Theresa May calls for a general election

[Raptor]

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Prime Minister Theresa May calls for a snap general election on 8 June.

BBC News

[CzarJunkie]

No surprises really. When there's no credible opposition, why wouldn't she?

This country is already an island of Betting Shops, Pawn Brokers and Food banks, god knows what 5 more years of the Tories will bring.

[GTI]

If there is one thing Brexit and Trump has taught us, its to expect the unexpected.
If the Left really want to turn Brexit around, they would do well to form a strategic alliance of Lab-Lib-SNP-Green to get the fucking Tories out. The country has turned to shit in terms of health, education, public services and pretty much every other facet of everyday life for the working and middle classes. I keep postponing my return to the UK because I just can't face how bad things have gotten in the decade I've lived on the Continent.

[piggzy]

[flumperino]

I am praying, absolutely praying, that Labour can defy the polls and get a reasonable number of seats on the promise of a soft Brexit. Add in some additional Lib Dem seats as they've been promising another referendum, then my best case scenario would be a Labour/Lib Dem coalition.

I suspect that won't happen, and that the Cons will get an increased majority. And if they do I think I will need to wash my hands of politics altogether as I simply cannot understand how anyone (let alone 10m+ people) could vote for the Tories when they are so brazenly dismantling the country and shitting on the poor and vulnerable.

Keeping everything crossed until 8th June

[CzarJunkie]

lone 10m+ people) could vote for the Tories when they are so brazenly dismantling the country and shitting on the poor and vulnerable.

Keeping everything crossed until 8th June

And not just the poor and vulnerable. They are also systemically dismantling the middle class, the only real winners under Tory rule are the billionaire class.

I don't think I'm being pessimistic if I predict a landslide for the Tories. I think it's inevitable given the current opposition. The media have done such a good job portraying Corbyn negatively that he's now a liability. We can only hope for some miracle where the Old don't vote and the millennial turn out is 100%.

[piggzy]

Have seen loads of social media attempting to get all the UKIP lot to vote Tory. IS this that they fear a u turn on Brexit ??

What a sad state of affairs.

[mij]

And not just the poor and vulnerable. They are also systemically dismantling the middle class, the only real winners under Tory rule are the billionaire class.

I don't think I'm being pessimistic if I predict a landslide for the Tories. I think it's inevitable given the current opposition. The media have done such a good job portraying Corbyn negatively that he's now a liability. We can only hope for some miracle where the Old don't vote and the millennial turn out is 100%.

If you think about it the middle classes are the last source of taxable income for the government.

The traditional working classes are either not working or working on such low wages they still claim benefits to top up, the rich can legally pay none or very little tax and the corporations along with a lot of successful businesses can also avoid tax either altogether or pay trivial amounts of it...That leaves the middle classes to take the hit!

[flumperino]

And now the Tories are making noises about raising taxes and getting rid of the triple lock as they're so sure they're going to win.

They've got balls of steel, I'll give them that!

[GTI]

I joined the LibDems last week and Tim Farron's latest email to the membership fills me with dread.
We've only got one shot to stuff the Tories and their Hard Brexit, and that is a progressive alliance between Labour, LibDem, SNP and the Greens. Please lets not fuck it up by a run for glory on goal, we have to be strategic.

Hi, I want to make this clear. The Liberal Democrats will not enter into any coalition deal with either Theresa May’s Conservatives or Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour party. On Thursday 8th of June, every vote for the Liberal Democrats is a vote to change the direction of our country and stop a hard Brexit. The reasons for this decision are simple. Under no conditions can we sign up to Theresa May's Hard Brexit agenda; a hard Brexit will be a disaster for Britain. It risks crashing our economy and leaving us isolated on the global stage. And Jeremy Corbyn would be a disaster for the country - he has no plan for the country, our economy and offers no leadership – and as Labour leader, every time it has mattered he has given Theresa May a blank cheque on Brexit. Over the next 46 days, we're going to offer the British people a real alternative and a vision of a Britain that is open, tolerant and united. Together, we are going to elect more Liberal Democrat MPs and change the direction of our country. Let’s make it happen. Thank you, Tim Tim Farron Leader of the Liberal Democrats PS: More than 10,000 people have joined our party since Tuesday – and we’re on the cusp of reaching 100,000 members. Will you help us do that by asking your friends and family to join us and help change the direction of our country? You can do that here: www.libdems.org.uk/ask-to-join

