# UK General Election {2024-07-04} **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [May 22, 2024, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-general-election-2024-07-04/1001932 "2024-05-22T23:15:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![Stanislaus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stanislaus/32/3391_2.png) [@Stanislaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stanislaus)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2024, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-general-election-2024-07-04/1001932/221 "2024-06-19T14:12:45Z")
I think teh general concern now is to obliterate the Tories, rather than try to influence the make up and attitude of the incoming Labour government. Which isn’t to say there aren’t elements on the left who are arguing for votes for the Green party (e.g.) on the grounds that it will temper the inevitable majority. But that’s a fringe position. Next time round however… ---
**Author:** ![Teuton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teuton/32/3864_2.png) [@Teuton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teuton)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2024, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-general-election-2024-07-04/1001932/222 "2024-06-19T15:58:16Z")
There was certainly a big push yesterday to get more voters registered by the deadline. Only about 2/3rds of 18-25 yr olds where registered to vote at the start of the week, compared with over 90% of pensioners. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2024, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-general-election-2024-07-04/1001932/223 "2024-06-19T15:59:06Z")
It’s hard to argue with a majority around 300. But the Labour left will, and probably sooner rather than later. ---
**Author:** ![Teuton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teuton/32/3864_2.png) [@Teuton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teuton)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2024, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-general-election-2024-07-04/1001932/224 "2024-06-19T16:10:45Z")
It’s not like the Tory right have been any quieter. The cycle is quite weird, where a party gets in by appealing to moderates and immediately starts a gallop off to the extremes, ignoring the centrist policies that got them in in the first place. The Tory manifesto is very hard right this time, very little centrist thinking at all, and there just isn’t enough of that kind of voter around to win an election. ---
**Author:** ![iamatractorboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iamatractorboy/32/21261_2.png) [@iamatractorboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamatractorboy)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2024, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-general-election-2024-07-04/1001932/225 "2024-06-19T16:43:37Z")
Which Labour government went way off to the left? Genuine question, not a snarky response. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2024, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-general-election-2024-07-04/1001932/226 "2024-06-19T21:07:24Z")
> [@Teuton](#): > > Only about 2/3rds of 18-25 yr olds where registered to vote at the start of the week, compared with over 90% of pensioners. Most (probably) pensioners are registered to vote because they’ve done it once and don’t have to do anything to remain registered. 66% of 18-25 year-olds is around the same as the turnout at general elections, so not too bad ! ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2024, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-general-election-2024-07-04/1001932/227 "2024-06-19T21:21:23Z")
What fraction of 18-25-year-olds were eligible to vote in the previous general election? ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2024, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-general-election-2024-07-04/1001932/228 "2024-06-19T21:40:56Z")
Approximately 2/7ths. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2024, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-general-election-2024-07-04/1001932/229 "2024-06-19T21:51:40Z")
> [@Teuton](#): > > The Tory manifesto is very hard right this time, very little centrist thinking at all, and there just isn’t enough of that kind of voter around to win an election. That may be an effort to prevent a migration to Reform. And/or the laying down of a marker to establish that _whoever_ comes next had better stick to the right, and the position will be to let _the other guys_ move in _our_ direction if they want to look like they’re seeking consensus (much as the position of the American right has been). ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2024, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-general-election-2024-07-04/1001932/230 "2024-06-20T01:18:10Z")
Gordon Brown was hardly “way off to the left”, but was significantly more left wing than Blair. That probably wasn’t the only, or even the main reason he lost, though. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2024, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-general-election-2024-07-04/1001932/231 "2024-06-20T07:40:54Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > I’d expect that desire to run up the score to be common to universal among the _politically engaged_ left-leaning voters. > > What of the rest of them who aren’t politically engaged? I know I don’t know. The ones who aren’t politically engaged probably don’t know Labour is expected to win, so they’ll go vote. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2024, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-general-election-2024-07-04/1001932/232 "2024-06-20T10:26:03Z")
There’s a growing scandal over betting on the election. Even one of Sunak’s police protection detail has been arrested, and now…. [Tory director of campaigning being looked into over election bet](https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cd119p9een9t) ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2024, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-general-election-2024-07-04/1001932/233 "2024-06-20T10:50:31Z")
