It's a testament to the unequal treatment the two parties receive in the press that you have both local and national Tory politicians encouraging people to destroy public property in terrorist acts and no one bats an eyelid. Can you imagine the headlines if a Labour politician did something similar? See also Tory Islamophobia versus Labour Antisemitism. And the Tories taking £15mn from a racist who "jokes" about shooting MPs despite the murder of two MPs in recent years... And they just keep the money like it was nothing! The way that the debate is rigged in favour of the Tories is a sight to behold - and even with all that they're only on 20%. God help them if we ever had a level playing field.The issue now is that you have conspiracy theorists cranks literally destroying cameras at intersections which then takes out the traffic lights as well. And the local tories are encouraging this behaviour!Last summer, there was genuine anxiety that everyone would have to get an electric car- there wasn't recognition that relatively few cars would be affected. There was also a feeling that public transport (although stonkingly good compared with the provinces) wasn't good enough. Personally, I disagree, but I can see that milages vary. There's also the observation that outer London/ inner Essex is the spiritual home of white van man, and many of them were affected.It'd be a miracle if Susan Hall won in London (has anyone seen or heard an interview with her, I don't mean for rarity but for how it actually went?) but there are a few women on the Tory back benches who were actually elected on the strength of the red wall/brexit who are on a par with her. Compared to them, Rishi seems like a genius.I’m seeing lots of YouTube videos for her campaign in recent days. The usual one is going on about ULEZ.Good morning everyone; brighter and indeed spring like today.It'd be a miracle if Susan Hall won in London (has anyone seen or heard an interview with her, I don't mean for rarity but for how it actually went?) but there are a few women on the Tory back benches who were actually elected on the strength of the red wall/brexit who are on a par with her. Compared to them, Rishi seems like a genius.I’m seeing lots of YouTube videos for her campaign in recent days. The usual one is going on about ULEZ.
As someone who lives outside London, and rarely drives into it, and if he does uses a three-year-old car, what is the problem with ULEZ?
Surely reducing emissions is a good thing?
So yes, there was enough of a "it's a sledgehammer to crack a nut" case to be plausible, especially in the hands of people who like arguments and don't like Mayor Khan.
But it's largely a dead issue now. There are people campaigning against ULEZ out here in "Essex, actually", doing demos and blocking cameras. But not many, and increasingly cranky.
That London Conservatives have invested so much in the issue shows how poor their political instincts are.
If Sunak thinks Hall can win London, we are left with two options:Rishi is shit at politics. He gets angry at PMQs and media questions because he genuinely thinks everything is great and that it’s obvious how awful Starmer is and why aren’t people getting it?
1) He is rigging the election on a scale that would make Vladimir Putin blink.
2) He is smoking weed.
Given that even rigging the election by stuffing every ballot box with 50,000 votes for Hall would not be enough, I’m thinking (1) is unlikely.
He's failing, he's never failed before, he doesn't know how to process that.If Sunak thinks Hall can win London, we are left with two options:Rishi is shit at politics. He gets angry at PMQs and media questions because he genuinely thinks everything is great and that it’s obvious how awful Starmer is and why aren’t people getting it?
1) He is rigging the election on a scale that would make Vladimir Putin blink.
2) He is smoking weed.
Given that even rigging the election by stuffing every ballot box with 50,000 votes for Hall would not be enough, I’m thinking (1) is unlikely.
I don’t think it’s weed. He is simply too rich and successful to be wrong. So everyone else must be wrong. Of course Hall will defeat Khan - he’s awful…
Yes real respect for that. It's the grim times that sort the men from the fair weather boys.Absolutely brilliant!Tories still ahead of SNP thoughLabour leads by 26%.I thought somebody ought to run that through the Electoral Calculus predictor for lolz. LDs become official opposition:
Tied-lowest Conservative % with Rishi Sunak as PM.
Westminster Voting Intention (17 March):
Labour 47% (+5)
Conservative 21% (-3)
Reform UK 14% (–)
Liberal Democrat 8% (-4)
Green 6% (+1)
SNP 3% (+1)
Other 1% (–)
Changes +/- 10 Mar
https://x.com/redfieldwilton/status/1769770749370200358?s=46
Only you could find the silver lining for a prediction of 34 Tory seats.
Absolutely brilliant!Tories still ahead of SNP thoughLabour leads by 26%.I thought somebody ought to run that through the Electoral Calculus predictor for lolz. LDs become official opposition:
Tied-lowest Conservative % with Rishi Sunak as PM.
Westminster Voting Intention (17 March):
Labour 47% (+5)
Conservative 21% (-3)
Reform UK 14% (–)
Liberal Democrat 8% (-4)
Green 6% (+1)
SNP 3% (+1)
Other 1% (–)
Changes +/- 10 Mar
https://x.com/redfieldwilton/status/1769770749370200358?s=46
Forest docked 4 pointsAnd yet Man City continue to get away with repeated flouting of the rules over many years. If I were a Forest or Everton fan I would be fuming at this.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2024/mar/18/nottingham-forest-docked-four-points-premier-league-financial-rules-breach-profitability-and-sustainability