Agreed, but that’s not a counterargument in my view, just another facet of the issue.
So many different ways to be stupid and/or hateful!
Didn’t the left - specifically, the Green Party - try something like this in Australia, only for it to pretty much backfire on them?
IIRC, the plan was this:
- Have it be a hung parliament between the two major parties
- Promise support to one side on the provision that it vote for a carbon tax, or end up on the losing end of a No Confidence vote
- Watch that party lose at the next election, but there is enough opposition in the Senate to the new party in charge to block a repeal of the carbon tax
- Repeat after the next election, and after there is a complete re-election of both houses of Paraliament that allows for the carbon tax to be repealed, point out that there is so much infrastructure behind it now that repealing it would ruin the country.
What actually happened:
1 and 2 happened as planned.
3. The other major party wins the next election, attempts to repeal the carbon tax, and…oops; there are just enough votes from a minor party in the Senate that backs the new party in power to pass the repeal.
I can’t speak to actual Aussie political history in any detail; I’m simply ignorant.
I can say that everything gets much more complicated when a political system has more than 2 monolithic parties. Once there’s a whole collection of non-negligible minor parties each with their own pet issue, all sorts of complex coalitions can form and reform. And of course most of the minor parties have a greater natural affinity for one of the major parties over the other. So their own fortunes are (loosely) tied to the fortunes of their more-favored major party.
Thinking that they, and they alone, hold the critical position that will deliver them the whip hand over the major party/ies is a very, very common conceit among minor party leaders (and followers). “They’ll have to listen to us now” is as common a refrain as is “good morning”.
Yeah, it’s going great.
[…] According to YouGov (x.com), just 19% approve of the government’s record so far, dwarfed by the 55% who disapprove. And yet, there is a way it could all work out, one that might make Labour’s dour start seem less like a mistake than the first stage of a cunning plan. This, admittedly hopeful, view arises from […]
[…] Labour has decided that Truss was not wrong about everything […]
[…] Labour won in July with just 34% of the vote. The latest polling has the party at 29%.
Starmer has been in Office now for all of two months. Clearly those being polled expect blazingly fast miracles- and thus- are idiots.
The right-wing media have been busily blaming Labour for the absolute dumpster fire the Tories spent the last 14 years turning the country into. As fundamentally ineffectual as I consider Starmer and Labour to be, this spin remains utter bullshit.
Same here in the USA- the GOP blames the Dems for the deficit the GOP caused, etc. The Tories are now Right Wing Populists- which means make promises that you have no intention and cant keep (they promised a HUGE massive influx of funds into the NHS if brexit came about, for example) and then blame the other guys- and minorities too.
They always cave in to the rich and mighty:
The OBR (Office of Budget Responsability) originally forecast that scrapping the tax break for wealthy foreigners could raise about £3.2bn a year – though this was deemed to be “highly uncertain” as wealthy people could either leave Britain or find ways to avoid the tightening of tax rules.
So the government will not tax the oligarchs because they have said “booh!” Oh dear, that was frightening.
At least they have not lost their British sense of humour (or is it sarcasm?):
“We are committed to addressing unfairness in the tax system so we can raise the revenue to rebuild our public services. That is why we are removing the outdated non-dom tax regime and replacing it with a new internationally competitive residence-based regime focused on attracting the best talent and investment to the UK.”
Already backtracking? Do they want to get a Milei? because that’s how you get a Milei…
Labour’s support is wide, but shallow, and recent revelations about the freebies some of them have been accepting, something they criticised the last lot for doing, and the attitude of “it’s alright when we do it”, are not playing well. Jokes about ‘Free Gear Keir’ are already circulating. Tory scandals are usually about sex , Labour ones are usually about Money.
They’re each about what the average MP of that party doesn’t already have.
Christ on a bike, no!
(Full piece may be paywalled, but the headline’s enough)
Heh. I appreciate and enjoy his farming show (for what it is) but a transition into actual politicking would be a hurricane-force disaster.
We’ve already had a Cabinet with a May and a Hammond. It wasn’t great, but better than what followed.
You’re saying it would be a car crash?
Keir Starmer, Liz Kendall, and other senior members of the government promised, when in opposition, that they would compensate the ‘WASPI’ women over their claim that they were unfairly denied state pensions until later in their lives.
Now that they are in government, they have welshed on those promises. They have ruled against WASPI. It’s almost like they only said it to get elected.
I think that the government is right to deny the spurious WASPI claim, but Labour dishonestly played it for electoral advantage.
From what I’m seeing on tv and reading on internet, Starmer is, unfortunately, becoming untenable with each passing day.
Sad to see this level of unpopularity within 6 months.
I feel, irrespective of any previous investigations/inquiries into the grooming gangs scandal, he should have agreed for a national enquiry on this issue.
- This would have put Kemi/Farage on defense…not to mention silence Elon and his non stop trolling until the report of the enquiry comes out.
- I’m sure there is no dirty linen under Starmer’s carpet so norhing to worry on that count.
- If low level Labour party men were complicit in the coverup (I’m not saying they were but just a hypothetical scenario), strictest possible legal actions should be taken on all involved including, hypothetically any Labour sympathisers, as this is the most heinous crime. Child rapists should be imprisoned for life without parole I feel. There should be no second thoughts on deporting convicted foreign criminals on this issue.
- These actions could possibly restore confidence in Starmer/Labour in UK.
- Unfortunately Starmer hasnt agreed for the above and the demand for a National enquiry has been voted down on a party line vote.
Tough times ahead…I see this issue not going away anytime soon.
The current Labour Party appear to be what the Conservative Party were back in 2010.
Conversely, the current Conservative Party appear to be 4chan, basically - the political equivalent of toxic shitposting.
Such a delightful time we live in.
Giving ammunition to Elon Musk sadly…after doing this, then criticising him for foreign interference sure is hypocracy.
I am totally against Elon and his money throwing RW politics but Starmer should do a better job. Optics does matter in politics as much as, in some situations more than, actual deeds.
Hpothetically speaking, if Elon “sends” “volunteers” for campaigning and political work in UK will it be acceptable ?