# UK Snap Election: 8 June 2017 **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [April 18, 2017, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-snap-election-8-june-2017/784690 "2017-04-18T10:08:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 26
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2017, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-snap-election-8-june-2017/784690/503 "2017-05-22T16:41:37Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > George Osborne (in his new capacity as editor of the Evening Standard) is tweeting that there’s going to be a u-turn on the dementia tax. It seems he was right. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2017, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-snap-election-8-june-2017/784690/504 "2017-05-22T17:34:04Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > It seems he was right. He seems to be enjoying himself in his new gig… ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2017, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-snap-election-8-june-2017/784690/505 "2017-05-22T17:36:08Z")
It seems that the Labour liars are out in force: > **[Labour Campaign Group's Fake News NHS Poster](https://order-order.com/2017/05/19/labour-campaign-groups-fake-news-nhs-poster/)** > > Labour Future, the centrist grassroots Labour Party campaign group, has posted a fake NHS poster telling voters to buy health insurance, claiming > **[Trickett Tweets Fake News](https://order-order.com/2017/05/21/trickett-tweets-fake-news/)** > > Labour Shadow Cabinet member and top Corbynista Jon Trickett excelled himself this morning by retweeting a patently fake BBC News graphic which falsely And the Liberal Democrats have also been caught: > **[Another Lying LibDem Leaflet](https://order-order.com/2017/05/22/another-lying-libdem-leaflet/)** > > What is it with the LibDems and telling straight lies on their leaflets? The above was delivered in Hornsey and Wood Green over the weekend, quoting an > **[Sarah Olney's Leafleting Lie](https://order-order.com/2017/05/19/sarah-olneys-leafleting-lie/)** > > When a candidate knocks on your door and you aren't in, they often stick an "I called to see you today" leaflet through your letterbox to show they made And the thugs are out and about: > **[Protester Arrested at May Wrexham Visit](https://order-order.com/2017/05/22/protester-arrested-may-wrexham-visit/)** > > Press Association are reporting the man arrested was protesting against fox-hunting. And the Tories fare little better: > **[May Manifesto Bombs](https://order-order.com/2017/05/20/may-manifesto-bombs/)** > > Tory lead slashed with two pollsters following the manifestos: YouGov / Sunday Times CON: 44% (-5) LAB: 35% (+4) LIBDEM: 9% (-) UKIP: 3% (-) Survation / > **[May Also Misleading on "Dementia Tax" Origin](https://order-order.com/2017/05/22/may-also-misleading-dementia-tax-origin/)** > > At her speech this morning Theresa May chastised a reporter for using the phrase "dementia tax", insisting it is a term "used by Labour to try and scare > **[Crick Roasts "Weak and Wobbly" May: "The Lady Is For Turning"](https://order-order.com/2017/05/22/crick-roasts-weak-wobbly-may-lady-turning/)** > > Theresa May accused of being "weak and wobbly" after announcing there will be "absolute limit" on how much people will pay for social care (And Guido’s supposed to be right wing.) ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2017, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-snap-election-8-june-2017/784690/506 "2017-05-22T17:40:15Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > He seems to be enjoying himself in his new gig… I’m sure he knows where all the Tories’ skeletons are buried. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2017, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-snap-election-8-june-2017/784690/507 "2017-05-22T17:43:58Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > I’m sure he knows where all the Tories’ skeletons are buried. Pretty sure he loathes May too.The feeling is no doubt mutual. ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2017, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-snap-election-8-june-2017/784690/508 "2017-05-22T18:03:34Z")
The biggest issues for me with this u-turn are (a) it undermines the central ‘strong and stable’ mantra and (b) it undermines the whole ‘best person for the Brexit negotiation’ theme. It’s not the end of the world but she really hasn’t done herself any favours. Loving the voter registration numbers (currently 15,000 online) - Corbyn has the yoof vote and they are piling in. ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2017, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-snap-election-8-june-2017/784690/509 "2017-05-22T18:54:44Z")
Holy smoke! Three weeks ago the Tories led by 6% in Wales - an historic high. That’s now smashed: [Voting Intention (Wales): Labour 44%, Conservatives 34% (18-21 May) | YouGov](https://yougov.co.uk/news/2017/05/22/voting-intention-wales-labour-44-conservatives/) If this could sweep across to the Midlands … ---
