Should we have another general election very soon?

Switch it off & switch it on again ....

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Should another general election be called this week to take place as soon as possible?

The present situation is absolutely chaotic.  Theresa May is holding talks with Irish politicians who even Sinn Fein regard as too unprincipled to do deals with.  It seems she believes that the national interest requires that she should continue as Prime Minister by any mechanism she can contrive, whatever the consequences for the UK.

The election result leaves no scope for any workable coalition to be established.

Is the only option to switch off parliament & switch it on again in the hope of getting some different numbers?

RM

Replies (23)

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RLI
By lionofludesch
11th Jun 2017 11:46

Keep going until we get the result we want, you mean ?

Of course it's chaotic. But whose fault is that?

I have to say I was a bit surprised to see the Tories linking up with the DUP. Despite the "Unionist" bit in their names, the DUP aren't really Conservatives. They're more like Labour for unionists.

Which is why North Down doesn't have either a Unionist or Nationalist MP. They have Lady Sylvia Hermon.

The real danger for Northern Ireland - and our land border with the EU - is that it will be even more difficult to get Stormont up and running again if the Government are not seen to be entirely neutral.

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Replying to lionofludesch:
By SteveHa
12th Jun 2017 08:41

lionofludesch wrote:

Keep going until we get the result we want, you mean ?


I wouldn't say that. I'd say keep going until we get a result, period.
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Replying to SteveHa:
Red Leader
By Red Leader
12th Jun 2017 12:35

SteLacca wrote:

lionofludesch wrote:

Keep going until we get the result we want, you mean ?

I wouldn't say that. I'd say keep going until we get a result, period.


We have a result.

Rather than"hung parliament", I prefer "less unrepresentative parliament".

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Out of my mind
By runningmate
12th Jun 2017 08:58

If I were Mr May I would be saying to my wife, "Look, love, you did your best but it has not worked out. It's time to walk away & let someone else have a go."
She clearly is in no fit state to continue.
Whether someone else could bring together sufficient MPs in some sort of consensus to operate as a government I don't know. But the worst of all possible worlds would be TM staggering on & pretending to herself that nothing has changed.
RM

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By ireallyshouldknowthisbut
12th Jun 2017 10:06

I am not sure why everyone thinks the opposition parties will vote in one block.

Labour was hopeless in the previous parliament when ever there was a blue corner back bench revolt - they votes both ways or abstained so the bill was passed.

The cons still have an effective working majority, for as long as we don't have an effective opposition. And we dont, for all the divisions in the blue corner, the reds are miles apart. Picking the shadow cabinet is like picking from the same depth of field as the Lib Dems.

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avatar
By Alex_T
12th Jun 2017 11:12

Irish politicians? Last time I checked, Northern Ireland was part of the United Kingdom (Great Britain and Northern Ireland). Have we forgotten about the 1922 partition? The Democratic 'UNIONIST' Party - The party sees itself as defending Britishness and Ulster Protestant culture against Irish nationalism. Just saying!
There will no need to have another election if Mrs May strikes a deal with the DUP but God helps us all!

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Replying to Alex_T:
paddle steamer
By DJKL
12th Jun 2017 12:08

Even with the deal with DUP there will likely be a need for an election, the DUP merely delays to some indeterminate time, but the chances of running for five years with such a slim overall majority would be pretty low even if it was all one party's slim majority, being two parties in the mix it seems to me less likely still.

Seems to me Conservative approach is;

Stage 1 -Avoid election when Conservatives have been hit and are groggy but are not out, give them time to get back up and hold on to ropes.

Stage 2- Start Brexit talks and get to holidays (breather-end of round)

Stage 3-Ditch PM and get another, cannot risk May being in office in case DUP deal flounders and need to go back to country, she would be a surefire election liability. (Start leading with right instead of left or left instead of right-confuse the opponent)

In addition as DUP know May is liability whilst she is PM they can ask Conservatives anything safe in knowledge that Conservatives not in position to refuse as cannot risk election until she is replaced. (Do not let opponent know you are hurting and have a broken rib, if he knows will keep hitting it)

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Replying to Alex_T:
RLI
By lionofludesch
12th Jun 2017 19:06

Alex_T wrote:

Irish politicians?

Mrs Lion keeps making that point - and I do take it.

However, I point out that she didn't moan when Matty Hadden from Carrickfergus played rugby league for Ireland against the Ruskies last October.

Context is all-important.

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Red Leader
By Red Leader
12th Jun 2017 12:37

If the DUP only abstain rather than vote against the Government, the Conservatives have a majority of 2.

With the DUP voting with them, the majority is 12.

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Replying to Red Leader:
paddle steamer
By DJKL
12th Jun 2017 14:31

Unless, shock horror, Sinn Fein do turn up in which case DUP withdrawl of support loses them majority (if all others vote against) Having said this I do not see as very likely, merely technically possible.

