Your afternoon watch
TSE
We need to talk about electoral reform as it has betting implications
A few weeks ago I said there could be value in backing Reform to win the 2028 London mayoral race because at the time the election was set to be held under the flawed first past the post system where I could see a party winning the election on say 20% of the vote. Labour have reversed the the mandateless change the Tories inflicted on the mayoral voting systems so I expect in London this is good news for the…
The matter of Britain’s franchise
Labour starts delivering on an important manifesto pledge I have to confess about a dozen years ago I was not supportive of 16 and 17 year olds having the vote but then I saw the positive impact they had in the Indyref of 2014 on both sides and I changed my mind. I suspect turnout amongst this age group will be rather lower than all other age groups so won’t have the ramifications people on the left hope for and…
This is why Reform should avoid former elected Tories
TSE
Good news for Farage and bad news for Badenoch today, it looks like Suella Braverman won’t be defecting to Reform
If Nigel Farage and Reform are going to win the next election then they need to not look like a party made up of failed Tory politicians like Sir Jake Berry, Suella Braverman, Liz Truss, and so on and so forth. TSE
Life after Starmer
It strikes me that this poll reflects the dearth of talent in the current Labour cabinet and party, there’s no clear choice within the parliamentary party. I could see Andy Burnham entering parliament at the next election and succeeding Starmer after the next election but that would have to see him not contest the 2028 Greater Manchester mayoralty. TSE
Rhetoric meets reality. What will Reform voters make of this?
I’ve always defined populism as saying complex problems have really easy and simple solutions which neatly brings us onto Reform and the leader of Kent council. What a time to be alive, Reform wants more migrant visas and a Labour government wants to issue fewer visas. The fracturing on the populist right is widening thanks to this and Rupert Lowe is taking full full advantage. How will Reform voters react to this? TSE
Don’t believe the hype
Several pollsters have polls out showing a party led by Corbyn/Sultana doing well well and Find Out Now have joined the list but as we can see in 2019 a similar hypothetical poll about the The Independent Group/Change UK turned out to be bobbins as is the way with hypothetical polls like this. REPEAT AFTER ME, HYPOTHETICAL POLLS HAVE AN IGNOMINIOUS HISTORY. TSE