**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:** [May 22, 2017, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-snap-election-8-june-2017/784690/510 "2017-05-22T21:30:41Z")
If we assume your enthusiasm is rewarded and Labor forms the next government, what then? I’m not trying to be a smart-ass or set a rhetorical trap. I’m genuinely wondering how the rest plays out. Perhaps Corbyn becomes PM. Perhaps there’s some internal party discord and somehow one of the other current Labor leading lights becomes PM. Then they confront the problem that Article 50 is ticking. As is all the rest of the crap involved in leading the fractious & fracturing UK out of the current economic & social situations. Did perhaps the Tories aim the bus directly at the swamp and now they’re about to engineer, perhaps unwittingly, turning the steering over to Labor just as the mud gets soft & deep? One of our US conservative posters thinks that by winning in 2016 the US Republicans have bought themselves an endless morass of problems they’d have done better to let the Democrats fail at handling. Are Labor about to win a thoroughly poisoned chalice? Are they still better off doing so than letting the Tories continue to poison it further? Interesting questions. At least to me. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2017, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-snap-election-8-june-2017/784690/511 "2017-05-22T22:07:07Z")
> [@up\_the\_junction](#): > > The biggest issues for me with this u-turn are (a) it undermines the central ‘strong and stable’ mantra I disagree. It’s to the Tories’ credit that they’ve admitted the fuck-up and reversed it so quickly. That’s strength. Of course, it would have been better for them if they hadn’t made the error in the first place but now it’s no longer an open sore. ---
**Author:** ![Malden\_Capell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malden_capell/32/5274_2.png) [@Malden\_Capell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malden_Capell)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2017, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-snap-election-8-june-2017/784690/512 "2017-05-22T22:13:40Z")
> [@up\_the\_junction](#): > > Holy smoke! Three weeks ago the Tories led by 6% in Wales - an historic high. That’s now smashed: [Voting Intention (Wales): Labour 44%, Conservatives 34% (18-21 May) | YouGov](https://yougov.co.uk/news/2017/05/22/voting-intention-wales-labour-44-conservatives/) > > If this could sweep across to the Midlands … It does look startling, but until it shows up in other polls over a few days, it is highly likely to be an outlier… ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2017, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-snap-election-8-june-2017/784690/513 "2017-05-22T22:30:02Z")
> [@up\_the\_junction](#): > > Loving the voter registration numbers (currently 15,000 online) - Corbyn has the yoof vote and they are piling in. He’s offering them a £27K+ bribe - no more paying for university course fees. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2017, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-snap-election-8-june-2017/784690/514 "2017-05-23T04:56:51Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > He’s offering them a £27K+ bribe - no more paying for university course fees. Is this an irregular verb? Like, I vote for a better future for my family, you’re easily swayed by campaign promises, he takes bribes? ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2017, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-snap-election-8-june-2017/784690/515 "2017-05-23T10:46:57Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > Pretty sure he loathes May too.The feeling is no doubt mutual. To be fair, the list of people who **don’t** loathe Osborne is a lot shorter than the list of people who do. > [@Quartz](#): > > I disagree. It’s to the Tories’ credit that they’ve admitted the fuck-up and reversed it so quickly. That’s strength. Of course, it would have been better for them if they hadn’t made the error in the first place but now it’s no longer an open sore. Interesting definition of “strength”. If Labour or the LibDems had done it, would you have characterised it as such, or as a “flip-flop” and sign of internal chaos? A lot of the Conservatives’ late “come-to-Jesus” worker-friendly items shoehorned into their manifesto resemble the sort of desperate pandering they did just before the Scottish referendum when all sorts of promises were made at the eleventh hour about devolving power to Scotland, most of which become abruptly much less urgent the day after the vote. Anyone believing that the party has suddenly taken an interest in the working class after years of screwing it over has a very short memory. > [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > Is this an irregular verb? Like, I vote for a better future for my family, you’re easily swayed by campaign promises, he takes bribes? You see this in the US too - _my_ party represents the needs of “real Americans”; _the other_ party is attempting to buy votes. At least Labour’s abrupt update on tuition is consistent with their previous stance; they’ve accelerated the timeline but it was already on their agenda. Theresa May’s newfound concern for worker’s rights is pretty much the opposite of the line she and the party have been touting for years. ---
