Failure to unite blunts anti-Brexit threat in UK election

[snoop1130]

Failure to unite blunts anti-Brexit threat in UK election

By Andrew MacAskill, William James

 

Rosie Duffield, the Labour Party candidate for Canterbury, and Emily Thornberry, Labour candidate for Islington South and Shadow Foreign Secretary, meet activists at a rally in Canterbury, Britain December 1, 2019. REUTERS/Simon Dawson

 

CANTERBURY, England (Reuters) - Caroline Hegey and Emma Kelland both want to stop Brexit but will back different parties in the medieval city of Canterbury when they vote in Britain’s election next week.

 

Hegey, a 64-year-old health service administrator, will back the left-wing Labour Party, which wants a second referendum on Britain’s departure from the European Union.

 

Kelland, a 42-year-old shop worker, will support the centrist Liberal Democrats who want Brexit cancelled.

 

The decision by the two big opposition parties to run against each other in Canterbury, rather than field a single candidate, makes it more likely the candidate for Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservatives will be elected on Dec. 12.

 

It is a scenario that could be repeated in dozens of voting districts, known as constituencies, across the country, increasing Johnson’s chances of gaining a majority in parliament and winning its approval for a deal on leaving the EU.

 

By contrast, the newly created Brexit Party has agreed not to run against Conservatives in about half the constituencies, including Canterbury, to avoid watering down the pro-Brexit vote.

 

“This election could be decided by very fine margins and I am worried that we are spending time attacking each other when our positions on Brexit are very similar,” Hegey said in Canterbury, close to Britain’s southeastern tip.

 

She regards a vote for the Liberal Democrats, a much smaller parliamentary force than Labour, as a wasted vote.

 

But Kelland says she cannot vote for Labour, Britain’s main opposition party, because it has an ambiguous position on Brexit and is led by a long-time eurosceptic, Jeremy Corbyn.

 

“The Liberal Democrats are the only ‘remain’ vote here. If you vote Labour you don’t know what you are going to get,” she said.

 

 

“GET BREXIT DONE”

 

Johnson’s main campaign slogan is “Get Brexit Done.” He wanted an election because the Conservatives lost their parliamentary majority in the last election in 2017.

 

Over the past two years, support for remaining in the EU has led in almost every opinion poll. But Labour did not join an initiative intended to unite votes behind a single pro-EU candidate in each constituency.

 

Only the Liberal Democrats and smaller parties agreed to cooperate, but even their agreement covered around 10% of the 650 constituencies.

 

The result in close-run constituencies such as Canterbury, home to a gothic cathedral, Norman castle and Roman walls about 90 km (55 miles) southeast of London, could be crucial.

 

In 2017, Canterbury elected a Labour member of parliament for the first time, with former teaching assistant Rosie Duffield winning 187 more votes than her Conservative rival.

 

Support for Labour in Canterbury is now 42%, the Conservatives are on 41% and the Liberal Democrats are on 15%, according to a recent opinion poll. Another gave Labour a 4 percentage point lead.

 

Duffield says a divided vote among remainers “is a risk” but hopes Liberal Democrats will vote for her because of her uncompromising support for remaining in the EU.

 

“My position is I am the biggest ‘remoaner’ in parliament,” she told Reuters, a phrase used to describe someone outraged and frustrated by the outcome of the 2016 referendum.

 

Research published by a pro-EU campaign group last week suggested fewer than 120,000 “tactical votes” in 57 constituencies could deny Johnson of a majority nationwide.

 

Tactical voting is the practice of voting for a party other than your first choice to try to prevent another party winning.

 

John Curtice, professor of politics at Strathclyde University, says that for tactical voting to work, there have to be enough people who want to stop the incumbent winning, and they have to be indifferent about who they vote for instead.

 

“Don’t deny the possibility it can happen,” he said. “The problem that faces the remain side is that it needs to happen, because their vote is split.”

