United Kingdom General Election: July 4, 2024

[Dan the Roman]

So who do Gen Zers in the UK who are from extremely wealthy aristocratic families who went to places like Eton and hang out in Sloan Square all vote for these days?

Literally? A bunch were in Mar-a-Lago last night.

Even many of the 2017-2019 Liberal Dem boys have become Trump folks post DeSantis dropout.

In the UK a few are in Labour out of spite over the Liz Truss thing so you have the bizarre spectacle of paid Labour members/donors also at Republican events.

[Dan the Roman]

If only there were young Tory voters on this board that we could actually speak to in order to find out how and why they vote.

Ones who talk about voting for Labour and standing for Reform?

You mock but I know an OE who that describes. Also likes Trump.

[Dan the Roman]

Differing opinions on election date in the media today

Times: Sunak tempted to go for broke with summer election
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sunak-tempted-to-go-for-broke-with-a-summer-election-fzkdnx5j3

FT: Hunt to cut 2p of NI in Autumn Statement (suggesting October 17)
https://www.ft.com/content/4972e747-1297-4f81-8162-0b4d0d68c9af

Metro: With nothing left to lose either way, Sunak might call it as early as June.
https://metro.co.uk/2024/04/20/rishi-sunak-has-nothing-left-lose-may-hold-election-early-june-20685077/

Simply a rehash of previous rather substance free rumours.

People at the Treasury - including Hunt himself - are still telling people what might be an an autumn financial statement, so either they are totally out of the loop or (perhaps more likely) this is just more gossip from bored and easily distracted hacks.

Why should he call an election six months early if he KNOWS (with as much certainty as one can have about these things) that his party is going to be not just beaten but annihilated? Yes, things *might* get even worse (somehow) if he delays, but on the other hand the "horse might talk". If you really do have "nothing to lose" it still makes more sense to hang on hoping for some miracle.

The only good reason is if he has a job lined up he wants to take. There really isn't a good argument for rushing doom because at this point things are so bad even right-wingers will want to delay handing control of office to Labour.

[Dan the Roman]

God, can't they just get it over with instead? This is starting to get ridiculous.

Are they running the risk that even if some things in the country do improve it won’t matter? Or are they already there at this point?

Also: That’s why the office holder being in charge of when to call an election when you have 5 year terms is - frankly dumb.

UK should have a set election every 4 years (5 is too long) and an early election be called when something like 2/3rds of the House requires it. The incumbent shouldn’t be able to manipulate the system in a way that takes advantage of the times they do the job right by landsliding an opponent (which is how you get these enormously long periods of single parties in power) and then when they are doing terrible and everyone wants them out they can essentially squat.

They tried this for a decade and it also didn't work well