9th June. A hung Parliament.

[C24]

Goood morning Britain

To mis-quote Stan Laurel, "Another fine mess you've got us into Ollie ".

How long before the Referendum asking whether or not to accept this Election result? Only 68.6% of the Electorate turned out to vote. So almost a third of the voting population aren't interested?

Best wishes
Charlie

[Sparts99]

Maybe people stayed away because they felt they would've been voting for the 'least worst' option. May was a disaster, pundits are saying she'll be kept in place for a while before being replaced before the next GE, but when will that be? I think there's a strong possibility this parliament won't go full term.

[deerhunter]

To quote the remoaners " I think there should another referendum because those who voted to leave didn't really understand "

Can we have another general election as I think ...................?

[hertsman]

Theresa's gamble has backfired. Why? Some thoughts from a Conservative voter:

Tory campaign built around TM personally. As her strengths are not her personality nor ability to inspire and enthuse, this was idiotic.
She concentrated on the North & Scotland, and disappeared in the heartlands. A mistake of emphasis even if Scottish results improved.
She didn't show up at the leaders' televised debate. Open goal for opposition parties.
After the Conservatives have encouraged and exhorted us to aspire to home ownership and self-reliance for the last 30 years, they suddenly decided they would take our hard-earned homes from us or our families to pay for care, giving no time to adjust a lifetime's planning. Well, with such a poll lead what better time to alienate your most reliable core voters? Disastrous solution to a very real problem.
They planned to take away some of the Winter Fuel allowance by means testing. Previous government's decided this would cost more to administer than would be saved. Another issue that may need change but what a time to upset your core voters (again).
Failed to major on Labour's near anihilation of our economy last time they were in power. With Jezza promising free tea, scones, jam & cream for all, paid for by huge loans, the rich, and businesses, this was a gigantic target they failed to even aim at, let alone hit. NB1 Trying to tax wealth just means that wealth moves away. Once it's gone, the less wealthy have to make up for their absence, but have a lot loss money so more of them have to be hit - which means pretty much anyone in work. After all, those big loans now have to be repaid. NB2, Reducing taxes increases tax take; increasing them reduces revenue earned.
Didn't convince on policing and security especially when the need was made painfully obvious during the campaign.
NHS. There is no easy solution to this issue. Whatever you feed it, it will need more again soon after. No party has an answer but Conservatives currently have the problem so others can criticise from position of no responsibility. That's politics I guess.
If election was all about Brexit, I can't remember much being said about it, other than in passing.
It seems the young turned out a lot more this time. Good, I always encourage everyone to vote.
They were undoutedly attracted by Jezzz'a give aways, and have yet to experience for themselves what happens to an economy when the bill is presented. The best time to be left-wing is when you are young. When you're older and wiser most understand that it sounds attractive but doesn't work. I have to say he surpassed himself at this election, much to my surprise. But Labour didn't win, even if the coverage they're getting makes it feel like they did. From a strategic defence viewpoint, I think it's a relief he's not at the helm.

Me? Well, I concluded that much as Theresa had brought on a monumental FUBAR situation, continuity was more important for the country pre-Brexit than my own personal circumstances. I hoped others would conclude the same but clearly many wanted to make a very different point. Such is democracy - you get results you want or those you don't and just have to suck it up.

So she fought a disastrous campaign but remains PM - for now. Sooner or later, she's toast.

hertsman

[mustang5861]

Well said, herdsman; covers all the key issues. If I had to pinpoint what I think was a turning point in the Tory campaign, it was May's 'There is no change' claim with regard to the imposition of a social cap. Absurd, a lie and (most importantly) an insult to the intelligence of the man and woman on the Clapham omnibus. As one voter put it on Radio 4's PM as recently as Tuesday this week: 'The more I see and hear her, the less I like her'. The alarm bells should have been ringing in CCHQ at that, if they weren't already.

Astonishing that she repeated the mistake of Gordon Brown in not going to the country soon after taking over the helm. People just see it as arrogance if their 'voice' is ignored. If she had done so and there had been an autumn election in 2016, after the party conferences, she would have walked it. To say that she wasn't going to call an election was bad enough, but to then perform an about-turn a few months later was the beginning of the end. As you say, she's toast. Good riddance to bad rubbish.

M

[Thunder]

Happy enough with the result although not prefect, but at least the SNP got a kicking in Scotland with both Angus Roberston and Alec Salmond getting the boot.

