this post was submitted on 08 Jan 2024
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UK Politics

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The article writer has a good summary:

There are three types of campaign you can run during an election: ‘it’s time for a change’ (normally an opposition message, but a governing party can also campaign like this, as Boris Johnson did in 2019); ‘give us time to finish the job’ (the standard incumbent’s message); or (the last resort option) ‘you might not like us, but at least we’re not as bad as the other lot’.

All this albatross can tell is, if he's saying that, there's an election a coming.

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[–] [email protected] 26 points 10 months ago (3 children)

It seems people recall "square one" fondly given where the Tories have lead the UK

[–] [email protected] 15 points 10 months ago

is that like a savegame from before they broke everything?

[–] [email protected] 13 points 10 months ago (1 children)

The good old days, when you only had to try 2 times to get through to the doctors.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago

I remember when I used to have a dentist. Was that at square 1?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 10 months ago

they will pass go. they will collect £200.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 10 months ago

Square one sounds good to me. Better than jail like we're in at the moment.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Cool, is that "square one" where we can book a GP appointment for a time before the heat death of the universe? Sign me up!

[–] [email protected] 15 points 10 months ago (3 children)

It's fine, there are three easy ways to get a GPs appointment in a timely manner:

  • Be really rich
  • Have a parent who is a GP
  • Call your GP on 5 separate phone lines, spreading the start of the call between 07:59:40 and 08:00:20
[–] [email protected] 6 points 10 months ago

Honestly, most effective tactic I've found is to go in to the GP at opening time. The receptionists talk to you before answering the next phone call.

Not ethical but :/

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago

Hey now that's not fair. I called the doctors last week to get an appointment for my 3 year old, and was given one in only 3 weeks time! That's the kind of speedy service one needs from the basic frontline healthcare provider in one of the richest countries in the world.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

Or go online about 6.00am and get one of the slots that were dropped onto the system overnight.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Maybe it's square one where you can order something online without the chance of getting a surprise VAT and customs invoice because your order came from the EU.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago

Not that square one. Labour still need those votes outside of the South too. They aren't offering anything on Europe.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 10 months ago

"labour will erase all of the last 13 years of tory rule. do you really want THAT" - rishi

(nevermind the fact that in most ways they won't considering keir and wes streeting's privitisation plans for the nhs)

[–] [email protected] 12 points 10 months ago

More than anything else he's said and done, this demonstrates how very far out of touch with the mood of the country Sunak is. I live (sadly) in a very Tory area and even here the mood of people is that 'square one' would be a vast improvement on where we are now - a country that is at a place currently shaped like a fucked up circle of hell.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 10 months ago (2 children)

If only there really was a party offering to undo every law the conservative and coalition governments have passed and return us to a time before they existed.

That party would be the best party.

Sadly that isn't on offer and even Labour intend to keep this mess of a country mostly without any reverting of changes at all.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 10 months ago (1 children)

The Labour party is currently trying not to give the Tories any ammunition to use against them in an election campaign. That's why they seem to be aligning themselves with the current Conservative talking points. Come a successful general election they will back away from the Tory position and make some changes. I fucking hope.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago

Yes, indeed, very much so.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Every law? Because the coalition actually brought in some good ones.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago

@[email protected] Yeah, it'd just be easier to reset than to sort through good from bad. Can always re-assess any good ones. Chances are even they can be done better.

Resetting the Brexit and other foreign treaty stuff could be quite tricky in practice too.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 10 months ago

"Square one" sounds good to me!

[–] [email protected] 9 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Rishi is going to be the next Gordon Brown isn't he? I would piss myself if he got hot mic'd on the campaign trail describing the electorate as "bigoted people".

[–] [email protected] 8 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I'm not sure I'd be comfortable with Sunak trying to make himself look like Brown.

Brown was a flawed character who did a good job seeing off catastrophe during the financial crisis, then got dropped into No.10.
Sunak just sort of nodded along while the right wingers went nuts.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago

Brown, for sure, was (is?) the bigger figure. But let's look at the similarities. Both chancellor, both took difficult financial decisions during a crisis (global financial crash / COVID), both went on the become unelected prime ministers, both resided over imploding parties, both utterly devoid of charm port warmth as PM (remember Brown chairgate?), both doomed to fight and unwinnable General Election. I don't think Sunak use trying to make himself look like Brown, but he is in many respects.

I never actually used to like Brown growing up. It genuinely was the charmless sulk vibes he had. But on reflection he did a lot of difficult work when in office and put in place sensible policies that lead to growth. I just think he was never destined for the top job and he should never have taken it. Some people are just better at being back office workers, and I don't mean that as a slur. I'm actually now really impressed with what he's done out of office, his ideas for how to hold the Union together and bring prosperity to all party's of the UK are really worth thinking about - something I hope Starmer takes on board

Sunak is.... well. A caretaker for a year.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago

Lol, is that really the message?

'Labour will undo everything the Tories have done' [This PPB brought to you by the Conservative party, apparently.]

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago

The Lady of the Lake?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

there is a lesson you must learn