[magpie]

I am close to speechless, which isn't something that happens often.  How can anyone actually believe that?!    ???

[Sloper]

I've never met a woman that didn't like cake. 

[slackline]

[slackline]

Most of the bickering about party leadership sideshow belongs in here rather than the EU Referendum thread....


UKIP leader Nigel Farage to stand down

I wonder what odious person will replace him?

[SA Chris]

Nosferatu.

[slackline]

Most likely he'll replace himself....

Nigel Farage announces his annual resignation

[Oldmanmatt]

Sorry for the FB link, but this is worth watching:

https://www.facebook.com/EvolvePolitics/videos/1708006492784624/


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[tomtom]

[tc]

]

Nik Eriksen, name noted. If I ever meet you I'll fucking castrate you.

[tregiffian]

Will there be a highly paid lawyer left (sic) to help JC? I heard Barrabas got the last one.

[i.munro]

So let's be optimistic for a moment and assume that our new 'dear leader' doesn't chuck parliamentary democracy in the bin while she's binning human rights, workers rights, envioronmental protection etc.

Who do I vote for ??  Labour seem to be committing suicide , from bitter experience voting Lib-Dem is just another way to vote Tory, the SNP aren't running in London & I fear voting Green is unlikely to work when a third of the country just voted to get rid of anvironmental protectiion aling with human etc...

[tomtom]

Yes - amazed labour (sorry JC) have called for a snap election. It may be the 'right' thing to do if we lived in a democratic utopia, but for the Labour Party it would be anihalation. Tbh I'd be surprised if the Tories don't, if Gordon Brown had called a snap election as was mooted after he'd been coronated we may well have had another 5 years of him...

Anyone else missing the coalition govt?

[Bonjoy]

I'd have thought they know (either side of the party)  it's likely to take a good while for them to get to a position where they might win an election, so pressing reset on the five year electoral cycle would give them a suitable space to attempt to sort their shit out. I doubt we'll end up with another general election personally, I don't think there is any public appetite.

[Johnny Brown]

No, nobody dares ask the public's opinion after last time.

[Jaspersharpe]

No, nobody dares ask the public's opinion after last time.

Nigel Farage would win, despite not standing.

[Muesli]

Who do I vote for ??  Labour seem to be committing suicide , from bitter experience voting Lib-Dem is just another way to vote Tory, the SNP aren't running in London & I fear voting Green is unlikely to work when a third of the country just voted to get rid of anvironmental protectiion aling with human etc...

Perhaps its time to set up a SNP branch in London....its a lot less bonkers than many of the other options....you might get quite a bit of support.

[dave]

from bitter experience voting Lib-Dem is just another way to vote Tory

Dismayed that folk seem to still think this.

[slackline]

from bitter experience voting Lib-Dem is just another way to vote Tory

Dismayed that folk seem to still think this.

   The sooner people ditch the two-party mentality the better as it might allow other parties to get a look in.  Until then such thinking just maintains the status quo, much to the delight of those two parties.

[Oldmanmatt]

from bitter experience voting Lib-Dem is just another way to vote Tory

Dismayed that folk seem to still think this.

But I feel the same and I've always been rather Orange...

I don't even have a clue what their policies are right now and the media have simply abandoned them/decided they are irrelevant.


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[slackline]

I don't even have a clue what their policies are right now and the media have simply abandoned them/decided they are irrelevant.

I never took you to be one who relied solely on the media to inform themselves....

• Liberal Democrats Manifesto
• Green Manifesto
• Pirate Party Manifesto
• Scottish National Party Manifesto
• Scottish Green Manifesto
• Labour Manifesto
• Conservative Manifesto

[Teaboy]

from bitter experience voting Lib-Dem is just another way to vote Tory

Dismayed that folk seem to still think this.

But I feel the same and I've always been rather Orange...

I don't even have a clue what their policies are right now and the media have simply abandoned them/decided they are irrelevant.


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But can you not see the difference in govt policy this term than last?

[johnx2]

the soone r people ditch the two-party mentality the better

It's not a mentality. It's a consequence of our FPTP electoral system. The last time labour split the consequence was Thatcher. Elected by a minority and winning by a landslide.

[Oldmanmatt]

That's part of my point. I feel as if  there is a malaise across the Liberal political middle ground.

It feels as though there is nothing but the clash of radical Right with radical Left and no room or interest in compromise and pragmatism.

That disparity has been growing since the dawn of socialism and has reached a point where (to me) it looks like the whole system is failing as both extremes argue for an opposite purity that is either entirely geared towards the wealthy or wholeheartedly for the working class.

Witnesses Labours' move (under Blair) to take that middle ground and the implosion now taking place because of it. The rise of the most radical, right wing, PM since Thatcher and the marginalisation of Tory moderates. All against the background of militant new parties promising sexy quick fixes to all of group x,y,z's ills; that drag the "mainstream" parties even further to the extremes in a desperate attempt to maintain membership.

But, I don't believe in quick fixes.
Life is the biggest grey area going.


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[slackline]

the soone r people ditch the two-party mentality the better

It's not a mentality. It's a consequence of our FPTP electoral system. The last time labour split the consequence was Thatcher. Elected by a minority and winning by a landslide.

It is a consequence but it is also the mentality only serves to reinforce it....

Flawed line of reasoning : I align with party X but this constituency is historically a 'safe' one for party Y who I despise and there is no chance of X winning.  But there is party Z who I align with less than X but more than Y, so since X have no chance I'll not bother "wasting" my vote on X and instead try and oust Y by voting for Z.

Ergo the mentality I describe above (a natural consequence of FPTP) is self-reinforcing the crap FPTP, two party system since X will never get a look in.  Whether the chicken or the egg came first I've no idea.

[psychomansam]

I don't even have a clue what their policies are right now and the media have simply abandoned them/decided they are irrelevant.

I never took you to be one who relied solely on the media to inform themselves....

• Liberal Democrats Manifesto
• Green Manifesto
• Pirate Party Manifesto
• Scottish National Party Manifesto
• Scottish Green Manifesto
• Labour Manifesto
• Conservative Manifesto

I like how you’ve listed the Pirate Party, despite their only having a membership in the hundreds. If only things were different! Would pick them over any of the Oxbridge PPE crews. This country really is democratically screwed by first past the post. 
That, in fact, is one ray of faint optimism I’m currently grasping for. If Labour splits, there will be no single major opposition party. Any opposition would then be formed of a multi-party coalition, including Scotland. If such a group were ever to gain power, it would likely be in their interests to eliminate FPtP. Faint and grasping, but that’s all we’ve got.