[piggzy]

Why

I joined the LibDems last week and Tim Farron's latest email to the membership fills me with dread.
We've only got one shot to stuff the Tories and their Hard Brexit, and that is a progressive alliance between Labour, LibDem, SNP and the Greens. Please lets not fuck it up by a run for glory on goal, we have to be strategic.

[DavidF]

Neither Labour or conservative would never publicly admit to anything other than outright victory. LibDems don't care...Political whores lol. Personally I would like to see PR but it seems as we wont get a shot at that for a generation. So second best for me is working coalitions or even confidence deals between parties. BUT alas Labour and Conservatives are by their very nature very VERY tribal (The MP's im on about) Many in their memoirs point to the fact that its Party>Country>Constituency or a swap of the final two. Some books point to the fact that Gordon Brown aside hardly any senior Labour politician ever wanted a deal with the LibDems in 2010......They were willing to paythe price of opposition rather than deal with the LibDems....Not all of them were like that but MANY were. Apparently the Tories are/were more power at any cost as opposed to Labour who would only consider a deal IF they were the senior partner with no real pre discussion on aims/policy ect.

[DJ OD]

No surprises really. When there's no credible opposition, why wouldn't she?

This country is already an island of Betting Shops, Pawn Brokers and Food banks, god knows what 5 more years of the Tories will bring.

You just summed up my high street apart from the 7 barbershops... not even kidding. If money laundering ain't going on I just can't think why any entrepreneur would open a barber shop 50 metres from another.


DJ OD

[Over Carl]

I noticed the same thing. In my area I noticed a barber shop pop up, let's just say it was called "Barber Shop". Then a couple of years later another one about 400m down the same road another place opened up called called "Barber Shop 2". A year later another one opens up a mile or two away called "Barber Shop 3", few months later, on the same road as "Barber Shop 1+2", another one opens up called "All The Barber Shops".

[GTI]

Why

Because as one of the 48% that voted to remain, I feel its the only party that represents me now. I can no longer vote Labour because Corbyn has ruled out a 2nd referendum, which in my view is necessary to confirm the initial result.
Why does it need confirming you may ask? well public opinion seems to have shifted in the opposite direction since June last year. There have been 29 polls conducted since then asking variants of the question 'Were we right to have voted BREXIT' and in 21 of those polls the public have said 'No'. Now given this information and all the lies and spin from the original vote, why are we continuing to leap off the cliff like lemmings when we now have a clear choice?

[DavidF]

Now given this information and all the lies and spin from the original vote, why are we continuing to leap off the cliff like lemmings when we now have a clear choice?

OI - The people ave spoken innit !! They are not all stupid those who voted brexit coz there are a few bankers and politicians in there who voted to get out of that fecking EU and it's dictatorial ways. You are just being undemocratic by wanting to have another vote......why don't you move to Europe and cuddle a terrorist eh......
{Sarcasm off/}
The above is just a few of the bits I have constantly heard coming out of Brexiters mouths lol. The sad thing is I believe MANY regret the vote outcome but are too insulted (the intelligence jibes about brexit voters) and also far too shy to admit it. This is going to be the pride getting in the way story....something that weakens the human race from top to bottom sadly.

[GTI]

The above is just a few of the bits I have constantly heard coming out of Brexiters mouths lol. The sad thing is I believe MANY regret the vote outcome but are too insulted (the intelligence jibes about brexit voters) and also far too shy to admit it. This is going to be the pride getting in the way story....something that weakens the human race from top to bottom sadly.

