A Labour government, six months after general election victory, who is at the top?

[Slime]

In a nutshell yes.

Labour was tainted for many years by the industrial upheaval that was commonplace in the seventies. The Conservatives made sure that nobody would forget those troubled times. The Conservative's though prior to 1997 had their own problems. They were rocked by several political scandals and after 18 years in government, they were pretty much past their sell by date.

Blair had moved the Labour Party very much to the centre ground politically and policy wise. He was an advocate of policy needs to be something to get us elected rather than something we like and think others should look at it and elect us to implement it. He even said that for a period of time, he would stick to Conservative spending limits if he came to power.

On top of his views on policy formulation, take into account that he was also seen as a fresh face with lot's of vigour who would bring much needed change for the better to Britain, he was looking good. Remember the song by D:Ream "Things Can Only Get Better." That song epitomised Labours message to the country.

Blair had also done his groundwork not just with the general public but with the other institutions that mattered. The press weren't as usually hostile to Labour as they commonly were in previous elections and he had courted industry assuring them that Labour wouldn't return to the old days of beer and sandwiches at No10 with the trade unions and leaving industry management etc out in the cold.

His efforts in conjunction with the negative image of the Conservatives paid off with a huge swing to the Labour Party and the rest is history.

Good summary, but the 'Things can only get better' reference brought back the image of Prescott looking totally uncomfortable when the song was played at the celebration.
At least he didnt try a 'Redwood' and pretend to join in

 

[ugly]

The Conservative's though prior to 1997 had their own problems. They were rocked by several political scandals

None of which were even close to the filth and mire that Blairs cronies were involved in. Shagging your secretary got you the sack, that's not a scandal, what's a scandal is the behaviour of Labour in office and the way none of them were sacked let alone resigned for what they got up to. Look at the Hinduja Brothers and compare it to the oik Mellor, no comparison!

 

[ugly]

Like a slightly less oily Cameron?

Not really, Cameron was a shifty PR merchant (for a living) and everyone connected knew he wouldn't back up what he said even if you bought it!
Blair was a filthy lying failed lawyer.
At least Cameron didn't do Knee Jerk legislation to outperform Labour in the something must be done stakes!

 

[ugly]

Forgetting whether you or I liked him, he got elected for three terms as PM and was Labours longest serving PM. Thats not something easily missed.

His New Labour ideology was clearly popular with a lot of people.
I can't see the appeal of Corbyn but can clearly see he has a growing following who hang on his every word.

Which is why he kept the populace dumbed down and bought votes with populist legislation that the rest of us are still paying for. No one in his party would challenge him, they were addicted to the power trip too and believed possibly sincerely that all those stupid laws they brought in were for the greater good the sad twats.

 

[ugly]

. Remember the song by D:Ream "Things Can Only Get Better." That song epitomised Labours message to the country.

How can I forget it? Things didn't get better, unless you were a lifer on the dole with loads of kids on welfare. The rest of us paid for this.

 

[Kitmarlowe]

No, she found £1bn to buy the DUP votes so she could remain in power.

And QE will take care of any spending plans. That plus actually taxing the mega Corporates properly.

Minor problem with taxing mega corps. You have to deal with the issue of the Treaty of Rome and it's 4 great freedoms and a host of other EU regulations and directives that allow mega corps to act as if the wholesale price of their coffee is twice that of any other merchant, or that the rights to their logos are priced so highly or that they made no profit in the UK but the tiny office shared with 14 other mega corps in Luxemburg did make a profit loaning money to the UK branch at a rate about 10 times over the average bank loan for a £1bn...


Best of luck with that one....

 

[ugly]

His New Labour ideology was clearly popular with a lot of people.

That's the point of a first past the post election, its seats that swing the win and some seats have more than others.
Eventually enough saw through the mess he had left!

