The Rochdale by election was a most revealing event.
Labour did not campaign and announced no-one should vote for their candidate on the ballot paper as he was unsuitable. Most people expected Conservatives to poll poorly in line with other recent by elections. The current mood of the Conservative half of the electorate is to send a clear message to the PM to improve things, by abstaining or voting for a different candidate.
These then were the ideal conditions for Reform, or the Greens and the Lib Dems to mount a great campaign and show momentum. Labour the obvious party  to win here was not running.
The Greens with their extreme  approach to net zero demanding so many changes in lifestyle came in ninth with just 1.4% of the vote. The Lib Dems who also want to stop people using cars and speed green changes came in fifth with just 7% of the vote. There is no evidence here or in other elections that voters want more of the net zero policies.
This surely was ideal territory and background for Reform. There was speculation they could even emerge the winner. In the event they  limped in  in sixth place with 6.3%.
Instead the Conservatives were the only established party to get into double figures in third place. Rochdale voted decisively for two independent candidates who got 61% between them.
People want government to improve the economy, boost take home pay and control our borders. The sooner it is seen to do so the sooner voters around the country could get behind the government again. There is little appetite for Green/Lib Dem and Reform’s negative aim of destroying the Conservatives is not a big vote winner either as it does nothing to improve people’s lives.
March 2, 2024
As Farage says. Postal voting is fully open to corruption and intimidation and needs to be suspended.
March 2, 2024
+1
March 2, 2024
Balkanisation of our country started in earnest by the actions of the Uni Party.
I read somewhere Since 7/7 London bombing 2005-2021, 94 people killed by Islamist terrorism, 3 by far right groups. Not an even match yet Sunak appears to put them on same footing. Why? Do we need to discuss if Sunak is a racist? Would he or his wife be allowed to marry a white person? Sunak raised the issue through his stupid speech yesterday so let him answer. The far left is the issue not far right. That should have been clear to Sunak after Hoyle broke HoC rules to stop division in the Labour Party and help Labour get elected.
Sunak, May and Cameron imported Muslim people by the million each year, and lost hundreds of thousands to their system, aggrieved by their country being bombed by the likes of Blaire and Cameron, what does your party/govt expect? Sunak gave 63,000 criminals entering our country amnesty without proper checks!
War monger Cameron and children need to be put on the front line in Ukraine as He wanted to March to the Urals on behalf of the EU! Let him and his family lead by example trumpeting the EU tune. Let him suffer from his own stupidity. Your party walking into another disaster for our country?
How come no one was interested in threats to Farage at previous campaigns yet suddenly MPs are more worth while than him or public at large?
March 2, 2024
Absolutely spot-on ‘Hope’
March 2, 2024
What does it say where people vote for a person whose main theme to be elected was Gaza and not local issues. Where are the voters loyalties the UK or their own country? Tebbits cricket test comes to the fore and the sentiment behind it. We saw it in play in Leicester last year. Why has this been allowed under Tory party over 14 years with the deliberate demise of the police under treacherous May. She deliberately destroyed policing as we know it. London is lawless now that the majority are foreign born.
March 2, 2024
Hope : âShe [PM May] deliberately destroyed policing as we know it. London is lawless now that the majority are foreign born.â
Yes, the reduction in police numbers was nothing to do with reducing state spending (âausterityâ) but to remove well qualified âold styleâ officers who believed in real policing and then to replace them with up-to-date, university indoctrinated ânew styleâ woke (communist) âwould you like a cup of tea or a piece of cakeâ police officers.
It is the policy of stochastic entryism.
March 2, 2024
‘It is the policy of stochastic entryism.’
I cannot be bothered to Google what that means.
However, when Cressida Dick was appointed chief of the Met, after her part in the de Menezes shooting, it was obvious that policing was set up for a political agenda and crime prevention and the pursuit of criminals was no longer top priority.
March 2, 2024
An area of comfort for the Conservative Party is the weakness of the Labour Party on the Gaza issue.
Anti-semitism allegations have been useful for Labour to get rid of rivals, or the awkward squad – Livingstone, Corbyn, Abbott etc. No proof required or given. Corbyn is an old school 1970s socialist – a conviction politician. Any âismâ is anathema to these folk. Abbott truthfully pointed out that being black is a bigger disadvantage than being Jewish in the victimhood league table. Livingstone gave an historical analysis and his opponents had a fit of the vapours.
Now the tables are turned. Labour have to keep the antisemitism crowd onside, while not upsetting the Gaza crowd. And they are not doing very well.
Conservatives could do a Labour on their opponents. Stay silent on these matters but routinely pick holes in Labourâs performance. It offers a small glimmer of hope before the election.
March 2, 2024
My Nephew finally managed to buy a flat recently – just near Starmerâs house in North London and had just finish doing it up and had it robbed and ransacked the other day. He assumes they will be back once he replaces the gear they stole.
All the excitement of his first real home he has worked so hard for destroyed. Police not really remotely interested. Insured but that usually means the insurers just up the premium to get the money back anyway. Or cheat you in some other way.
March 2, 2024
If however you park outside his flat for just a few minutes, perhaps while delivering something heavy, you will likely get mugged for ÂŁ80. All about money priorities for the state sector, police, local council, government it seems. Who cares about catching criminals when mugging motorists is so very profitable, far less hassle and rather safer? The prisons are full anyway not that they would get such a sentence until perhaps the 20th time.
March 2, 2024
The Gangster State… They want their piece of the action. Although, speaking metaphorically in the Cosa Nostra vernacular, we pay the protection money, we don’t feel very protected.
March 3, 2024
I’m sure he’s celebrating our “strong” diverse, multiculti, multi-ethnic society.
But it might have been wiser to buy somewhere which hadn’t been so “enriched.”
March 3, 2024
An investigation into postal voting would likely show a substantive amount of fraud. Even knowing the % of postal votes each candidate received would be a revelation in itself.
March 2, 2024
+1
March 2, 2024
BW
Yes, on a below 40% turnout 75% postal votes! Stop them now.
March 2, 2024
Iâve been saying this for years, watched the speech by the PM yesterday now that was a speech and half letâs hope itâs not just a reaction to the election of Galloway itâs been needed saying for years itâs just that people in power didnât have the balls to before, like the PM or not this was a very uplifting speech in my mind letâs only hope he follows it through
March 2, 2024
Not the way I saw it. Too little too late. Sunak a front runner creating the mess. What did he say to the PM of India about Christians being persecuted? Was this not a human right issue? Why offer mass immigration to India in return for a trade deal, against Bravermanâs advice? He self declared he was the son in law of India, should we link his self declared devotion to the persecution of Christianâs as well?
This is the party who closed detention centres for holding criminals entering our country and Javid
as HS declared he was proud to shut them! Knowing May as HS lost over 250,000 to the Home Office system without knowing who they were, this year 17,300 lost to their system. Where did the Tory party think these people would live while applications were processed? Pensioners decide heat or eat while criminals in four star hotels and disappear if they think their application will be turned down. Alien cultures where women are suppressed allowed to flourish in the country and postal voting not seen as an issue by the idiot Sunak and co and those before him! Mayors and police commissioners need to be scrapped before further spreading of Balkanisation of our country.
How about the Manchester bomber u dear treacherous May being allowed to come and go from France at will. Their first duty is to keep us safe. They failed over 14 years. Also failed on many national security fronts ie food, water, energy, manufacturing etc.
March 2, 2024
+1 They’ve imported the problem and they continue to import it every day – and make taxpayers fund it.
Sunak claims that those who don’t accept “our values” will be deported. Hah …. does he really think we believe a word of that. Their “Human Rights” are sacrosanct; our rights, as we discovered in March 2020, are worthless.
March 2, 2024
ECHR decides who will stay or leave. Sunak enacted ECJ Equality judgements through EU law into domestic legislation. How is he going to take back control and put nations interest first if he allows foreign courts to decide? The man is shameless. Galloway got voted in Sunak was not elected to be PM.
March 2, 2024
+1
March 2, 2024
Up until the last few hours I was against ID cards.
Now, I favour the idea.
ID cards with a clear photograph, fingerprints, current address, date and place of birth, Nat. Ins. no, occupation.
No ID no benefits; no medical attention, no free education, no state pension, no legal aid, no bank account, etc.
We’ve got more than enough state employees (civil servants) doing – as far as I can make out – b*gg*r all so get them to run the necessary checks on pain of dismissal if they won’t or can’t.
ID cards will need to be tamper proof and as secure as banknotes but modern tech must be able to do it.
On a ‘protest’ march without valid ID. Detention prior to expulsion next day to your native land or 3mths jail for UK residants. OK?
Cost? Initially free to indigenes and about the price of a passport for aliens.
Savings? Incalculable.
HC
March 5, 2024
You are living in a dream world. Only white people would be required to carry ID cards. The police would be far too scared of allegations of racism to ask black people to produce them. And “asylum seekers” already get ID cards. It does not seem to put any of them off, quite the contrary. Please do not think that any IT system the government sets up will not be a disaster costing billions.
March 2, 2024
He is responsible for the problem of which he complains.
March 2, 2024
Mick
Did not listen to it, but understand from all of the headlines it was all about extremism and democracy.
I wonder how and why, he thinks all of these extremists have suddenly sprung up, or gained entry into our Country ?
March 2, 2024
BW +1
March 2, 2024
+ 2
March 2, 2024
+1
March 2, 2024
+1 A means to control people’s vote by them being told how to fill in their postal vote under duress.
March 2, 2024
BW :
Correct, but then so is voting at polling stations as each voterâs choice can be known to activists by checking the numbers on the voting slips which are also recorded on the named/addressed voting register.
March 2, 2024
+1 BW
March 2, 2024
Postal voting is so open to abuse that it should be stopped immediately. Only someone with a disabled badge should be allowed a postal vote.
We are already passed the point of no return with the number of immigrants that have been allowed to enter the country. There are probably enough Immigrants in London already to ensure that Khan gets re-elected.
The idea that more than a million visas have been issued in the last year is beyond belief, and this from a so-called Conservative government ! I can only imagine how much worse it is going to be if Starmer gets into Downing Street.
Being entirely cynical and selfish, at the age of 72, being financially independent, and living in rural Dorset, my wife and I can life out the rest or our lives without too much concern at what is going on elsewhere in the UK.
In extremis we could always sell off our BTL portfolio, fully retire and spend more time with our son and his family in rural Thailand. There the cost of living is low, its warm and peaceful, and we can do lots of boating…………………..
March 2, 2024
what’s keeping you?
March 3, 2024
I agree mouse.I would gladly move if all my family came too.
It’s funny when on looks back over the years and see how they keep doing the same things,flipping reality, believing that they are doing the right thing.The template for GB destruction was designed many years ago when life was manoeuvred around who you were rather than truth and validity
It started in schools with children denied of the competence and influence they may have and was flipped and stood on for a lifetime.Now look where we are.
