I have no confidence in Labour at all.

Jesus, Starmer got less votes than Corbyn did in 2019.

The good news about that is that large swathes of the population do vote for a progressive, socialist party.

The bad news is that it doesn't matter because our electoral system isn't based in a sane idea of democracy.

I really wish you lot could see the social media posts from the main FB page in my hometown of the Reform MP who was elected who was responding to every post he was tagged in promising to sort out all of the issues raised no matter how minor he responded to every post he was tagged in and then compare it to his interview in the local paper about how he's going to spend most of his time in London trying to "change" Westminster and about how he doesn't have a plan to fix anything yet and will wait until he's sworn in to make a plan but it's not his priority.

I just don't understand how people can be so gullible. I get that my town is on it's knees, desperately deprived with so many problems and how some sort of change is needed but why people would flock towards some right wing posh boy from the Cotswolds who says he's just going to get rid of all the immigrants to fix everything despite the manifesto of his party saying that some of the key aims are privatized healthcare and tax breaks for the rich and big business and do nothing for ordinary working people is just beyond my powers of reasoning and understanding.

I have my ear to the ground here working with people every day in mental health and social care and everything is always brought back to immigration. People notice the decline of the town in the last decade and the increase in immigrant population and make associations even though the two aren't intrinsically linked and predatory right wing politicians just play on peoples ignorance and prejudice for their own benefit to get a seat at the table. I'm happy with the overall result today but really worried that my town is going to decline even further with an MP who couldn't give a toss about the place and people here.

"Honestly, fuck them and I hope they crash and burn further."

I agree, but they've been talking all day about learning lessons and listening to the British people and as most of their lost votes went to Reform the scary thing is them learning that they need to be more right wing. A more right wing party under the Tory name but with Reform policies would be very attractive to a large number of British voters of a certain age and I could easily see in the next election a Tory party campaigning with that doing very, very well and it terrifies me to be honest.  As someone who's worked in the NHS and social care services and have had family members have to rely on those vital social services that they wouldn't be able to afford under privatized healthcare it all terrifies me. 

  

I’m telling you he won’t last a full term. Will be interesting to see his financial declarations too. Wonder how much man of the people Nigel will claim in expenses during his time as an MP?

Yep, depending on who wins the leadership of the Tories, I would not be surprised if they invite the 4 Reform clowns into the party. If Braverman wins that will definitely be on the cards. Interestingly though, when you look at the Tories who survived, most of them seem to be on the centre of the party/Sunak supporters so it will be very interesting to see what direction they go in. Hopefully back to their traditional “one nation” conservatives and not in th direction of Reform.

I see that Sunak announced his shadow cabinet today but it's just the same old more or less. Also, I see that dodgy Dave has gone along with another top Tory.

Jenrick wants tto bring the Rwanda scheme back:
amp.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/aug/02/robert-jenrick-focuses-tory-leadership-bid-on-promises-to-cut-immigration

Nothing centrist about them, they're right-wingers committed to austerity politics. 

Labour was a centrist party in 2017 - economic capitalism balanced by public spending - and they got a lot more votes and a much greater vote share then than they did with this "historic majority" of sensible, adult, competent MPs. These cuts are the real cause of the far-right aggression we've seen; the likes of Farage are the outward symptoms of neo-liberalism rot. As has been remarked, Britain has essentially been one-party-state since 1979, with different wings of that party allowed to take over management of class warfare for spells at a time. 

THIS. Something that's made me genuinely sad is seeing people online who were so desperate to see the back of the Tories that they were willing to put their blind faith in Starmer, only to come to the awful realisation that there's essentially zero difference between him and the Tories. Of course there's a part of me that feels like saying I told you so to every one of these people but it's fucking horrible seeing people's illusions shattered in such a shameless and blatant way

So Starmer has said that the NHS needs to reform or die and that they're getting no more money. Shame on him.

In fact Labour may as well just join the Tories and be one big party as there's no such thing as a Labour party any more.