Local Elections on Thursday

[Damo]

Ken Livingston has been on tv talking about hitler again

[SammyBoy]

Two things: first, what you've described sounds tactically plausible, but is basically Miliband's Labour. It failed. Owen Smith's Labour would fail, too. What Corbyn did was attract the highly politicised non-voters (or wayward voters), and motivated them to go out and persuade people. That's because it was clear he actually meant it, and we meant it. Miliband/Smith/Kendall types would never have achieved that. I would never have bothered posting on here, or even got off my armchair for for that kind of Labour, for instance. Corbyn's sincerity - for good or ill depending on your political persuasion - has stood up and forced his supporters to act, and they did. By shaving off the bits the wider electorate dislike, you end up with Owen Smith, you lose the impassioned core making it all happen, and it withers.

Second, if it was that kind of Labour I'd be utterly indifferent to whoever won, because there'd be no material difference to what we have now. So I, personally, would cease to care.

So not only is winning trickier than you make it out to be, to a lot of his supporters it would barely feel like winning at all.

For all the talk of liberal elites and sandal wearers I think this just emphasises how naturally conservative we are as a nation in the UK. Labour essentially have to move heaven and earth to convince various sections of society to vote for them, which requires relentless planning, grassroots campaigning and party discipline over a number of years. If they don't get this spot on it's just a default Tory victory, or at best a hung parliament regardless of how inept and divided the Conservatives are.

[Zugunruhe]

A good result for the Green Party in Trinity. In fact they proper smashed it. Does anyone have any info on what happened to the Labour vote in this ward?

John Fewings - Green Party - 789 (ELECTED)

Howard Baker - Labour - 291

Michael Paterson - Conservatives - 75

Janet Weaver - Burnley and Padiham Independent Party - 45

[Falcon]

I can only speak for my grandparents (who live in Trinity). The Green candidate who goes by Andy (presumably John is his real name) visited their home and they were very impressed with him. I think he possibly just worked a hell of a lot harder than the other candidates.

[Falcon]

Just noticed the 'massive' 24% turn out in my ward (Brunshaw). Very poor.

[Zugunruhe]

I can only speak for my grandparents (who live in Trinity). The Green candidate who goes by Andy (presumably John is his real name) visited their home and they were very impressed with him. I think he possibly just worked a hell of a lot harder than the other candidates.

Cheers. Typical Labour, in Burnley, taking their vote for granted. I'm glad the Green guy won.

[claretandy]

Owen Jones is having a melt down on twitter

Huge, huge butthurt from Jones

[If it be your will]

.

[tiger76]

Another suspension lifted http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-ty ... ting-story

[SammyBoy]

I noticed that, too! As far as I'm aware he never gave an explanation for this shift either.

That said, if he's just writing/saying what he thinks his audience wants to hear, he'd make a brilliant career politician, because whenever you read one of his articles you are left in no doubt that he actually believes what he says. That's what makes him worth reading (unlike most of The Guardian). Can he really be that good at writing with such apparent sincerity if he doesn't really believe a word he says? If so, he's a remarkable writer.

He's a talented writer, that's for sure. I think I'm wary because he's essentially a professional protester. If he doesn't have something to rail against then he risks losing his readership and consequently his raison d'etre. I think at the time he was hammering the EU for their handling of the Greek debt crisis, which is fair enough but to go from an ardent advocate of "Lexit" to EU die hard stirs feelings of cynicism in me. In my mind Brexit caused such an unforeseeable sea change in the political sphere he's been forced into an abrupt U-turn. Who knows, perhaps he has genuinely reevaluated and changed his perspective, but it will always be at the back of my mind whenever I read any of his work.

[Clarets4me]

Labour should streets ahead and are not. That's the shame. The UK is not up for a French Revolution. Beyond the hard-core, there is not much traction, only undermining.

Ian, I have the utmost respect for you personally and your Council work as I've stated here before, but please, in the name of all that is holy, would you let me know if you ever decide to go public with the above statement....

" Burnley supporting Wiltshire Loony Left Corbynista Councillor calls for " French style " Revolution on streets of Trowbridge ! "

....is a headline I would pay good money to see !

I suspect that in the time travelling Delorean, I may even deprive my former bachelor self ( 28 years and counting ) of a passionate night with an affectionately inclined ( pre-tattoed ) " Madge " to read the above .... on second thoughts, forget that !!

UTC !!

[Imploding Turtle]

For all the talk of liberal elites and sandal wearers I think this just emphasises how naturally conservative we are as a nation in the UK. Labour essentially have to move heaven and earth to convince various sections of society to vote for them, which requires relentless planning, grassroots campaigning and party discipline over a number of years. If they don't get this spot on it's just a default Tory victory, or at best a hung parliament regardless of how inept and divided the Conservatives are.

You say naturally conservative, i say easily scared and manipulated. We're a weak-minded country who will vote for whoever makes us scared enough to vote against non-Brits and those evil liberals who want to take your job and taxes and give it all to a brown person who probably wants to blow you up.

[ClaretMoffitt]

You say naturally conservative, i say easily scared and manipulated. We're a weak-minded country who will vote for whoever makes us scared enough to vote against non-Brits and those evil liberals who want to take your job and taxes and give it all to a brown person who probably wants to blow you up.

Would you like some cheese with that whine?

[IanMcL]

Ian, I have the utmost respect for you personally and your Council work as I've stated here before, but please, in the name of all that is holy, would you let me know if you ever decide to go public with the above statement....

" Burnley supporting Wiltshire Loony Left Corbynista Councillor calls for " French style " Revolution on streets of Trowbridge ! "

....is a headline I would pay good money to see !

I suspect that in the time travelling Delorean, I may even deprive my former bachelor self ( 28 years and counting ) of a passionate night with an affectionately inclined ( pre-tattoed ) " Madge " to read the above .... on second thoughts, forget that !!

UTC !!

Ha! Reads well! The Corbynista bit would be fake news! He has some good ideas, but fails in his leadership, for me, as he is unable to seize the many, many opportunities presented to him. A thinker.
I don't like the way he has taken the party with the Momentum organisation, within the party and £3 access to gain voting rights.

However, compared to the Tories idea of helping rich folk and keeping the rest in a needy situation, to quell strife, give me Mr Corbyn.