The Theresa May General Election thread (edited)

Fretwired

Corbyn was far better IMHO - he looked honest. May looked corporate and shifty and was condescending to the nurse and policeman who both asked decent questions. I really hope she loses .. Corbyn for PM.

octatonic

Fretwired said:

Corbyn was far better IMHO - he looked honest. May looked corporate and shifty and was condescending to the nurse and policeman who both asked decent questions. I really hope she loses .. Corbyn for PM.

She didn't answer a single question in a straight forward fashion.
She answered the way that Blair, Cameron and to a degree Clegg did and I am thoroughly fucked off with it.

Brad

I think both sides will be pleased with how it went and will probably think they won. I don't think Corbyn won it outright but neither did I think May lost it, so it's probably a case of 'as you were'.  

I'd say Corbyn won over the audience with his personality and appeared generally quite calm and assured when placed under pressure, although he still can't address his past in an adequate way for the electorate which will probably damage him. May ditched the 'strong and stable' mantra and even though I think she put in a more assured performance than against Andrew Neil, the laughs of derision in her direction should be a cause for concern... She just doesn't seem to connect with people and it's obvious why she avoided doing debates with him. 

It'll be interesting to see how it is edited down from the whole show and how it is reported.

Corbyn had my vote from day one and nothing has changed that. But I still think the Conservatives will win.

One thing I do know, Paxman has become an utter parody of himself. It seemed more about him than either May or Corbyn.

Heartfeltdawn

octatonic said:

I'm consciously not voting tactically.
I'm in a Tory area (Witney) with the Lib Dems being second here.
But Farron has lost me and I genuinely believe in Corbyn.
I'm voting my conscience.

Same here regarding the conscience. I joined the Lib Dems last month as I want them to gain a few seats, in particular Bath. It's safe as houses Labour round here and  and the Conservative candidate has been bussed in again as she was in 2015. UKIP aren't standing and I'll be damned if I'm going to vote Lib Dem only to see a posh Conservative candidate plumped up by ex-Kippers get in round here. 

Tavernor

May is such a vile woman. Checked the bookies and she's 1/14 and Corbyn is 8/1. For me the smart money is on Corbyn though, young voters have the lowest turnout but after the American hulabaloo I think they will turn out in droves, and for Labour.

Heartfeltdawn

Fretwired said:

Corbyn was far better IMHO - he looked honest. May looked corporate and shifty and was condescending to the nurse and policeman who both asked decent questions. I really hope she loses .. Corbyn for PM.

That's two TV performances where she hasn't been torn apart by the interviewer yet she has looked dreadful. She can play the right notes when given a tune by the PMQ gag writers but put her out in front of the general public and she looks all at sea. Lynton, you might want to have a word... 

holnrew

If Corbyn was more of a bulldog he could have torn pieces off May in PMQs, but on the other hand the fact he isn't that kind of politician has given him a lot of appeal among disillusioned voters.

Fretwired

The Tories are rattled ... one Tweet from a Tory candidate shows how close it is ....

Clarky

interesting how this election was triggered with a view to strengthening Tory control
looks like it's going to backfire even if they win

ICBM

Clarky said:

interesting how this election was triggered with a view to strengthening Tory control
looks like it's going to backfire even if they win

Cameron… makes referendum promise to beat UKIP - backfires by winning election outright and having to deliver it.

Cameron… holds referendum to stay in the EU - backfires by Leave winning.

Boris… leads Leave campaign - backfires by winning and having no idea what to do, gives up and lets May be the leader.

May… calls general election to strengthen power - backfires by revealing her poor leadership and decision-making after the manifesto debacle - even if she does win she will be weakened.

Strong and stable? They're clearly the party of utter chaos and incompetence.

Cirrus

I have to admit, I was surprised by how well Corbyn answered questions and took the Paxman onslaught. I'd always assumed he wasn't a very smart guy and that he wouldn't be up to the pressures of the top job, despite broadly being in favour of the manifesto. But, to stay so calm and give reasonably honest and indeed nuanced answers to difficult questions like the IRA, Trident, Bin Laden... I respect that.

My concern is that a lot of people won't have time for nuance.

Regardless, it's helped clarify my views. I like the manifesto and I believe Corbyn would be up to the job, so unless something terrible happens in the next week or so I'll be voting Labour. I think he's got a more realistic and achievable strategy for brexit, and I prefer his vision for the post-EU UK. It's also the right move from a tactical point of view for me, given that the Tory candidate was only 6,000 behind the Labour guy two years ago in my constituency. It's funny, I went into the election thinking I'd vote Lib Dem, but Farron is the living embodiment of the Chicken Lawyer from Futurama.



Now if only Abbott could stay quiet and resign shortly after the election, the last of my qualms would be resolved!

Bidley

I was all pleased about making my mind up about who I'm voting for... until I checked the polls in my area. Conservatives lead by a 32% majority. What's the fucking point?!

Fretwired

Bidley said:

I was all pleased about making my mind up about who I'm voting for... until I checked the polls in my area. Conservatives lead by a 32% majority. What's the fucking point?!

Same here - that's why I said I wasn't going to bother voting. Think I will now.

Budgie

Bidley said:

I was all pleased about making my mind up about who I'm voting for... until I checked the polls in my area. Conservatives lead by a 32% majority. What's the fucking point?!

The area where I live is the same, very much a stronghold and represented by Patrick McLoughlin. It's been Tory since 1950 too. I'm still voting though.

Drew_TNBD

I'm pissed off.

Ignore the fact that all the parties have stuff about them I dislike. My area is basically Conservative or Labour. If I choose any of the others, it's effectively a wasted vote. My stupid hippy brain is saying Lib Dem or Greens. Having looked into my local candidates, they're all a bit shit. The Lib Dem guy is at least some sort of scientist and teacher though.

The Conservative guy is a bit of a knob.

Bidley

In 2015 it was only(!) about a 15% majority, so I at least had a bit of hope... I'll vote anyway though.

Bidley

Drew_TNBD said:

I'm pissed off.

Ignore the fact that all the parties have stuff about them I dislike. My area is basically Conservative or Labour. If I choose any of the others, it's effectively a wasted vote. My stupid hippy brain is saying Lib Dem or Greens. Having looked into my local candidates, they're all a bit shit. The Lib Dem guy is at least some sort of scientist and teacher though.

The Conservative guy is a bit of a knob.

Mine is Con, with UKIP a distant second. The Con guy lives and works in London. The UKIP geezer is an old giffer, basically a walking stereotype. Ugh.

John_P

Bidley said:

I was all pleased about making my mind up about who I'm voting for... until I checked the polls in my area. Conservatives lead by a 32% majority. What's the fucking point?!

Even if they do win you have to vote - at the very least you will know you tried and just maybe enough people thinking the same also vote it could change.    I suspect most constituencies have more people not voting than the difference between winning and second. 

english_bob

I'll just leave this here.

https://www.swapmyvote.uk/

english_bob

Can I also say, I feel that both sides have been disappointingly slow off the mark making memes, gifs etc. based on Corbyn's middle finger gesture during the audience Q&A part of C4's show last night. 

"Battle for Number 10" indeed.