Starmer's vision quest

[AndyRM]

Who could they have backed?

I'd kind of assumed they could have put up a new candidate? Or were things too far down the campaign trail for that to have happened?

 

[icowden]

I'd kind of assumed they could have put up a new candidate? Or were things too far down the campaign trail for that to have happened?

Too far down. They decided to disown their candidate, preferring to shoot themselves in their own metaphorical feet, rather than working with the candidate to do apologies etc and back them. Rochdale was never going to vote Tory and Galloway provided a nice easy option by essentially being pro-Palestine and anti Israel which is a position preferred by Muslims due to the constant "that's our holy land not yours" arguments.

 

[Beebo]

Galloway is a total arse.
Typical protest vote, with no viable opposition.
Gaza won’t be a big issue in the general election. The UK has zero influence over what is happening, and to think otherwise is nonsense.

 

[AndyRM]

Too far down. They decided to disown their candidate, preferring to shoot themselves in their own metaphorical feet, rather than working with the candidate to do apologies etc and back them. Rochdale was never going to vote Tory and Galloway provided a nice easy option by essentially being pro-Palestine and anti Israel which is a position preferred by Muslims due to the constant "that's our holy land not yours" arguments.

Yeah, shame really. Agree about Galloway, about the only thing I believe on his manifesto is that he'll get the town hall clock cleaned.

 

[matticus]

I thought the term scotch was reserved for whisky and eggs these days - that's what I was taught that at school anyway, a very long time ago.
'A scotchman was somebody from the days of horse-drawn carriages who worked on steep hills putting wooden wedges, called scotches, under the wheels of the carriages to keep them from rolling backwards'

We are entirely on the same page, my dear chap. I hope it was obvious to any educated person that I intended the
wooden wedges meaning.

 

[AuroraSaab]

Yeah, shame really. Agree about Galloway, about the only thing I believe on his manifesto is that he'll get the town hall clock cleaned.

To be fair he's also demanding a Primark.

 

[matticus]

So yeah, Scotland's just the same as Liverpool. 👍

Is it? You do write some funny things. It's one of the things I love about you x

 

[BoldonLad]

Too far down. They decided to disown their candidate, preferring to shoot themselves in their own metaphorical feet, rather than working with the candidate to do apologies etc and back them. Rochdale was never going to vote Tory and Galloway provided a nice easy option by essentially being pro-Palestine and anti Israel which is a position preferred by Muslims due to the constant "that's our holy land not yours" arguments.

Are Muslims a uniform group with a hive mind?, bit racist isn’t that?

 

[icowden]

And yet, over the last 10+ years, Scotland has consistently elected not Labour, not Tory,

Except for 2017 where they elected 13 Tory MPs out of 51 possible Scottish seats, and which you keep glossing over.
That's 25% support for the Conservatives.

 

[AndyRM]

Except for 2017 where they elected 13 Tory MPs out of 51 possible Scottish seats, and which you keep glossing over.
That's 25% support for the Conservatives.

To be fair, that was largely because it's what Labour told their supporters to do, in an attempt to weaken the SNP.

 

[AndyRM]

To be fair he's also demanding a Primark.

I wouldn't wish that hellscape on anyone.

Although I do like the random stuff they stock sometimes - I've got a Wu Tang basketball top, Frida Kahlo t-shirt and a Basquiat hoody from there. If their NBA range wasn't just for the Bulls and the Lakers (ETA it seems that it is, but I'm not seeing it online) I'd probably get involved with that too.

 

[icowden]

Are Muslims a uniform group with a hive mind?, bit racist isn’t that?

Firstly Muslims are adherent to Islam. They are a religious group and not a race of people. That religion holds that Jerusalem is Islam's third holiest site and indeed Jerusalem prior to the establishment of Israel after the second world war was populated by both Jews and Muslims. Following the establishment of Israel as a Jewish nation each side has been routinely smiting the other ever since.

The Palestinians forced out to live in Gaza and the West Bank are largely Sunni Muslims. The 30% Muslim community in Rochdale are largely Sunni Muslims.

It is therefore likely that the Muslims of Rochdale are more likely to support a man who speaks out for the Palestinians rather than the Israelis.
I'm quite sure that some of them will also think that Galloway is a self serving git, but it is likely that the majority will have supported him because of this position. Some might have voted for him just because he does a cat impression.

But no, it isn't racist, or indeed that much of stretch to suggest that it is likely that Rochdale Muslims supported a candidate expressing support for Muslims.

 

[bobzmyunkle]

Typical protest vote, with no viable opposition.
Gaza won’t be a big issue in the general election.

Or anti-Starmer vote. The general election may be sooner than you think. Starmer's probably a bit more concerned than you are - more focus groups needed.

 

[icowden]

To be fair, that was largely because it's what Labour told their supporters to do, in an attempt to weaken the SNP.

Seems an odd position. In 5 of those 13 seats Labour had over 10,000 votes. For about 6 of those seats it might have been useful tactical voting given that those areas have only ever been SNP or Tory.

 

[Beebo]

There can be no higher endorsement than Nick Griffin.
Is he a Hamas supporter or Israel supporter? I just don’t know which way the racists are swinging these days.