Follow TV Tropes

Following

British Politics Thread

Go To

This thread exists to discuss British politics.

Political issues related to Northern Ireland and the Crown Dependencies (the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man) are also considered on-topic here if there's no more appropriate OTC thread for them.

If you're new to OTC, it's worth reading the Introduction to On-Topic Conversations and the On-Topic Conversations debate guidelines before posting here.

As with other OTC threads, off-topic posts may be thumped or edited by the moderators.


    Original OP 
(I saw Allan mention the lack of one so I thought I'd make one.)

Recent political stuff:

  • The vote to see if Britain should adopt Alternative Voting has failed.
  • Lib Dems lose lots of councils and councillors, whilst Labour make the majority of the gains in England.
  • The Scottish National Party do really well in the elections.

A link to the BBC politics page containing relevant information.

Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 3rd 2023 at 11:15:30 AM

GoldenKaos Captain of the Dead City from Cirith Ungol Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
Captain of the Dead City
#40226: Dec 11th 2019 at 7:20:01 AM

Well, there was an increase in youth turnout, it was still the highest in 25 years, it just wasn't as much as some people hyped it up to be. The swing in youth vote share was big, yeah. 2017 and 2019 will have some similarities, but that doesn't mean the youth turnout couldn't increase again.


Oh, one more great thing Laura Kuenssberg did today (the BBC's political editor, and who has been noted for continuous Tory Bias for some years now), was to casually drop that she had spoken to some people who had taken a sneaky peek at the postal votes that had come in and that this doesn't look good for Labour. Looking at the postal votes at this point in the campaign is illegal, and mentioning it in order to cast shade at Labour possibly influence the election is quite deplorable.

(Incidentally, I would expect postal votes to be mostly pro-Tory, given that a lot of them are from old people who can't or won't move their bodies to the polling station to vote, and they're predominantly Tory voters rather than Labour.)

Edited by GoldenKaos on Dec 11th 2019 at 3:45:28 PM

"...in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach."
PresidentStalkeyes The Best Worst Psychonaut from United Kingdom of England-land Since: Feb, 2016 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
The Best Worst Psychonaut
#40227: Dec 11th 2019 at 7:33:42 AM

My thinking is that saying 'this won't look good for X' just motivates them to come out in even greater force, a la the Inspirational Insult.

Speaking of, I heard a rumour the other day (I think this was on the Guardian too, I can't remember) that the Momentum movement was instructed to tell pollsters that they're voting Tory in a deliberate attempt to confuse the opposition. Though I'm taking it with a pinch of salt because I didn't see any sources and the way it was phrased made it sound like it could have been a joke.

"If you think like a child, you will do a child's work."
Deadbeatloser22 from Disappeared by Space Magic (Great Old One) Relationship Status: Tsundere'ing
#40228: Dec 11th 2019 at 7:37:23 AM

What she said is also illegal in and of itself.

"Yup. That tasted purple."
GoldenKaos Captain of the Dead City from Cirith Ungol Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
Captain of the Dead City
#40229: Dec 11th 2019 at 7:41:57 AM

[up][up] That sounds like a joke. I certainly wouldn't take it at face value without a source.

"...in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach."
singularityshot Since: Dec, 2012
#40230: Dec 11th 2019 at 9:06:33 AM

Speaking of jokes, Labour announces that it has "won" the Social Media election battle - claiming 85M views against 25M views for Johnson and the Conservatives.

It's in the bag people, we can relax and take it easy tomorrow.

EDIT - On that note, what will people be doing tomorrow (other than voting, natch)? Any election traditions?

Edited by singularityshot on Dec 11th 2019 at 9:23:57 AM

Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#40231: Dec 11th 2019 at 10:13:46 AM

I’m going to be canvassing post of the day and then at one of the counts on behalf of Labour for the night, so expect a fair amount of posting from me when things get quiet.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
GoldenKaos Captain of the Dead City from Cirith Ungol Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
Captain of the Dead City
#40232: Dec 11th 2019 at 11:00:42 AM

Thursday is when my gaming club meet, so it might take my mind off things.

"...in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach."
WojtekPod (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#40233: Dec 11th 2019 at 11:20:31 AM

I want to say one thing: tactical voting works, especially in winner-takes-all elections. This is why the opposition won in the last elections for Polish Senate, even though *THEY GOT LESS VOTES THAN THE RULING PARTY OVERALL*. The opposition parties got a deal with each other that said that they have only one candidate per constituency, so candidate of Pi S (the ruling party) had to face the opponent with all votes from the opposition.

The effect was very nice for the opposition: they got 51 senators of 100, and got the Speaker of the Senate. Which means that the ruling party can no longer treat Senate as a given, and force their way in hours (as they were able to do before the last elections). Pi S now have to wait a month for some really bad laws they want to have signed. They can still overrule Senate's disagreements with a simple majority in Sejm (the lower chamber of parliament), but it's no longer as easy as they had before.