[willow70]

I agree Herdsman . A few other factors worked against her ,she should have pushed the new boundary changes through as currently they give Labour a 10 - 20 seat advantage. No conservative leader has yet taken on the obvious anti tory bias in the BBC. I am not sure the Torys recognise the indoctrination of students by left wing teachers so the bigger turnout of these brainwashed youngsters worked against them. No wonder Labour want to drop the voting age to 16.
The main problem was her dull personality bonkers Boris is at least entertaining.

[Macc]

I am not sure the Torys recognise the indoctrination of students by left wing teachers so the bigger turnout of these brainwashed youngsters worked against them. No wonder Labour want to drop the voting age to 16.

Brainwashed how exactly? By wanting to start off your life with opportunities so your future isn't just decided by who brought you into the world and what they can afford? I'm living in Denmark, which is pretty socialist and has free healthcare and education and it seems to work out pretty well for them. Maybe because they're not blindsiding themselves thinking they are or need to be a global player. Ironically, people usually bring up tax when it comes to nordic countries, and its true that it is higher but you see where it is going to and there are less stealth taxes.

Less money used wisely is better than more money wasted.

[paddyboy]

I can only agree with EVERYTHING said above

As a lifelong Labour voter, I voted Tory, simply because I can't bear to have the defence of MY country left in the hands of a known terrorist/IRA sympathising, left wing pacifist dinosaur like Corbyn

Michael Foot incarnate, IMHO

The woman shot herself and her party in both feet

Rant over

Paddyboy

[Blackcat1]

Hung parliament ? Lots of well endowed politicians? ;-) just thought I'd lighten the mood! Lol

[mustang5861]

Hung parliament ? Lots of well endowed politicians? ;-) just thought I'd lighten the mood! Lol

So that's what they mean by 'honourable member'!

[deerhunter]

Mace , free healthcare, who pays for it ?

Would be very interested in your answer.

[Tally-ho]

And now a possible (probable) political deal between the Conservative Party and the DUP (Democratic Unionist Party). Who would have thought that a British government would go cap in hand to Northern Ireland?

[LN Strike Eagle]

I agree with most of what Hertsman says. The problem when electioneering is that you cannot tell the truth if you wish to win votes. TM [whom I like} tried to tell people that it will be hard to keep on course. [The Truth]!!. But that will not win votes. In my view, the majority of the switch to Labour was caused by Mr. Corbyn promising the earth with absolutely NO IDEA of the finances of it all. NONE!!!!!!!.I really thought that a couple of days before the election he was going to give everybody two solid gold bars!!!!!!!!.Lies, Lies, and more lies!!!. Thank heavens he didn't win!!!. Awful lot for the Conservative Party to sort out,. but the result was a hell of a lot better than having Labour ruining the country's finances yet again!!!!!, and having to be rescued by the Tories five years down the line. What a mess this country has got into. Never should have had that referendum in the first place. The Government was elected to govern, then threw the vote open to everybody, many of whom had read NO literature on the subject, and hadn't got a clue what they were voting for. Sometimes I despair, although I am one of the fortunate ones.

I knew exactly what I was voting for. The one that was most likely to damage her ambition and avoid "hard Brexit" or even "no deal". I watched and read an awful lot before I cast my first GE vote on Thursday.

She's a hopeless leader, as she has amply demonstrated over the last 11 months or so, none better than the last few weeks, and it was imperative that she didn't get the mandate to force through any deal at any cost.

As for your comments about the damage Labour did, it pales into insignificance really when you look at the Tories last few years - they've been playing games amongst themselves with the future of this country, first with the EU ref and then this election and have left it in such a state. We're the laughing stock of the world and a country divided by North and South, left and right, rich and poor, leave and remain, young and old. It'll take a lifetime to heal the wounds the Tories have inflicted on our society, let alone our standing in the world and the economic uncertainty to come once we finally do leave the EU. What an absolute disaster they have been.

[Macc]

Mace , free healthcare, who pays for it ?

Would be very interested in your answer.

Everyone does. Through tax, which is at 35%. I think collectively you pay more tax in the UK with the various smaller taxes you have.

Of all the time I've lived here, I've only heard one person speak badly of the tax amount and ironically he was an American expat.

Obviously you can't take a system and just make it work anywhere, it takes a lot of time. Which is what we don't do in the UK because we are impatient (after years of useless politics, understandably, in a way). If the population have the opportunities to be well educated and have good health, they will have less concerns which will prevent them from being in a good stead and likely will work better as a result, thus providing a better economy. Right now, it feels like the UK is a rat race and mirroring the American politics with the "you get what you pay for" attitude. It makes for a very contested, cynical landscape of professional life that divides people through money - imagine not being able to afford to go to the hospital? I can't imagine how anyone would want the NHS privatised in any form.