The rank hypocrisy is that every Tory U-turn has been explained by a change in the situation and the government's responsbiolity to act accordingly. And here we are with Brexit, 12 months wiser and with a very gloomy forecast.

Even the least educated should understand that simple freedoms such as travelling on a whim to Spain, France, Portugal are no longer guaranteed. We will have about as much rights as someone flying in from Russia or India (i.e. applying for a Visa) unless the government can start arranging a raft of bilateral treaties (on top of 00s of other priorities). And given that the clock is ticking, May's general election is about as stupid and dangerous as it gets. In Brussels they are laughing at us, Guy Verhofstadt called it 'Surreal' since it makes practically zero difference if May has a narrow or wide majority. They seem to have all the power on this BREXIT deal and all we have is bluff and bluster from the likes of Davis, Fox and Bojo.

[piggzy]

Because as one of the 48% that voted to remain, I feel its the only party that represents me now. I can no longer vote Labour because Corbyn has ruled out a 2nd referendum, which in my view is necessary to confirm the initial result.
Why does it need confirming you may ask? well public opinion seems to have shifted in the opposite direction since June last year. There have been 29 polls conducted since then asking variants of the question 'Were we right to have voted BREXIT' and in 21 of those polls the public have said 'No'. Now given this information and all the lies and spin from the original vote, why are we continuing to leap off the cliff like lemmings when we now have a clear choice?

It's these reasons that make me think the establishment really wants Brexit despite the vast majority appearing to be in the remain camp. Seems really odd to me.

[DavidF]

You know what is bugging me, even though it is 100% always the way with ANY Labour leader ever except Blue Labours Tony Blair....Anyway it's the assumption that everyone (almost) just outright accepts that Corbyn CANT be elected PM. Usually British people in general have an unhealthy/healthy disdain for following orders....AKA Brexit being a good example. It's just SO bloody infuriating that if you speak to someone who doesn't "do" politics then they all seem to agree that JC and therefore Labour simply cant run the country.
Inexperienced ? Don't think so as they have a wealth of experience in politics.....apart from people who have been ministers before EVERY new government is "inexperienced" insofar as they have not had direct access to the thousands of civil servants who actually put into action the "plans" of ANY new government. These people generally stay in office no matter who is in government.
Bankrupt the country - Have the Tories not just presided over the biggest spending spree of public money ever....their borrowing figures and as a cause and effect our national debt is more than ALL labour governments combined......And yet New Labour "spent all the money".....How did that happen ? The torries have spent billions saving millions (Benefit reforms taken as a whole but even individual measures like pip assessments and esa assessments done by private contractors.....They have cost more than they save ect ect ect Universal Credit...biggest joke since the millennium dome ffs). So the tories have spent all this cash while ensuring that WE the man in the street weather working or not are all poorer. How can they turn round and say Labour will spend unwisely - AKA a national investment bank, Council housing, Re-nationalise railways (Did you know we spend more as a % on grants to the "private" railway companies than we EVER did under british rail...an yet the service is still shit...infact timings wise its worse ffs)
Now we have seen this little 4extra bank holidays gem - immediately people cry saying but i will loose a days pay, Other great quotes include "Yeah great we will all just work a 4 day week and be the laziest nation on earth" "this will drive business to the wall every employer will just leave the uk" "I NEED to work 6 days a week to make ends meet"....I mean ffs - they are offering ordinary working people an extra 4 days holiday each year and you would think they are saying bring in your 70yo gran for execut1on such is the reaction...and that's on the "left wing" (yeah right !!) BBC comments page.

Can't have a terrorist sympathiser as pm - no much rather have someone who fucks dead pigs or burns £50 notes in tramps face to run the country....But looking at the actual charge - He went and talked with and attended IRA rallies - Many people did, The Thatcher government actually started the peace process toward the end of her premiership - In the end it IS ALWAYS talking that achieves peace. The bomb and the bullet never get anyone anywhere EVER.

