2024: Sunak and Starmer face general election test | The New Statesman podcast

[@rugbymeat]

Ben showed his roots by pronouncing Redcar as the locals do!

[@nurserynook]

I found his comments about Teesside interesting mind. It's been a while since Middlesbrough has been in Yorkshire (except ceremonially). We needed our own region to recognise our different identity compared to N. Yorks.

[@geekexmachina]

Maybe Rishi is waiting to see who gets into the White House before he moves lol

[@konzi]

get the tories out

[@BiffaTW]

Middlesbrough et al. are back in Yorkshire -Cleveland ceased to exist years ago, but inluded north of the river Tees which is now (back) in Durham.

[@christianecoughlan7392]

Brexit has been wreaking uk politics and uk economy! Well done!

[@Kavala76]

Are EU countries doing well ATM? Germany's economic outlook seems very grim and France's is bod too. UK would be in trouble whether in or out of the EU. World economic conditions impact us more than anything.

[@acmdv]

My constituency is "Arundel & Southdowns" it's been a Tory seat for over 40 years with a majority of well over 10K and I doubt it will be one of the many seats that the CONservative's will lose. As we are able to call a by-election with just 10% of registered voters I wonder if any of the parties have the balls to allow the same thing for a general election? I just want the election to be over and done with so the melodrama that is the Tory government is removed and the new government can get back to it's actual job of governing the country.

[@colinbaker3916]

Before 10% of voters can summon a recall, there must be a parliamentary suspension of at least ten days.

[@Simon-zb6fp]

A great video and thank you for all the research you did to make it more informative. My choice is 24th October for Sunak to announce that date during the Labour Party conference and so create a bit of short term chaos for Labour.

[@davidhodgson3901]

I doubt it’ll lead to any sort of chaos. The Tories have already indicated that their own conference may be only a single day affair. Labour won’t let a conference distract them from an imminent general election. They’ll be ready.

[@MattBooth]

It'll be May. October makes no sense, but if they don't announce it in March, then it'll be October. No chance it'll be January 2025. Running an election campaign over Christmas won't do them any good.

[@palacefan4286]

@@MattBoothRishi has already ruled out Jan 25

[@newsclubfan]

I appreciate the knowledge applied in the local election section, especially around the Midlands as we seem to be forgotten or some vague clump to most politcal analysts, which is bizarre when you consider what is here. Also, I agree, there are some odd mayoralities being created, entirely unnecessarily.

[@Kavala76]

Neither Sunak nor Starmer will get my vote. Both serve the establishment and neither will enact the significant change the UK needs.

[@SwatantraNandanwar]

Change will only come with tactical voting. So lets not sit on the fence.

[@DBGE001]

Fully agree! I gave the program of the Green Party a good look and they seem to be far more close to the working people than the party of the Tatcher loving SIR KIER STARMER!

[@davidhodgson3901]

ULEZ as an issue has already gone quiet. As expected. It didn’t affect many people and improves air quality. It was a nice idea by Boris Johnson.. 😉

[@timwoodger7896]

I’ve just got a text from Murdoch and he says it’s all in hand and he thinks it’s now time for the neoliberal “ left” To take over as there’s much work for Starmer to do such as finalising the privatisation of the healthcare system and getting the U.K. ready to switch to an India based economy and society.

[@khar12d8]

The major battleground of British politics today, once you combine the red wall and traditional swing seats, is incredibly provincial. Urban Britain barely matters electorally (unless Labour start to lose seats there). Labour's core vote these days is very urban. So this will produce tension under a Lab govt. Electorally, you need towns and villages to get Labour into power. But a lot of the members and most passionate voters are city based and often have urban values.

[@valuetraveler2026]

As sting once sang there is no political solution

[@the_9ent]

Where does Ben get his data from? 3 in 10 people like Nigel Farage? Sadiq Khan isn’t popular in London? 🧐

[@VincentAlth]

I think Sunak has been in the public eye having had questions thrown at him in a general election. He represented the Conservatives in ITV/BBC debates in 2019.

[@davidhodgson3901]

James Cleverly…? 😅

[@crayontom9687]

I’ll be voting Green or not bothering. Do I want managed decline or managed decline but slower? No thanks

[@InvadedOath]

Couple the weirdness of the Yorkshire system with the fact that York and North Yorkshire didn’t join together either in entirety or in the proposed even split meaning you’ve got one part of the mayoralty being three times the population of the other and it’s a bit of a mess really

[@cherylburrows1655]

Oh what s choice. Talk about 1 party nation. 1 hand we have Tory sunak or other hand keir Starmer Tory stooge. Oh the joys of democracy

[@kapeiluddin2849]

Among the 44 political parties registered by the Bangladesh Election Commission, 28 political parties have chairpersons and 1 advisor. He is the Prime Minister of Bangladesh. Out of 28 parties, 27 parties were born between August 2020 and 2023. Those 27 parties have 30 thousand voters in Bangladesh. These parties are going to the polls. All government made plays.