[LN Strike Eagle]

The Labour party have consistently proved to be very good at one thing. Ruining the economy. They are expert at that, as has been proved on several occasions!.

And a Tory government allowing the country to drive itself headlong over a cliff is good for the economy? It might be growing now, but what happens if she carries out her idle threat to walk away from the EU with nothing and we're cast into the wilderness, and paying through the nose on WTO tariffs. I'm sure we'll all look back on it fondly.

I never said I was a Corbyn supporter btw. You've made that assumption on your own. All I said was that Brexit was probably the biggest thing to be settled and in a country that was divided on that vote, it's vitally important that both sides of the argument have a say in where we're going and what sort of settlement we reach. Letting her and her ego run away with it was not an option that sat comfortably with me, and the Tories playing games and getting complacent (again) opened the door to me and lots of other people I know to make that clear at the polls.

[paddyboy]

John: you have watched too many Benny Hill episodes, judging by with that last epithet

[deerhunter]

But macc in your first post you said there was free healthcare in Denmark, in your last post you said it comes out of taxes so it's not free.

[andrewn]

Theresa's gamble has backfired. Why? Some thoughts from a Conservative voter:

Tory campaign built around TM personally. As her strengths are not her personality nor ability to inspire and enthuse, this was idiotic.
She concentrated on the North & Scotland, and disappeared in the heartlands. A mistake of emphasis even if Scottish results improved.
She didn't show up at the leaders' televised debate. Open goal for opposition parties.
After the Conservatives have encouraged and exhorted us to aspire to home ownership and self-reliance for the last 30 years, they suddenly decided they would take our hard-earned homes from us or our families to pay for care, giving no time to adjust a lifetime's planning. Well, with such a poll lead what better time to alienate your most reliable core voters? Disastrous solution to a very real problem.
They planned to take away some of the Winter Fuel allowance by means testing. Previous government's decided this would cost more to administer than would be saved. Another issue that may need change but what a time to upset your core voters (again).
Failed to major on Labour's near anihilation of our economy last time they were in power. With Jezza promising free tea, scones, jam & cream for all, paid for by huge loans, the rich, and businesses, this was a gigantic target they failed to even aim at, let alone hit. NB1 Trying to tax wealth just means that wealth moves away. Once it's gone, the less wealthy have to make up for their absence, but have a lot loss money so more of them have to be hit - which means pretty much anyone in work. After all, those big loans now have to be repaid. NB2, Reducing taxes increases tax take; increasing them reduces revenue earned.
Didn't convince on policing and security especially when the need was made painfully obvious during the campaign.
NHS. There is no easy solution to this issue. Whatever you feed it, it will need more again soon after. No party has an answer but Conservatives currently have the problem so others can criticise from position of no responsibility. That's politics I guess.
If election was all about Brexit, I can't remember much being said about it, other than in passing.
It seems the young turned out a lot more this time. Good, I always encourage everyone to vote.
They were undoutedly attracted by Jezzz'a give aways, and have yet to experience for themselves what happens to an economy when the bill is presented. The best time to be left-wing is when you are young. When you're older and wiser most understand that it sounds attractive but doesn't work. I have to say he surpassed himself at this election, much to my surprise. But Labour didn't win, even if the coverage they're getting makes it feel like they did. From a strategic defence viewpoint, I think it's a relief he's not at the helm.

Me? Well, I concluded that much as Theresa had brought on a monumental FUBAR situation, continuity was more important for the country pre-Brexit than my own personal circumstances. I hoped others would conclude the same but clearly many wanted to make a very different point. Such is democracy - you get results you want or those you don't and just have to suck it up.

So she fought a disastrous campaign but remains PM - for now. Sooner or later, she's toast.

hertsman

Agree with much of what you said hertsman, and I think you could summarise by saying TM & the whole Tory campaign was complacent to the point of being arrogant. They simply took the electorate (and the result) for granted and we rewarded them fulsomely!

[Tally-ho]

So she fought a disastrous campaign but remains PM - for now. Sooner or later, she's toast.

Already her two closest and most trusted 'advisers' have been forced to go. Reports have it that the Chairman of the 1922 Committee visited No 10 on Friday with two demands;

- that TM apologises to Conservative MP's who lost their seats
- that those two 'advisers' clear their desks before the end of this weekend

Both demands have already been met. Failure to do so would have resulted in a challenge to her leadership as early as the coming week. However, in the nature of politics at the highest level, the clock is ticking. Her departure is a given, it may be sooner than expected - and the sooner the better.

I would like to see the appointment of a Deputy Prime Minister as soon as possible, so that when TM departs, there is a seamless transfer of power.