I'm predicting a Tory win sadly unless a Brexit party or REFUK or whatever they are called now split the ultra right wing vote. If it was a straight fight between Labour and Tory there would be no chance.

I can't see past a Tory victory here. :(

I see one party has already announced it's standing for the first time - the Northern Independence Party, who's main policy is for the north of England to secede from the south of England and become an independent nation. How quaint.

I see one party has already announced it's standing for the first time - the Northern Independence Party, who's main policy is for the north of England to secede from the south of England and become an independent nation. How quaint.

I'm sure the others will be keen to NIP the nascent party in the bud.

The Labour candidate is Paul Williams, Stockon South MP from 2017-2019, and the media's already finding stories like this: Labour by-election candidate said Saudi Arabia was 'modern and progressive' - also probably more important to the specifics of Hartlepool he was a strong Remainer and it was one of the highest voting Leave areas in the country so I suspect any Reform-likes will have a great angle of attack.

 

labour to find some political sense please

Sounds like he’s returned because Corbyns gone so I’m suspicious! Also seemed like a party stitch up to get him selected!

Also seemed like a party stitch up to get him selected!

 

@1224662165271056385

 

And yet — a longlist of one.

 

I’m intrigued to see what happens with the Northern Independence Party — I imagine not much, but they’re definitely set on running someone in Hartlepool.

 

@1372973675230683138

The NIP claim to be filling the void that Corbyn left, seeing themselves as a socialist-style party, and appear to have tried to get Momentum on board with their campaign, so will be interesting to see if that happens (which I doubt), and how many votes they get if they do indeed run - I'd say that breaking 3 figures would be a better than expected result. Although at the moment they are still trying to register as a party, so in Hartlepool their candidate may be forced to stand as an independent.

 

As I've implied before, if Labour wants to win seats outside of the big cities where their support is strongest, their candidates would need to be tailored to that area, so redistributive on economic issues, and more "socially conservative", or at the very least sending signals in that direction. Although as I've mentioned before, it is much easier for the Tories to move left on economics than it is for Labour to even move a small fart to the right on cultural issues.

Cultural issues is always a tough one to change because it has a moralistic bent. I would imagine most of Labour's supporters would be aghast at any tack right socially, as would Conservatives supporters tacking left on the same. That's something you need to change through exposure to a diverse society (at least in my view, as I believe that that is morally better for everyone).

 

Better for Labour to avoid talking about cultural issues when in socially conservative areas like these except for certain positive viewpoints of such in attempts to subtly shift the needle their way, and focus on what they'll economically do for the area that the Conservatives will not.

@1224662165271056385

 

And yet — a longlist of one.

 

I’m intrigued to see what happens with the Northern Independence Party — I imagine not much, but they’re definitely set on running someone in Hartlepool.

 

@1372973675230683138

 

I know nothing about them but imagine it would be people who are anti establishment (both Labour and conservative) and people who vote for the brexit/reform party who would lend them their vote. Strange this party exists considering the Blair government gave them the chance to have their own devolved style government in his 2001 government.

@1224662165271056385

 

And yet — a longlist of one.

 

Yeah, all very depressing and dispiriting.

 

The public are seeing right through it too, at every point this leadership has been defined by nakedly opportunistic and unprincipled stances.

 

@1373240587944624129

Maybe although the public seem to think that someone even more unprincipled and dishonest (Johnson) is worth voting for more so what hope is there?

I think the english public find it easier to vote tory for many reasons. Theres a view that the labour party have been hijacked by the liberal centre which looks down at people who they were formed to represent and judge them as rascist and idlers.

I agree that it seems to all be about identity and nationality rather than competence or accountability. The fact that the left are always infighting and that they are smaller in number anyway (especially when you factor in likelihood of the youth voting) means that one party rule will be the norm from now on. Like Trump was widely predicted to win again in 2020 if not for Covid mismanagement and there were signs that in late 2020 the Tories were slipping in the polls similarly. However, this year the vaccine success has stopped any chance of that and now in a straight fight between Conservative and Labour the latter have no chance.

The leader of the Northern Independence Party lives in Brighton. Perhaps they are thinking of northern Europe.

You wait ages for a by-election and 2 come along at once. Neil Gray of the SNP has resigned his seat in Airdre & Shotts to run for Holyrood. This one will be an uneventful SNP hold.

Did y'all see the poll recently where 40% or something of the British public said they believed Boris was in better physical health than Kier...? The public be crazy.

The same prime minister who literally looks like he’s falling apart?

You wait ages for a by-election and 2 come along at once. Neil Gray of the SNP has resigned his seat in Airdre & Shotts to run for Holyrood. This one will be an uneventful SNP hold.

At PMQs Blackford asked the PM if he was gonna make DRoss do the same as it’s an SNP policy that means Grey is resigning. Boris didn’t answer but in the process of not answering called Douglas Ross “Murray Ross” instead.

 

Naturally not a word of this is to be found on the BBC. Their text coverage of PMQs had no mention of any questions from the SNP

At PMQs Blackford asked the PM if he was gonna make DRoss do the same as it’s an SNP policy that means Grey is resigning. Boris didn’t answer but in the process of not answering called Douglas Ross “Murray Ross” instead.

 

Naturally not a word of this is to be found on the BBC. Their text coverage of PMQs had no mention of any questions from the SNP

Why would they? That would mean having to accept the fact that there are more than two parties represented in parliament.