DoBelieveTheHype

One change? We're going out.

Some really good stuff coming from this Starmer press conference. He's looking to work with the devolved administrations PMs as well as the metro-mayors in England 'regardless of the colour of their rosette'. We will all be thankful for that more sensible approach rather than the 14 years of diminishing devolved administrations and only working with mayors in your own party approach. Hopefully means we might actual see some benefit to these posts. I've had a metro mayor since the local elections and honestly couldn't tell you a thing they've done though - so will take some convincing that they're a real political position of any worth.

I assume you mean if every person's vote counted equally? Technically FPTP is still 'one man one vote'. From a back of a fag packet calculation assuming a 0.1% electoral threshold (in reality most countries PR have a higher threshold): Labour - 219 Conservatives - 154 Lib Dems - 79 SNP - 16 Sinn Fein - 5 Independents - 13 Reform UK - 93 DUP - 4 Green - 44 Plaid Cymru - 5 SDLP (NI) - 2 Alliance Party NI - 2 Ulster Unionist Party - 2 TUV (NI) - 1 Workers Party - 5 SDP (GB) - 1 Yorkshire Party - 1 Greens and Reform are the biggest beneficiaries. Caveat that many people would vote differently under PR

Suella Braverman already blaming Kier Starmer for the countries problems when he's only been in power 24 hours as he dared to scrap the Rwanda gimmick which she insists 'would've worked' and accuses Starmer of wasting money by scrapping it. Absolutely no shame in this lot. They'll be out of government for at least a decade while the grown ups are in charge.