Edited by WojtekPod on Dec 11th 2019 at 8:54:55 PM

RainehDaze Figure of Hourai from Scotland (Ten years in the joint) Relationship Status: Serial head-patter
Figure of Hourai
#40235: Dec 11th 2019 at 12:40:43 PM

Well, they are entitled to believe what they want. It doesn't mean it's their choice.

Avatar Source
SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#40236: Dec 11th 2019 at 12:44:55 PM

So, my impression is that it is going to be a Tory majority, although I haven't been following polls that closely. And generally speaking I don't trust complaints about polls as a) they are typically wrong and b) a lot of it comes off as wishful thinking.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Deadbeatloser22 from Disappeared by Space Magic (Great Old One) Relationship Status: Tsundere'ing
#40237: Dec 11th 2019 at 12:47:01 PM

Problem is polling was predicting big Conservative majorities in 2017 as well.

"Yup. That tasted purple."
RainehDaze Figure of Hourai from Scotland (Ten years in the joint) Relationship Status: Serial head-patter
Figure of Hourai
#40238: Dec 11th 2019 at 12:49:29 PM

It isn't wishful thinking to note that there are very few sources that conduct polls in the UK and that their accuracy is typically wildly off and no secret is made of it. When error bars are added we arrive right back at not having a single clear outcome.

Avatar Source
Deadbeatloser22 from Disappeared by Space Magic (Great Old One) Relationship Status: Tsundere'ing
#40239: Dec 11th 2019 at 1:00:06 PM

Like the MRP polling error bars say the Conservatives could have anywhere from 311-364 seats.

"Yup. That tasted purple."
Ultimatum Disasturbator from Second Star to the left (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
Disasturbator
#40240: Dec 11th 2019 at 1:21:25 PM

I really do not want 11 years of Tory rule.

New theme music also a box
GoldenKaos Captain of the Dead City from Cirith Ungol Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
Captain of the Dead City
#40241: Dec 11th 2019 at 1:35:26 PM

It would be 15.

"...in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach."
RainehDaze Figure of Hourai from Scotland (Ten years in the joint) Relationship Status: Serial head-patter
Figure of Hourai
#40242: Dec 11th 2019 at 1:45:22 PM

15 years of Tory rule in which they continue to insist everything is not their fault, one would assume.

Avatar Source
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#40243: Dec 11th 2019 at 1:50:31 PM

And by the sounds of it, it might just work.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#40244: Dec 11th 2019 at 2:33:22 PM

Yeah the MPR is the most accurate thing we have and it’s margins leave room for Labour to have more seats than the Tories, that’s before accounting for it assuming under 30 turnout is at 2015 levels and not 2017 or higher levels.

We’ve no idea what’s going to happen.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
WojtekPod (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#40245: Dec 11th 2019 at 2:55:09 PM

If you can vote in this election, please do. Some constituencies might be a close race, so every vote counts.

As it was in some parts in Poland, where a Senate seat was won by a couple of thousand votes (and most of the constituencies had more than 200 thousand votes, so it was sometimes less than 1% of the difference between winning and losing).

Boris Johnson is a very bad Prime Minister for the UK, and for the UK's neighbors as well.

RainehDaze Figure of Hourai from Scotland (Ten years in the joint) Relationship Status: Serial head-patter
Figure of Hourai
#40246: Dec 11th 2019 at 3:07:06 PM

It takes me longer to get to the pub than it does my polling station, I'd be a real idiot to not vote.

Avatar Source
Ultimatum Disasturbator from Second Star to the left (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
Disasturbator
#40247: Dec 11th 2019 at 3:09:35 PM

> Boris Johnson is a very bad Prime Minister for the UK, and for the UK's neighbors as well.

preach

New theme music also a box
Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#40248: Dec 11th 2019 at 4:07:28 PM

If possible I’d urge people to do more than vote, remind others to vote, give people help so that they can vote, canvas if you are able.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
AzurePaladin She/Her Pronouns from Forest of Magic Since: Apr, 2018 Relationship Status: Mu
She/Her Pronouns
#40249: Dec 11th 2019 at 5:59:59 PM

Best of luck with trying to shake off Boris Johnson and the Tories, y'all. I guess we'll keep an eye out here on the other side of the pond.

The awful things he says and does are burned into our cultural consciousness like a CRT display left on the same picture too long. -Fighteer
RainehDaze Figure of Hourai from Scotland (Ten years in the joint) Relationship Status: Serial head-patter
Figure of Hourai
#40250: Dec 11th 2019 at 11:03:28 PM

Well, I've voted.

I also met a Survation exit pollster. From my experience they're eyeballing ages, then asking voters to identify their votes and educational level. Caps out at degree equivalent.

Edited by RainehDaze on Dec 11th 2019 at 7:24:36 PM

Avatar Source

Total posts: 49,379
Top