**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:** [May 23, 2017, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-snap-election-8-june-2017/784690/516 "2017-05-23T11:12:58Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > If we assume your enthusiasm is rewarded and Labor forms the next government, what then? I’m not trying to be a smart-ass or set a rhetorical trap. I’m genuinely wondering how the rest plays out. > > Perhaps Corbyn becomes PM. Perhaps there’s some internal party discord and somehow one of the other current Labor leading lights becomes PM. No. If they actually win it, it will be like the Second Coming, so no-one’s going to challenge him. There would be at least a year for the new (and probably somewhat surprised) Labour members to get the measure of each other (a challenge can only really originate in the parliamentary party). > [@LSLGuy](#): > > Then they confront the problem that Article 50 is ticking. Indeed, and a great deal would depend on what they would come up with as a negotiating position and the EU would then do in response. Chances are that the seemingly sticky opening points (financial disentanglement, status of migrated nationals) might be more easily got over, but the big questions for the long-term relationship are as problematic as ever. > [@LSLGuy](#): > > Did perhaps the Tories aim the bus directly at the swamp and now they’re about to engineer, perhaps unwittingly, turning the steering over to Labor just as the mud gets soft & deep? No, she did it to stifle UKIP and those of that tendency in her own party (and on present form looks like she’s succeeding). Whether, having done so, she would adopt a more emollient approach in the Brexit negotiations will depend on the size of the majority and the complexion of the members making it up. > [@LSLGuy](#): > > Are Labor about to win a thoroughly poisoned chalice? Are they still better off doing so than letting the Tories continue to poison it further? Interesting questions. At least to me. I don’t think they will win, or if they do it would be with so narrow a majority as to make for not a very long-lived government, unless Corbyn can do a Harold Wilson, which I doubt. Perhaps the answer to your question depends on whether you think the chalice was poisoned by the Tory response to the financial crisis in the first place. There is a view that says the economy, and the public finances, were reviving in 2010 and the process was thrown into reverse by the insistence on cutting expenditure more than raising revenue. The [long-term underlying future issues remain](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/may/21/forget-brexit-the-real-challenge-is-creating-enough-wealth-for-an-ageing-population), but it’s a value judgment as to whether that will be eased by reducing the size of the state, or where new investment is going to come from and where it’s going to go, how you persuade people to keep on re-skilling, how you bring the housing market back from la-la-land, and so on. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2017, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-snap-election-8-june-2017/784690/517 "2017-05-23T12:05:59Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Interesting definition of “strength”. Not really. Compare it with Farron recently firing a racist candidate. Of course, May is now making a complete hash of it by making excuses and prevaricating. She should just say something along the lines of, “Yes, it wasn’t a good idea and we’ve binned it. Next question?” ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2017, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-snap-election-8-june-2017/784690/518 "2017-05-23T12:07:52Z")
The problem will come if there’s a hung Parliament. The SNP will likely hold the balance of power and will, of course, demand independence for Scotland. And the Tories will give May the boot PDQ. A second chance for Boris, perhaps? ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2017, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-snap-election-8-june-2017/784690/519 "2017-05-23T12:32:44Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > The problem will come if there’s a hung Parliament. The SNP will likely hold the balance of power and will, of course, demand independence for Scotland. And the Tories will give May the boot PDQ. A second chance for Boris, perhaps? There really aren’t any good outcomes to this election. If the Conservatives win outright they’ll continue to drive the country to the right and the economy into the toilet. In the unlikely event Labour win outright we get the Corbyn, McDonnell and Abbott shitshow. If there’s a hung Parliament we get chaos. Best option might be a close Labour win and internal party coup, although I haven’t the foggiest idea who would be any better to lead. Keir Starmer might be the best current choice despite his very short Parliamentary tenure; he’d certainly be best placed to deal with Brexit. The thought of Boris as Tory leader is a sad one but the other options aren’t much better there either. I mean, imagine Michael Gove in charge - _there’s_ a thought to chill the blood. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2017, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-snap-election-8-june-2017/784690/520 "2017-05-23T12:36:32Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > I mean, imagine Michael Gove in charge - _there’s_ a thought to chill the blood. Don’t. Tempt. Fate. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2017, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-snap-election-8-june-2017/784690/521 "2017-05-23T12:50:01Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Don’t. Tempt. Fate. oh god oh god oh god I take it all back I didn’t mean it oh god please no ---
**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:** [May 23, 2017, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-snap-election-8-june-2017/784690/522 "2017-05-23T13:15:39Z")
Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetle … 😃 ETA: Thank you **Patrick**. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-snap-election-8-june-2017/784690.md?page=25) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-snap-election-8-june-2017/784690.md?page=27)