This election campaign has been a total nightmare for the Conservatives from start to finish. And it’s all self-inflicted. They need a major scandal to hit Labour or Reform, which of course could still happen. I’m confident we will see more revelations about the questionable views of Reform candidates at the very least. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2024, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-general-election-2024-07-04/1001932/234 "2024-06-20T11:15:44Z")
There’s been a few individual Labour candidates in trouble over old tweets, but in one sense that reinforces Starmer’s desired “we deal with nutters” image. > **[SNP under pressure to ditch candidate over 'pro-Putin' posts](https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/labour-suspends-pro-russian-candidate-33060734)** > > Andy Brown will no longer have party backing in Aberdeenshire North and Moray East in contrast to Glen Reynolds, who has been backed by his party ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2024, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-general-election-2024-07-04/1001932/235 "2024-06-20T12:04:16Z")
More on the Labour left here: > **[Starmer fighting one seat, Corbyn the one next door: a schism and a symbol of...](https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/jun/20/keir-starmer-jeremy-corbyn-labour-london-rift)** > > The current Labour leader will win; the former leader might. And the dynamics of their rift are being played out around the country, says Guardian columnist Zoe Williams And (oh dear me) more Tories caught up in gambling investigations; > **[General election live: Tory director of campaigning being looked into over...](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cd119p9een9t)** > > Laura Saunders' husband Tony Lee has taken a leave of absence from the campaign, the BBC can reveal. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2024, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-general-election-2024-07-04/1001932/236 "2024-06-20T14:20:14Z")
> [@PatrickLondon](#): > > but in one sense that reinforces Starmer’s desired “we deal with nutters” image. As opposed to the Tory practice of elevating them to PM? Delicious! ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2024, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-general-election-2024-07-04/1001932/237 "2024-06-20T14:30:13Z")
> [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > There’s a growing scandal over betting on the election. Even one of Sunak’s police protection detail has been arrested, and now…. > > [Tory director of campaigning being looked into over election bet](https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cd119p9een9t) I had assumed from the headline that they were betting on what the result of the election would be (which seems a bit unseemly but not too problematic since they can’t know) but the bets were actually regarding when the election would be called for. Which was at the Prime Minister’s discretion and they _could_ have benefited from inside information. Jesus. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2024, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-general-election-2024-07-04/1001932/238 "2024-06-21T05:47:49Z")
> [@flurb](#): > > they _could_ have benefited from inside information. That’s what’s being investigated, though I doubt there’s cast-iron evidence of anything more than a lucky guess, given the ongoing speculation about dates. But that still doesn’t look good in the light of professional codes of discipline. ---
**Author:** ![Teuton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teuton/32/3864_2.png) [@Teuton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teuton)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2024, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-general-election-2024-07-04/1001932/239 "2024-06-21T08:49:41Z")
There was a leaders Question Time last night, some BBC analysis here: > **[General election 2024: Impassioned Question Time audience puts leaders on the...](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cnddj9g1d5ko)** > > The BBC's chief political correspondent analyses the key moments of Thursday's Leaders' Special. Nothing in there about the betting issue, but it was certainly mentioned, and Sunak was visible angry, and has promised to boot out Tories find to have broken the rules. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2024, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-general-election-2024-07-04/1001932/240 "2024-06-21T09:39:04Z")
> [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](#): > > This election campaign has been a total nightmare for the Conservatives from start to finish. And it’s all self-inflicted. > > They need a major scandal to hit Labour or Reform, which of course could still happen. I heard Gove on the radio talking about how the gambling scandal was just “a small number of individuals” and that we shouldn’t judge the whole party on their actions. I wanted the interviewer to fire back with “Would you be saying that if they were Labour?” > [@](#): > > I’m confident we will see more revelations about the questionable views of Reform candidates at the very least. The one I heard yesterday was Samantha Goggin talking about wars started by past prime ministers and including the Falklands in the list. (go to 0:35 in the video) > **[Fool Of The Week - Reform UK Candidate Blames Tories For Falklands War](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ofjpq_FnIg%2F)** > > A Reform UK candidate for parliament names Samantha Goggin made a bit of a fool of her hself by attacking Labour for taking part in the Afgan war and the Tor... To me, not as bad a faux pas as almost anything else Reform says, but unlike nonsense on climate change and foreigners, this one would piss off their base. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-general-election-2024-07-04/1001932.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-general-election-2024-07-04/1001932.md?page=13)