Should there be a general election?

Titanic · Jul 12, 2016

No. We had a GE a few months ago. The Tories won a majority, which they still have.

Get on with the job.

GE in 2020 as scheduled. (not that it is relevant but Labour might even have sorted themselves out into some sort of opposition by then... or disintegrated totally!)

DTES · Jul 12, 2016

beorhthelm said:
It wouldn't be cricket to ask for a GE with Labour in their current state either.

You're not wrong... but then it's actually Labour that are calling for one. Shooting themselves in the foot a little, but then that seems to be their main tactic at the moment. It seems a bit of an open goal for May to give them what they want and increase her majority.

I see what you mean about Brown not even having an internal party election, but saying that what you need is support from the MPs - not members - is probably not an argument that Jeremy Corbyn will be using anytime soon...

DavidinSouthampton · Jul 12, 2016

Westdene Seagull said:
I'd suggest 1940 with Churchill taking over without an election was rather more exceptional circumstances than this political spat.

I did say "most of the other occasions", recognising that there would be wartime situations included in there - and that was a national coalition government, i believe (from memory) in a much greater crisis than we are in now...... to say the least. I always tend towards understatement!..

severnside gull · Jul 12, 2016

Can't find any constitutional reason to hold an election and with no effective opposition there seems little point

smeg · Jul 12, 2016

Cadiz Seagull said:
Difficult decision for the new PM (one of many!)

Pros (from her point of view):-

Labour are in disarray and she could well be returned with a bigger majority

If she doesn't have one the press will be on her back, although this is not a reason for having it

If she does and wins she will silence any critics who say she doesn't have a mandate

Cons:-

If she doesn't she'll never hear the last of it and will be compared to Gordon Brown who bottled it

The country doesn't need any more uncertainty

We need to crack on and sort out post-Brexit Britain, not spend 6 - 8 weeks in a GE campaign

I think if I was her I would call one.

Might be worth a poll on NSC?

I bet UKIP would like a snap election

Triggaaar · Jul 12, 2016

DTES said:
"Gordon Brown is running scared of the people's verdict" - Theresa May when Gordon Brown took over and did not call a snap election.

Calling one now may or may not be the 'right' decision for May, but it'd be a hypocritical decision not to...

It is ironic that she said that, but I don't think she's running scared. I imagine she'd be confident of winning, Labour are in disarray, but I assume it's better for the country to get on with the Brexit deal, not have an election.

Do we really think Labour would win?

GT49er · Jul 12, 2016

smeg said:
I bet UKIP would like a snap election

Why? All the main parties (apart from UKIP) are pro EU (OK, maybe the tories only half pro EU), so essentially whichever party won, most of its MPs would be remainers - the only people who want a GE are desperate remainers who would want to use the point that a remain party had won the GE as an excuse to overturn the democratic will of the people.

Essentially UKIP has now done its job - although it still needs to stick around for a while in case those in the Westminster bubble try any back-sliding.

Uncle Buck · Jul 12, 2016

If she called one and somehow lost her majority and had to form a coalition government, presuming the partners were not UKIP, at least it would mean she could avoid invoking Article 50.

Not going to happen though, calling an election now would be the easiest Tory win ever.

DTES · Jul 12, 2016

Triggaaar said:
It is ironic that she said that, but I don't think she's running scared. I imagine she'd be confident of winning, Labour are in disarray, but I assume it's better for the country to get on with the Brexit deal, not have an election.

Do we really think Labour would win?

I don't think she's 'running scared' either really - but it's a card that Labour will play. I also agree that there's not a chance in hell Labour would win - which makes it even more bonkers that they've called for one.

The Tories would likely extend their majority; the Lib Dems might win a couple back (winning back some of the voters who left them for Labour in 2015 but now can't vote for Corbyn); the SNP would probably sweep Scotland again after the Brexit vote. The big question would be what happens to the Ukip vote - they picked up 12.6% of the vote last year, how many of them would go back to either the Tories or Labour thinking it's 'job done' on the EU? Certainly not all, or even most, but some would, and they could swing a few seats.

Mackenzie · Jul 12, 2016

No, I don't think so, too much turmoil and too little leadership within both labour and the conservative parties means that we won't be voting for anything solid at the moment. Give it a while......

Simster · Jul 12, 2016

I'll just leave this here:

TheJasperCo · Jul 12, 2016

From a purely impartial POV, no there shouldn't. Not only will the markets continue to suffer from the turmoil of an election campaign, and not only because most of the electorate had enough of political campaigning. The last election was 14 months ago, and the Conservatives did win a majority based on manifesto pledges they have stuck to (c.f. referendum promise). When you vote in a GE, you don't choose the Prime Minister - you choose the candidate who you want to stand for your constituency. This makes a GE pointless and perhaps even detrimental to the UK, in my opinion.