 

[ugly]

the tiny office shared with 14 other mega corps in Luxemburg did make a profit loaning money to the UK branch at a rate about 10 times over the average bank loan for a £1bn...

The latest corporation tax scam about to be unleashed on the UK! This time its available for small operators.

 

[Slime]

Which is why he kept the populace dumbed down and bought votes with populist legislation that the rest of us are still paying for. No one in his party would challenge him, they were addicted to the power trip too and believed possibly sincerely that all those stupid laws they brought in were for the greater good the sad twats.

I haven't said I like him, or need any persuasion etc
I said said he was popular with lots of people, hence him and his gang doing three terms in office.
If we include PM Brown as part of the New Labour years I suspect the country will be paying for their errors for a long long time.

This post crossed with your post #147 so I didnt see it until after posting this.

 

[Welch Man]

He went for the Mondeo man.

The concept of the "Mondeo man" was popularised by a phrase used by then-Leader of the Labour Party, Tony Blair at the Labour Party Conference in October 1996. He recalled a Ford Sierra owner he had canvassed in the Midlands whilst campaigning for the general election of 1992.[7]The man was a self-employed electrician, who Blair met while the man was polishing his car at the weekend, and told Blair that he was an ex-Labour voter who had bought his council house, owned his own car, and wondered what the Labour Party had to offer him given the party's history of raising taxes and mortgage rates:

His dad voted Labour, he said. He used to vote Labour, too. But he'd bought his own house now. He'd set up his own business. He was doing very nicely. "So I've become a Tory" he said. In that moment, he crystallised for me the basis of our failure... His instincts were to get on in life. And he thought our instincts were to stop him. But that was never our history or our purpose.[8]​

This is the story that is often credited with inspiring Blair's concept of New Labour, and the "Mondeo man" superseded the "Essex man", as the target of the 1997 general election campaign for the Labour Party.[9] (By 1993, the Sierra had been replaced by the Mondeo in the Ford model range, hence the misquote that gave birth to Mondeo Man).[10][11] Blair subsequently won the general election of 1997, with a record landslide majority of 179 MPs.[1]

My bold in the middle again what does Labour offer to the average Joe.

 

[ugly]

He went for the Mondeo man.


My bold in the middle again what does Labour offer to the average Joe.

Average working man?
Nothing, none of them offer anything worth getting excited about. It's now a case of who is the one I don't want ruining the country and vote accordingly.

 

[Welch Man]

Average working man?
Nothing, none of them offer anything worth getting excited about. It's now a case of who is the one I don't want ruining the country and vote accordingly.

My thoughts exactly but in a polite manner.

 

[Wasteofrations]

Six months in an Corbyn would still be in power, but there would be

1. Chaos at the Home Office - Diane Abbott's banning of Stop Search and requirement that BME officers fill 80% of police training posts have led to the resignation of 38 of the 43 Chief Constables. Forces where the BME population is low are not exempt and as such have cancelled all training, leading to a sharp fall in officer numbers. Crime is rising and what is left of the Army [see below] has been called in after riots broke out in Bristol after a power cut.

2. Chaos at the Treasury - the Land Value system that has replaced Council Tax has led to a three bedroom house in north London having a bill of £10,000 and a terrace in certain parts of fashionable Cheshire a £4000 bill [figures published this week]. As such house prices have crashed, arrears and bankruptcies have meant council incomes have plummeted and central government is bailing out. At the same time bailing out is what the City is doing after swinging taxes are levied on financial institutions to pay for the enormous increase in spending on the NHS. The EU has waived the new trade tariffs to encourage banks to relocate to Frankfurt and Rotterdam.

3. Chaos at Defence. Trident has been scrapped and policy is that the Armed Forces will be limited to a costal and domestic territorial protection role. The Falklands have been handed to Argentina and Gibraltar to the Spanish after threats of armed action have been made. CDS, CGS, CAS and 1st Sea Lord posts are all vacant as all potential officers have resigned or refused the appointment. NATO is considering expelling UK as it refuses to commit funds or personnel to operations or training. On receiving his orders to return to port the Captain of the on-patrol SSBN has sailed it to the US where the crew are now claiming political asylum.

