Gotta be very careful of this. So easy to get a false perception of folks views through social media, they are effectively personal echo chambers.
Yeah, why do you think I qualified it as such, KRG? 
I fully realise that Twitter is an echo chamber. Facebook, not so much.
It’s an interesting point because from the outset, Corbyn has looked to sidestep the traditional media and get his message out through social media. This is the first big test of that strategy.
I know you’ll point to the “Shy Tory” effect, but the 2015 election is looking increasingly marginal and a little bit dodgy. The pollsters were confounded. The Tory majority was completely unexpected. Shy Tories or sharp practice? Maybe we’ll find out some day.
I guess my overall point is that this is a contest of old vs new media as much as anything else, in a world where everyone can be a publisher or broadcaster. I’m interested in seeing what sort of effect that has. Conventional wisdom would suggest Labour are going to get a slaying today, and I am honestly not confident enough to say otherwise. If it doesn’t, after a week of negative press in which both Tories and Bitterite PLP members taking the nuclear option, I think there’s a conversation to be had about which source of media is more trusted.
I’ll be curious to see if as an electorate we repeat our request for an all out attack on the poor, the elderly, the unwell and the vulnerable.
If Mr Cameron’s policies get another massive vote of confidence it will tell us much about ourselves as a country.
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One of the younger members of the team in work in had never voted. We persuaded her to register. She did it too late to vote. But then she went on about needing more homes for British and I thought ah well maybe a good thing as you’ve been ready some right wing trash to believe that.
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Sorry, that wasn’t so much meant personally to you. More a general thing.
The big issue, I think, still lies in demographics. I imagine (figure pulled out of thin air/gut feel as opposed to stats - so pinch of salt, please) that turnout will be <40%. People that will vote are more likely to be older, and therefore more likely to get information from mainstream media.
Many of the results are now in. Guess what? It wasn’t the apocalypse that many were predicting, although nowhere near as good as it could have been. Scotland remains a real problem for all parties south of the border.
A 3% swing to Labour in a week in which people have tried to bury it.
I think the Tories will be happy with those results. Given the debacle over the budget, EU infighting and the fun and games with the doctors, they only lost one council and unbelievably made progress in Scotland .
im not sure Labour will ever be presented with a better opportunity to give the Tories a bloody nose.
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I think the Tories will be very happy with those result, considering the shambles that they are in. I think it was a great chance for bigger inroads to be made. It seems that most have the ‘seems that things are going ok’ attitude still. If the Tories get themselves together in the next couple of years it seems all will be fine.
It seems some within the Labour party have the daggers out for the leader that they elected already!!
Originally posted by @CB-Saint
I think the Tories will be happy with those results. Given the debacle over the budget, EU infighting and the fun and games with the doctors, they only lost one council and unbelievably made progress in Scotland .
I wonder. They haven’t done very well in the South and haven’t done very well in marginals. As the SNP shows, you can win all of Scotland in Westminster and not make a dent.
im not sure Labour will ever be presented with a better opportunity to give the Tories a bloody nose.
I’m pretty sure they will be. How many other elections do you remember when you had senior party figures actively trying to fuck its own party’s chances up? As you say, the Tories were at war over the EU and seemed more coherent and unified than elements of Labour last week.
Get these fuckers deselected, and let’s see what happens then. Start with this guy.
I agree with you that the Tories will think it could be worse, but never underestimate the Tories’ ability to round on the disadvantaged and less well off.
There will be a better opportunity.
There will be a reckoning.
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On a personal note, the ward in which I campaigned increased its majority from 41 to over 450.
Go Swaythling. For a while there, didn’t think you had it in you.
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A 10 fold increase. The Pap impact!
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It’s the papconomy, stupid.
I cannot claim the credit. I only spoke to a few people, although I’m super pleased the Labour councillor got in. She lives on the ward. The Conservative mush was from West Wellow. I reckon she’ll represent them better.
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Scrapping Council Tax and bringing in a tax based on the value of your property is also a far fairer system imo, and could easily be rolled out across the UK.
Didn’t that used to be called the Rates or rateable value of your property before The Poll tax came in ?
and we are full circle.
The only people that win will be the politicians because they do not actually work to get paid they have civil servants to actually do the job whilst they get the plaudits.
I’m not sure I am fully onboard with property values being used to set local rates. For starters, the figures are largely determined by the banks, or more specifically, the amount of credit the banks are prepared to unleash upon the market.
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Should be an income tax - 0.5% or whatever - going to the local authority. It’s fair, progressive, simple to collect and the unemployed / OAPs don’t pay.
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But and its a big but if you have bought an expensive house the banks have deemed you good for the money, so you should be able to pay the appropriate tax on it. The more expensive the house the higher the taxation. what could be fairer than that ?
My next door neighbour is 91, bought her house in 1954 and it’s worth £400k. That does not make her loaded. She struggles to pay for food.
The rateable value should be based on what you actually paid for it not what it would be worth if you sold it which is a completely false value based on market needs. Handed down property would be based on the value at the time it was handed down not originally purchased.