General Election June 2017

Obviously polls haven't proved in any way reliable in recent times but here you go anyway

http://britainelects.com/polling/polling-averages/

I have to vote. People have died for the right to vote. But, honestly, what do I do?

If there is little to no risk of Labour being ousted, and you can't in good conscience support them, then destroy your ballet.

Ultimately it is your choice. An individual vote is unlikely to ever have an impact so you should do what you feel is right.

Exhibit A - A pro-Brexit traditional Labour voter now intending to vote Conservative

https://twitter.com/sam_lister_/status/859700774661697536

Vote for the candidate and not the leader.

The reality is that the Tories will win. The election than becomes about the size of their majority. A vote for a Labour candiate is a vote against an overwhelming majority.

The 300,000 / 300,000,000 is understandable, forgiveable, and can easily be ignored.

The hole she dug herself, and then the obstinate defensiveness afterwards are the hallmarks of someone out of their depth.

Still, that's never stopped anyone reaching positions of power and authority before.

Such strongth, such stables.

Such strongth, such stables.

Vote "horse"?

It's tricky with Diane Abbott. She is undoubtedly the victim of shocking amounts of racism and misogyny, and there was some of that at play in yesterday's response to her gaffe.

However, given the way in which she is (understandably) protected against that kind of intolerant behaviour, any clear-headed scrutiny of her competence becomes all but impossible. And, basically, she doesn't really seem good enough for a government position. At best, she's the calibre of a local councillor (with no disrespect intended to those in that profession). I would be inclined to rank Jeremy Corbyn similarly.

This thread is full of insight (I think).

twitter.com/hoodedman1187/status­/858422995689275392

It certainly characterises my parents' views (and life).

That was a really interesting read.

The other angle is that it highlights why some people have such a deep and innate loathing for the state and civil service. Those older voters who weren't eligible for a council house, grants, didn't retire <60 on final salary schemes and suffered from the market instabilities read accounts like that with pure venom. Essentially they feel mugged off having paid for it.

Is there any possibility that the media are pro-Brexit because it's been great for their sales? As in, it's the story of the century?

Maybe I'm being a bit tinfoil hat

You think?

"However, an old quote has re-emerged in an Anthony Hilton column for Thursday's Evening Standard, which may give you pause for thought as to how you vote in the EU referendum:

I once asked Rupert Murdoch why he was so opposed to the European Union. 'That’s easy,' he replied. 'When I go into Downing Street they do what I say; when I go to Brussels they take no notice.'"

http://ec.europa.eu/competition/

As well as the influence of the press their oligopoly is potentially vulnerable. In a post Brexit world a fiver says Murdock Jnr* buys out the Barclay bros when they kick it.

*or snr if cryogenics have been perfected.

It's easy to look like a bellend when you're angry, it would be interesting to get his reasoned thoughts behind switching allegiance.

Yeah, kind of my thoughts on it.

My parents bought their own places (and now have kept 2 of them as a pension). They worked to get there though. Our holidays were always at grandparents, as we couldn't afford (looking back on it) to go abroad. Good times, yeah, did we overtly struggle, nope, were we privileged, yes.

But my parents are certainly narked by my Aunt thinking that being given her council house for a pittance, which she then extended, whilst taking several holidays abroad a year, and then sold for a small fortune, and retiring early is her due. They certainly feel mugged off, and blame the Tories (AFAICT) for that.

Right To Buy was IMO one of the very worst decisions the Thatcher government made. And that is saying something.

Mind you that scheme was abused by many on the left:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-25731328

In fairness to Scargill he would have been close to retiring by then, so was just sensibly planning for his future like any responsible adult. He may well have been skeptical of the index-linking of his pension vs the true level of inflation, and thought a stable, illiquid asset would provide a hedge.

Or one of the best, from their point of view.

Get lots of people owning property, and convince them that it is a valuable asset (hide the fact that if the price of property goes up consistently, then the increase in specific value of a property, doesn't go up, as you always need somewhere to live).

Then they will never support Labour because that means higher taxes which means more pain on a mortgage.

This is interesting/fascinating

People should be shown that and made to vote for the colour that most closely represents their occupation.

What tweet was that in?

where did that come from?, it's almost too perfect.

I wonder what the definition of a comany director was. It's easy to be a company director even though all you do is write a few articles each year for a few papers/magazines and a bit of consultancy and turn over £20k (or even dormant).

The other thing to take from that is how labour is now dominated by professional politicians, those who've not seen much of life beyond the political sphere and whether or not this is contributing to the disenfranchisement of the working class with the labour party.

c) needs some explanation.
With the rise of fulltime salaried local Councillors this opened a new route to national politics.
Some of the Red column must be ex-Union officials who have come up through the ranks. (unlike Liz Kendall).

All of it needs some explanation.

No surprise in the drop in a) barristers. I wonder what the drop in legal profession in general is.