Even nukes - Labour have said they will retain them - But at the end of the day they might as well be chocolate bombs for all the use they would be in a conflict - The USA have total control over weather we can launch them....They control the guidance system ffs....That same system that only a few months back went bezerk lol. So in effect at the moment Donald Trump has control over our nuclear deterrent. Don't get me wrong he CANT launch our bombs but he CAN prevent them being launched. We pay billions to keep them - We could re-employ the whole workforce doing other jobs....In-fact it was pointed out that you could actually pay everyone that currently works on trident a one off £1000000 to go and do nothing and we will still save money on the projected cost of the replacement...and that is just the projected cost...we all know we could just add a zero on the end of that.
Sorry for the rant/ramble but this particular GE has annoyed me more than most previous ones, Must be my age or something.

[mij]

You know what is bugging me, even though it is 100% always the way with ANY Labour leader ever except Blue Labours Tony Blair....Anyway it's the assumption that everyone (almost) just outright accepts that Corbyn CANT be elected PM. Usually British people in general have an unhealthy/healthy disdain for following orders....AKA Brexit being a good example. It's just SO bloody infuriating that if you speak to someone who doesn't "do" politics then they all seem to agree that JC and therefore Labour simply cant run the country.
Inexperienced ? Don't think so as they have a wealth of experience in politics.....apart from people who have been ministers before EVERY new government is "inexperienced" insofar as they have not had direct access to the thousands of civil servants who actually put into action the "plans" of ANY new government. These people generally stay in office no matter who is in government.
Bankrupt the country - Have the Tories not just presided over the biggest spending spree of public money ever....their borrowing figures and as a cause and effect our national debt is more than ALL labour governments combined......And yet New Labour "spent all the money".....How did that happen ? The torries have spent billions saving millions (Benefit reforms taken as a whole but even individual measures like pip assessments and esa assessments done by private contractors.....They have cost more than they save ect ect ect Universal Credit...biggest joke since the millennium dome ffs). So the tories have spent all this cash while ensuring that WE the man in the street weather working or not are all poorer. How can they turn round and say Labour will spend unwisely - AKA a national investment bank, Council housing, Re-nationalise railways (Did you know we spend more as a % on grants to the "private" railway companies than we EVER did under british rail...an yet the service is still shit...infact timings wise its worse ffs)
Now we have seen this little 4extra bank holidays gem - immediately people cry saying but i will loose a days pay, Other great quotes include "Yeah great we will all just work a 4 day week and be the laziest nation on earth" "this will drive business to the wall every employer will just leave the uk" "I NEED to work 6 days a week to make ends meet"....I mean ffs - they are offering ordinary working people an extra 4 days holiday each year and you would think they are saying bring in your 70yo gran for execut1on such is the reaction...and that's on the "left wing" (yeah right !!) BBC comments page.

Can't have a terrorist sympathiser as pm - no much rather have someone who fucks dead pigs or burns £50 notes in tramps face to run the country....But looking at the actual charge - He went and talked with and attended IRA rallies - Many people did, The Thatcher government actually started the peace process toward the end of her premiership - In the end it IS ALWAYS talking that achieves peace. The bomb and the bullet never get anyone anywhere EVER.

Even nukes - Labour have said they will retain them - But at the end of the day they might as well be chocolate bombs for all the use they would be in a conflict - The USA have total control over weather we can launch them....They control the guidance system ffs....That same system that only a few months back went bezerk lol. So in effect at the moment Donald Trump has control over our nuclear deterrent. Don't get me wrong he CANT launch our bombs but he CAN prevent them being launched. We pay billions to keep them - We could re-employ the whole workforce doing other jobs....In-fact it was pointed out that you could actually pay everyone that currently works on trident a one off £1000000 to go and do nothing and we will still save money on the projected cost of the replacement...and that is just the projected cost...we all know we could just add a zero on the end of that.
Sorry for the rant/ramble but this particular GE has annoyed me more than most previous ones, Must be my age or something.

I am almost a pensioner and your post is what I have witnessed my entire life.

My dad used to call us (the British people) the mugs of the world who will stand for the same 3 card trick over and over, he was too polite!