4. Chaos at the Foreign Office. Due to Corbyn aligning himself with Iran, Palestine and Russia, the US has formally ended the Special Relationship and President Trump [elected for a landslide second term] refers to UK as 'a hostile former ally'.

5. Domestically. Unemployment is soaring. Interest rates are at 5% and rising at .5 of a percentage point [note correct nomenclature] per month. The Governor of the BoE has predicted that the UK will be bankrupt in 6 month. inflation is also increasing rapidly and there have been disturbances caused by basic food shortages. The arbitrary closure of all nuclear power stations has meant a rolling programme of power cuts and the power workers' unions have issued a 20% pay claim, predicting a return to the 3 Day Week of the Heath era.

6. Scotland has issued a Unilateral Declaration of Independence (so there is some good to come of it after all).

Do you want me to go on?

You might have something there.
No6 made me laff.

 

[velcrostripes]

Apparently , Conservative Central Office have predicted a Doomsday scenario as follows .
The government is defeated on a HoC vote on the Customs Union , resulting in a vote of no confidence and a General Election in October .
Labour win the most seats , but not an overall majority and form a government in coalition with the Lib Dems .
Quite what happens then is anybody's guess , but presumably we get such a watered down Brexit that we may as well not bother . On the other hand , Corbyn may want us out completely so he can rape the multinationals and everyone else down to the owners of lawn mowers ?
A lot of commentators have smugly suggested this scenario is a good thing , as then people will gratefully turn to the Conservatives after 5 years of economic Gotterdammerung and never vote Labour again .
My only doubt about that is the changing demographics in this country .
There are a hell of a lot of Have nots amongst our newer arrivals who will think every day is Christmas ( or Ede , Diwali , the Festival of Light or whatever ) with all the " free " stuff they will be getting such as increased benefits , the right to bring their entire families over , free university , an ( allegedly ) better health service , free bus rides , et , etc .
Alternatively , as Labour are incapable of delivering so much as a parcel , perhaps even the thickest voters will realise you actually get fek all under the Marxists and the electorate recant sooner ?
The only good news I have heard today is that voters in certain wards were refused the right to vote for failing to produce ID , in an experiment that will hopefully be rolled out nationally .

 

[Welch Man]

The only good news I have heard today is that voters in certain wards were refused the right to vote for failing to produce ID , in an experiment that will hopefully be rolled out nationally .

The Guardian had a melt down over that. Usual suspects argument presented. What makes it so difficult to carry a bit of paper for something that happens every few years. NO ID, what do you have to hide???

 

[velcrostripes]

Watching the first results , it looks like Labour's not making any inroads at all . We'll see what it looks like in the morning.

 

[Welch Man]

Watching the first results , it looks like Labour's not making any inroads at all . We'll see what it looks like in the morning.

I'd say going back so far. Given the Labour are supposed to be on the rise, its very non plus. The Welsh council vote last year went even worse losing major Labour areas. Overall I think Labour are not as popular as they push in the press.

 

[AULD_SWEAT]

Nice to see Corbyns lot, ( I won't call them Labour.) take such a drubbing. Mazel Tov You front bottoms.

 

[RZer0]

I'd say going back so far. Given the Labour are supposed to be on the rise, its very non plus. The Welsh council vote last year went even worse losing major Labour areas. Overall I think Labour are not as popular as they push in the right wing Jewish controlled press.

Fixed that.

 

[velcrostripes]

Labour's political equivalent of the Battle of the Somme .
All that hope , all that effort , all the hard campaigning .
And they couldn't even take Swindon .

I wish I knew how to do one of those Downfall videos .

PS How much of a part did the crackdown on fraud in certain wards affect the Labour vote ?