General Election June 2017

They can only do that if 2/3 of the HoC votes for it. This changed with the FTPA.

The opposition are unlikely to vote for it if it's going to allow the Tories to move from minority to majority.

The opposition may go for it if they think it's another bad call and they can inflict further damage on the Tories...

Well, I don't know which sort of groups supported her, but I do wonder how far back you have to go to find as many Tory seats as that in Scotland. I think it might be 1983:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_general_election,_1983

Tories giving peter Robinson a lordship to get the DUP on side apparently

Where's the Cabinet Secretary?

Oh...

I think the strange thing is the volatility of the vote swings-16%?

If there's another election does it bounce back as people too apathetic to vote in the belief the SNP would walk it get back out or does it continue to swing back to Tories and Labour?

I feel endlessly exasperated by politics in this fucking country.

Some of them are goners though aren't they? Or can they still be ministers even if they lost their seats?

I don't think any cabinet ministers lost their seats did they? Rudd came close, Ben Gummer lost his, but I don't know if he was a full blown cabinet minister.

Can anyone mock up May in a red beret for me?

They can only do that if 2/3 of the HoC votes for it. This changed with the FTPA.

"However, Prime Minister Theresa May announced at the Conservative Party manifesto launch for the 2017 general election that they intend to repeal the Act."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fixed-term_Parliaments_Act_2011

What the country needs more than ever is certainty, and having secured the largest number of votes and the greatest number of seats in the General Election, it is clear that only the Conservative & Unionist Party has the legitimacy and ability to provide that certainty by commanding a majority in the House of Commons. As we do, we will continue to work with our friends and allies in the Democratic Unionist Party in particular.

This is utterly contemptous.

Haha - I wonder if she can scrabble around to get enough people to do that for her...

http://lordashcroftpolls.com/2017/06/result-happen-post-vote-survey/

Necessary reading

Also, it's only 2/3rds for a motion for an Early Election.

A motion of "No Confidence in the Government" only needs a simple majority and would result in an early election automatically if there wasn't a countering motion of Confidence within 2 weeks of the NC motion.

Umm, did I say anything other than exactly that?

[ Tories to repeal the FTPA ]

Ah yes, that could be interesting.

excellent

And Gideon's front page for the day

A lot of them have gone from safe seats to very precarious marginals though, like Justine "The problem for me as Education Secretary is that too many young people were voting" Greening, and Amber "please keep counting until I get my old majority back" Rudd.

I think the Cabinet Secretary is not typically a Cabinet Position per se, but is one of the 'also attends Cabinet'. He was also the one tasked with pretending that he, not Nick and Fi, had drafted the manifesto, so he was obviously quite well thought of.

Technically correct, don't the Tories now answers to the DUP ?

i wonder what ruth davidson thinks of this cosy arrangement, knowing that her bosses' new besties think she's an abomination?

If Richmond (45 votes), Southampton (31 votes) and one other had not gone to the Conservatives then even with the DUP they would still have been a minority. Shows that every vote does count, I guess.

"Sky sources: DUP are very clear that there has been absolutely no firm agreement. A commitment to discussion is not an agreement."

About 15 minutes ago via @kayburley

Oooh. Has Teresa been telling porkies to the Queen? #awkward