Following you crowning Shake Rattle and Roll by Bill Haley and His Comets as the tune of the year for 1954 we move a year nearer to the present day with our competition to crown you favourite song of 1955. This year includes songs from Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Slim Whitman, Judy Garland, Petula Clark and many others. Rules: The song must have charted as a New Entry on the UK Official Chart (NME for this era) between the first chart dated 7 January 1955 and the chart dated 30 December 1955 inclusive. I've used the OCC website as the source for the eligible songs list - if you find an error please let me know and I'll post it in the thread for everyone to know about.As there are only 143 eligible songs due to the chart being a Top 20 in this era voters should submit their 10 favourite songs. The first 10 songs will be taken from any longer lists submitted.Votes should be submitted by PM to myself - please do not post them in the thread.Songs ranked No 1 will receive 10 points, No 2 will get 9 points and so on.The deadline to submit lists will be the 19th July 2024 at 23:59Results will then be published on the 20th/21st July 2024.List of Eligible Songs 07/01/1955 - 18 - Bing Crosby - Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep (3 Weeks - #11 Peak) 07/01/1955 - 17 - Bill Haley and his Comets - Rock Around the Clock (36 Weeks - #1 Peak) 07/01/1955 - 14 - Four Aces - Mr Sandman (5 Weeks - #9 Peak) 21/01/1955 - 16 - Max Bygraces - Mr Sandman (1 Week - #16 Peak) 21/01/1955 - 15 - Tennessee Ernie Ford - Give Me Your Word (24 Weeks - #1 Peak) 21/01/1955 - 14 - Suzi Miller and the Johnston Brothers - Happy Days and Lonely Nights (2 Weeks - #14 Peak) 28/01/1955 - 20 - Dean Martin - The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane (10 Weeks - #5 Peak) 28/01/1955 - 14 - Frankie Vaughan - Happy Days and Lonely Nights (3 Weeks - #12 Peak) 28/01/1955 - 9 - Ruby Murray - Softly Softly (23 Weeks - #1 Peak) 04/02/1955 - 16 - Ruby Murray - Happy Days and Lonely Nights (8 Weeks - #6 Peak) 04/02/1955 - 14 - Dean Martin - Mambo Italiano (2 Weeks - #14 Peak) 04/02/1955 - 13 - Mario Lanza - Drinking Song (1 Week - #13 Peak) 04/02/1955 - 9 - Ames Brothers - The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane (6 Weeks - #6 Peak) 11/02/1955 - 20 - De Castro Sisters - Teach Me Tonight (1 Week - #20 Peak) 11/02/1955 - 16 - Mantovani - Lonely Ballerina (4 Weeks - #16 Peak) 11/02/1955 - 15 - Ray Burns - Mobile (13 Weeks - #4 Peak) 11/02/1955 - 13 - David Whitfield with Mantovani and his Orchestra - Beyond the Stars (9 Weeks - #8 Peak) 11/02/1955 - 11 - Teresa Brewer with The Lancers - Let Me Go Lover (10 Weeks - #9 Peak) 18/02/1955 - 18 - Mario Lanza - I’ll Walk With God (2 Weeks - #18 Peak) 18/02/1955 - 17 - Petula Clark - Majorca (5 Weeks - #12 Peak) 18/02/1955 - 16 - Joan Weber - Let Me Go Lover (1 Week - #16 Peak) 18/02/1955 - 15 - Dickie Valentine - A Blossom Fell (10 Weeks - #9 Peak) 25/02/1955 - 16 - Dean Martin - Let Me Go Lover (9 Weeks - #3 Peak) 25/02/1955 - 13 - Nat King Cole - A Blossom Fell (10 Weeks - #3 Peak) 04/03/1955 - 20 - Stargazers - Somebody (1 Week - #20 Peak) 04/03/1955 - 