March 2, 2024
The takeaway I got was that a lot of people don’t want a mainstream Party. Other than that, the analysis of the Tory support would surely compare it to the 2019 election, where it was 31.2%. This time it was 12%.
Unfortunately for comparison’s sake, Labour can’t really be counted because of the candidate problems, so we don’t know how many ex Labour voters shifted to an alternative because of this or because they’ve actually given up on Labour.
Whatever, the Tories are toast this year and must ask themselves who will be their constituency in the future if they are just a globalist Labour Lite Party?
March 2, 2024
+1
March 2, 2024
Why would dyed in the wool Labour voters suddenly vote for a centre right party like Reform in a place like Rochdale? John’s analysis is faulty and he is clutching at straws. This was about the middle east. Wait till the vote gets out to the rest of the more sensible parts of the country and the state of our nation before making such a silly statement that Reform should have walked it.
March 2, 2024
Huge % of postal votes apparently.
Very low turnout.
Were the votes actually about our domestic concerns?
The winner didnât seem to think so!
March 2, 2024
Second placed candidate (Independant) wanted to talk about a better life for the people of Rochedale.
March 2, 2024
Yes, Tully is the real story here. Half the newspapers before the vote didnât even mention him, his campaign only started four weeks before the by-election. Iâm proud of him and what he stood for and if Galloway had any sense he would say Iâve listened to the people of Rochdale not just the people and supporters of Gaza and Iâve invited Dave Tully to be my local advisor and I will campaign to get the small changes the people here voted for in big numbers. For too long people like Dave Tully and what he represents have been ignored, for too long we are concentrating on Gender, political correctness, how to fine everyone in the most efficient fashion, how to sneakily raise taxes, Ukraine, Hong Kong, swanning around the world pretending weâre rich and a country the size of the USA.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-68445381
March 2, 2024
It’s very unclear to me what Mr Tully stood for. It seems his most reported policy was to crack down on speeding motorists, which is rather in line with the modern green trope to impose 20mph limits, LTNs etc. and therefore probably conveys a misleading impression, as those types of policy were not supported when espoused by other candidates. Perhaps it was code: it seems that there are young men who like to treat city streets as a racetrack who the police fail to tackle.
March 3, 2024
The BBC reported that âMr Tully announced his candidacy four weeks ago, due to a push for a local voice in government, after he said he had a feeling from the people of Rochdale that their problems have gone unheard. What did he campaign for?
The independent stood on a range of local issues such as the reinstatement of a maternity ward, a crackdown on speeding, and for support for local businesses.
Rochdale by-election Dave Tully and supporters. A cheer went out when independent Dave Tully’s result was called. He also advocated for funding to secure the future of Rochdale AFC and more backing for local amateur sports clubs across the borough.
How did he react?
Speaking to the BBC after the contest, he said he campaigned to be a “voice of the people” as many were tired with the “same old routine” of mainstream politics. Mr Tully said he wanted to “say what our town feels, and on a bigger stage, what our nation feels”, and hoped he would inspire other local people to do similar.
Basically it was a big vote for None of the Above political parties around a local lad, a charity fund raiser and local sports fan. There were other independents but I wonder what made Tully stand out for the protest vote.
March 3, 2024
It would have been useful were Mr Tully interviewed by a more neutral journalist. On the BBC he would have been all too aware of what he was expected to say and not to say.
March 2, 2024
Reports claim: Reform UK’s candidate and campaign team were subjected to death threats, suffered vile abuse, refused entry to hustings in a public building, suffered daily intimidation & slurs, and had to be relocated for their safety.
The proportion of postal votes in the by-election was up from 22.7% in the 2019 general election to 43.2% in the by-election. There were 164 allegations of electoral fraud and malpractice during the 2014 elections in Tower Hamlets.
Even so, Labour was still named on the Rochdale ballot paper and many folk are not fully aware of whom they are voting for. Many also regard themselves as âWorkersâ.
March 2, 2024
âThe Lib Dems (and Sunakâs Conservatives) who also want to stop people using cars and speed green changes came in fifth with just 7% of the vote. There is no evidence here or in other elections that voters want more of the net zero policies.â
All the evidence is the public correctly want to see the misguided and evil net zero religion ditched in full. The Tories got circa 1/4 of the vote of the two top candidates combined! Absolutely pathetic Labourâs ex candidate even worse.
March 2, 2024
Misguided and evil in your head.
March 2, 2024
Net zero is certainly evil, vastly expensive and totally pointless as zero benefit. People will starve and freeze if they really go for it seriously. A bit more CO2 and a bit warmer is actually a net benefit to the UK and the world.
Chairman Mao & his Great Leap Forward (1958 to 1962) leading to 20 million+ dying of famine.
Net zero is a Mark II version.
March 2, 2024
LL :
Correct.
March 2, 2024
LL +1
March 2, 2024
Correct.
March 2, 2024
One of the few sensible thinks the Tories came up with in the past 14 years was to make MOTs needed only once every two years. Needless to say they dropped this idea. Three years would be far better still and would be very popular. Alas but Sunak clearly does not do popular. Popular is cheap reliable energy, low taxes, well controlled high quality immigration only, no crony capitalism, government waste or corruption, no net harm vaccines, no net zero, no road blocking, well directed & efficient public servicesâŚ
March 2, 2024
I think they could do it in stages, 1-4 years no MOT unless you exceed 100,000 miles, 5-6 once by the end of year 6, year 7+ every year if you do more than x mileage. The mileage could be recorded digitally when renewing insurance.
March 2, 2024
Sunak âIslamist extremists and the far-right feed off and embolden each otherâ and were âtwo sides of the same extremist coin.â
What is Sunak on about? Does anyone remember the last time the ‘far right’ were marching through the streets of London, calling for violent uprising or the eradication of a whole country? Does anyone remember the last time the ‘far right’ the speaker to change a vote in Parliament due to threats?
Do any âfar rightâ MPs ever even get voted into parliament?
Nothing remotely far right about Lee Anderson or Andrew Bridgen and yet Sunak kicked them out of the party for telling unwelcome truths. Almost anyone would be a better Mayor of London than Sadiq Khan.
March 2, 2024
âThat poison is extremismâ says Sunak typically vague, pathetic and on the fence as usual. No Sunak the problem is your Governments huge immigration levels of people, many of whom are from countries that have beliefs incompatible with those of the UK. They think you get your way with threats of and actual violence, back door blasphemy laws⌠alas they seem to be right and as the numbers get ever larger that will continue it seems.
On postal vote fraud investigation can we be told the spit of postal votes cast did they match the voting of people who voted in person or were they totally different types of people?
March 2, 2024
ActuallyâŚ
If we had a âFar Rightâ
Surely there would be no mass immigration?
March 2, 2024
People do indeed want government to improve the economy, boost take home pay and control our borders.
Also to reduce government waste, cut taxes, sort out health care, proved decent law and order.
Sunakâs Tories have an agenda that is the complete opposite of this. Then on top of this he even lies to us that he is cutting taxes, stopping the boats, cutting gov. debt, growing the economy, reducing NHS waiting lists and assures us contrary to overwhelming evidence that Covid vaccines are safe. Not quite as bas as Starmer is the best one can say.
This was not really a reform seat but with first past the post voting they will always struggle. Though reform do have the right policies you refer to (improve the economy, boost take home pay and control our borders) and ditch net zero. Sunak does not and it is too late now anyway. All hot air amd zero action more hot air last night.
Is he going to address the very large postal voting fraud?
Next PM betting odds Starmer overwhelming favourite at 1:6 Sunak 7:1 (Abandon ship Cameron who even appointed the dire Barroness Warsi as party Chairman) Cameron 16:1 how depressing.
March 2, 2024
LL :
Agreed. To Cameron’s extensive list of actions to destroy the country I would add the bombing of Lybia and together with Osborne and Davey the funding of Hinkley Point C using Chinese capital at 9% instead of taxpayer funding at 2% which has doubled the price of electricity from HPC according to Professor Sir Dieter Helm.
March 2, 2024
I disagree, this was exactly the sort of seat Reform thought and say they could win.
Sunak could easily say they are going to use this by-election to do a full electoral vote analysis as the postal vote was so high which a lot of people have expressed concern about. Coercive voting are a big concern although how would you even prove that, there is actually nothing to stop a man (head of house) from applying for five people over the age of 18 in the same house then exercising their vote and just asking them to put their x in the spot. If there is nothing that can be checked to stop this what stops other citizens doing it for their household if their adult kids canât be bothered to vote? Just sign here Jay.
They could check that everyone that exercised a postal vote appear elsewhere in our digital systems from HMRC to benefit claims to university registers, and on. When they say there is no postal election fraud how can they even claim that when nothing is checked and a family voting together with their gathering associations is allowed?
March 2, 2024
I have seen a PM standup and tell us that democracy lost when George Galloway won a democratic election. I support Israel but I also support a person who won an election democratically. Which by the way George did but Sunak did not when he became PM.
What happened yesterday was that democracy won. Please stop gaslighting us.
Neither are those that supported Galloway islamic extremists because there was an 80% turnout of the muslim vote. Similarly all those British people who have complained for the last two decades about mass migration are not far-right extremists. All these so called extremists are just average voters that make up the vast majority of the country.
It turns out both the Labour and Conservatives undemocratically imported millions of people with antithetical opinions into concentrated areas of the UK. Yesterday democracy won but the country lost.
Today the real risk isnât a new Muslim party MP but a new local council being set up along sharia lines. MPs have very little power but a local council can change a city drastically.
If I was a PM I would reluctantly be rolling back the autonomous powers of local councils and any autonomous organisation, quango, or ministry drastically. Even the Home Office has been hijacked.
Letâs be in no doubt the PM and his predecessors have acted undemocratically in many ways and ignored the collective wisdom of tens of millions of people for short term personal selfish gain. This country is now facing decades, and possibly centuries, of Balkanisation and internal conflict.
Reply I am not gaslighting anyone. Neutral balanced comment on the results.
March 2, 2024
J,
âI have seen a PM standup and tell us that democracy lost when George Galloway won a democratic election. I support Israel but I also support a person who won an election democratically. Which by the way George did but Sunak did not when he became PM.â
Yes it was a completely democratic election.
Though I donât support a country getting away with appalling Old Testament vengeance and attempting to completely remove a population by any means possible.
March 2, 2024
Excellent Javlin.
Sunak and the Uni Party brought this event about. Sunak just enacted ECJ equality through EU law into domestic legislation! What does the idiot think this will do? Let alone it is against the mandate he was elected on!
The Equality legislation is nothing of the sort it was brought in by Blaire and Harman to suppress people into silence to stop mass immigration!
March 2, 2024
Even an invading population?
