Going well…

[man in the corner shop]

Good article. He's right that we're at an inflection point equally as great as 1979.

Best description of Andy Burnham I've read this week "the Manchester mayor, popping up, as so often, like a hopeful beneficiary at a deathbed."

Arf

I liked the description of Starmer being like a lost administrator

[Protheroe]

And that figure will only increase at the next GE as the Conservative Party continue their long journey to irrelevance.

I'd be prepared to take a bet on that.

[man in the corner shop]

The grown ups are storming it
Centrist dads can't win in central Wigan FFS
And labour didn't even bother putting up a candidate in Maidstone.
The most hapless and incompetent Labour government in history? Bar maybe the 74-9 lot.

https://www.andrewteale.me.uk/leap/by/2025-10-02

[man in the corner shop]

Centrist dads and the grown ups continue to do their thing.
Curtice says they will lose Wales next year.
I have no idea what it will take for them to wake the fuck up.

BBC News - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cly9rlj94x1t
Caerphilly by-election won by Plaid Cymru as Labour loses seat for first time - BBC News

---

Oh and Labour lost Moseley to Lib Dems
Rushing to oblivion now seems a deliberate strategy.

[Derek Hardballs]

Centrist dads and the grown ups continue to do their thing.
Curtice says they will lose Wales next year.
I have no idea what it will take for them to wake the fuck up.

BBC News - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cly9rlj94x1t
Caerphilly by-election won by Plaid Cymru as Labour loses seat for first time - BBC News

---

Oh and Labour lost Moseley to Lib Dems
Rushing to oblivion now seems a deliberate strategy.

Offering more of the same failed Tory policies, refusing to rock the boats of the richest, going after the poorest and most vulnerable, chasing Reform and disaffected Tory voters, dividing people into various categories such as ‘working’ NIMBY, racist, far left/right, and offering no hope to millions, whilst riding roughshod over the opinions of people in local areas, isn’t the recipe for success the Centrist Dads thought it would be. 

At some point, in May/June the Labour Party will have to face up to the fact they are toast with Starmer and this Sunak-lite tribute act.

[tHEgLASSdOORS]

Aside from the obvious decimation, I find it equally or more interesting with regards to it laying out a pattern we will see much more broadly. And why Reform may well get a huge % nationally that doesn’t translate into the seat numbers that it maybe should

[WorcsWBA]

Aside from the obvious decimation, I find it equally or more interesting with regards to it laying out a pattern we will see much more broadly. And why Reform may well get a huge % nationally that doesn’t translate into the seat numbers that it maybe should

Indeed, I'm hoping that a significant element of this was Labour, Lib Dem and Green supporters using tactical voting to try to make sure Reform didn't win. If that's what happened, it was very successful and I hope it's a tactic we see repeated right across the country.

[richbaggie]

I think Reform will retain their core vote no matter how badly they do managing councils and generally shooting themselves in the foot (which they undoubtedly will). However, the vast majority of core vote won't give two hoots about how they perform at local level, or what their overall plans are. They are interested in one thing and one thing only abd that's immigration. It's Brexit all over again. If you ask a Reform voters what Reforms other plans are, they invariably can't give you an answer and don't really care because to them, nothing is more important than immigration.

But, I do think those that are politically homeless right now will tactically vote to ensure Reform don't get into their constituency.

[WorcsWBA]

I think Reform will retain their core vote no matter how badly they do managing councils and generally shooting themselves in the foot (which they undoubtedly will). However, the vast majority of core vote won't give two hoots about how they perform at local level, or what their overall plans are. They are interested in one thing and one thing only abd that's immigration. It's Brexit all over again. If you ask a Reform voters what Reforms other plans are, they invariably can't give you an answer and don't really care because to them, nothing is more important than immigration.

But, I do think those that are politically homeless right now  will tactically vote to ensure Reform don't get into their constituency.

For "immigration" you can read "racism" really. No other conclusion can reasonably be drawn about those who support policies which include deporting people who've legally been here for years.

[Ted Maul]

Offering more of the same failed Tory policies, refusing to rock the boats of the richest, going after the poorest and most vulnerable, chasing Reform and disaffected Tory voters, dividing people into various categories such as ‘working’ NIMBY, racist, far left/right, and offering no hope to millions, whilst riding roughshod over the opinions of people in local areas, isn’t the recipe for success the Centrist Dads thought it would be. 

At some point, in May/June the Labour Party will have to face up to the fact they are toast with Starmer and this Sunak-lite tribute act.

Once again I am here to remind you that the last time a Labour party had a leader and a manifesto centred around the points in your post they were defeated in three separate elections by a batshit mental Tory party. This is not what this country wants.