 

But the Liberal Democrats’ candidate in Canterbury, Claire Malcomson, said it would not be on her conscience if votes cast for her instead of Labour help the Conservatives win a majority and pull Britain out of the EU.

 

“If you are passionate about something you don’t let someone else put you off. You continue to speak out,” she said. “People deserve a choice.”

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-12-02

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[melvinmelvin]

 

Quite interesting, provided its true that polls show a preference for staying in EU, that at

the same time Tory with its Get Brexit done slogan sails up to the top before the GE.

 

 

[torturedsole]

Fantasy.  The electorate voted leave and it remains that way to this day.  We've not forgotten.  

[DannyCarlton]

13 minutes ago, torturedsole said:

Fantasy.  The electorate voted leave and it remains that way to this day.  We've not forgotten.  

52% of the electorate voted to leave, 48% voted to stay and recent indications suggest that the gap has narrowed, even reversed.

 

The reason for the big Tory lead in the polls is Corbyn's propensity to sitting on the fence as leader of a party who's MPs and supporters are mainly remainers, all due to the fact that he's a lifelong Brexiteer. Just comes across as a dithering old fool who's not capable of leading a dog, let alone a country.

[melvinmelvin]

1 hour ago, DannyCarlton said:

52% of the electorate voted to leave, 48% voted to stay and recent indications suggest that the gap has narrowed, even reversed.

 

The reason for the big Tory lead in the polls is Corbyn's propensity to sitting on the fence as leader of a party who's MPs and supporters are mainly remainers, all due to the fact that he's a lifelong Brexiteer. Just comes across as a dithering old fool who's not capable of leading a dog, let alone a country.

 

Is that so?

I thought it was 52% of the voters that ticked off leave

.

[AlexRich]

I think Brexit could have been binned if the Labour Party was managed by people who are centre left, because more Remainers would offer them support.

 

The problem is that a vote for Corbyn is a vote for Wolfie Smith type of Marxism. And that’s driving people towards the Brexit loving Tories.

[DoctorG]

Just "git er dun".

[jesimps]

"Over the past two years, support for remaining in the EU has led in almost every opinion poll."

 

Blx! What they mean is "in every rigged pole conducted by the lefty/remain MSM" etc.

 

 

[jesimps]

9 hours ago, AlexRich said:

I think Brexit could have been binned if the Labour Party was managed by people who are centre left, because more Remainers would offer them support.

 

The problem is that a vote for Corbyn is a vote for Wolfie Smith type of Marxism. And that’s driving people towards the Brexit loving Tories.

"And that’s driving people towards the Brexit loving Tories."

 

Wrong. It's driving people towards the Brexit loving, 52% of the referendum vote, whom the Tories are acting on behalf of, as the UK is still a democracy (just).

[jesimps]

10 hours ago, melvinmelvin said:

 

Is that so?

I thought it was 52% of the voters that ticked off leave

.

That is the electorate. Doesn't matter that a lot of the population are couch potatoes and couldn't be bothered to get off their fat backsides and go to the polling centre. The option was there.

[JonnyF]

11 hours ago, DannyCarlton said:

52% of the electorate voted to leave, 48% voted to stay and recent indications suggest that the gap has narrowed, even reversed.

 

The reason for the big Tory lead in the polls is Corbyn's propensity to sitting on the fence as leader of a party who's MPs and supporters are mainly remainers, all due to the fact that he's a lifelong Brexiteer. Just comes across as a dithering old fool who's not capable of leading a dog, let alone a country.

You're right about Corbyn, but the top 5 reasons for the Tory lead are as follows...

 

1. Leavers (52%) still want to leave.

2. Intelligent, reasonable Remainers now accept they lost the vote and want Democracy respected.

3. Corbyn is a dangerous Marxist whose policies will bankrupt the country. Labour also has issues with antisemitism.

4. Swinson is the least likeable leader since Blair and her main policy is to overturn the Democratic vote.

5. Johnson whilst undesirable, doesn't look quite so bad when Corbyn and Swinson are stood either side of him.

[sammieuk1]

The Liberals have got at least one vote the old chap posted mine last week stuff Brexit????

