h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Because keeping it all in one place seems neat and tidy.

I only discovered a snap election was being held late yesterday, and already there seem to be a million opinion pieces floating around.

My biggest fear is that this will end up being all about Brexit, when there are still all the regular concerns to be voting for and against which are going to be forgotten about.

My impression is that it IS all about Brexit. I should say before going on that I have a very poor grasp of politics and have never voted Conservative in my life (though I always vote). Those two things aren't connected, I'm just pointing out that 1) I'm not supporting the Tories, despite how the following may look, and 2) I don't know what I'm talking about and look forward to maybe being educated a bit by this conversation.

So...all about Brexit. From the little I've read so far, this election has been called to sort out all the bitching, backstabbing and "If I ruled the world"-ing that's been going on. People complain that Theresa May shouldn't be doing anything because she wasn't elected. People complain that she shouldn't have triggered Brexit - she was against it herself (as was I) but has upheld the will of the people. The other half of the population would've complained if she hadn't triggered Article 50 so she was damned either way. I kind of admire her for doing what was right.

Yes, I know it was only a small majority - but if it had been reversed, the remain camp would've been up in arms if leavers questioned the validity of such a small majority. And they would've expected that majority to be honoured. It works both ways. Plus, it's happened, no point arguing about that one any more.

I also kind of admire her for calling this election. I know the Conservatives are apparently doing quite well in the polls at the moment, so it could be seen as a minimum-risk thing to do. But this is surely where all the people moaning that she wasn't elected, that she's not the man for the job, whatever, are either going to have to put up or shut up.

I do think Brexit shouldn't be the only factor taken into account, but it IS important. Whoever we elect has to be able to handle all those negotiations and decisions on top of running the country. The trouble I have is that I generally treat everything a politician says with scepticism*.

I know people are going to disagree with my badly made points, but I hope nothing nasty is flung at me. That's kind of why I've avoided politics in the past, because you get ridiculed for your lack of knowledge.

Deb

* or skepticism for our American friends and the spellchecker

As an American, my ignorance of UK politics should draw fire away from you, deb.


Yesterday I saw lots of posts on twitter about this "snap election". I don't understand the logistics, but from the general themes of the related tweets, I've gathered that May said she was against it before she was for it. That it seems like a safe bet considering the conservatives' current lead in the poles. And that there may be some question of timing in regards to possible criminal questions regarding some in the party or Leave movement (I'm most unclear on this part of it).

I also heard a lot of mentions of this snap election on NPR radio yesterday, but I wasn't able to pay much attention while I was working. When I got home, I couldn't help but notice the complete absence of any mention of this on the evening world news on TV. There was plenty of gratuitous coverage of the "Facebook" murder, of course... If it bleeds, it leads. But I expected some mention of what seems to be yet another momentous event in the international stage, especially considering the concern with growing populism and nationalism in recent and upcoming elections in the US and Europe.


Now, I'll and .

BoB knows how one is ment to vote in this election... I don't even know the name of the lib dems leader anymore (assumign they still exist as a party?), Lab stil have the least electible person possible as leader, and one can't vote for a party hell-bent on dismantling the country wholescale... But locally there are a couple of decent MPs standing, so I guess it'll be what it should be, voting for local MPs that have decent brains with nominal normal human like brain wave patturns... But whatever happens, I guess nationally it'l just be driven almost entirely by the leaving Europe thing... which as it doesn't look like being reversable now, is a kind of non issue realy itself

I'm a bit wairy of the lack of time... it all seems very hurried and I know its a snap election so thats the point but is six weeks (ish) enough time to gather information inform everyone, find candidates and all the rest of the normal election palava
also this is the same time of year as the local council elections so people might feel a bit of voter exhaustion (if there is such a thing)
I think it was a good move from the point of the Torys if they want to gain more seats then now is probably a good time for it but I really hope they dont...

the language and feeling in the press/media is very doom and gloom all talk about ousting traitors and crushing saboteurs which I don't think is entirely healthy in a democracy all of which the Prime Minister herself refuses to condemn and in things like this if your not willing to condemn it then you condone it...

Oooh! I expect I'll be seeing mention of the Snap Election on the evening news tonight. I just noticed it's a "trending topic" on boofcake with a direct link to one of the major US TV networks website. Maybe they'll dumb it down enough to explain it to me.