14 - Ruby Murray - Let Me Go Lover (7 Weeks - #5 Peak) 11/03/1955 - 20 - Frankie Laine - In the Beginning (1 Week - #20 Peak) 11/03/1955 - 19 - Johnny Brandon and the Phantoms - Tomorrow (8 Weeks - #8 Peak) 11/03/1955 - 16 - Ronnie Hilton - A Blossom Fell (5 Weeks - #10 Peak) 18/03/1955 - 17 - Ruby Murray with Anne Warren - If Anyone Finds This I Love You (11 Weeks - #4 Peak) 18/03/1955 - 16 - Eddie Fisher - (I’m Always Hearing) Wedding Bells (11 Weeks - #5 Peak) 25/03/1955 - 20 - Joan Regan - Prize of Gold (8 Weeks - #6 Peak) 25/03/1955 - 12 - Perez ‘Prez’ Prado and his Orchestra - Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White (17 Weeks - #1 Peak) 01/04/1955 - 20 - McGuire Sisters - No More (1 Week - #20 Peak) 01/04/1955 - 13 - Dean Martin - Under the Bridges of Paris (8 Weeks - #6 Peak) 01/04/1955 - 11 - Eartha Kitt - Under the Bridges of Paris (10 Weeks - #7 Peak) 08/04/1955 - 15 - Johnnie Ray - If You Believe (11 Weeks - #7 Peak) 08/04/1955 - 13 - Doris Day - Ready, Willing and Able (9 Weeks - #7 Peak) 08/04/1955 - 11 - Eddie Calvert - Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White (21 Weeks - #1 Peak) 15/04/1955 - 18 - Crew Cuts - Earth Angel (20 Weeks - #4 Peak) 15/04/1955 - 14 - Bill Haley and his Comets - Mambo Rock (2 Weeks - #14 Peak) 15/04/1955 - 10 - Tony Bennett - Stranger in Paradise (16 Weeks - #1 Peak) 22/04/1955 - 20 - Georgia Gibbs - Tweedle Dee (1 Week - #20 Peak) 22/04/1955 - 20 - Don Cornell - Stranger in Paradise (2 Weeks - #19 Peak) 22/04/1955 - 19 - Mario Lanza - Serenade (3 Weeks - #15 Peak) 22/04/1955 - 17 - Frankie Vaughan - Tweedle Dee (1 Week - #17 Peak) 22/04/1955 - 11 - Tony Martin - Stranger in Paradise (13 Weeks - #6 Peak) 29/04/1955 - 20 - Bing Crosby - Stranger in Paradise (2 Weeks - #17 Peak) 29/04/1955 - 14 - Ink Spots - Melody of Love (4 Weeks - #10 Peak) 06/05/1955 - 19 - Joan and Rusty Regan - Open Up Your Heart (1 Week - #19 Peak) 06/05/1995 - 14 - Jimmy Young - Unchained Melody (19 Weeks - #1 Peak) 13/05/1955 - 19 - Eddie Calvert - Stranger in Paradise (4 Weeks - #14 Peak) 13/05/1955 - 17 - Les Baxter - Unchained Melody (9 Weeks - #10 Peak) 13/05/1955 - 11 - Al Hibbler - Unchained Melody (17 Weeks - #2 Peak) 20/05/1955 - 20 - Johnnie Ray - Paths of Paradise (1 Week - #20 Peak) 20/05/1955 - 19 - Rosemary Clooney and the Mellomen - Where Will the Dimple Be? (13 Weeks - #6 Peak) 20/05/1955 - 16 - Four Aces - Stranger in Paradise (6 Weeks - #6 Peak) 27/05/1955 - 20 - Cyril Stapleton - Elephant Tango (4 Weeks - #19 Peak) 27/05/1955 - 20 - David Whitfield - Mama (11 Weeks - #12 Peak) 27/05/1955 - 17 - Alma Cogan - Dreamboat (16 Weeks - #1 Peak) 03/06/1955 - 19 - The Stargazers - Crazy Otto Rag (3 Weeks - #18 Peak) 03/06/1955 - 16 - Dickie Valentine - I Wonder (15 Weeks - #4 Peak) 03/06/1955 - 15 - Joe ‘Mr Piano’ Henderson - Sing It With Joe (4 Weeks - #14 Peak) 10/06/1955 - 19 - Judy Garland - The Man That Got Away (2 Weeks - #18 Peak) 10/06/1955 - 13 - Frank Sinatra - You My Love (7 Weeks - #13 Peak) 17/06/1955 - 20 - Liberace - Unchained Melody (1 Week - #20 Peak) 17/06/1955 - 19 - Jane Froman - I Wonder (4 Weeks #14 Peak) 24/06/1955 - 16 - Barbara Lyon - Stowaway (8 Weeks - #12 Peak) 24/06/1955 - 14 - Frankie Laine with the Mellomen - Cool Water (22 Weeks - #2 Peak) 01/07/1955 - 20 - Johnny Brandon - Don’t Worry (4 Weeks - #18 Peak) 01/07/1955 - 17 - Malcolm Vaughan - Every Day of My Life (16 Weeks - #5 Peak) 01/07/1955 - 16 - Ruby Murray - Evermore (17 Weeks - #3 Peak) 08/07/1955 - 18 - David Whitfield - Ev’rywhere (20 Weeks - #3 Peak) 15/07/1955 - 15 - Frankie Laine - Strange Lady in Town (13 Weeks - #6 Peak) 15/07/1955 - 14 - McGuire Sisters - Sincerely (4 Weeks - #14 Peak) 15/07/1955 - 10 - Slim Whitman - Rose Marie (19 Weeks - #1 Peak) 22/07/1955 - 20 - Five Smith Brothers - I’m in Favour of Friendship (1 Week - #20 Peak) 29/07/1955 - 20 - Slim Whitman - Indian Love Call (12 Weeks - #7 Peak) 29/07/1955 - 20 - Sammy Davis Jr - Something's Gotta Give (7 Weeks #11 Peak) 29/07/1955 - 18 - Eddie Calvert - John and Julie (11 Weeks - #6 Peak) 05/08/1955 - 12 - Frank Sinatra - Learnin’ the Blues (13 Weeks - #2 Peak) 12/08/1955 - 20 - Ferko String Band - Alabama Jubilee (2 Weeks - #20 Peak) 19/08/1955 - 16 - Caterina Valente - The Breeze and I (14 Weeks - #5 Peak) 26/08/1955 - 20 - Ray Burns with the Coronets - That’s How A Love Song Was Born (6 Weeks - #14 Peak) 26/08/1955 - 18 - Nat King Cole - My One Sin (2 Weeks - #17 Peak) 26/08/1955 - 18 - Ronnie Hilton - Stars Shine In Your Eyes (7 Weeks - #13 Peak) 02/09/1955 - 19 - Joe ‘Mr Piano’ Henderson - Sing It Again With Joe (3 Weeks - #18 Peak) 02/09/1955 - 18 - Frank Sinatra - Not As A Stranger (1 Week - #18 Peak) 09/09/1955 - 20 - Doris Day - Love Me or Leave Me (1 Week - #20 Peak) 09/09/1955 - 14 - Sammy Davis Jr - Love Me Or Leave Me (8 Weeks - #8 Peak) 09/09/1955 - 12 - The Stargazers - Close the Door (9 Weeks - #6 Peak) 16/09/1955 - 18 - Tony Bennett - Close Your Eyes (1 Week - #18 Peak) 16/09/1955 - 15 - Jimmy Young - The Man From Laramie (12 Weeks - #1 Peak) 23/09/1955 - 20 - Charlie Applewhite - Blue Star (The Medic Theme) (1 Week - #20 Peak) 23/09/1955 - 19 - Al Martino - The Man From Laramie (3 Weeks - #19 Peak) 23/09/1955 - 17 - Alma Cogan - The Banjo’s Back in Town (1 Week - #17 Peak) 23/09/1955 - 16 - Cyril Stapleton Orchestra with Julie Dawn - Blue Star (The Medic Theme) (12 Weeks - #2 Peak) 23/09/1955 - 15 - Slim Whitman - China Doll (2 Weeks - #15 Peak) 30/09/1955 - 17 - Rosemary Clooney - Hey There (11 Weeks - #4 Peak) 30/09/1955 - 16 - Sammy Davis Jr - That Old Black Magic (1 Week - #16 Peak) 07/10/1955 - 20 - Johnnie Ray - Hernando’s Hideaway (5 Weeks - #11 Peak) 07/10/1955 - 19 - Sammy Davis Jr - Hey There (1 Week - #19 Peak) 07/10/1955 - 17 - Lita Roza - Hey There (2 Weeks - #17 Peak) 07/10/1955 - 11 - Johnston Brothers - Hernando’s Hideaway (13 Weeks - #1 Peak) 07/10/1955 - 9 - Mitch Miller - The Yellow Rose of Texas (13 Weeks - #2 Peak) 14/10/1955 - 20 - Alma Cogan - Go On By (4 Weeks - #16 Peak) 14/10/1955 - 19 - Ruby Murray - I’ll Come When You Call (7 Weeks - #6 Peak) 14/10/1955 - 10 - Johnnie Ray - Hey There (9 Weeks - #5 Peak) 21/10/1955 - 19 - Gary Miller - The Yellow Rose of Texas (5 Weeks - #13 Peak) 21/10/1955 - 18 - Central Band of the Royal Air Force - The Dambusters March (1 Week - #18 Peak) 21/10/1955 - 17 - Doris Day - I’ll Never Stop Loving You (3 Weeks - #17 Peak) 28/10/1955 - 20 - Ron Goodwin - Blue Star (The Medic Theme) (1 Week - #20 Peak) 28/10/1955 - 18 - Johnnie Ray - Song of the Dreamer (5 Weeks - #10 Peak) 04/11/1955 - 18 - Winifred Atwell - Let’s Have A Ding Dong (10 Weeks - #3 Peak) 04/11/1955 - 16 - Don Lang - Cloudburst (4 Weeks - #16 Peak) 11/11/1955 - 17 - The Stargazers - Twenty Tiny Fingers (11 Weeks - #4 Peak) 11/11/1955 - 16 - Frankie Laine - Humming Bird (1 Week - #16 Peak) 11/11/1955 - 15 - Ronnie Hilton - The Yellow Rose of Texas (2 Weeks - #15 Peak) 18/11/1955 - 20 - Pat Boone - Ain’t That A Shame (11 Weeks - #7 Peak) 18/11/1955 - 19 - Max Bygraves - Meet Me On the Corner (11 Weeks - #2 Peak) 18/11/1955 - 11 - Four Aces - Love Is Many A Splendored Thing (13 Weeks - #2 Peak) 25/11/1955 - 20 - Frankie Laine - Hawkeye (8 Weeks - #7 Peak) 25/11/1955 - 20 - The Coronets - Twenty Tiny Fingers (1 Week - #20 Peak) 25/11/1955 - 18 - Petula Clark - Suddenly There’s A Valley (10 Weeks - #7 Peak) 25/11/1955 - 17 - David Whitfield with Mantovani - When You Lose The One You Love (11 Weeks - #7 Peak) 25/11/1955 - 16 - The Singing Dogs - Singing Dogs (Medley) (4 Weeks - #13 Peak) 25/11/1955 - 12 - Dickie Valentine - Christmas Alphabet (7 Weeks - #1 Peak) 02/12/1955 - 20 - Frankie Vaughan - Seventeen (3 Weeks - #18 Peak) 02/12/1955 - 19 - Lee Lawrence - Suddenly There’s A Valley (4 Weeks - #14 Peak) 09/12/1955 - 20 - Jo Stafford - Suddenly There’s A Valley (6 Weeks - #12 Peak) 09/12/1955 - 19 - Big Ben Banjo Band - Let’s Get Together Again (2 Weeks - #18 Peak) 09/12/1955 - 17 - Harry Secombe - On With the Motley (3 Weeks - #16 Peak) 16/12/1955 - 20 - Dickie Valentina - The Old Pi-Anna Rag (5 Weeks - #15 Peak) 16/12/1955 - 19 - Anne Shelton - Arriverderci Darling (4 Weeks - #17 Peak) 16/12/1955 - 17 - Alma Cogan - Twenty Tiny Fingers (1 Week - #17 Peak) 23/12/1955 - 20 - Jimmy Shand Band - Bluebell Polka (2 Weeks - #20 Peak) 23/12/1955 - 19 - Jimmy Young - Someone On Your Mind (5 Weeks - #13 Peak) 23/12/1955 - 16 - Boyd Bennett and His Rockets - Seventeen (2 Weeks - #16 Peak) 23/12/1955 - 13 - Alma Cogan - Never Do A Tango With An Eskimo (5 Weeks - #6 Peak) 30/12/1955 - 25 - Eve Boswell - Pickin A Chicken (13 Weeks - #9 Peak) 30/12/1955 - 24 - Perry Como - Tina Marie (1 Week - #24 Peak) 30/12/1955 - 21 - Bill Haley and His Comets - Rock-A-Beatin’ Boogie (9 Weeks - #4 Peak) 30/12/1955 - 9 - Johnston Brothers and George Chisholm Sour Note Six - Join In And Sing Again (1 Week - #9 Peak) Playlist Missing from Spotify is Note - The playlist box above only shows the first 100 songs - you'll need to open it in Spotify to see all songs. Voting Template Please use this voting template if you can: 10 points - 9 points - 8 points - 7 points - 6 points - 5 points - 4 points - 3 points - 2 points - 1 point - As before I think that's all the information needed. Any questions just ask. Look forward to seeing the votes. Voters Popchartfreak Chartjack2 DoBelieveTheHype LastDreamer King Rollo Jade JulianT Winners So Far 1952/3 - Frank Chacksfield - Little Red Monkey 1954 - Bill Halley and his Comets - Shake Rattle and Roll