March 2, 2024
We used to be able to identify invaders! Apart from the modern Armada, how else do we do it?
March 2, 2024
Excellent and measured analysis. Unlike our host’s who appears to think he can tell us that the voters of Rochdale are a representative sample of the UK population. We’re not that stupid.
The vote was clear; the winning candidate is a white, catholic native of Scotland, BUT he stood on one issue that those who did turnout at Rochdale wanted to support. Most of the electorate stayed home. The PM, again, was too measured, Balkanisation IS the correct description. The PCP, and our host need to wake up to reality, or there WILL be civil unrest and that makes us weak internationally.
March 2, 2024
Oh thank goodness for you!
I thought I was going even madder for a moment.
Spot on.
Plus for my money I thought âthe speechâ highly authoritarian.
Who, pray, judges what is âextremeâ?
March 2, 2024
A white working class man got jailed for two years for creating and posting stickers which opposed mass immigration.
Meanwhile another judge let off three women who were marching in support of Hamas with pictures of para-gliders stuck to their jackets. The judge had recently “accidentally” liked a social media post calling for “free Palestine.”
We have a two-tier justice system …. and the punishment depends on who the judge is.
March 2, 2024
Indeed.
And I think his messages on the posters were not protests just obvious statements which if denied = genocide.
The same equivalence as demonstrated by the PM
Protesting against the loss of oneâs culture, roots, basic rights and homeland is equal to if not a great deal worse than violent and intimidating actions on the far and extreme left and Co.
March 2, 2024
usually the BBC corner that right!
March 2, 2024
Well said, Javelin.
Odd that a man who has no mandate to be in Number 10 and who came to his position, after losing to a democratic vote, via a coup should tell us what a democracy looks like.
March 2, 2024
+many.
Worse he back stabbed Johnson and Braverman to get there!
March 2, 2024
The irony is clearly lost on the man himself.
March 2, 2024
What did Sounout actually promise by way of actions? Diddly squat. Urgent action on mass immigration policy or removing illegals or tent policy? No. Urgent action on independent energy supply and an industrial strategy to reverse export of our manufacturing? No. Urgent review of welfare and its recipient’s, time limiting it to protect the 46%? No. Urgent review of taxation to reduce the burden of the state by cutting 25% of the useless state sector (OBR, Home Working Office/Treasury etc or NHS management?) No. Review Nut zero and appoint/fund real scientists with a cost benefit analysis before more ÂŁtrillions are wasted? No. JUST GO! Reform.
March 2, 2024
I’m not sure about a completely safe/democratic election with postal votes being open to fraud and while the culture of block voting goes on unchecked.
However, I agree fully with the rest of your sentiment.
Mass immigration from vastly different cultures which it seems we have to bend to accommodate was always going to bring trouble.
The gross unfairness of it all to the heritage population is overwhelming.
Now the state has created something that is backfiring on them, they are scared and as usual looking around for the same old scapegoat ‘far right’, which is anyone who has the audacity to tell the Emperor he has no clothes on. Anyone defending their heritage, culture, history is ‘far right’. In ‘modern Britain’ the generations that fought two wars in close succession would all be labelled ‘far right’.
March 2, 2024
Postal voting IMO is a terrible thing
BUT for years now the powers that be have allowed it full well knowing the implications.
ErgoâŚit has become part of their âdemocracyâ.
And now they are using the situation they contrived to impose more authoritarianism.
The Overton window of allowed political affiliation.
I wonder who wrote the âword saladâ speech?
March 2, 2024
Well said.
The generations which fought WW1 and WW2 opposed mass immigration. But their views didn’t count.
March 2, 2024
The risk is Michelle that constantly talking about people who they then label as âfar rightâ; people think oh am I far right now, I thought I was centre right. So be it, the word loses its power.
Labelling Corbyn, Galloway, Williamson âfar leftâ will have a similar neutralisation of the power of the word.
March 2, 2024
Neither neutral nor balanced. You managed to pick the one by election where the whole situation was eccentric to make an edgy snide point about Reform and Libdem. Happen to be your competitors. Just compare both the makeup of the electorate and candidates with mainstream constituencies including Wokingham. Treating this as some cheerleader for what will happen in the GE for Reform is a serious mistake.
Reply Not so. I reported the figures and noted most voters preferred to stay home rather than get another party over the line.
March 2, 2024
The point is that most “voters” sic indeed stayed home but their supposed votes were still counted.
March 2, 2024
I canât see how anyone ( Tice included) could have dreamed Reform could perform in Rochdale!
And I canât imagine how anyone could have thought that George would NOT win. ( Labour having dumped its faves)
I imagine that .WPB will try to replicate this result in every appropriate constituency.
( that lectern will be in and out of number 10!)
March 2, 2024
Reply to reply ….people don’t vote to get any old party across the line. They want to find promises to serve the voter’s views. Even the promises are almost never carried out anyway. What is left? answer: APATHY.
March 2, 2024
I donât know Mickey, the electorate have now seen that first past the post doesnât just give the establishment parties the right to rule. The second placed guy only campaigned for a month with none of the money and resources available to big parties, this has shown people the right person is more important than the rosette.
Reform as spreading too wide, they should have concentrated on an area like the SNP did. All they will do is get Labour elected.
March 2, 2024
I would agree that selecting the (say 50) lowest marginals with incumbent standing down from a majority of less than 10,000 could be the way to win seats. Second place is still losing!
March 2, 2024
Reply to reply,
True SJR, the Greens and Lib Dems shrank in line with the two previous by-elections. The Reformers, who really believe in stopping unsustainable immigration and would halt it are hardly going to get much support in a constituency at least 25% immigrant. It was the conservatives who stayed at home. You urgently need to restrict postal voting to those out of the country and HM forces. It is now a way of corrupting democracy.
Those who did vote were definitely more concerned with the Gaza war than the problems of life in Rochdale.
March 2, 2024
Javelin : “What happened yesterday was that democracy won.”
You may be right on this but we don’t know because the postal votes and even the votes at polling stations are open to coercion, corruption and fraud.
March 2, 2024
The usual offering from BBC Questiontime with four panalist and a Chairman all on the same wrong lefty side. Warsi, Lammy, that pleasant but daft Green MP with a degree in english and zero understanding of energy, climate, economics or anything else much and Tim Stanley the nearest one to being slightly sensible. Even he attacked Lee Anderson – when Lee said âcontrolled byâ he should just have said âvery heavily influenced byâas that is very clearly true. But he did not say âfully controlled byâ did he.
Cameronâs idiotic diversity choice of Warsi as party Chairman and Baroness has been a disaster for the Tories as we tend to expect from socialist pusher of green crap, EUphile abandon ship one Lord Cameron of Greensill, Libya.
March 2, 2024
Must be very frustrating, such a polymath as yourself reduced to shouting in an empty room.
Extreme judgemental bile against people who at least try to make a difference is to me, a sign of inadequacy not strength and sadly today, all too prevalent.
March 2, 2024
Is it not good to judge people based on their actions and words? Warsi should never have been appointed Chairman of the Tories or a Baroness. It was clearly a disastrous diversity appointment by cast iron, low tax a heart but never in reality abandon ship Lord Cameron of Greensill, Libya.
March 2, 2024
LL :
Cameron’s appointment of Warsi was only one example of his stochastic entryism policy to destroy the Conservative Party (which he has achieved and is still working on it) using diversity as an excuse.
March 3, 2024
You can’t help being rude can you hefner.
I hope you never had a teaching or lecturing position.
March 2, 2024
They are not elected to âtry to make a differenceâ.
March 2, 2024
Then again, often, given the differences they are often striving for (like net zero) just trying is far better than actually delivering this.
March 2, 2024
very creative writing – — ‘shouting in an empty room’ oh come on! just making points which you don’t like!
‘Extreme judgemental bile’ again screaming, hysterical nonsense.
Just make calm alternative views without the horror!
March 2, 2024
Yes it was a disgraceful hit job the BBC perpetrated, it was very clear what their agenda was when having Warsi ‘represent’ the Conservative view.
March 2, 2024
Well I suppose that is a comforting analysis of the result from a Conservative viewpoint. Look how badly other parties did when they had a chance to grab the headlines. It is not without merit.
I really object to Sunakâs âextremistâ speech though. Things donât go his way in a democratic election and itâs suddenly extremism and something must be done.
Itâs a bit rich for him to talk about âour countryâ constantly, when we know he will be off to California or India as soon as it goes pear-shaped.
If a main reason for the victory was Gaza that is fair enough. Muslim voters solidarity with their long suffering co-religionists.
This despite the constant hasbara, the pro Zionist shills still at it in the media – the Finkelsteins, the Zimples etc – ignoring the relentless carnage, the Old Testament vengeance with the aim to completely remove a population.
This electorate and large sections of the population can see what is happening and are making up their own minds.
March 2, 2024
Strimpel not Zimple.
March 2, 2024
The little usurper has no self awareness and thinks we have forgotten that he held a US Green Card for quite some time until it was discovered.
March 2, 2024
Sunak was jumping to the tune of his party’s paymasters. They do it all the time. Why otherwise would we have continuous mass immigration of unassimilable aliens followed by crocodile tears when the predictable happens ? Enoch was right.
March 2, 2024
If the Tory candidate in Rochdale couldnt even beat George Galloway then I can umderstand the PM’s anxiety.
March 2, 2024
Anybody here scared of Nick Griffin ? Anybody ???
No. Thought not. That guy was consigned to the dustbin of British political history by the voter decades ago. Bringing his name into this issue is just plain weird.
Publishing neutered (Rushdie), satire neutered (Hebdo), education neutered (Batley Grammar), Parliament neutered (Hoyle) The police neutered (every weekend and every day)
Now the Tory party.
All by violence or threat of.
Sunak had to make this extremist threat all about white guys didn’t he !
March 2, 2024
P,
âExtreme right wingâ is an old misdirection ploy that has been used whenever the subject of invasion by illegals and its violent consequences is raised. Douglas Murray discusses it in âThe Strange Death of Europeâ.
March 2, 2024
Our political class are so feeble minded they need to create a ‘Far Right’ threat in order to give themselves permission to speak about the Islamist threat , and even then in the most vague terms. There is a clip of the interview Hoyle had with SKY just after Freer announced he was standing down, here Hoyle bangs on about the far right threat and then comes up with ‘White Fundamentalism’ . What on earth is White fundamentalism? It looks like he saw that as there is a valid concern about Islamic fundamentalism, so he thought to cobble it together with White and accuse us of it.
All this highlights the moral corruption of our political class, they don’t deserve respect , they deserve our contempt . They are getting so desperate to find a far right threat they are imprisoning some idiot who produced stickers . Calling for Jihad, chanting genocidal slogans, lighting up the Elizabeth Tower with genocidal slogans , flying the ISIS flag, dressing up as Hamas killers our corrupted establishment will excuse, but don’t you dare produce some stickers with an inconvenient message , if you do have two years in prison.
