United Kingdom General Election: July 4, 2024

[Skye]

So Reform UK sacked its candidate for York Central for "inactivity" after not returning calls or emails.

...turns out he had been dead since February.

Reform UK admitted it didn’t realize that Tommy Cawkwell, its election candidate in York Central, had perished when he was sacked for lack of activity.

“We can’t afford to have people doing nothing in an election year,” a party spokesperson had told local news outlet the York Press.

But Cawkwell had actually died two months before.

Reform UK spokesperson Gawain Towler said Wednesday night he was “mortified” at the error.

https://www.politico.eu/article/nigel-farage-party-fired-candidate-inactive-turns-out-dead-uk/

I can't 💀

[Skye]

I'm glad to have waited to see this historically disastrous announcement live.

[Skye]

New Redfield & Wilton GE poll of Scotland shows Labour leading the SNP by 10 points.

https://twitter.com/RedfieldWilton/status/1798021898716197309

[Skye]

Just rubbing salt in the wound at this point 😬

https://twitter.com/politlcsuk/status/1800668636606312481?s=46&t=UeA4vI7CVeO...

[Skye]

The NYT has an article about the struggles Jeremy Hunt faces in his Surrey seat:

Even Britain’s Finance Minister Is Fighting to Stay in Parliament

As chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt also represents a district where his Conservative Party traditionally counts on rock-solid support. Not anymore.

The fact that the second most powerful man in the government now sees himself as the underdog is testament to the scale of the threat facing the Conservatives at next month’s general election.

Jane Austin, who works in Mr. Hunt’s parliamentary team, said that he had always treated the area like a marginal seat but that this time, “There are probably one thousand, two thousand votes in it — that’s where I genuinely think we are.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/14/world/europe/uk-election-jeremy-hunt.html

[Skye]

I just noticed Reform UK didn't field a candidate in Doncaster North, Ed Miliband's seat and one of the constituencies with the highest Leave %. His majority collapsed in 2019 (Brexit party candidate got 20% of the vote back then 💀) so curious to see how he performs this year given the Tory collapse. I don't think anyone expects him to be in danger, but still.

[Skye]

We eatin today bois!

https://twitter.com/YouGov/status/1803306720187302322

[Skye]

The Tories have withdrawn support from their candidates in Montgomeryshire & Glyndŵr (a seat they might have hoped to hold) and Bristol North West (a former bellwether which they lost in 2017 and weren’t going to win back now) over the betting scandal.

Tory wipeout in Wales
Tory wipeout in Wales

[Skye]

Survation has a poll of Islington North that has Corbyn trailing the Labour candidate by 14%

https://twitter.com/Survation/status/1805648887002042368

[Skye]

Survation with an MRP update:

https://twitter.com/Survation/status/1806742442429088203