more pointless sending me information over the next few weeks.

Yes, although there is a "No cold callers, advertisement or religious groups" on my letter box which was installed before I moved it. The Reform leaflet came through the Postie.

 

[brad465]

Between Charing Cross and Grove Park on a train you don't hear English spoken, according to an infamous Farage quote from his UKIP days. I suspect not being able to smoke, and there being no First Class either, is more the reason.

Not to mention there is an unwritten rule that nobody talks to anyone on London public transport, especially the Underground.

 

[nw1]

Finally got a Tory leaflet today from the incumbent, seeking re-election. Little trumpeting of Sunak and his wonderful policies though: mostly how the candidate has been a good MP for the local area with quotes of support from local business people (and to be fair this probably is the case - there are certainly worse Tories).

The back cover is the usual Sunak blurb of "only the Tories can run the country properly" but it is restricted to the back and you could miss it.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 20 Jun 2024 ==

The SDP are not the same party of old - would the "gang of 4" have done a pact with Farage and Reform?

Indeed. Even though they appear dissimilar, SDP 2.0, Galloway and Farage have quite a bit in common with the first two having formed pacts with the latter at various times.

 

[gswindale]

I did have a knock at the door from the Conservative campaign team the other day.

Was asked if I'd be voting for our existing MP and when I responded no, the response was along the lines of
"We all know we won't win, but James Sutherland has been a good MP for the area, so please vote for him based on what he's achieved rather than what you thinkof Rishi".

 

[eldomtom2]

Well this is where we disagree.

Although there is still a lot of pent up demand in the system due to the decades of major undersupply, demand for housing still remains largely finite.
House prices would have to fall an awful long way to cause major increases in second-home ownership (Excluding rentals)

Even if all that is manufactured is top end housing, that will still draw people out of older housing and allow the price falls to percolate through the entire housing ladder.
Overcrowding is forcing a lot of suboptimal choices at all levels of home ownership, not just at the very bottom.


The laws of supply and demand still apply, which is how we ended up in this mess in the first place.

The problem is that you’re relying on developers building enough housing to significantly reduce prices and thus their profits, which seems unlikely.

 

[jon0844]

Grant Shapps has opted to play down being a Tory now and is simply trying to get votes on what he's done for the community. He's published photos of things since the start of 2024 (because we had local council elections, so he was supporting councillors) and now collated them into a collage style album, including photos of things done years ago - and sometimes things he only turned up for the photo op, having not had any significant influence over (knowing detail of the specific projects). Yes, he has helped on some big issues and can't be faulted for that but most of that was before he became transport secretary and his other roles where he virtually disappeared - but he clearly is only in it for himself now. He obviously knows he has an uphill struggle, even with some affluent areas within the Borough.

He's also mentioned the issue of a 'super majority' which they're trying to make a thing - and a thing people need to be scared of.

 

[Class 317]

I did have a knock at the door from the Conservative campaign team the other day.

Was asked if I'd be voting for our existing MP and when I responded no, the response was along the lines of
"We all know we won't win, but James Sutherland has been a good MP for the area, so please vote for him based on what he's achieved rather than what you thinkof Rishi".

I wasn't so sure they will lose in Bracknell and thought it would be tight but may not swing.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Chris Skidmore, until recently Tory MP for Kingswood, Tory ex-minister and one of the co-authors of Britannia Unchained, has declared in an article in the Guardian that he is voting Labour because of Tory backtracking on Net Zero.