March 2, 2024
+1
March 2, 2024
He did. I thought it racist. The far left are the issue any way not the far right.
March 2, 2024
Haven’t they realised Hamas supporters are also far right? It’s just their nationalism concerns another nation.
Then the far left walk hand in hand with them. They may be at opposite poles, but when it comes to hatred of the Jew they find something in common.
March 2, 2024
It was a distraction mechanism, look over here at my left hand waving it around whilst I slip my right hand in your pocket and rob you of your money in taxes, whilst allowing a few unwanted 1.4 million more to slip through the back door under the guise of an Indian trade deal!
March 2, 2024
I certainly will never vote for the conservatives again until they start being conservatives. At the moment they are just the posh version of the labour party. My preference would be to vote for a strong independent until a new radical leader emerges.
March 2, 2024
Good morning.
So why does your party pursue them then ?
It is good that you mention the two independent candidate but I see your sleight of hand when mentioning them. You combined them together when, in truth, one independant scored very low and the other, offering to fix the roads, the schools and so on, came second. People looked to the candidate that wanted to improve their lives and did not see the LibLabCON as a viable alternative. The eventual winner had to rely on the a certain demographic know for questionable electoral practices.
That’s my take on it.
March 2, 2024
‘People looked to the candidate that wanted to improve their lives’
As do all voters going to the ballot box. So why does the Party in power manage to always ignore it?
March 2, 2024
BECAUSE, once in, they hold the power!
What do a few lies matter when there is a global agenda to follow?
March 2, 2024
Mark B +1
March 2, 2024
Your numerical analysis might be correct , but your reasoning is way off reality. The election was, for the first time I can recall, a response to a foreign war which the UK government plays no part in. It was muslim sectarian politics played out at the ballot box, just as the weekend protest marches are conducted in London. Sectarian and anti semetic.
Labour realised what was going on and withdrew support for their candidate. In stepped an opportunist vocal candidate to take command of the muslim vote and espouse the cause of Gaza. It may have been technically democratic, but had nothing to do with the population of Rochdale as a whole or that of that of the UK population at large. Just as Londoners avoid their demo ridden streets at the weekend, likewise the electorate of Rochdale largely stayed at home. Sectarianism is what HMG has to deal with.
March 2, 2024
If this is a vote on a foreign war won by foreigners then why are they here?
March 2, 2024
Free speech, extremism unpunished, hopeless Police action, wonderful benefits, more attention on immigrants than the rest of the people.?
March 2, 2024
Because we are soooo kind and tolerant and fair.
A refuge for the political dissidents of the entire bl**dy world.
Once they have cracked space travel we will have entire galactic wars played out here!
March 2, 2024
I think you are understating the mess that Labour is in, Agricola. It didn’t just ‘realise what was going on’. It saw its leadership’s unqualified support for Israeli government policy run head-on into the wishes of a large and well organised part of the electorate, which it had previously counted on for votes. The result was a car crash for Labour. We’ll probably see more of the same in various Northern, Midlands, and East London constituencies very soon. Too bad for Starmer, I say.
March 2, 2024
I found Sunak’s speech deeply sinister. It is dog whistle politics of the worst kind. His vile inferences against the indigenous population was as bad as it gets. It reeked of progressive infection. It stank of contempt for our democratic heritage and of our culture of free-speech and open debate.
In the world of the progressive elite we’re all ‘far right’ if we dare to express a view that contradicts the embedded orthodoxy. Even J K Rowling’s been labelled with this cowardly criminal trope as did Anderson, Trump and Neil Oliver from GB News amongst many others
You either believe in free speech or you don’t. I place my body in the former camp.
And by the way we all know from where the real threat is coming. We don’t need this PM trying to deceive the people
March 2, 2024
Clap!clap!đ¤
My thoughts exactly.
March 2, 2024
Oh they know where the real threat is coming from. It’s why Starmer knobbled the Speaker; the Speaker undermined our so-called Democracy to appease them; and Sunak let him get away with it ….. instead turning on the one Conservative MP with the cojones to speak out.
March 2, 2024
Yes DOM. Centre right tories are now labelled far right. Reform far right, Bridgen far right, Anderson far right, Farage far right, Tice far right, these are all the things weâre reading on a regular basis now.
March 2, 2024
perhaps we need typos – Reform are right (not far) Farage are right (not far ) etc.
March 2, 2024
Itâs not my label but I read in the Spectator â It is now fashionable to describe Nigel Farage as an âextremistâ, âfar rightâ or âfascistâ politician. Last month, Dame Margaret Beckett denounced his âbrand of extreme right-wing politicsâ; this week, Armando Iannucci tweeted: âAny vote for Farage on Thursday wonât be seen by him as a protest but as support for his brand of far-right UK politics.â
And on Monday, the author and journalist Ben Goldacre described the Brexit Party leader as a âfar right ideologue who wants to abolish the NHS.â
Le Monde âThe far-right Reform UK party has taken advantage of the media lull at the start of the year to launch its campaign, a few months ahead of the UK general election, which is due to be held in 2024, most likely in the fall.â
Ben Quinn Guardian – âReform UK to announce new policies and candidates at Doncaster rally
Far-right party trying to capitalise on third-place byelection finishes and is vetting prospective MPsâ social media outputâ
March 3, 2024
I imagine the far-right are furious with having such hopelessly weak complainant as Farage listed amongst their kin! Ask Galloway he might provide lessons.
March 2, 2024
+many
March 2, 2024
His attempted deception has caused great offence to his core voters.
March 2, 2024
An election full of intimidation, threats of violence and even death. Is this the result of mass immigration and the consequence of huge concentrations of migrant populations in cities? Your thoughts on this would be welcome Sir John.
March 2, 2024
Shows how worried you are about Reform and out of touch on the ground. They fish on the right where you have sold out and will split your vote.
Little appetite for them, maybe you should be more honest and look at Sunak? Constantly out polled by Starmer, isnât that what you should be commenting on or maybe too uncomfortable?
March 2, 2024
A pretty good analysis, Sir John, except that you make no mention of demographics, The Rochdale constituency, according to Conservative Muslim Forum, is nearly 25% Muslim. I don’t find it surprising that the constituency elects an MP who speaks out on an issue they care strongly about. Nor do I find it surprising that a party which advocates much stricter controls on migration fared so badly in a seat with such a large migration-origin electorate. Reform did much better in other recent by-elections where the demographics were different.
Let’s also acknowledge that the Muslim voter turnout was very well-organised, and consider how that factor is going to play out in other constituencies at the next general election.
Though not a Muslim myself, I respect people who take democracy seriously and want to use democratic elections to change policy – unlike so many around the country who are cynical about elections and no longer vote. Which is in large part because political parties such as yours unfortunately offer nothing beyond the usual globalist-progressivist aspirational claptrap.
March 2, 2024
Excellent comment.
March 2, 2024
Oh in future British elections the Chinese vote will be well organized, the BRICS vote will turn out, the Moslem vote – similar to the trade union votes where one person casts many votes will turn out. They will all vote for what is good for their âcommunitiesâ. Bravo.
No England. No Scotland. No Wales. No Ireland. No UK.
March 2, 2024
Technically democratic yes, but what will it do for the residual 75% of Rochdales population. Whatever desires they may have was as nothing to the Gaza war, in which they play no part. This was sectarian politics, nothing less.
March 2, 2024
‘your’s unfortunately offer nothing beyond the usual globalist-progressivist aspirational claptrap.’
This Sir John is now a pretty honest assessment, candidate MPs selected and the party leadership looking after the wealthy and constantly neglecting and squeezing the lower paid.
May’s concern with the people’ left behind’ but did nothing.
Cameron ‘One of the tasks that we clearly have is to rebuild trust in our political system. Yes that’s about cleaning up expenses, yes that is about reforming parliament, and yes it is about making sure people are in control – and that the politicians are always their servant and never their masters.’
Sunak ‘ Doing this job, I meet and talk to inspirational men and women across our country.
You see that our most potent strength, our most powerful resource, our greatest hope is our people.
But what I have learnt is that there is an undeniable sense that politics just doesnât work the way it should. âŻ
The feeling that Westminster is a broken systemâand the same goes for Holyrood, Cardiff Bay, and Stormont.
It isnât anger, it is an exhaustion with politics. In particular, politicians saying things, and then nothing ever changing. And you know what: people are right.’
Just a flavour of words not action.
March 2, 2024
Agree Hat Man.
The Muslimâs seem to still have community.
The indigenous donât even have religion on their radar, this constituency used to register in the census as 60% Christian, now they are 40% Christian over 20% no religion. No meeting spaces, no organisation everyoneâs on their own and that is how the majority will lose power to decide how we live and what rules we live under. Anderson couldnât even say it appears that religion is affecting the decision of its current Mayor, hence banning women in bikinis on advertising boards, turning a blind eye to posters and chants on marches that go against British values, allowing a projection of a nasty chant on Big Ben for a long duration. Then silencing people who say anything about it.
March 2, 2024
Hi sir John
There was a group of Palestinians protesting in sutton coldfield
( Andrew Mitchell MP constituency)
I went to speak with them and all they wanted to do was put Britain down the country they are living in through choice for some reason the the one supporter who I think was Asian was to talk about
albert einstein saying Albert einstein hated Britain what that had to do with the war in Palestine heaven knows
they didn’t want to talk about the hostages
My country is ruined and it’s all down to immigration and a war mongering religion
But we have been told consistently we need these people
A bomb is going to go off and the fuse is alight
March 2, 2024
+1 they live here to exploit our treasure and obliterate our nation.
March 2, 2024
On Talk TV just now, a former Islamist was talking to Peter Cardwell. It was very illuminating.
The man described his childhood as being indoctrinated by his family and the mosque into thinking that all non-Muslims are evil. His moment of doubt came when he watched PM’s question time on TV. The MP’s were discussing some incident or other out in the middle-east and how best Britain could do something to help. He realised he’d been lied to… anyway to cut a fascinating discussion short – he now works with prevent and tries to encourage Muslims to engage with their host country!
I’ve heard other tales of Muslims who have received unconditional help and kindness from Christians and realised their Muslim teaching may not have been correct.
There must be a way that by facing down the leftists and the Islamists we can grasp back our country?? And yes, it will take courage.
March 2, 2024
No it wasn’t “ideal territory for Reform.”
The Constituency is 30% Muslim and it is also overwhelmingly left-wing. There’s a reason why Labour initially chose a Muslim candidate – and also why that candidate expressed pro-Gaza/anti-Semitic opinions. The Muslim block-vote, facilitated by the corrupt and easily open-to-abuse, postal voting system delivered precisely what was expected.