[@peterdavidson3268]

The electoral landscape has transformed during the last 30 month period. December 2019's General Election and subsequent English local council elections in 2021 appeared to have cemented Conservative dominance across swathes of previously Labour strongholds but how quickly fortunes have reversed for the two largest mainstream parties? Sadly for UK democracy in general, the Tories' apparent propensity to hit the self inflicted destruct button (several times) plus the SNP joining in the same form of lethal party games has handed Labour under Starmer a golden opportunity to clean up, courtesy of not fit for purpose First Past The Post [FPTP]. Not so long ago, a balanced (hung) Parliament result looked the most likely outcome but now Starmer seems headed for Number 10 and likely to boast the usual bogus FPTP victory, ie. a clear House of Commons [HoC] majority on the basis of a clear minority (40%?) of votes cast Nationally. That outcome will mean long overdue, radical and comprehensive Constitutional Reform will remain out of reach and public cynicism toward our political elites will continue to fester?

[@janeknight3597]

I am waiting for Labour to have some policies. I might hate them but at least I will have a steer. Of course we might have to send troops to Poland. That will change the dynamic!

[@martincheeseman5809]

Our Tory government is the worst we have ever had .They are only there for themselves. Bring on kier as soon as possible!

[@genesis1765]

14 minutes into this i thought i was watching Tory News. They went on about everything but the majorities in the red wall. They in hundreds and thousands.

[@beachcomber1able]

The Red Wallers will have woken up to the reality of brexit lunacy by next election.

[@johnrichards2508]

The disgust with the two pro-genocide parties might throw up interesting anomalies. Abstentions where there isn’t a Green alternative will be worth watching.

[@samt7351]

Bless you 😂

[@willrelf1377]

Don’t vote for either party.

[@mrD66M]

Turkeys didn't vote for Christmas either

[@andrewwing5086]

So what do you do? When in effect, we have a two party system. A voting public in the most part who are just not switched on. Only listing to three word sound bites" oven ready deal " Make Britain great " " get Brixit done". Everyone's intitled not to vote. There's not going to be a revolution anytime time soon. Even now we're too warm and well feed for that. Yes there's not much to choose from. But if there's one degree of difference, then in time it should be a chasm. Saying all this I'm truly worried where democracy is going here Europe and America.

[@RH1812]

Never use that term again! 😄

[@doug1570]

?

[@RH1812]

@@doug1570”twixtmas”

[@marklindsay1581]

Starmer win sunak useless

[@evolassunglasses4673]

Starmer will be no better. ConLab are a Uni-party.

[@ahdhudbbh]

Golden rule of British politics: the Tories win when the political commentators least expect.

[@ScottishRoss27]

No, the Tories win because England is mostly a right wing voting nation.

[@NJAlcock-eq6rv]

1970? 1992?

[@ScottishRoss27]

@@NJAlcock-eq6rv Since 1923 there has only been a Labour UK Government for 37 years of the 100 years. The other 63 years were a Torie UK Government.

[@davidhodgson3901]

@@ScottishRoss27 nah. England is instinctively a centre-left country (NHS, worker’s rights, etc) but it’s also fairly authoritarian, which can sway them to the Conservatives. That won’t work in 2024.

[@ScottishRoss27]

@@davidhodgson3901 Westminster Election History in Scotland and in England Scotland England 2019 Left Right 2017 Left Right 2015 Left Right 2010 Left Right 2005 Left Left 2001 Left Left 1997 Left Left 1992 Left Right 1987 Left Right 1983 Left Right 1979 Left Right 1974 2nd Left Left 1974 1st Left Left 1970 Left Right 1966 Left Left 1964 Left Left 1959 Left Right 1955 Right Right

[@mattpreece6106]

It doesn't surprise me that Hindu's are attracted to conservativism given their cast system being so compatible with the British class system. I can imagine both sides talking about "untouchables". Of course no group is a monolith and I feel that just like us its the older traditionalists that have held on to this.

[@daraorourke5798]

Dunno. I knew a Hindu guy who was SWP.

[@bakerbaker4455]

Wish John McDonnell was leader of the labour party, at least they'd have some decent policies. I'll vote labour only because I don't want the Tories

[@davidhodgson3901]

Which Labour policies don’t you like? How about the new deal for workers? - major changes to unfair dismissal protection; - the proposal to ban zero hours contracts; - proposals to balance work and home life, including the right to disconnect, flexible working and caring responsibilities; - proposals to reform employment status; - and far-reaching proposals to expand trade union rights.

[@tompearce3610]

Trouble is that he would be no more electable than Corbyn. I think he also planned unfunded spending. It would have been in a good cause but would have had the same effect as Truss. Would also have added to the (untrue) narrative that Labour is bad on the economy (which it then would have been).

[@Harry-x3p]

Drastic changes needed vote REFORM party spread the word 👍😊

[@ubiktd4064]

It doesn't matter who we vote for the WEF wins.