UK General Election 2017 Megathread

[lemons]

so is this

[-:Undertaker:-]

Here's the Labour Shadow Chancellor yesterday speaking at a rally flanked with Communist and Ba'athist flags.

The opposite equivalent would be of Chancellor Philip Hammond speaking at a rally flanked by Nazi and Falange flags.

so is this

I love how the Liberal Democrats are now trying to argue there shouldn't have been a referendum.

Back in around 2009 when the EU's Treaty of Lisbon was being signed without consulting the public, despite promises of a referendum from the two major parties, the Liberal Democrats opposed it with the policy that instead of a referendum on that treaty, there should instead be an In/Out referendum on our EU membership as a whole. If anything they were the second major party (after Ukip) to endorse a straight-forward In/Out referendum. I agreed with Nick but it turns out he didn't even really agree with himself.

Here's the leaflet they posted to us all at the 2009 European Elections.

[dbgtz]

tbh Clegg makes a fair point about tuition fees but it's funny to see him get frustrated over it.
also after the shit show that was the AV referendum, I too would change my mind on referendums (actually, I did after I researched more about it a few years back now).
also arguably the reasons for the referendum was wrong, but I cba to get into that.

[-:Undertaker:-]

tbh Clegg makes a fair point about tuition fees but it's funny to see him get frustrated over it.
also after the shit show that was the AV referendum, I too would change my mind on referendums (actually, I did after I researched more about it a few years back now).
also arguably the reasons for the referendum was wrong, but I cba to get into that.

The referendum was completely right to hold given we'd been promised numerous referendums on further European integration by all the major parties and were then denied it. If a referendum taking us in was right, then a referendum to take us out was right.

One could even argue that had we been given a say on further European integration at each stage (the Treaties of Maaschtrict and Lisbon being the prime examples) or even had the main parties taken into account our views of no more integration then the issue wouldn't have boiled over and Britain would never have been taken so far down a path it never wanted to go.

Instead, our pro-EU political class thought they could basically tell us to drop dead as we had nowhere else to go at the ballot box: then along came Ukip with the 2009 and 2014 European Elections and subsequent MP defections and it broke the camel's back.

[dbgtz]

Maybe so, but it was ultimately down to Cameron trying to do a bit of a John Major.

[dbgtz]

[-:Undertaker:-]

The Prime Minister met with Her Majesty The Queen today to dissolve the 56th British Parliament.

Theresa May arrives at Buckingham Palace to meet the Queen to formally mark the dissolution of Parliament #GE2017https://t.co/fM0Gaj2ANR pic.twitter.com/MScNtV9nrB

— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) May 3, 2017

[dbgtz]

Got to love that stable leadership
dissolving Parliament long before necessary


also more potential Conservative happenings

[-:Undertaker:-]

The PM today launched fierce attack back on the EU after the disasterous meeting in Number 10 the other evening.

Theresa May launches extraordinary assault accusing Brussels of 'threats and misrepresentation' https://t.co/20XqU67apB pic.twitter.com/ZpeDaBHNNn

— Mail+ (@DailyMailUK) May 3, 2017

Theresa May has accused European politicians and officials of seeking to influence the result of the General Election through threats

— Sky News Breaking (@SkyNewsBreak) May 3, 2017

Huge moment. Theresa May accuses the EU of deliberately meddling in General Election. Says some in Brussels do not want UK to prosper

— Steven Swinford (@Steven_Swinford) May 3, 2017

You know what, good for Theresa May. Juncker and the EU leaders have crossed the road to pick a fight with her. Totally right to hit back.

— (((Dan Hodges))) (@DPJHodges) May 3, 2017

Juncker slams May Remainers gloat "that's shown her!". May hits back Remainers scream "how dare she!?!". And people wonder why Remain lost.

— (((Dan Hodges))) (@DPJHodges) May 3, 2017

My guess is this will play well to the public. There's nothing more that will rally the country together more than a war of words - and a hand bagging - with the European Union and the European Commission. Turns election choice into national interest choice.

It's already having an effect. Look at this former Labour voter (who voted Leave) lay into Tim Farron and say he's now voting Tory.

WATCH: Tim Farron Accuses Elderly Leave Voter of Letting Down His Grandchildren https://t.co/IVbb6yofiM pic.twitter.com/5q7yUS8v9B

— Guido Fawkes (@GuidoFawkes) May 3, 2017

Got to love that stable leadership
dissolving Parliament long before necessary

Given you've drawn attention to potential charges being brought against30 Conservative MPs with a government majority under that, surely a General Election was necessary given that slim majority? That's not to mention Brexit opposition from peers in the House of Lords.

[dbgtz]

My guess is this will play well to the public. There's nothing more that will rally the country together more than a war of words - and a hand bagging - with the European Union and the European Commission. Turns election choice into national interest choice.

It's already having an effect. Look at this former Labour voter (who voted Leave) lay into Tim Farron and say he's now voting Tory.

WATCH: Tim Farron Accuses Elderly Leave Voter of Letting Down His Grandchildren https://t.co/IVbb6yofiM pic.twitter.com/5q7yUS8v9B

— Guido Fawkes (@GuidoFawkes) May 3, 2017

Yet fails to give a cohesive reason why he is doing so.

Given you've drawn attention to potential charges being brought against30 Conservative MPs with a government majority under that, surely a General Election was necessary given that slim majority? That's not to mention Brexit opposition from peers in the House of Lords.

Necessary for who exactly? You call by-elections and take the result as is. Ignoring the fact you made this point to someone who disagrees with FPTP and huge majorities to begin with, the Conservatives would have had a majority regardless and ultimately had no good reason to call this. It essentially shat on the FTPA too, so that's as good as dead.
Oh no, opposition! Not that the election changes anything immediately with the Lords anyway, all I had seen them do was try to secure the rights of EU nationals in the UK which they conceded. So not sure what this opposition is exactly.