General Election - what do we think for Battersea? Post Reply

[chorister]

Err ...... wasn't the 3 day week under the Conservative government of Edward Heath, during whose tenure I think inflation peaked too.  And it was also during his time in government that interest rates started to rocket.

Time for a re-think?

[juliantenniscoach]

Haha, maybe I'm losing my marbles!  However Dennis Healy had to go to the IMF in 1976 through their mismanagement.  The IMF effectively set the financial conditions which split the Labour Party and the emergence of the SNP.  There's the top rate of income tax at 83% which led to capital and investment flight plus an exodus of talented people which coined the phrase "brain drain".  Thanks for your corrections and this can be argued until the cows come home as to whether Heath inherited a dire situation from Wilson, or contributed to it, bottoming out in the 'winter of discontent' in 78/79 under a Callaghan, Labour government.

[chorister]

Another factor is that the arithmetic makes it almost impossible for Labour, under Corbyn or anyone else, to form a majority government unless the SNP melts down in Scotland.  So if it's not the Tories then the likely outcome is a hung parliament and a minority Labour government kept in office by the Lib Dems and SNP - and both would be likely to make Corbyn's replacement a condition, so someone like Keir Starmer, Hilary Benn or someone else house trained would probably emerge.  What's not to like?  May be it needs a tactical vote for Labour in Battersea to keep out the self serving lying charlatan that the Conservative party members have foisted on us.  Hard luck on the local Conservative candidate who seems decent enough, but that's life.

[Astolat]

Julian - ‘there’s no more inequality then than now’ is just not true.

The Gini coefficient is the main measure of inequality and in the UK clearly leapt under thatcher.

In 1980 the richest 1% got 5% of the country’s income. Today they get 15%.
I’m not too worried about a brain drain and an exodus of the wealthy in this case.

Inequality is linked to higher crime rates, illness, worsening mental health and lower happiness for everyone in society. Even the winners in unequal societies suffer the negative health and happiness hit from living in an unequal society.

It’s time to edge the pendulum back the other way. Not lurch further right.

[juliantenniscoach]

"I’m not too worried about a brain drain and an exodus of the wealthy in this case."  Then you should be.  Since globalisation we are competing against everyone in a certain economic sector.  Capital is very easily moved now, just see the multi billion assets moved during the Brexit era.  Personally since the Brexit vote I've had 8 clients relocate back to Europe, just like that.  Gone, their incomes, spending all gone, probably not coming back and not easily replaced. Tax revenues, especially Corporation tax from the biggest of companies has proved to be both highly elusive and divisive.

Where the government should help, is the terms and conditions of the lowest paid.  There are plenty of examples of this and here I risk a certain controversy.  Many companies have been using the EU secondment scheme to bring in low skilled workers, provide basic accommodation (which goes towards their minimum wage) which undercuts our domestic low paid who would be competing for that work.  At this wage point immigration is an economic negative (as numerous studies have shown) although immigration as a whole is clearly an economic benefit.

It's going to take someone with vision, intellect and resolve to sort this out, inconjunction with other governments and administrations.  A bit like the EU...............oh hang on......that's awkward!  

[NVHusband]

Those posters criticising Boris and endorsing Corbyn should take a moment to reflect what Corbyn is. He is a left wing populist, supported by a nasty anti-Semitic movement that want to do away with aspiration and treat everyone as a victim of sorts. 
The Human Right Commission is investigating the Labour Party and you have had countless respectable Labour members resigning because of this nasty group of left wing militants.

Don’t sleep walk into this awful scenario. Corbyn is for the many, not the Jew.

Don’t get me wrong, I am no fan of Boris, but to say that Corbyn is better is an insult to our intelligence.

What a sad state of affairs that we are left with these two options.
 

[juliantenniscoach]

@NV Husband.  Nail on head.

[Astolat]

I’m no Corbyn fan. I like many of his policies and trust him to have low income people’s interests at heart. But he’s not taken racism nearly seriously enough or the tough decisions he should have done to deal with it.