[sandyf]

32 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

You're right about Corbyn, but the top 5 reasons for the Tory lead are as follows...

 

1. Leavers (52%) still want to leave.

2. Intelligent, reasonable Remainers now accept they lost the vote and want Democracy respected.

3. Corbyn is a dangerous Marxist whose policies will bankrupt the country. Labour also has issues with antisemitism.

4. Swinson is the least likeable leader since Blair and her main policy is to overturn the Democratic vote.

5. Johnson whilst undesirable, doesn't look quite so bad when Corbyn and Swinson are stood either side of him.

Garbage. If it wasn't for Corbyn, Labour would be streets ahead. One man's failings does not determine what people actually want, more a question of the lesser of 2 evils.

The Tories have always condemned the Labour financial policy but they found a bottomless pit for brexit, something that has always been left out of the manifesto, on spending the Tories would certainly be ahead in the polls.

[Orton Rd]

Thank god for comrade Corbyn then, doing a good job keeping labour out of office

[nauseus]

20 minutes ago, sandyf said:

Garbage. If it wasn't for Corbyn, Labour would be streets ahead. One man's failings does not determine what people actually want, more a question of the lesser of 2 evils.

The Tories have always condemned the Labour financial policy but they found a bottomless pit for brexit, something that has always been left out of the manifesto, on spending the Tories would certainly be ahead in the polls.

But Labour's pit still has a much deeper bottom.

[JonnyF]

1 hour ago, sandyf said:

Garbage. If it wasn't for Corbyn, Labour would be streets ahead. One man's failings does not determine what people actually want, more a question of the lesser of 2 evils.

The Tories have always condemned the Labour financial policy but they found a bottomless pit for brexit, something that has always been left out of the manifesto, on spending the Tories would certainly be ahead in the polls.

Might be time to accept the country still wants to leave. Here's a brief timeline.

 

1. The country voted for the party that promised the referendum on Leaving.

2. They then voted leave in that referendum.

3. Then 85% voted for parties that promised to honour the Leave result.

4. Then The Brexit Party cleaned up at the EU elections.

5. Now the party whose main policy is "Get Brexit Done" is leading in the polls.

 

How many more clues do you need? 

[RuamRudy]

53 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

Might be time to accept the country still wants to leave. Here's a brief timeline.

 

1. The country voted for the party that promised the referendum on Leaving.

2. They then voted leave in that referendum.

3. Then 85% voted for parties that promised to honour the Leave result.

4. Then The Brexit Party cleaned up at the EU elections.

5. Now the party whose main policy is "Get Brexit Done" is leading in the polls.

 

How many more clues do you need? 

1. My country didn't.

2. My country didn't.

3. My country didn't.

4. Not in my country,

5. Not in my country.

 

 

[robertson468]

15 hours ago, DannyCarlton said:

52% of the electorate voted to leave, 48% voted to stay and recent indications suggest that the gap has narrowed, even reversed.

 

The reason for the big Tory lead in the polls is Corbyn's propensity to sitting on the fence as leader of a party who's MPs and supporters are mainly remainers, all due to the fact that he's a lifelong Brexiteer. Just comes across as a dithering old fool who's not capable of leading a dog, let alone a country.

What indications and by who?  Or is this your little wishful thinking?

[DannyCarlton]

1 hour ago, robertson468 said:

What indications and by who?  Or is this your little wishful thinking?

Latest polls.

[torturedsole]

41 minutes ago, DannyCarlton said:

Latest polls.

All the polls prior to the referendum predicted we'd remain in the EU as well.  

 

[melvinmelvin]

31 minutes ago, torturedsole said:

All the polls prior to the referendum predicted we'd remain in the EU as well.  

