General Chat

Or about to play a blinder.... :-D :-D

She hasn't got a clue and it shows.
Hiding from the TV so shecan knock up blue voters in Maidenhead will look daft.

As a dyed in the wool conservative supporter (apart from a shortish Labour dalliance when the lovely John Smith was alive) I hope Ms May hammers the opposition

I have been in bed all day (unwell) and have watched a motley crew of politicians (I use that word loosely) getting some air time this afternoon.

They live in a fantasy world (Green party candidate plus any other wobbly hopeful seems a tad desperate).

Maybe Corbyn (referred to in this house as the Klingon) will resign.
Maybe people will see more of Tim Farron - who?
Nick Clegg may be resurrected - hey that'll be riveting TV

Thankfully I will be out of the country for over 3 weeks before the election so I'll not have to suffer all the moaning remainers bleating on and on and on.

I am however looking forward to learning if the polls in France are accurate.......
and people think the UK has problems!

It's a dilemma for sure.

My son ( thus disproving the theory that children vote like their parents...even when I am the parent!) is a natural Conservative voter, his interest in economics and business (and, not incidentally, his desire to be much better off than I have been able to manage for him) tends to the Conservative model of capitalism.

On the other hand there's me, the consistent Labour voter, by inclination and long long experience of Conservative governments, a 'leftie liberal' ( and proud of it!).

I was, and am, a remainer...not solely, or even mainly, for economic considerations. The results of brexit, leaving the single market etc may or may not be a disaster, there are too many factors that I find beyond my limited understanding of business, finance etc ( and also no one can really predict the future...it only takes one nut with a bomb or a plan to expand his territory to change the world economy). I see the separation as a retrograde step for environmental and social reasons (points on which my son agrees with me, he also voted to remain in the EU).

Son cannot vote for a 'hard left' Labour party. It is almost beyond impossible that I will ever vote Conservative, the closest I can get to the 'right wing' is round about the Lib Dems usual stance. Neither my son nor I will vote for the local Conservative representative anyway because of their abject failure as an MP and person of sense.

Will either of us vote? Yes because I always have and consider it essential .... will we cancel each other out deliberately or will we both opt for a ' clear conscience' vote ie not Labour or Conservative?

The only response I can make to brexit, hard. soft or otherwise, is that I hope when finally concluded it will remove once and for all the moaning of those who always need 'someone other' to blame and who will no longer be able to blame the faceless EU for the failures of future British governments...of whatever shade.

It must be difficult for UKIP supporters. Do they stay with UKIP and possibly reduce the Conservative majority thus weakening support for a hard brexit. Or do the abandon UKIP which would indicate a national dwindling of enthusiasm for brexit.

How can she knock up voters and why is Maidenhead so lucky or unlucky depending on your views?

Totally agree with your last paragraph, Rose.
So many things were blamed on the EU, when our Government either didn't have to follow the 'rule' or chose to let people believe it was the 'fault' of the EU.
One close to my heart - the equalising of pension age.
It didn't have to go up for women - that wasn't a EU directive - it could have been reduced for men, but the current Government, with it's teeth firmly fixed on 'working' people working until they die, is attempting to increase it yet again.

...and, when questioned, the governments 'stock' reply 'It's only 18 months' is a pile of sh*te'
It was 18 months for my sister (born 1952) but another18 months PER YEAR for me (born 1956). So my sister retired at 61, I retire (at the moment) at 66.

Yet people still think it was the EU that raised the pension age...

I'm in the same boat Maggie, my pension age has gone up to 66, and I am not a happy bunny about it :-| I am already 'crocked up' ( I think that's a safe enough phrase to post? there are others lol) .

I'm kind of where you are, Rose. First time ever I don't know how to vote.

Never voted Tory, so unlikely to start now. Always voted Labour or Lib Dem. In these parts Lib Dem don't stand a chance but I can't bring myself to vote for a Labour party that will have Corbyn, Abbott and McDonnell on the front bench.

Son's a natural leftie but isn't fond of Corbyn. He'll probably vote Labour, still. Not sure I will.

I am a swinging voter - but I don't always vote because this area is staunch Labour with a huge majority so I'm rarely willing to waste my time. In June I shall see what local expectations are before I decide whether to walk down the hill or not.

I know there'll be some people who may shout about women and the vote but nowhere does it say it is compulsory and, anyway, compulsory voting results in a lot of donkey votes so it's a complete waste of legislation.

However, locally, we have LibDem councillors who have always 'done good' on our behalf and I will vote for them in May. Our county council is Labour-orientated but the LibDems keep it on its toes and I think that's a good thing.

For what it's worth, I was a remainer but I would never be a remoaner because the brexiteers won so there is no point in picking over the bones of a fait accompli. If anyone can whip up enough support to push for another referendum through whatever legal loophole he or she can find It would be a surprise but I'd still vote remain.

As someone once said, 'We live in interesting times.'

Theresa May is Mp for Maidenhead.
Caroline do keep up.

I'm a member of a couple of "local" facebook groups and the level of ignorance of some people is astonishing.

It's quite scary that so many misinformed and uneducated people have the vote.

Guinevere - perhaps the 'ignorant, uneducated & the misinformed' are those who do not bother to vote at all.

A fantastically dull analogy.

But Rollo it was the "Knocking up" aspect.......a woman knocking someone up.....

Given that all other issues will be sidelined by brexit the 8 Jun result does not matter very much as in the "negotiations" the EU side will simply notify its demands and leave the UK to make suitable adjustments. A third of top German decision makers expect talks to collapse before getting to trade. Hence the election which once again is in the grand old cause of holding the Tory party together as May embarks on an amazing series of U turns and concessions.

for the EU the main issue is political unity of the bloc. Trade with the UK is a poor second.

Corbyn manages somehow to make it look as if May is competent. At least Michael Foot could run his party and was a fun. Intelligent person even if his politics was idealistic fantasy. Handing over control of the Labour party to the unions has had the obvious result May would be making a huge mistake to believe that the refusal of the electorate to give this sad Orwellian apparatchick the keys to no 10 as support for her regime.

Many people believe that the UK has left the EU and us doing fine. The game has hardly started. There is little reason for optimism.

Ah Michael Foot...the man with the hair and that coat......

The coat was not as often rumoured a donkey jacket which later became an Alan Bleasdale prop. It was a tailor made expensive short coat which was complimented on by the Queen.

It would be a change if Caroline could check her facts rather than relying on mythology.

In case anybody has failed to notice since Foot British politicians on 11 Nov now look almost normal rather than hard men from "Peaky Blinders".

:-P

Did I call it a donkey jacket or are you assuming I know nothing and you know all Rollo?

It's not mythology that man is always remembered for his scruffy look. He would look the same in an old sack or a Saville row suit no doubt.

Rollo should stop always being so "nasty" :-D

Lord knows I'm RR'd for less !

You knew Michael Foot then Caroline. Why did you think he was scruffy?
Fwiw Foot was always hostile to the EU which he saw as a capitalists club.

I wasn't commenting on any of his views Rollo

No I did not know him but I'm sure you did, that said I did not need to know him to remember those thousands upon thousands of pictures of him looking scruffy. Surely no one on here can say the first image they recall of him is not him being scruffy looking? :-D