UK Pol - #independenceday

[Max]

Careful line to tread, today. People asking questions about policing and safety, trying to give diplomatic answers about plans to reverse policing cuts - while not making it look like we're blaming Theresa May AKA Home Secretary for 6 years over her policy choices that she had been warned about repeatedly over the past few years.

Trying to explain that Corbyn isn't an IRA sympathiser and was just trying to establish a peace process in Northern Ireland, like the one we have now.

A couple of people were surprised we were campaigning, I talked a Conservative voter down from being disgusted that we were campaigning by talking about the need to not let one man stop an election.

Nobody talked about the dementia tax.

[Not_Mafia]

Why wouldn't you blame Teresa May?

[AniX]

I imagine because a lot of people would find it distasteful to be seen as if you are blaming a terrorist attack on the PM.

[Bellaphant]

[Max]

I imagine because a lot of people would find it distasteful to be seen as if you are blaming a terrorist attack on the PM.

This.

My gut instinct says that no matter how much staff you have there'll be people slipping through the nets. But people *want* to talk security policy and so talking about staffing is the obvious way to do it. Particularly when the fact that the army has been drafted because of insufficient police staffing, a massive deal. The army are not trained to be acting as police. And not something that should be brushed under the carpet.

Like, Theresa May is ultimately the one responsible for everything that happens within the UK. Remember that if you try to travel to Syria and you'll be arrested. Why isn't IS in Libya given a similar level of suspicion. Travelling via Libya should really be resulting in at the very least a secret service debrief.

And given we blame Michael Gove for our education problems and Jeremy Hunt for health issues, blaming Theresa May for her policy remit is a low bar.

Anyway, yeah. It's a careful line and obviously we have scripts. And we're not really calling to persuade people, mostly, but to know who we need to get the vote out with, but some people want to talk policy.

[Randomnamechange]

there was a member of UKIP (cant remember the exact role) complaining about Theresa May reducing the police numbers as a direct attack.
can always rely on them to keep it classy.

[Not_Mafia]

But it's true

[Max]

Michael Fallon is an idiot.

[Drench]

me as a politician

[Zulfy]

Corbyn jumped 17 points???

[Nexus]

It's almost like Teresa May is actually shit at her job.

[Davsto]

Theresa got cocky about the strong lead so included things in the manifesto that were really strong and

stable

severe compared to usual with the idea that they'd win anyway and say "well we said we'd do XYZ and we were voted in so obviously the people^TM want it" and it's almost backfired

[Nexus]

I mean she's still going to win but it's been somewhat of a humiliation of her principles with at least two UTurns.

[zoraster]

It really has been weird. Almost like they viewed their lead as a challenge.

The lead was always going to shrink, of course, but it does seem like an unforced error. Like... she starts strong by saying "oh. whether you're Labour or Tory we need to come together here." but perhaps that manifesto was not a great partner with that message.

[zoraster]

Of course, she's likely to win handily anyway, so maybe better to put it all out there.

[Max]

It's interesting because young people voted way more in the brexit referendum than normal elections, but many are using 2015 turnout measures to help adjust. From a statistical standpoint I'm excited to see which method has been best.

[zoraster]

If the Labour Party offered a clear alternative to brexit the idea turnout would be more like the referendum might be a bit more easy to swallow.

[Nexus]

I've accepted the idea of Brexit now. I just want to make sure we get a good deal - which I don't think May will do.

[zoraster]

In what way? I don't see much in the difference between the two negotiating the exit. They both essentially face the same problem, which is that the EU member states aren't particularly inclined to give the UK a very good deal.

Their priorities are likely to be somewhat different, but I'm not sure how much is in that.

And I agree that everyone is resigned to Brexit now, but that's because Labour didn't spend any time at all advocating for staying.

[Fromage]

I've accepted the idea of Brexit now. I just want to make sure we get a good deal - which I don't think May will do.

Yes, please describe what you'd see as a good deal.

Continued single market membership (Norwegian model) would have some benefits for the UK as well as the EU. But May and Corbyn seem to have ruled it out.

So whatever the deal looks like in the end, it will probably be a lose-lose deal.

[Nexus]

I was anti-Brexit. Any deal is going to be shit. I just want the least shit deal as we can get.

I don't know what would be a good deal which is why I didn't vote Brexit.

[zoraster]

Well right. I don't think it's unreasonable to say "I didn't want this, but now that we have it, I want the best result."

What I'm less clear about is what Corbyn is offering on that front than May.

[Nexus]

I don't know. I just don't trust May.

[shaft.ed]

classic neoliberal "at least we're not them" campaign then?

[zoraster]

I mean.... the EU is pretty a pretty neoliberal institution. But far be it from me to stop you from your talking point.