 

so far that prediction has been fairly accurate

 

[torturedsole]

4 minutes ago, melvinmelvin said:

so far that prediction has been fairly accurate

I missed two words.  Let's start again.

 

All the polls prior to the referendum predicted we'd vote to remain in the EU as well.  

 

[JonnyF]

3 hours ago, RuamRudy said:

1. My country didn't.

2. My country didn't.

3. My country didn't.

4. Not in my country,

5. Not in my country.

 

 

Your country voted to remain part of the UK as opposed to becoming independent.

 

 

It's that pesky Democracy again.

 

[RuamRudy]

6 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

Your country voted to remain part of the UK as opposed to becoming independent.

 

 

It's that pesky Democracy again.

 

Yes - the lies were flowing from London thick and fast then too.

 

[JonnyF]

7 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

Yes - the lies were flowing from London thick and fast then too.

 

Politicians lying? Surely not.

 

Maybe we should re-run General Elections as well if it's found that someone in the winning party wasn't telling the truth in the build up? That would end well. 

 

By the way, I am not against Scotland leaving the UK if that's what they wish to do, but this trend of re-running "once in a lifetime" referendums until you get the "correct" result is tedious in the extreme. The fact that without Brexit your mandate for re-running the Scottish independence referendum disappears is not without irony.

[RuamRudy]

9 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

Politicians lying? Surely not.

 

Maybe we should re-run General Elections as well if it's found that someone in the winning party wasn't telling the truth in the build up? That would end well. 

 

By the way, I am not against Scotland leaving the UK if that's what they wish to do, but this trend of re-running "once in a lifetime" referendums until you get the "correct" result is tedious in the extreme. The fact that without Brexit your mandate for re-running the Scottish independence referendum disappears is not without irony.

The Edinburgh Agreement makes no mention of 'once in a lifetime' and what is really tedious is this nonsense being trotted out almost daily as if it is something of substance.

 

Irony? You do understand, don't you, that Brexit was listed as one of the material changes in circumstance which would cause the SG to seek another referendum should the will of the Scottish people be ignored in that respect? It is not irony, but the SG enacting a mandate given to them by the Scottish electorate and voted for by the Scottish parliament.

[Baerboxer]

19 hours ago, melvinmelvin said:

 

Is that so?

I thought it was 52% of the voters that ticked off leave

.

 

Yep, approx 52% of those who voted in an advisory referendum told the government they wanted to leave.

 

In a representative democracy, in which Parliament is the sovereign body, it then becomes Parliaments duty to debate that advice and decide how to act on it. 

 

Not the governments of the day, nor an automatic decision.

[Baerboxer]

1 hour ago, JonnyF said:

Your country voted to remain part of the UK as opposed to becoming independent.

 

 

It's that pesky Democracy again.

 

 

Only the country is the UK. Scotland, like England, Wales and Northern Ireland is a part of the UK, which is the sovereign country. 

 

Nationalists claim their part is an independent country somehow free to come and go as they please; especially if they can't get their own way and dictate to the other 90+% of the population. Tail trying to wag dog syndrome.

[Baerboxer]

5 hours ago, RuamRudy said:

1. My country didn't.

2. My country didn't.

3. My country didn't.

4. Not in my country,

5. Not in my country.

 

 

 

So you still live with the delusion that your not British, and that your not from the UK.

 

Try reading your passport.

[melvinmelvin]

28 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Yep, approx 52% of those who voted in an advisory referendum told the government they wanted to leave.

 

In a representative democracy, in which Parliament is the sovereign body, it then becomes Parliaments duty to debate that advice and decide how to act on it. 

 

Not the governments of the day, nor an automatic decision.

 

Roger that, agree,

 

what caused my reaction was that those constituting the 52% were referred to as 52% of the electorate,

dunno

but in my English book the electorate are those who have the right to vote

and not those who exercise that right, they are just a subset