Thanks to the 9 people who voted I can now reveal the results. 40 of the 84 eligible songs were chosen. The theoretical maximum points was 90 - the top three songs were the only songs got above 30 points. You're number one with 44 points is Bill Haley & His Comets - Shake Rattle N Roll E3j1c1nY3a4 Following very closely behind with 43 points is The Chordettes - Mr Sandman yZo89uWs5t0 And the 3rd place with 34 points goes to Dean Martin with That's Amore: RUz1pZ_LujU Full results are below:: 01 - 44 - Bill Haley and his Comets - Shake Rattle and Roll (Jade - 8, DoBelieveTheHype - 10, Chartjack2 - 1, Scene - 7, King Rollo - 8, Severin - 10) 02 - 43 - The Chordettes - Mr Sandman (Jade - 10, Chartjack2 - 3, Popchartfreak - 8, King Rollo - 6, Severin - 9, JulianT - 7) 03 - 34 - Dean Martin - That's Amore - (Jade - 3, Chartjack2 - 7, Popchartfreak - 5, King Rollo - 2, Severin - 8, JulianT - 9) 04 - 29 - Nat King Cole - Smile (DoBelieveTheHype - 1, Chartjack2 - 9, Popchartfreak - 2, King Rollo - 7, JulianT - 10) 05 - 28 - Doris Day - Secret Love (Jade - 2, DoBelieveTheHype - 3, Chartjack2 - 8, Popchartfreak - 10, JulianT - 5) 06 - 27 - Rosemary Clooney - This Ole House (Jade - 1, LastDreamer - 10, Popchartfreak - 1, King Rollo - 9, Severin - 6) 07 - 24 - Dean Martin - Sway (Jade - 6, Chartjack2 - 5, Scene - 6, Popchartfreak - 3, JulianT - 4) 08 - 19 - Doris Day - The Black Hills of Dakota (LastDreamer - 5, Popchartfreak - 9, Severin - 5, 09 - 18 - Winifred Atwell - Let's Have Another Party (Jade - 9, Scene - 5, King Rollo - 4) 10 - 16 - Johnnie Ray - Such A Night (DoBelieveTheHype - 4, Chartjack2 - 6, JulianT - 6) 10 - 16 - Rosemary Clooney and the Mellomen - Mambo Italiano (Jade - 4, Scene - 9 - JulianT - 3) 12 - 15 - Duke Ellington - Skin Deep (DoBelieveTheHype - 5, King Rollo - 10, 12 - 15 - Glen Miller - Moonlight Serenade (Chartjack2 - 4, Scene - 3, Popchartfreak - 7, King Rollo - 1) 14 - 13 - Four Knights - (Oh Baby Mine) I Get So Lonely (DoBelieveTheHype - 9, Popchartfreak - 4) 15 - 12 - Crew Cuts - Sh-Boom (Popchartfreak - 4, JulianT - 8) 15 - 12 - Frank Sinatra - Three Coins in the Fountain (DoBelieveTheHype - 8, Severin - 4) 15 - 12 - Max Bygraves - Gilly Gilly Ossenfeffer Katzenellan Bogen By the Sea (Chartjack2 - 10, Severin - 2) 18 - 11 - Kitty Kallen - Little Things Mean A Lot (Jade - 5, Chartjack2 - 2, LastDreamer - 4) 19 - 10 - Ted Heath and His Music - Skin Deep (Scene - 10) 20 - 09 - Petula Clark - The Little Shoemaker - (LastDreamer - 9) 21 - 08 - Ken MacIntosh - The Creep (Scene - 8) 21 - 08 - Perry Como - Papa Loves Mambo (Severin 7, JulianT - 1) 21 - 08 - Rosemary Clooney/Jose Ferrer - Man/Woman (LastDreamer - 8) 24 - 07 - Dean Martin - How Do You Speak to An Angel (DoBelieveTheHype - 7) 24 - 07 - Joan Regan - If I Give My Heart to You (LastDreamer - 7) 24 - 07 - Winifred Atwell - Rachmaninoffs 18th Variation on A Theme (Jade -7) 27 - 06 - Eddie Fisher - Oh! My Papa (DoBelieveTheHype - 6) 27 - 06 - Kay Starr - Changing Partners (LastDreamer - 6) 27 - 06 - Obernkirchen Children's Choir - The Happy Wanderer (Popchartfreak - 6) 30 - 05 - Frank Chacksfield - Ebb Tide (King Rollo - 5) 31 - 03 - Frankie Vaughan - Istanbul (Not Constantinople) (Severin - 3) 31 - 03 - Joan Regan - Someone Else's Roses (LastDreamer - 3) 31 - 03 - The Stargazers - I See the Moon - (King Rollo - 3) 34 - 02 - Billy Eckstine - No One But You (JulianT - 2) 34 - 02 - Joan Regan, Johnston Brothers - Wait for Me Darling (LastDreamer - 2) 34 - 02 - Nat King Cole - Tenderly (DoBelieveTheHype - 2) 34 - 02 - The Stargazers - The Happy Wanderer (Scene - 2) 38 - 01 - Bonnie Lou - Tennessee Wig Walk (Scene - 1) 38 - 01 - Frank Sinatra - Young At Heart (Severin - 1) 38 - 01 - Ruby Murray - Bimbo (LastDreamer - 1)