We are more likely we get the odd death etc and by-election eroding Government support through the process.

Of course worst cases are Brexit deal becomes so watered down some more right wing Conservatives leave the whip or DUP deal becomes so toxic that some Conservatives decide they cannot support the government;-Ruth's lunch today with the PM will be interesting.

The Scottish Conservatives deserting Government whip is imho at this juncture very unlikely, same may not be the case if relationship starts to look toxic in a few months, these MPs need to consider their re-election chances.

Other interesting point, if it is shown to be technically possible to fudge a EU deal to accommodate Eire/NI open Border it will establish the point that it is possible to so do, if this is the case then the next issue will be Scotland seeking similar opt out as it will have been shown to be possible.

The Conservative issue here is a balance to keep the range of Conservative opinions on side and backing the Government, IMHO this may prove just as difficult as the discussions with the EU.

Plate juggling is certainly the order of the day.

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Replying to DJKL:
paddle steamer
By DJKL
12th Jun 2017 14:34

Also, with DUP and assuming SF non appearance, is majority not 7 rather than 12? 650-7=643, so 322 needed, have 318+10=328?

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Replying to DJKL:
Red Leader
By Red Leader
12th Jun 2017 18:22

DJKL wrote:

Also, with DUP and assuming SF non appearance, is majority not 7 rather than 12? 650-7=643, so 322 needed, have 318+10=328?


My arithmetic is as follows.

650-7-1(Speaker) = 642
317 (Conservatives) + 10 (DUP) = 327
642-327 = 315
327-315 = 12

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By SteveHa
12th Jun 2017 13:17

Well, in latest news, the Queen's Speech has been delayed whilst the Tories tear up their manifesto and replace it.

Now, since they claim victory in an election based on the manifesto presented to the electorate, surely this represents a complete utter rejection of any mandate that they felt they had, and they have no option but to stand down.

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Replying to SteveHa:
Red Leader
By Red Leader
12th Jun 2017 14:08

SteLacca wrote:

Well, in latest news, the Queen's Speech has been delayed whilst the Tories tear up their manifesto and replace it.

Now, since they claim victory in an election based on the manifesto presented to the electorate, surely this represents a complete utter rejection of any mandate that they felt they had, and they have no option but to stand down.


Within the UK Constitution, they have the right to do what they are doing.
P.S. I didn't vote for them.
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Replying to Red Leader:
By SteveHa
12th Jun 2017 14:42

Whilst I accept their right within the constitution, morally, their campaign (when it wasn't a slur campaign) was built on getting a strong mandate from the electorate, and having failed to secure a strong mandate, to subsequently turn their back on the mandate that they did get presents a very questionable position to attempt to lead from.

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Tornado
By Tornado
12th Jun 2017 17:20

I am free next Thursday to vote again and the following Thursday as well if yet another vote is required.

The next Thursday after that is not free at all unfortunately, as that is the day I get my hair cut.

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Replying to Tornado:
paddle steamer
By DJKL
12th Jun 2017 19:33

That could well be the day the Conservatives decide to have a close shave.

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RLI
By lionofludesch
12th Jun 2017 19:26

No doubt we'll get another election soon - but not now.

Few folk will change their minds in - say - a month. If they do, they need to have the right to vote taken off them.

But the chances of this Parliament lasting five years is slim, given that, unlike the 2010 incarnation, they have a lot more controversial stuff with which to deal.

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RLI
By lionofludesch
12th Jun 2017 22:08

I was in the newsagents' earlier today and was surprised to see Jeremy Corbyn on the cover of Kerrang!.

I didn't see that one coming ....

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Replying to lionofludesch:
Tom Herbert
By Tom Herbert
13th Jun 2017 08:57

Well, with the election result going as it did Corbyn certainly has the Conservatives rockin' :-D

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By justsotax
13th Jun 2017 08:58

folk changing their minds....given the poll taken a few months ago it would appear a lot changed their minds.

I do get rather amused by all the talk of numbers....if you deduct this and add that and divide by this. It really does undermine what TM was trying to achieve, when she didn't need to run any numbers back then. (of course there are those in her own party that will cause trouble, and they ain't in these new calculations).

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Replying to justsotax:
RLI
By lionofludesch
13th Jun 2017 10:33

[quote=justsotax]

folk changing their minds....given the poll taken a few months ago it would appear a lot changed their minds.

{/quote]

Well, that's extrapolation for you.

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By justsotax
13th Jun 2017 10:54

I suppose looking at it from another view, if a poll had been taken a few weeks after the brexit vote (given the utter chaos caused by politicians from all sides not having planned for the exit vote) , we would probably get a different result.

I suspect if another election was run again given the chaos of the current position peoples views on the leadership (or lack of) may change things again.

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