It’s been reported that 13,500 of the votes were postal votes – 44% of the total ….. and that was higher than the 12,300 votes Galloway received. There is no proof whatsoever that any of those postal votes were made by the person whose name is on the ballot paper.
The Not-a-Conservative-Party is well aware that the Postal Voting system is open to fraud. There have been several prosecutions and inquiries, all against members of a certain community. Yet they do nothing about it. Why not? I suspect for the same reason that the Establishment did nothing about the grooming gangs: “to preserve community relations” and because they’re terrified of being called racist or “Islamophobist.”
I watched Sunak’s complaint that our streets have been hijacked by those hostile to “our values;” his plea for unity and the claim that we’ve built the “most successful multi-racial, multi-ethnic, multi-faith democracy. He failed to mention that the British people, post-WW2 onwards, never voted for it, and never wanted it in the first place. What Enoch Powell predicted is coming to pass. They can’t say they weren’t warned.
Reply You have no evidence that the postal votes suffered from widespread abuse. There are checks and procedures to register for one.
March 2, 2024
Reply to reply. jR we know that in Moslem households the males direct female votes, so much easier with postal ballots. They just fill them in.
Reply People here are running different arguments against postal votes.
Claiming a PV in a false name/ address is an offence. If anyone has evidence of that occurring it needs to be reported.
If someone with a postal vote seeks help from a friend or family member the state cannot stop that. Party reps should not fill in PVs.
March 2, 2024
Reply -Reply
I think you are wrong John if you think all people using the postal voting system are free to vote as they wish without influence from either the head of the family or some other perhaps outside pressure..
Knowledge and common-sense tells me different.
March 2, 2024
Reply to reply. The point is that it’s OPEN to abuse. When everything else needs multiple ID checks, passport photos and everything else we can just pop a vote in the post saying we’re away that day.
March 2, 2024
Reply to reply.
Once you have completed the process for a postal vote – which could easily be done by someone on your behalf – there is no restriction at all on who is actually making the vote. And if someone is standing next to you, possibly having to translate, and instructing you how to vote (with the possibility of “repercussions” if you don’t do as you are told) it is hardly free, fair and secret. Is it?
March 2, 2024
Peply to Reply : “You have no evidence that the postal votes suffered from widespread abuse. There are checks and procedures to register for one”.
I suggst Sir John you watch :
Raja Miah : “A Red Wall Guide to Rigging an Election”
https://www.redwallandtherabble.co.uk/a-red-wall-guide-to-rigging-an-election/
It’s not the registering that is the major problem but mainly the signed but blank polling slips/pages.
March 2, 2024
Why couldnât Reform find a Muslim to stand for them. What is it about Reform that Muslims wonât stand for their party?
March 2, 2024
I wonder how many people, like myself, quite like what Reform says but are unimpressed with their commitment to proportional representation? Itâs not prominent on their website – perhaps to help prevent challenge by those that do not want insipid centre Left coalitions, as seen in continental Europe with PR. Mr Farage in particular, and Mr Tice, should themselves be challenged about this.
March 2, 2024
+1.
March 2, 2024
No mention of the Muslim vote. Isn’t Rochdale 36% or so Muslim? Surely that is significant?
March 2, 2024
Rochdale was a highly unusual and indeed divisive by-election in a constituency comprising 30% first, second and third generation Muslim immigrants from Pakistan. The election issue here – on a turnout of 40% – was the war in Gaza and clearly, was not fought on green issues. All candidates knocking on doors reported concerns about the NHS, crime and poor policing
The combined share of the vote for the Conservatives and Labour dropped by 65% â their worst result since the wartime by-elections of 1941-45
The independent candidate David Tully secured 21.3% of the vote by focussing on his local identity and local issues. Sir John would do well to focus his campaign for the new Wokingham seat similarly on local issues and his reputation as a very good consituency MP
March 2, 2024
All the recent elections have indicated very little support for net zero, road blocking, ULEZ, rip off unreliable energy, exporting steel jobs, damaging the economyâŚThe greens & Libdims have done appallingly generally losing deposits. The public are right.
March 2, 2024
How does Kahn get away with endless London Transport adverts, paid for with public money on his new woke train line names etc. that are surely thinly disguised political adverts for himself as Mayor. To the Mayor of London every Journey Matters they say.
Surely this is illegal? It certainly should be.
March 2, 2024
What election supported a Green Agenda? Even Brighton have resumed weed killer and mowing the pavements because the Green population there disliked the results of Green policies.
March 2, 2024
Yes, it was very disappointing for Reform. Perhaps the lesson is that we need a new voting system. We donât want STV, which was what we were offered, but we donât want the LibLabCon that we have with FPTP either. We need to work out a better, more representative form of PR.
March 2, 2024
Ah – one where the Moslem vote is the kingmaker?
If democracy does not give the biggest number of people victory, itâs dead.
March 2, 2024
Abigail :
The âmore representative form of PRâ is the STV we were offered but unfortunately refused!
STV means that we have a single MP elected by the constituents to represent the constituency (one of the great benefits of FPTP) but because of STP this MP must obtain at least 50% of the votes â either directly or together with those from a second, transferable vote.
A further advantage is that a constituency does not end up with an MP who does not represent their views in any way as a result of a split vote which can happen with the FPTP.
STV is already used in many elections, including for the Police Commisioners.
March 2, 2024
It is misleading, at best, or disingenuous, to state that because few people voted Green (and Limp Dem) their policies are not popular. If it was a fair voting system – if each vote counted – and the Greens only got 1.4%, then that would be a fair point. I believe that if we had PR, the Greens and Lib Dems would each get a much higher percentage and their supporters would get fair representation in Parliament.
As it is, we have a democracy. But itâs a thin veneer of a democracy.
Reply You are missing my point. In this odd election with no Labour candidate any challenger party could have won
March 2, 2024
One candidate listing was missing on the ballot paper,
“None of the Above”
I wonder how many votes that Registration would have secured, as people could have then made a real and defined vote choice, indeed the turnout may have increased substantially.
Reply You can always write in None of the above. It means you do not help choose the winner.
March 2, 2024
Reply -Reply
But that then is registered as a spoilt paper, so no record exists for none of the above protest.,
March 2, 2024
reply – – or abstain! – like you do in the H of C!
March 2, 2024
Fully agree …its high time the term ‘none of the above’ was included
March 2, 2024
Letâs hope the Conservative Chairman is able to red the result too – if not then this accurate summary.
In extremis no body of people will vote for Green policies.
Thatâs the really big lesson, as you say. Enough is enough.
Sunak complaining that the millions that have flooded into our country donât respect democracy, our laws or traditions is rubbing salt into the wound. Politicians were going to ârub our noses into diversityâ and have done so. We now want to rub their noses into the blood spilled in that arrogant experiment.
March 2, 2024
+many.
White boys discriminated on every level with the worse outcomes. Nothing in society for them!
March 2, 2024
I’m quite disappointed in your post Sir John, it does just seem like a cheap shot at Reform.
I have come to see you as one who stands away from the cesspit of political school playground behaviour.
I have learnt a lot from your very knowledgeable posts on finance/banking etc.
As has already been stated, demographics and religion played a part in the result.
The block voting as a cultural practice cannot be dismissed either.
I don’t believe diversity built this country, not in the way we keep being told it has.
I do believe it will be to its detriment.
The heritage people of this land warned the powers that be that mass immigration and multi culture was not a good idea. It may look so, from the Ivory Towers, and slapping more laws to enforce it does little to convince the population it’s for their own good. It is after all why Labour has been kept out of office, but the Conservatives picked up that particular baton and ran hell for leather with it.
Now it has come back to bite.
To have the PM (one of the most unpopular) make this snap address to the nation, tells me that some people have had the scare of a lifetime and can now see the possibilities of which they have been repeatedly warned.
Welcome to the party.
Reply No cheap shot. The issue I am raising is why so many who did not see GAZA as the key issue stay at home?
March 2, 2024
Reply to reply: probably because they knew it was futile. Under FPTP, only one of two parties are meant to have a chance of winning. One side “lost” their candidate, but there was one ready to step into the space he vacated.
I suppose someone could have tried to create a Stop Galloway; stop Islamification; stop mass immigration Party (or movement) – and hoped that a majority would turn out ….. but then they’d just have been branded “Far Right” by the Uni-Party and Media.
March 2, 2024
Reply to reply. You’re right to raise the question, SJR, but the answer is easy: they stayed at home because of what your government has been doing, or failing to do, for the last 14 years.
March 2, 2024
Clough, the point is they didnât have to stay at home, their was a local businessman who could and seems to have scooped up many ânone of the above political partiesâ vote. I think this election was dangerous because it shows people there is an alternative to political party votes a message could be sent. People not exercising their vote is the real problem in the UK.
March 2, 2024
I agree, one must vote ….however I know quite a few intelligent people that are now just so disillusioned by politics and in particular labour & tory, that they’ve given participating in the system
March 2, 2024
Reply to reply:
Scared like Hoyle to come out and vote? Scared like Tory MPs standing down by the dozen? Given up on the Tory failed system? Does not matter to vote Tory or Labour they do the opposite to what they promise? Tories repeatedly lie to get elected, very dishonest party. Labour institutionalised racist against Jews, by their beloved ECHR!
If population does not vote for Muslim candidate are they racist?
March 2, 2024
reply – Are you saying you STILL don’t understand why people don’t go and vote? Really?
March 2, 2024
Sir redwood,
Iâm afraid you are missing the point on this one, this was a sectarian pure vote, the Muslims showing the UK, we have the power to disrupt your cosy democracy by forcing you to deal with OUR priority.
Reply The issue is why did so many of the majority who are not Muslim fail to vote
March 2, 2024
If we had PR they would be in the driving seat.
March 2, 2024
Reply to Reply
“None of the above” not an option for those who believe in real democracy, the only protest left is to either not turn up, or spoil your paper if you do not support those standing.
Reply Those who dislike all the candidates should ensure someone stands they do like
March 2, 2024
âThose who dislike all the candidates should ensure someone stands they do likeâ
Thatâs a ridiculous reply! How does the average voter do that?
Reply Put up, or work with others who will. All existing parties depend on the free time and effort of volunteers. It’s your democracy, so you need to put some effort in if you want different results
March 2, 2024
In the same way that Tully stood Colin. Had I been in that election I would have voted for him to send a message. If the big political parties donât read that message from this election it is on them because a message was sent. Weâd prefer a completely unknown person standing on local issues than any of you!
March 2, 2024
Reply to reply:
“Put up, or work with others who will. All existing parties depend on the free time and effort of volunteers. Itâs your democracy, so you need to put some effort in if you want different results”
You mean, like the people who gave their free time and effort … the Con Party Members … who, when Johnson was deposed, voted for Liz Truss to be PM? So how come Sunak – voted for by no-one – is PM.
March 2, 2024
How does leaflet dropping and door knocking get different results.? I think you’ll find those volunteers thin on the ground now.