The Albion Roar · Jul 12, 2016

GT49er said:
No. This government were elected on a mandate to hold a definitive referendum on the EU. Thy have fulfilled that pledge, the British public has made its decision, and now the government is morally obliged to complete the work of removing us from the EU.
Then, in 2020, when there is no way back into the EU anyway, we can vote in a decent Labour government.

The referendum wasn't the only manifesto pledge.

If Theresa May wants to go her own way, separate from the policies David Cameron put into the 2015 manifesto (e.g. she is a big advocate of leaving the ECHR, and forming a so-called 'British Bill of Rights') she doesn't have the mandate for it, then yes - she should go to the country.

Aside from that, probably not.

Kalimantan Gull · Jul 12, 2016

No - I don't think even these Tories would think it reasonable to call an election when Labour are in the middle of a leadership election, and I think most people are perfectly content with May as PM, at least compared to what it could have been - Johnson, Gove, Leadsom, Osborne, etc.

Still, with the way party leadership elections seem to be going these days, its not out of the question to get someone like Corbyn elected PM by the members - could easily happen.

Most of all, I am fed up with people saying that the public 'don't choose a PM'. That's complete balls, the leader of the party is the single most important thing that swing voters use to decide their vote. There is a reason Foot got hammered by Thatcher, Howard and Hague by Blair, why Kinnock couldn't win an election, why Ed Miliband did worse in the election than his brother David would have, why Corbyn is being ousted, why Leadsom collapsed so quickly. The quality of the leader to become PM is often all that matters, and so yes, when we vote in a GE most people ARE choosing the Prime Minister.

Thunder Bolt · Jul 12, 2016

Kalimantan Gull said:
No - I don't think even these Tories would think it reasonable to call an election when Labour are in the middle of a leadership election, and I think most people are perfectly content with May as PM, at least compared to what it could have been - Johnson, Gove, Leadsom, Osborne, etc.

Still, with the way party leadership elections seem to be going these days, its not out of the question to get someone like Corbyn elected PM by the members - could easily happen.

Most of all, I am fed up with people saying that the public 'don't choose a PM'. That's complete balls, the leader of the party is the single most important thing that swing voters use to decide their vote. There is a reason Foot got hammered by Thatcher, Howard and Hague by Blair, why Kinnock couldn't win an election, why Ed Miliband did worse in the election than his brother David would have, why Corbyn is being ousted, why Leadsom collapsed so quickly. The quality of the leader to become PM is often all that matters, and so yes, when we vote in a GE most people ARE choosing the Prime Minister.

I don't agree. I wouldn't say most people. You vote for your constituency MP, who could be a good candidate or a lousy candidate. There is tactical voting in marginals to get rid of lousy candidates. Not everyone votes on party lines.

pb21 · Jul 12, 2016

Simster said:
I'll just leave this here:

I have already read several articles regarding May; seems she has a long history of saying one thing and voting and/or doing something completely different. She won't find it that easy to carry on like that anymore, although old habits die hard...

JC Footy Genius · Jul 12, 2016

No for the numerous reasons already given. Plus a May government with a very small majority means she can't sideline/circumvent the significant Brexit section of MP's giving them greater influence in making sure she doesn't dilute Brexit to Brexit lite.

Surf's Up · Jul 12, 2016

No, unfortunately the Tory party were elected to implement their manifesto. So long as she does that there's no problem. If she has a completely different agenda then yes there should be one. That said, she may be sorely tempted to call one soon given the narrow majority the Tories have in parliament and the probability that a) it would be the extremely democratic thing to do = mucho brownie points and b) it could result in the electoral anihalation of the Labour Party

Goldstone1976 · Jul 12, 2016

DFL JCL said:
I would be surprised if someone isn't commissioning a poll to ascertain what the country thinks.

I received a call from a pollster this morning asking just this question. I replied "Haven't we just had one? Is it election time again already? Can you tell me who I have to vote for please?".

I'm not very keen on receiving unsolicited phone calls.

Hiney · Jul 12, 2016

DTES said:
"Gordon Brown is running scared of the people's verdict" - Theresa May when Gordon Brown took over and did not call a snap election.

Calling one now may or may not be the 'right' decision for May, but it'd be a hypocritical decision not to...

Politician in hypocrisy shock.

The whole process is a steaming pile of old ****.

These people don't give a shit about the country, ALL they care about is serving their own agenda.

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Should there be a general election?

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