But Boris is an out and out lying racist homophobic misogynist who shows contempt for ‘poor people’.

https://www.businessinsider.com/boris-j ... ?r=US&IR=T

If you can read this and still say he’s not a bigoted trump imitator I’d be amazed.

I agree on the sorry state Of the choice though

[secondtimer]

I don't understand some of the previous comments.. if you don't want the 'blond buffoon' then don't vote for him.  If enough people got behind the Lib Dem movement it would happen.. in 1997 lots of folk who would never have previously dreamt of voting labour did so because the alternative was unpalatable.   

I'm not trying to persuade people one way or another, but it feels wrong to not vote for the party you think is the right one just because you don't believe they could win.  Surely the better option is to speak freely about how you feel and try and get others to come round to your way of thinking?   Otherwise we end up with an incumbent party hell bent on making some very wrong decisions based on history that has already over written itself.  

I guess the overriding point is to vote though.. and to get everyone else you know to do so too.. 

[chorister]

Don’t sleep walk into this awful scenario. Corbyn is for the many, not the Jew.

Corbyn can't form a majority government - look at the numbers (sorry if facts are confusing).  If Labour is the largest party then the overwhelmingly likely outcome is that he is replaced as the price of support from the LibDems and / or SNP.  So Labour is an entirely rational alternative in Batterea for those who donlt want the lying charlatan.

[Buddybear]

Corbyn has agreed to a new Scottish referendum with the SNP if they form a coalition.  Judging by recent polls there is a majority for that now (and who can blame them given the last 3 years?).  Scotxit would make Brexit look like a walk in the park.  Having to break a union that has existed for the last 400 years would be a complete nightmare and I imagine would destroy all the countries in the union with the ill feeling it would cause.

Labour ran an amazing campaign in the 2017 election.  Their social media presence had a huge impact and I think they could have won a majority if they had had a longer campaign.  Look at the number of threads already begun on different social media platforms about wonderful life would be with Corbyn in charge. How the anti-semitism claims are all a product of the right-wing media etc.. I think that Labour are completely underestimated and will give the Conservatives a run for their money.  Also, they have had 3 years to become the party of Remain which they have failed to do.

I would not vote Conservative in a million years but to suggest that Labour (in current form!) are a reasonable alternative is completeness madness.  They need to get rid of the momentum loons and find someone who is of a centre ground figure- Keir Starmer, Yvette Cooper etc...

I would like to remain in the EU and the only party which supports that is the Lib Dems.


 

[Denwand]

It feels wrong to not vote for the party you think is the right one just because you don't believe they could win.  Surely the better option is to speak freely about how you feel and try and get others to come round to your way of thinking?   Otherwise we end up with an incumbent party hell bent on making some very wrong decisions based on history that has already over written itself.  

I guess the overriding point is to vote though.. and to get everyone else you know to do so too.. 

Whilst i see your point Secondtimer what do you in in next-door Tooting if you would rather saw your leg off than have a Corbyn government?

Unlike Battersea it has had a Labour majority for decades but (if you extrapolate the Wandsworth Euro election figures where LIb-Dems got over twice as many votes as Labour) is also Remain by a vast majority.

I would love to get my fellow Tooting constituents over to my way of thinking but I doubt I can change those entrenched numbers - the Tories have always been also-rans and , as being Pro-Brexit stand even less chance now.

Therefore Lib-Dems seem the only ones with a chance of ousting Corbyn and his scurvy antisemitic Momentum crew...

Ahh...It's going to be an interesting run up to this election!
 

[Astolat]

I’d vote Lib Dem too if I believed they could win in Battersea. But it would take around 25000 people to change their vote as well, which isn’t very likely.
My fear is it just splits the anti-Tory vote and puts a Tory in.

Plus are we 100% sure they’ve ruled out another Tory coalition?

[LineBall Tennis/Siva]

There are some interesting observations, and  some unwitting anecdotal mis-interpretations in this pertinent thread. Thanks @Denshort for starting the needed and tech-enabled debate, if comments are from Battersea residents. Thanks @Astolot for Gini Coefficient and for corrections about long-standing MP (what of great Alfred Dubs).

