UK and Europe World • Page 30

Yes. Do you think that SNP will tone down the demands for another election now in the attempt to make gains next time?

I can't see this happening unfortunately. If the Conservatives and DUP broker a deal (which is looking likely currently) they have a workable majority. The Queen is a figurehead and wouldn't operate in such a controversial way I don't think.

 

What are the Blairites within the Labour Party saying now?

 

Getting behind Corbyn, suddenly not ruling out shadow cabinet positions. Funny that, it's almost as if they've realised their position in politics is now untenable...

 

I know it's tempting to sneer at the Blairites, maybe it deserved, but if they're getting behind Corbyn then good luck to them, now is the time to bolster our support and look to the fight ahead. Rather the Blairites are with us rather than against.

Anyway, I think I need to step away from the news for a few hours now!

My final thought: in pure vote numbers, the left has significantly out performed the right in this election. Let's take heart, when it looks like we're in the midst of a conservative stranglehold, remember that we are the majority, our message can and will take root. Let's persevere.

 

Absolutely. A united party is precisely why the Conservatives managed to convincingly start the campaign on a narrative of strength. If Labour can convince people of strength AND hope, the post-brexit election that will undoubtedly take place is as good as ours.

 

It's difficult to say. I would argue that the SNP's rhetoric for a second independence referendum was more linked with Brexit referendum and subsequent Brexit negotiations than within this national election. The other parties made it about their pursuit of a second independence referendum and positioned the vote as a 'rejection of a second independence referendum'

These elections are unique in their make-up. 2015 followed independence referendum so the upswing can be related to that. 2017 is strange because it follows a Brexit vote where Scotland majority voted to stay in Brexit but the Tory vote is up. That's why it's purely down to bigotry and independence forming the main issues and that would be my reason for their increase in vote share in Scotland.

I don't think the SNP can 'tone down' their rhetoric because that's the ultimate goal of their party and it would be disingenuous to gain seats for a parliament they're never really going to affect unless in coalition.

 

Agree with everything aside from active encouragement of membership on doorsteps. Becoming the political equivalent of Jehovah's Witnesses doesn't sound like it'd benefit people rather than annoy them, especially in the case of party membership involving spending money.

 

"It was an incantation. Corbyn is the absolute boy. He's never lost an election in his life. It was, in the end, a kind of magic: our thoughts and hopes and sheer mental will could turn something unthinkable into reality.


And it worked."


Corbyn Won Because Hope Turned the Unthinkable Into Reality

 

Oh right - one thing I remember that I wanted to talk about. People knock on doors in the UK. But I've never had that happen here.

 

It happens here too

 

Really? Are there particular states/cities that do it? Cause I've never had it happen once and I've lived in two different states, haha. Weird.

 

It's an interesting phenomenon that I think can only happen because of our geography and that combined with the grassroots support made things so effective in the campaign. I've noticed Lancaster where I'm at uni is significantly less rural than my constituency back home and it's the first time I've noticed any campaigning at all. My seat back home is pretty safe Tory so that might be part of that, but this is a much more condensed constituency too and I think that's the bigger part of it.

 

The irony of what is now happening thanks to the Tories losing their majority is astounding. They are actually going to shack up with the DUP who are a party that is made up of hard-right Christian fundamentalists that were spun out of the Loyalist terrorism movement. Which considering the Tories and the right wing media consistently berated Corbyn for apparently being around IRA terrorists is laughable.

 

What is fantastic to see everywhere is that there's a fantastic mood of optimism on the left about everything right now. Pretty much universal that we think this Tory majority is a lot more temporary.