March 2, 2024
reply to reply …and how do we do that?
March 2, 2024
Reply to reply.
They cowered from a mob. This is how a small number of Taliban run Afghanistan, with 30 times their number running away. Provided there are enough of them, they can organise a mob to intimidate anyone who opposes them. One wonders whether they have already achieved their aim with Parliament.
March 2, 2024
reply to reply …If you above all else in politics don’t realise the level of apathy in the country – I give up and welcome a wipeout of the main parties in the next GE.
March 4, 2024
John, I know people in Rochdale, if they’re not Labour they give up ‘no point’.
March 2, 2024
Sir John ‘This surely was ideal territory and background for Reform.’
When Labour had previously held and an extremist voiced candidate stands it shows how little you know about the cultural changes over the years in ex-industrial towns in Midlands and Northern England.
Of course I don’t expect you to let this comment through!
March 2, 2024
Sir JR, I have great respect for you and usually your opinions. Today you have got it wrong Re. Reform.
If there were a GE tomorrow, I would vote Reform. I wouldn’t expect to be voting for the next governing party. More likely the party that came third. But I can no longer vote for the incompetent rabble known as Conservatives. Nor can I vote for the current version of Labour. My only other choice would be to not vote at all.
As for Rochdale. A constituency with a large Muslim population is only going to vote for someone who puts Islam first. Step-up George Galloway. An excellent orator but also a Communist hater of Britain who sympathizes with Islam around the world.
Reform, a party who care about the (dis)UK. Who wish to put our culture first, had no chance in Rochdale. Particularly with the intimidation and postal votes system.
Let’s see what happens when the GE occurs. I predict it will be bye-bye George and thanks for everything (not)
Reply A very large number of voters including former Conservative voters stayed at home in Rochdale. There was nothing to stop Reform winning given the absence of Labour and the poor Conservative showing. Most people in Rochdale are not Muslims.
March 2, 2024
Reform put up a candidate with a record of exchanging inappropriate messages with a 17 year old girl. They really shot themselves in the foot.
March 2, 2024
Reply to reply:
SillyYour party had a85 seat majority to do one thing get Brexit done. What a lot of wasted votes!! Silly reply JR. Look in the. Mirror of your party and govt. Today we read Hunt has changed budget to suite OBR wishes! OBR now decides govt tax and spending policy!
March 2, 2024
Reply to Old Albion Reply : Whilst its true that Conservative voters stayed at home rather than go out to vote for Reform I think it must be borne in mind that a complete change of long-standing voting habits for many people takes time, just like it takes time to stop of turn a large oil tanker, and those who have not voted will be considering their options at the next GE as they watch the Conservative Party continue with their authoritarian and impoverishment Net Zero policy together with their policy of mass immigration.
March 2, 2024
reply to reply – – and most didn’t vote, but Muslims did and husbands used postal for wives.
March 2, 2024
Have you considered Non-Muslim voters being intimidated into not voting?
March 2, 2024
That a concentration of immigrant culture in such numbers to determine the result of an election in that area is possible tells us all we need to know about how we have lost control of who is coming into our country and how well they are integrating.
Gaza has nothing to do with UK politics – shades of Norman Tebbit’s Test match litmus.
These voters were not extremists ((some of ed)the marchers each Saturday are)(may be ed)but they have not assimilated and their allegiance is not to the UK.
LEARN and REACT Please before it become even more too late.
March 2, 2024
Sir John your editing only serves to make us read into what was really said, and was probably right.
March 2, 2024
Reform has not made any impact, its message is shouty and negative. Ben Habib is an articulate chap but Tice is completely lacking in charisma and comes over as a berk.
At the next election itâs a choice between a Conservative govt or a Labour one. A Labour one means: even higher taxes; even more net zero green crap; much more wokery; such absurd (and leftist) concepts as âcitizensâ assembliesâ (so leftist measures can be implemented without proper democratic debate and scrutiny); new divisive and race-baiting laws which pander to Islamist extremists; various fatuous and at the margin economically damaging class war measures.
In so far as a Labour govt is any different in all respects it would be somewhat worse, and in no respects would it be better. Unless you are a socialist, a climate hysteric, an Islamist extremist or one of the Celtic nationalist-separatists, then the only sensible vote to cast is Conservative.
March 2, 2024
Sadly there is no Conservative option in most constituencies. I urge anyone with a Tory as a candidate to support them. In neighbouring constituencies I urge Tories to work for the real Tory candidate even if you canât vote for your own.
The tactic of accepting the least bad is how all the European Treaties were pushed down our throats. âI know this is dreadful but you should have seen what they wantedâ got us firmly in the mire.
If people had opposed the destruction of conservatism in the Conservative Party in 1990s – as I did by voting them OUT, we might have recovered the party and would not be facing this existential crisis now.
You canât have foreigners leading countries! It has to be a fully committed and invested native! Go Sunak – back to the sun!
March 2, 2024
@Lynn Atkinson – sad but true. Even Lee Anderson would only succeed if he stood as him-self and not a Rishi wants a supporter of Sunak. The PM’s speeches yesterday made clear the election about himself personally, and we would be voting to support his version of the virtue signal Socialism. As he said as he has said before if we don’t vote for him we go back to square one – that sounds good to me.
March 2, 2024
Your last sentence very foolish. Mr Sunak is as British as you are.
March 2, 2024
The British all pay ÂŁ1.5m in tax from Capital Gains, have a wife with ÂŁ500m in shares, a large country estate, invite the locals in a for a BBQ each year, and a ÂŁbillionaire Father-in-Law.
March 2, 2024
Not sure I follow this line of argument. I would have voted leave but wast too young in 75, though Heath and Wilson were dire (though he kept us out of Vietnam). I first voted Conservative for Thatcher in Cambridge in 79 until Majorâs second election when (even though Blairâs Labour was clearly worse I voted UKIP as the thought of voting for EUphile and extremely dim John Major was just too much anyway it was a labour area of London. Major buried the fake Tories for three plus terms (The Blair/Brown era was a total disaster especially the wars on lies and botched devolution) Then we got cast iron liar Cameron who abandoned the bridge like a spoiled child after he lost his referendum despite trying to rig it.
How would the Tories have recovered with so many socialist pro EU fake tories like May, Osborne, Hammond, Cameron, Soubry, HuntâŚaround. Circa 80% of tory MPs are socialists or Libdems and still are.
March 3, 2024
I won’t be voting for Chris Loder. He voted to suspend and restrict my Civil and Human Rights, and to wreck the economy in order to try and stop a ‘flu from spreading. He has repeatedly failed to attend the debates on “vaccine” injuries. He doesn’t deserve to be re-elected.
I’ve decided to travel to North-West Leicestershire – to help Andrew Bridgen’s re-election campaign. He’s one of a tiny handful of MPs who deserve to be in the Commons.
March 2, 2024
@Richard1 +1 a choice this extreme Socialist Government or the alternative Socialist Government, both bankrupt in the brain department. Both engaged in signaling a virtue, but no plan to support the UK People or the Country
March 2, 2024
Richard1 :
Sorry but I simply cannot vote for any party, and that includes the Conservatives, who support the twin policies of Net Zero to destroy our economy and mass immigration to destroy our culture, tolerance, social cohesion and nationhood.
If there is no-one on the ballot paper for whom I can vote I shall enter “None”.
March 2, 2024
You may a well just vote Labour
March 2, 2024
true – you’ll see it coming and get stabbed in the front, not the back!
March 2, 2024
PS :
A vote for the Conservative Party, as for all the parties, will be taken as a vote by these parties as a mandate to continue with their policies of Net Zero and mass immigration. If we are not going to be allowed referendums on these very important issues I am left with no choice but to not vote for any party that supports these policies and hence, if I cannot find a suitable candidate, will have to enter “none” on the ballot paper.
March 2, 2024
Indeed and not for a party that has taken taxes (and over regulation) to the highest level for 70+ years combined with dire and declining public services. Plus not for a PM who keep lying to us that the vaccines are safe when they have clearly killed and injured hundreds of thousands. The regulators even knew this very early but failed to act. Also one who lies that he has cut taxes when they are still rising.
March 2, 2024
I expect todays blog to break the record count in responses…. 08.48
March 2, 2024
The point is you’ve had 14 years to put this right by ensuring voter and vote are in the same place when the vote is cast. Perhaps a photo id person and vote if they can’t go. Facial recognition and vote then separate the two electronically for thise really unable to turn up. It’s not difficult technical stuff.
March 2, 2024
The Conservatives have brought all of this worry and confusion on themselves starting with the ‘Big Lie’ ie.advocacy for brexit and then pandering to the ERG crowd over the years with low life rhetoric like fcuk business letterboxes and left them go whistle. Now with Reform positioned on one side and probably many more upcoming George Galloways on the other I can see only one outcome – the fracturing of the British political system order.. Galloway is in a place now that not even Farage or Tice could dream to get to but let’s remember one thing George Galloway did not start this.
March 2, 2024
Dear Mr. Redwood,
The Prime Minister’s ‘beyond horrifying’ post-Rochdale, steps-of-Downing Street speech was dripping with the usual equivocation we have come to expect from our elected leaders.
Having little or no belief in anything, afraid of upsetting one lot of voters over another and unwilling or incapable of making a decision, they resort to tarring us all with the same brush. Thus, the latest problems facing democracy are caused in equal part by Islamists and far-Right groups. Extremism demands a response ânot just from government, but from all of usâ. And, of course, we must be prepared to stand up for our shared values in all circumstances, no matter how difficult. Has it ever occurred to our politicians that most of us are too busy making a living to dedicate much of our spare time to fighting extremism and thought that that was the job of the people we elected via the agencies of state?
Successive governments and MP’s have done virtually nothing to stop these threats to democracy. Some brave people have tried to warn them but their concerns have been brushed aside, as have the concerns of the majority of the British public, in the headlong rush to ‘the most successful multi-ethnic, multi-faith democracy in the world’ – whatever that means.
Only now when their own safety is threatened, have MP’s been motivated to do something – by awarding themselves ÂŁ31 million worth of security. Many people might be reminded of an old saying here ‘you’ve made your bed, now lie in it’. Unfortunately, we are all suffering the consequences of their years of cowardice and inaction.
March 2, 2024
“Conservative half of the electorate is to send a clear message to the PM to improve things” Not possible in the time left. All that can be done is more promises on top of the promises already made and no fulfilled.
Bribing with our own money with bogus tax cuts wont do it either, all the while there is uncontrolled spending and borrowing. The size of the State has to be cut down to half, the promised bonfire of the Quangos has to happen, all expenditure must be managed to achieve a defined return. The problem even if that is done immediately, tomorrow it will still be to late. I think the phrase to this Conservative Government after 14 years of treachery is ‘We Don’t Believe You!’