In my mind, or my pennys worth: it is an indisputable fact that the country needs Jeremy Corbyn "the Marxist" socialist antisemite friend-of-terrorist or whatever other smear the corporate right-wing press release as narratives for the "unwitting". I support Mr Corbyn and Labour Party machinery for the "Green Industrial Deal" and other people-driven pledges which are realistic yet ambitious, such as:

4-day working week,
scrap student tuition fees,
re-nationalisation of utilities
etc etc ad nausem

We are NOW in a period that has parralls with 1979 when the great late Mrs T. was ushered in - bless her! Then as now UK was at standstill from miners strikes tagged "Winter of Discontent". Fast forward today we have a democratic impasse in Parliament about the burning populist issue of the mileu: delivery of "Brexit" referendum. And we have climate change and China-emergence.

Just as Mrs Thather was viewed in hindsight by some as a fascist so we have Mr Corbyn portrayed as Marxist. But here some will argue or be lost! But factually there is something called the Kondratieff cycle stating that events and economies thereof are cyclical in nature. On that premise: just as 40 odd years ago neoliberalism was ushered in with witless Mr Reagan and State sell-off Mr Gorbachev (which i then thought great!), so it is we need life-support socialism now, or at least a return to a more mixed economy.

Brexit referendum is not the single issue that one should focus on. Look! its in the name "general" election. You get my drift hopefully, and I DO go on and on in my blogs.

Think for yourself! Phone a smart friend. Don't watch or listen to media narratives.

All is for the best however you decide to vote, but remember you can't take it back. Like Thatcher neoliberalism unless you act now. Like climate change. Think Global Act Local (Marsha De Cordova great btw!)

Krishna, 6th Nov.'19
Local tennis coach + "FPM" activist nowadays

 

[LineBall Tennis/Siva]

There are some interesting observations, and  some unwitting anecdotal mis-interpretations in this pertinent thread. Thanks @Denshort for starting the needed and tech-enabled debate, if comments are from Battersea residents. Thanks @Astolot for Gini Coefficient and for corrections about long-standing MP (what of great Alfred Dubs).

In my mind, or my pennys worth: it is an indisputable fact that the country needs Jeremy Corbyn "the Marxist" socialist antisemite friend-of-terrorist or whatever other smear the corporate right-wing press release as narratives for the "unwitting". I support Mr Corbyn and Labour Party machinery for the "Green Industrial Deal" and other people-driven pledges which are realistic yet ambitious, such as:

4-day working week,
scrap student tuition fees,
re-nationalisation of utilities
etc etc ad nausem

We are NOW in a period that has parralls with 1979 when the great late Mrs T. was ushered in - bless her! Then as now UK was at standstill from miners strikes tagged "Winter of Discontent". Fast forward today we have a democratic impasse in Parliament about the burning populist issue of the mileu: delivery of "Brexit" referendum. And we have climate change and China-emergence.

Just as Mrs Thather was viewed in hindsight by some as a fascist so we have Mr Corbyn portrayed as Marxist. But here some will argue or be lost! But factually there is something called the Kondratieff cycle stating that events and economies thereof are cyclical in nature. On that premise: just as 40 odd years ago neoliberalism was ushered in with witless Mr Reagan and State sell-off Mr Gorbachev (which i then thought great!), so it is we need life-support socialism now, or at least a return to a more mixed economy.

Brexit referendum is not the single issue that one should focus on. Look! its in the name "general" election. You get my drift hopefully, and I DO go on and on in my blogs.

Think for yourself! Phone a smart friend. Don't watch or listen to media narratives.

All is for the best however you decide to vote, but remember you can't take it back. Like Thatcher neoliberalism unless you act now. Like climate change. Think Global Act Local (Marsha De Cordova great btw!)

Krishna, 6th Nov.'19
Local tennis coach + "FPM" activist nowadays