Sunak’s decision instead to side with climate deniers and to deliberately politicise the energy transition is perhaps the greatest tragedy of his premiership. It has cost us not just environmentally but also economically. It is a decision that will also cost votes, including those in my own constituency. For the first time, I cannot vote for a party that has boasted of new oil and gas licences in its manifesto or that now argues that net zero is a burden and not a benefit

 

[Blindtraveler]

I should imagine they'll gain a similar number of votes from people like me who completely agree with the prime minister's comments and status on this issue. Or rather in my own opinion and this is not up for debate as it will derail the thread. It's a non-issue that we shouldn't even be wasting fresh air on. But the point I'm making here and this is the only point that should be discussed on this topic is that there will be plenty more who think like I do that this is not worth talking about and therefore will gain votes as a result

 

[davews]

BBC of course pushing the Skidmore defection for all it is worth. Good riddance my view. Sadly Labour's plans for climate are totally unrealistic especially the Great British Energy stuff.
The election betting thing rumbles on, I wonder if this nothing more than another media sleaze story to deflect the conservative vote. Sunak says 'they should be given the full force of the law' where he should surely be thrusting this message at the illegal Just Stop Oil brigade but of course he won't.

 

[Blindtraveler]

Putting my own climate views aside here for a minute, I laughed and laughed at the Great British energy stuff as it's got just so many holes in it and even if they managed to achieve it I should imagine it would be nothing more than yet. Another government quango taking up office space and wasting money

 

[WesternLancer]

I should imagine they'll gain a similar number of votes from people like me who completely agree with the prime minister's comments and status on this issue. Or rather in my own opinion and this is not up for debate as it will derail the thread. It's a non-issue that we shouldn't even be wasting fresh air on. But the point I'm making here and this is the only point that should be discussed on this topic is that there will be plenty more who think like I do that this is not worth talking about and therefore will gain votes as a result

Can you say on what issue? I’m not sure from your post what you are referring to given the thread ranges over a few issues of course.

 

[nw1]

BBC of course pushing the Skidmore defection for all it is worth.

Well it is news. A recent senior Tory MP and minister voting Labour, that is quite a big deal.

Far bigger a deal than the other piece of so-called "news", which is ahead of the Skidmore story on the BBC. Starmer thinks that Corbyn would have been a better PM than Johnson. Yes, and the Pope thinks that Catholicism is the best form of Christianity. Stop the press.


== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 21 Jun 2024 ==

The election betting thing rumbles on, I wonder if this nothing more than another media sleaze story to deflect the conservative vote. Sunak says 'they should be given the full force of the law' where he should surely be thrusting this message at the illegal Just Stop Oil brigade but of course he won't.

So Sunak should just ignore it? Aside from the issue itself being serious, wouldn't that make him look worse in the eyes of voters?

I do agree that spraying Stonehenge was a moronic act, by the way, and had no sensible rationale that I can think of at all. It certainly does nothing for the environmentalist cause, for one thing. But it doesn't mean the gambling thing should just be ignored.

 

[jfollows]

Plenty of people, myself included, thought Corbyn would have been a better PM than Johnson. He would have been dreadful, no doubt, but not as bad as what we got.

 

[nw1]

Plenty of people, myself included, thought Corbyn would have been a better PM than Johnson. He would have been dreadful, no doubt, but not as bad as what we got.

Indeed, which is why I don't understand why the BBC are even mentioning it. Starmer campaigned for a Labour victory in 2019, for heaven's sake. It was second story on the Radio 2 10am news, while the much more significant Skidmore story was not mentioned at all.

(I do disagree that he would have been dreadful, though. While I do lean leftwards on most issues, I suspect that the Lib Dem coalition he would likely have been involved with would have moderated any more far-out policies).

 

[WesternLancer]

Sunak says 'they should be given the full force of the law' where he should surely be thrusting this message at the illegal Just Stop Oil brigade but of course he won't.

In fairness to Rishi S (whose party I've never voted for I might add), Sunak DID condemn the just stop oil attack at Stonehenge within a short time of the incident - as did Starmer - not only that IIRC Sunak as PM has actually changed the law to make the penalties for Just stop Oil / XR type protests much harsher. So in the past he's not only 'called for it' he's actually done something about it...

I don't understand why you would think he would not be giving such a message about Just Stop Oil - he would know his core vote would be very anti such protestors so even on a dog whistle level he'd be calling for the full force of the law to be used against them