We voted time and time again for a Conservative Government instead we got a Blair/Brown extreme wrecking ball socialist government.
March 2, 2024
Sir John’s analysis begs the simple observation for the Parliamentary Conservative Party:
“As ye sow so shall ye reap”.
March 2, 2024
Off Topic?
While dementia is often associated with severe memory loss and confusion, it’s not the only sign to look out for. Leading charity Dementia UK says changes in behaviour ‘regarding food or drink’ could be a warning sign of the disease. This includes ‘craving sweet foods, overeating, and drinking too much alcohol’ as well as ‘poor table manners’.
A 2011 study published in PubMed tracked the eating behaviour of 18 early stage dementia (FTD )patients against 16 healthy participants. They looked for patterns including overeating, preference for sweet foods, and increased tendency to eat the same foods.
Researchers found these behaviours were present only among those with the disease, irrespective with sex, age, or disease duration. It doesn’t just affect a person’s relationship with food, it can present itself through other hard-to-spot warning signs. Things to look out for include:
⢠Lack of interest in things you used to enjoy
⢠Reduced motivation
⢠Reduced empathy
⢠Inappropriate behaviour (including staring)
⢠Difficulty concentrating on tasks
⢠Obsessive/ Repetitive behaviour (including hoarding)
⢠Lack of awareness of changes in themselves
If you’re experiencing symptoms of dementia, contact your GP. Although the disease is currently uncurable (sic), certain medicines may be able to control some of the behavioural problems. Therapy, dementia activities, and support groups are also available.
Symptoms almost identical to political apathy?
March 2, 2024
Sir John, please read the last line..
March 2, 2024
Reply to Javlin; Gaslighting…
Sorry John, but you are Gaslighting someone, Yourself!
The Conservative Message is clear!
Sunak and Hunt are not electable, not Conservative, and the desperation is clear (That speech was aimless)!
There is a cliff edge they can hold on to, March 6th, but it can’t be a stupid give away to the rich or well off!
Feeding Aggregate Demand, in this climate, would lead straight into Inflation, so Cuts in Income, NI, IHT, would be seen as nothing but a stupid bribe! Even triggering Inflation (That’s there now, hence BoE) by the next GE!
Please, focus on Business Activity, and Investment; Cuts to Corp, VAT/VAT Thresholds, Fuel Duty, VED, Business Rates,…
And, Reforms to the Supply-Side and de-regulation;
IR35, Self Employment, Accountancy, ….
Productivity boosting Reforms to Transport (HGV), Employment, Environmental, …
And, something special; A Blast Furnace investment package for Port Talbot, in exchange for 51% ownership!
Showing themselves acting in the British Interest!
March 2, 2024
I understand what you say about Reform, but if the Conservative Party, of which I am a member, wants me to vote for it, why does it not proclaim a philosophy and policies to which I can relate?
Mr Sunak in his speech yesterday made it abundantly clear that he was horrified by the choice of the Rochdale electors, but showed little sign that he had really reflected on why they had made that choice.
March 2, 2024
The postal voting system has been and is still being abused by both Labour and other progressive entities to warp our democracy. Intimidation and harvesting of votes is rife and encouraged by Labour. The Tory response? ZERO. Why is this? Because the entire issue has ethnic, religious and cultural ramifications. Democracy sold down the river by a Tory government more concerned with insulating themselves from hurty words rather than doing what is right, moral and legal
Abolish postal voting before it undermines local and national democracy
I believe Margaret Thatcher was once referred to as ‘far right’. This defamatory, odious, criminalising and destructive term has no place in our national discourse. Sunak simply doesn’t understand
March 2, 2024
Following the recent by-elections and the lessons learnt, will the tories reverse any policies âŚNo No and thrice No
March 2, 2024
I assume there will be an investigation into postal voting in this election. It looks very suspicious to me.
March 2, 2024
KENNETH-absolutely no chancet hat is why BLAIR introduced postal voting, Corruput say no more.
March 2, 2024
Sir John
I love your optimism and support for the Conservative way of life. Unfortunately this actual Conservative Government with the support of CCHQ has shown their contempt for the Conservative voter, they have deserted them in a massive way. There is no Conservative Party to vote for, just how extreme a version of Socialism would you get to choose.
Yesterday poll shows that the Conservative voter hasn’t even moved to Reform, the election that is about the liability of Rishi Sunak up against the bumbling of Keir Starmer it will be an election for ‘none-of-the-above’
Rishi and CCHQ has made finding the right person in Wokingham null and void, it will not be about is Sir John Redwood as the best person to represent the Constituency, but a personal ego trip for those causing the Countries woes – vote me or ‘go back to square one’ A dumb phrase as square one was so much better
YouGov (@YouGov) March 1, 2024
Con: 20% (no change from 20-21 Feb)
Lab: 46% (=)
Reform UK: 14% (+1)
Lib Dem: 7% (-2)
Green: 7% (=)
SNP: 3% (-1)
March 2, 2024
I for one value and appreciate the open forum that Mr Redwood so ably gives those who don’t have a voice. Yes, we may disagree with John and indeed with each other but at least the forum is open and without censorship.
I for one thank Mr Redwood for giving us this valuable outlet to those who feel frustrated and angry with the direction that our governing class are taking our nation
March 2, 2024
Good words Dom
March 2, 2024
It is clear that those in control wish us to become a failed state.
Our access to cheap, reliable and abundant energy is to be ended with expensive, unreliable renewables with no plans for storage. An open border policy brings massive immigration, both legal and illegal, with no ability to accommodate the immigrants.
We now see that we even have the voting system of a failed state :
Postal votes are not only susceptible to coercion or can be completed without the knowledge of the voter whose name in on the ballot paper but since they can be signed without a candidate selection being made they can be bought and traded between candidates.
Even votes cast at polling stations are not secret and secure as each voterâs choice can be known to activists by checking the numbers on the voting slips which are also recorded on the named/addressed voting register.
If we are to have free and fair elections to avoid social disruption and extremism then it is necessary for elections to be seen to be free and fair. This is not currently the case.
March 2, 2024
The last paragraph in Sir John’s post today says it all . If the present Government practiced these priorities we would not have the difficulties we face today . The Rochdale election results simply represent the devastating daily news of the turmoil in the Middle East .
March 2, 2024
Reform’s choice of Danczuk was very ill advised. He wasn’t particularly well liked in the constituency.
March 2, 2024
Yes.He gets a lot of airtime on the ever more ridiculous and hysterical GB News,revealing their poor judgement-not for the first time.
March 2, 2024
Sir John
Conservatives stand for many things, a strong economy to fund a future. A strong economy causes wealth and reduces the need for high taxation. Conservatives stand for the âfreedomsâ of being and speech, someone having an opinion is something we listen to and absorb to understand the alternatives. Conservatives stand for a small State, a State that is not hands on running day to day activities that they have no idea about but a State that creates great performing home-grown enterprises to supply services to the benefit of all.
Conservatives stand up for the âman in the mirrorâ, the one that looks back and says to change the world I must be responsible for myself.
Reverse all the above and what do you get, you get Socialism, you get this Conservative Government that is so far removed from Conservatism that they have become all pervasive control freaks that are not only frightened of the electorate they are frightened of themselves. As such they fight common sense, freedoms and refuse to represent the majority.
Do any of us what that sort of Socialism in our lives?
March 2, 2024
Very disappointing that Reform failed so badly – this bodes badly for the small new parties.
As I’ve said before this is a problem, of their own making. Instead of fighting each other they need to combine into one fighting force, or at least have an election pact. They know what they should do, but fail to do what their hearts tell them due to petty differences.
Amazing that labour would not support their own candidate – truly amazing. Azhar Ali was alleged to be anti-semetic, so why did Galloway win on a Gaza ticket?
March 2, 2024
Reform did not fail – the constituency would not see the benefit of Reform.
March 2, 2024
From the MsM
“Poison of extremism threatens British democracy, says Rishi Sunak”
He is obviously talking about himself; he and his government are the ultimate extremist. He wants to fight those that have taken their lead from their government, they (the Government) are the real real extremist that wonât support or listen to the people, but dictate, control and punish. All because their own thinking is so wrong.
This Conservative Government is pushing agendas that do not emanate from withing the UK. This Conservative Government is allowing and invasion of Criminals in to the Country but wonât do anything about because their foreign bosses not the K Citizen wonât allow it.
Its an endless list that encompasses everything that is wrong in our Society, because our leader wonât support our Society above their personal self-gratification and ego.
This Conservative Government has refused to serve those that mistakenly empowered them and pays them. Just as all the job-for-the-boys they are the plague of the freeloaders and entailment that doesnât under stand that âgiving backâ is what the rest of us do daily.
Rishi Sunak has caused the ‘poison of extremism’ people are just mirroring his attitude to us all
March 2, 2024
SirJ, what you wrote today should’ve been Sunaks speech yesterday to the nation ….an honest apprisal of current events
March 2, 2024
I paraphrase a comment from elsewhere. The political parties have been cheerfully feeding the crocodile, thinking of votes (=power) and the liberal views of multi-faith and multi-culterism, but now they appear shocked when the crocodile has snapped and bitten their hand off. Unfortunately the crocodile is now too big to catch. I despair.
March 2, 2024
Though there is the thorny issue of postal votes. The Hustings abuse that stopped Reform candidate from attending. Plus intimidation of voters at the Poll stations.
That said, Sunaks address to the nation last night. Where he insulted all British citizens who have been calling for less migration. As far right!! The majority who work hard & pay taxes. So they get the benefits …. actually see ÂŁ15m per day be used for migrants. Plus given houses, efucation, health etc. Having not contributed a penny & probably their dependents never will.
So we now live in a country with Charity status with an indeginous right wing population.
Who ever wrote his speech has inflamed the situation. Labour are no better after the debacle they caused in HOC over the Gaza vote.
Sadly, the politicians & advisors are reaping what they have sowed.
‘Never bite the hands that feed you’!
March 2, 2024
Strange that you can’t bring yourself to mention the name George Galloway who won the election. The lesson for us all from this by-election is that sectarianism is on the rise in UK. Postal voting is open to abuse and should only be available to those with exceptional reasons.
March 2, 2024
BT – Who brought in postal voting – BLAIR say no more. Corruption galore
March 2, 2024
It is worrying that social media is having such an effect, but we have to understand and better use the phenomena.
The Daily Mail ran an article about an imam being rude to their flag. “Police arrived in hours. The swoop was made with ruthless speed and stealth. It came just as the Muslim preacher was settling down to read his newspaper after enjoying a family lunch. Shuffling to the front door to see who was banging so loudly, Imam Mahjoub Mahjoubi found himself confronted by 15 plain-clothes police officers. They had emerged from a convoy of cars and descended without warning on his home in Bagnols-sur-Ceze, a quaint, 13th-century town near Avignon where British tourists often stop off en route to the French Riviera. After marching inside they ordered the imam (who had lived in France for all but 12 of his 52 years, never troubling to apply for citizenship) to hand over his Tunisian passport.”