I thought cards got reset after this round?

Don't see goalies giving away corners that easily too often.

Spain definitely look beatable in that match. Both Portugal and France will fancy their chances.

This is going to penalties at this rate.

Looks like this is going to extra time.

This has been underwhelming so far.

Something needs to come along to knock Sabrina Carpenter off.

This utter bollocks, the Tories have got in many times despite centre-left and left-wing parties having a combined higher vote share. It's nice to see the opposite happen with Reform/Tories letting Labour in for a change.

Reform take a 5th seat with South Basildon and East Thurrock. That leaves 1 to be declared - which will be tomorrow.

Liz Kendall at the DWP and Wes Streeting at health are worryingly right-wing appointments.

Labour getting 40% of the vote and the same amount of seats would have been a good result. Getting just 1/3rd of the vote means they could very easily be back in opposition in 2029 and there's questions about their legitimacy as governing party. As already pointed out in this thread - left leaning parties (not left-wing) got a majority of the vote yesterday - so this right-leaning country bollocks is for the birds. Electoral reform would give us progressive governments. Rather than a rag-tag band of red Tories.

Reform did decide this election by standing in almost all seats compared to 2019 where Labour would have got in if Reform stood in Tory held seats rather than carefully choosing where to stand to benefit right-wingers. You don't think votes actually representing the electorate is the best thing? You can see the failure of FPTP in turnout figures for election. Also the right only got 38% of the vote in this election for Conservatives and Reform - a majority of people voted for supposedly left-wing (I'd argue against Labour being left-wing in it's current state) parties (56% for Labour, Lib Dem. Green, SNP and Plaid) so it doesn't follow that PR would lurch the country to the right - it would just mean more parties represented in power and people's votes actually meaning something. The most stable government since 2010 was actually the coalition - so we know coalitions work - they also moderate the excesses of other parties in the coalition. Listening to the new chancellor bang on about private investment and there being no money - i.e sticking to the fiscal rules rubbish - I'm convinced the country will be a worse place in 5 years. PR could have prevented that.

If you need any more confirmation very little will change under this Blairite government Reeves has got her excuses in early saying 'there's not a lot of money' and that we need to 'unlock private sector investment'. More PFI style rubbish and Tory style dodgy public sector contracts. Think there'll be a lot of buyer's remorse in a few years time.

By looking at the numbers. Most of that Reform vote is coming from people who voted Tory in 2019 and likely would have voted Tory if Reform wasn't an option. I haven't got time to do a seat by seat but if you combine the Reform + Tory vote across all seats it would probably knock Labour out of majority territory at the very least. FPTP is a joke, you can be happy Labour are in power but still accept that they're not in power on merit but on a right-wing vote split. Corby got 40% of the vote in 2017, Starmer got just 33% yesterday - it's hardly a ringing endorsement. Reform decided both the 2019 and 2024 elections by deciding where to stand.

I mean national vote share does matter to an extent. 33% is incredibly low bar to be forming a government from. Corbyn got 7% more of the vote than that in 2017 and lost - if it wasn't for the Reform Party then Labour wouldn't be in power and it would have been 5 more years of Conservative rule. Starmer has to acknowledge that in his programme for government whatever that looks like given all he's given us in the manifesto is buzz words and platitudes. There's something wrong with a system where you can get a majority on such a low vote share.

So the final result is now slated for tomorrow as Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire are going to a recount tomorrow. So anyone who tries to stay up to the last result will be nearing exhaustion by the time that comes in. Result expected late this after for South Basildon.

The Tories will lurch further to the right to chase the Reform vote. It won't work. Braverman / Badenoch as possible leaders.

Staggered only one person voted for Led Zeppelin. Rest are all good acts.

This is wet from Starmer. Thanking Sunak - he should be skewering him.