Starmer's vision quest

[BoldonLad]

Shock news there that the over 70s tend to favour the Conservative party rather than rational thought...

Yes, well, the over 70s are retired from slaving in the salt mines of Surrey, although, they may still be on school run duty to the fee paying school, driving their sensible EV of course.

 

[qigong chimp]

I don't for one minute think that Starmer didn't hold his nose when Elphicke sat on his sofa,..

Possibly. But on balance is it not more likely he sat there with the baffled/troubled expression of a man fearing there may've been something more substantial than wind to his last fart?

 

[icowden]

Yes, well, the over 70s are retired from slaving in the salt mines of Surrey, although, they may still be on school run duty to the fee paying school, driving their sensible EV of course.

Last time I checked Dover was in Kent...

 

[multitool]

Possibly. But on balance is it not more likely he sat there with the baffled/troubled expression of a man fearing there may've been something more substantial than wind to his last fart?

Who among us over 50 etc etc

 

[C R]

Even John Crace thinks taking Elphicke in wasn't very clever.
https://www.theguardian.com/politic...-party-cant-defend-natalie-elphicke-defection

 

[AndyRM]

It does seem a bit weird that Labour would be happy accepting outspoken rivals so willingly. I know it's all politics, but if I was a Labour supporter I'd not be happy. Likewise if I'd voted for her as a Conservative in her constituency.

 

[C R]

Even John Crace thinks taking Elphicke in wasn't very clever.
https://www.theguardian.com/politic...-party-cant-defend-natalie-elphicke-defection

And Polly Toinbee doesn't seem best pleased either

https://www.theguardian.com/comment...keir-starmer-tory-natalie-elphicke-mps-labour

 

[multitool]

Well, pundits have to pundit and part of that is attracting attention to themselves.

Anything that chips away at the Tory majority is a good thing, and what the pundits don't mention is that Elphicke will have to obey the Labour Whips. She has no other function other than to vote with Labour. She won't be a part of policy making.

 

[icowden]

I saw an interesting tweet today which essentially went along the lines of saying that Starmer recognises that to win, and win big he needs the votes of Conservatives not just Labour voters. By accepting people like Elphicke it sends a message that Labour might be a good place to put your vote if you share her views. It may sway some Reform or Tory voters to consider supporting Labour instead.

https://x.com/AndrewPRLevi/status/1788299127010316380

Apparently Piers Moron is furious about it, so Starmer must be doing something right.

 

[winjim]

I saw an interesting tweet today which essentially went along the lines of saying that Starmer recognises that to win, and win big he needs the votes of Conservatives not just Labour voters. By accepting people like Elphicke it sends a message that Labour might be a good place to put your vote if you share her views. It may sway some Reform or Tory voters to consider supporting Labour instead.

https://x.com/AndrewPRLevi/status/1788299127010316380

Apparently Piers Moron is furious about it, so Starmer must be doing something right.

In other words making the Labour party more like the Tory party, which is what he's being accused of. He's supposed to convince Tory voters to change their minds, not change the party to accommodate whatever abhorrent views they hold. He's got things completely arse about face.

 

[icowden]

In other words making the Labour party more like the Tory party, which is what he's being accused of. He's supposed to convince Tory voters to change their minds, not change the party to accommodate whatever abhorrent views they hold. He's got things completely arse about face.

Yes and No. A Labour party that is massively socialist and left wing, up the Unions, Citizen Smith style is never going to be elected into power. Just the same as a Tory party that wants to hang foreigners from the nearest tree and enrich their mates is never going to be reelected into power.

Extremes don't work as the UK is not staunchly left or right. It's mostly in the middle. Thus Starmer, like Blair occupies a more left of centre position just as Major and Cameron occupied a centre right position.

He isn't going to change the party to accommodate abhorrent views, but he is going to take votes from people with those views and thus change their minds once they see that his policies are better.

It's the difference between "ship them all back where they came from" and "process the claims, reap the tax benefits, get rid of the dodgy ones and stop small boats by removing the need for them in the first place by having controlled immigration".

 

[theclaud]

He isn't going to change the party to accommodate abhorrent views,

LOL. He's literally just welcomed Natalie Elphicke.

To be fair, the party has always included people with various sorts of objectionable views, and that's OK, or at least preferable to the industrial-scale control-freakery that is the alternative. Unfortunately the crushing of party democracy means that minority wingnuts are now in charge, and anyone who constitutes a meaningful threat to their power is out on their ear.

 

[multitool]

Still wailing about Elphicke? It's Saturday, and time for a new whine.

The truth is, it's politics.

Elphicke will sit on Labour benches, be forced to vote with Labour, reduce the Tory majority by one, not be a part of Labour policy decisions, and not steer or influence the Labour party in any way, before farking off into oblivion in November. And undermine and disrupt the Tories more than if she hadn't defected.

What's not to like.

 

[multitool]

Anyway, far more importantly PARKOUR!

https://x.com/exRAF_Al/status/1788821508472635586

 

[albion]

Maybe you should go and rewrite her wiki to add all those objectionable views and wingnuts you hint she espouses.