Mahjoub Mahjoubi was sent back to Tunisia for insulting the French flag in a sermon
Why did the ECHR not intervene? Why can’t we do the same? Is it purely the passport issue?
David
March 2, 2024
Sir John personally i would like to see the concervatives all pulling together. Stop all infighting . The party are doing a good job but too many distractions.
March 2, 2024
‘the party are doing a good job’ really Rod, what are you taking? I’d like some.
March 2, 2024
Andrew Neil hits the spot :-
“There is a growing sense that we are a country in decline and our political masters don’t know what to do about it. I fear what might be to come…” .
Very precise and what Britain needs to wake up to.
March 2, 2024
You boost the economy by boosting profits in a competitive environment. Increasing loss making and free at the point of consumption services does not boost the economy. Boosting the profits of monopolies such as Thames Water and Southern Water is not a good idea. All the evidence shows that better conditions for SMEs and less and better regulation would boost the economy. The measures needed must comply with fiscal prudence. Since the State is still borrowing too much, tax cuts must be balanced (and more) with reductions in public expenditure. With this in mind, here are a few suggestions:
Cut corporation tax to 12.5%, matching the Republic of Ireland’s rate. Let it be known that we will continue to match the Republic’s rate, no matter how low it is pitched and no matter what the objections from the Republic, the EU and Joe Biden. If there is reduced revenue, cancel some investment grants, which go mainly to big business. The State is no good at picking winners.
Reduce the bureaucratic overhead in paying VAT.
Regulate monopolies in the right way (they are going to hate you for it):
– Regulate their profits
– No payments to shareholders until all unnecessary debt paid off
– Fewer directors
– Reduced director remuneration (particularly to the CEO)
– No bonuses
– No overmanning
There is gross overmanning in the public sector, with a lot of roles that are a complete waste of space. Take for example the NHS:
– Give doctors and nurses a pay rise of at least 10%, with another 10% next year for junior doctors
– Authorise some overtime so that expensive capital equipment is not underutilised
– Sack all of the Equality & Diversity Officers
– Reduce the ratio of Senior Managers to Managers from 50+% to 20%
– Some 48% of NHS staff are non-clinical. Reduce them.
– Cut the drugs bill by time limiting patents and not prescribing expensive drugs that extend the fag end of life
– Get doctors to delegate more to nurses and pharmacies
– Get better at charging health tourists from abroad
Raise the income tax thresholds to ÂŁ20,000 and ÂŁ70,000 pa. Eliminate CPI inflation for at least six years in order to restore average inflation to 2%. Consider reducing target inflation to zero. Reduce the Universal Benefit cap to ÂŁ18,000 pa (ÂŁ21,000 in London). It must PAY to work.
Remove social care from the Ministry responsible for health care and return it to individuals, he private sector and local government. Allow local councils to raise council tax to pay for some assistance to social care (we have had a Poor Law since the year dot).
And less we forget – reduce the cost of immigration by more or less eliminating immigration. Allowing the import of cheap labour is a classic example of “Privatise the profits, socialise the losses”.
March 2, 2024
Sir John, you are (rather touchingly) implicitly assuming that the voting results are 1) not the result of widespread fraudulent postal voting and 2) the voters of Rochdale are at all interested in UK issues such as net zero, the economy or border control.
It is a city I happen to know – and I can tell you for a fact you are very wide of the mark on both counts.
Reply I do assume people had legal postal votes and used them as they wish .If you know otherwise send the evidence to the police urgently. I assume many of the voters in Rochdale are interested in UK issues, but many did not choose to vote at all. Only Mr Galloway stirred big interest in his Gaza and local Rochdale issues.
March 2, 2024
Reply to Reply: Sir John, as you know there is no way of identifying or counting the number of postal ballots, neither before or after the electoral count. Once opened they are distributed among the urns of in-person votes. Nor is there any systematic external scrutiny of the electoral register which is drawn up by the local council. Nor does the council make checks on the truth or falsehood of a name and address. Comparisons with the council tax register do not take place.
In my own case, the only ‘check’ my local council made was to send me a form with my name and address on it and told me to ‘take no action if it was correct’. This is simply not good enough. Citizens should be asked to swear formally that their information is correct, on pain of a lengthy term of imprisonment.
It is also unnecessary to point out that in indigenous households the male in the house does not fill in the ballots on behalf of all the resident females.
Reply There needs to be proof of fraud. I would expect postal voting to increase because it is more convenient. You yourself clearly have a legal postal vote. If someone in a household allows another family member to influence the vote there is nothing wrong with that. The person themselves should sign off the vote but if they have consented to the contents of the vote there can be no case against it.
March 3, 2024
This is why politicians confidently say âthere is no problem with postal votingâ. None religious families need to follow the same techniques if they want the same sway, apply for postal votes for the whole family of over 18s, get their children and partner to all vote their way. Get elderly neighbours to sign up to postal votes and offer to post their completed form nothing wrong with any of that, have little chats to explain who would be best for the town. University unions can hold great sway but nothing to see here, move along. I read posts telling teens how to have two votes, one postal at Uni and one at their parents home, it is perfectly legal for local elections but not for general elections and that is not in big red capital letters on the voting form and the punishment is x if you exercise two votes at this election.
March 3, 2024
+1
March 2, 2024
I see that the OBR appears to be in charge of the budget proposals, having vetoed a number of Hunt’s plans.
More rule by democratically unaccountable quangos. It must stop, whether it is the OBR or the CCC, Border Force, etc.
March 2, 2024
Mark
Yes one wonders who is actually in charge when the Chancellor has to report to others for permission to act in the way they want, Indeed what is the point of a Chancellor at all if this is how the Country is run.
March 2, 2024
Mark :
Our elected representatives could if they wanted remove the OBR, the CCC and control our borders etc. but they use these quangos and regulators together with the civil service to implement policies and decisions with which they agree, or alternatively stifle those with which they do not agree, whilst pretending the opposite to the electorate to obtain their votes.
So, for instance, Hunt will be wanting to give the electorate the impression that he really wants to cut taxes but has already instructed the OBR to veto his plans. So he gets the kudos without having to implement any tax cutting measure.
March 2, 2024
Given the large amount of Asian influence in Rotherham, I doubt anyone but a man who supports Palestinians et al, could actually win the seat. There were too many other candidates, so the vote was badly split, giving Galloway the seat.
Tactical voting would have won the day for a chosen Party had all got together a couple of weeks ago. Sadly that was not to be but maybe next time, soon?
March 3, 2024
Rotherham?
March 4, 2024
You know what I mean ‘arry.
March 2, 2024
The candidate for Reform was the wrong one and you should watch what you put forward in the general election. People want family orientated people who work hard and do not engage in peculiar activities when not working. I was surprised that the conservative came third but there you go, it was a funny election from the start.
March 2, 2024
Dear Sir John, whilst I understand your logic, regrettably I believe itâs flawed. The reason George Galloway won Rochdale was because Muslim voters are outraged at the ongoing displacement and killing of fellow Muslims in Gaza. I believe even if the Labour candidate had been allowed to stand he would have been defeated.
March 3, 2024
Why Michael he supported the same thing as Galloway in fact wasnât that why he was suspended because he went too far.
March 2, 2024
The Secretary of State will also be the sole shareholder of the NESO, with responsibilities of the parties involved in the relationship between the government and NESO set out in NESOâs Framework Agreement, due to be published in the coming months.
I’m not sure that replicating Network Rail in a nationalised centralised control is a good way to go here for our electricity grid.
March 3, 2024
Mark :
If Parliament is going to continue to follow the path set by communist eco terrorists with market rigging, massive subsidies for expensive and intermittent wind and solar energy with no plans for storage, whilst deliberately curbing the development of nuclear, which is not only reliable but cheaper too, then does it matter?
March 2, 2024
Rochdale Borough Council have confirmed that 13,460 postal votes were cast in the Rochdale by-election, 43.2 percent of the votes cast and more than the 12,335 received by winner George Galloway.
The number of postal votes was up by 27 percent from the General Election in 2019 when 10,573 were cast.
That’s on a much lower turnout, which matters, as we can see by looking at the change in the proportion of postal versus in-person votes between 209 and 2024 – the proportion of postal votes in the by-election was up from 22.7 percent in the 2019 general election in Rochdale to 43.2 percent in the by-election.
Is it a coincidence that voter ID was introduced in between those elections?
When the evidence above is considered, it is clearly ludicrous to draw the conclusions in this piece regarding how voters see parties such as Reform.
In any case, their remit is not simply to “destroy the Conservatives”, it is to destroy all parties currently in Westminster. But not in a Guy Fawkesian way, what they want to do is to replace them with a new and better alternative of genuine centre-right politics.
March 2, 2024
As I have a grievance against Rochdale Council I went round leafleting shops last weekend. I also am a personal friend of the now disowned Green candidate as we are the main organisers for atheism in Northern England (though we disagree politically). He incidentally is our expert on Islam and far from being racist (as those who are anti-Islam are constantly called) he has for many years assisted ex-Muslims.
Sunak said Galloway’s victory is ‘beyond alarming’. It is Sunak’s naivety that is ‘beyond alarming’. Galloway did not intimidate over 10,000 Muslims into voting for him (most of his vote was from Muslims and almost all Muslims who voted supported him, including my commercial tenants who are not by Muslim standards particularly religious). Galloway won because his views, consistently expressed over many years, reflect the views of most Muslims, including supposedly ‘moderate Muslims’. Rochdale Muslims are by the standards of Muslim communities not particularly militant nor troublesome. When Suella Braverman referred to the ghettoisation of such groups she was absolutely right. The election of people like George Galloway is one of the less serious side effects of this. The more serious side effects stem from the establishment of ‘Jim Crow’ type segregated areas where medieval religious practices rather than modern Western secular standards are allowed to hold sway.
As for the non-Muslim vote, the ability of a previously unknown Independent to seize so much of it indicates there is no longer much party political loyalty to any Party. So everything is up in the air and the door is wide open for a charismatic Party Leader to win the next General Election. Sunak, quit now.
March 3, 2024
Charismatic Party Leader? ‘They seek him here, they seek him there, those (Frenchies) Tories seek him everywhere. Is he in heaven or is he in hell?
apologies to Baroness Emmuska Orczy.
March 3, 2024
The winning candidate in Rochdale is strongly pro-Brexit and anti Net Zero. The Conservatives should try that for a change and they might pick up a few of his votes.
March 3, 2024
I was granted a postal vote.Every month for approximately 6 months I got a form to fill in giving my details which never change and even after sending them all in ,the council say now that they have withdrawn my postal vote.I give up..the fools are not fit to run the department.