I was just thinking.... as one does... whilst sipping my < . . . Has May called the election, in order to lose on purpose?; reasoning thusly; whoever is in power when* we leave Europe, is going to be for quite some time afterwards, tarred with 'taking the UK out of Europe', and thereby be associated with all the mess-ups and bad descisions taken during the actual process (the process which no one seems to have prepared for, or have the slightest idea how to do), therefore, May would stand a better long-term chance of getting herself, and/or her party, reelected, post leaving Europe, if she/they were not in power, durin the actual negotiations and suchlike, of the leaving process... just an idal thought that occured.... - which doesn't quite ring true given there is no opposition making any efforts to make themselves electable currently.... Of course it'll all be a horrid mess whoever is in 'charge' at the time, but... I still think the party in power during the exit procedings is gona be tarred with the leaving process, for a generation or two afterwards... I'm still considering remaining in Europe, if we can but decide where to emigrate too within Europe ... assumign they'll still be taking Brits

Yup May would have you believe its all about Brexit, I feel that the fact The CPS is currently reviewing the evidence and considering whether to charge the MPs with breaking the election spending limits,
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/tory-election-fraud-prosecutions-cps-election-campaign-result-overturn-battle-bus-a7689801.html
Had she not had an election now, she may have had to have one at a time not of her choosing. Plus if MPs are found guilty new by elections, chances are more trouble over other policies as well so she`s banking on getting more seats now, dropping a few Mps and having an easy ride over brexit..

Now that the UK is leaving the EU, maybe the U.S. could join in its place, as long as it leaves the mess in Washington behind?

I was really looking forward to no general election until 2020..I'm just about electioned out..and 5/6 weeks of hyper,hyper,hyper election media and endless party political lies...err...broadcasts is going to really stretch my sanity..as if the endless Brexit spoutings aren't too much already.

Maybe I can find a portal to an alternative dimension for a short while..

At least you don't have 2+ year long campaign seasons.

I think Debs nails a lot of how I feel about it but I'd add a bit more. Just now she has a narrow majority and a bunch of "extreme Brexiteers" in her own party she has to keep happy. If she looks like pursuing anything other than a hard Brexit, these people could cause her trouble. If she gets re-elected with a larger majority, she maybe doesn't need to kowtow to the extremists as much and can get a more balanced, conciliatory Brexit. Seems counterintuitive but voting Tory might be the only way to get us a fair deal in the Brexit negotiations.

Like it or lump it, Brexit is the ONLY show in town right now so normal rules don't apply.

Should "normal" and "rules" occur in the same sentence?

(Not that I'm advocating abnormal rules <flusteted&gt

Seems counterintuitive but voting Tory might be the only way to get us a fair deal in the Brexit negotiations......No disagree if anyone will get the best deal be Corbyn he`s no no axes to grind no shares and business`s nests to line,,and not many MPs are as WYSIWYG as he is

Corbyn might be a good bet, in lew of not having any real decent odd-balls worth electing.... We really need a Trump, a total out and out nutcase, trying to elect saine people or seemingly sane people never seems to have done much good for the UK so far.... I think I'm almost bored of it all already though... it just does rather tend to bore me silly, listening to the loons and half loons, barking at leach other, and never actually managing to say much of any consequence or content,

How should I put this.

Er, it would require the domain of Satan himself to fall to record low temperatures causing the solidification of all available liquids across all available surfaces before it would be possible for this particular voter to put a cross in the box next to the name of a member of the Tory Party.

There will be no meaningful parliamentary vote over the conditions of our exit. How would that work?

'Here's the deal. What do you think?'

'No. Don't like it.'

Then what?

This is about;_

1. Spanking the Labour Party and sending it spinning off in even more disaray that it is currently in.

2. Trying to fend off the SNP and snatch a couple of seats back in Scotland.

I truly hope that May falls flat on her face the way Cameron did and is seen for using the electorate to further the Tory Party's own ends.

I've never felt more politically disenfranchised than I do right now. And it isn't even as though I'm any sort of extremist - I'm what would be described as pro-European centre-left. I don't believe that (at the age of 57) I have ever been represented at any level by someone that I have voted for. I've been on the wrong side of local and parliamentary elections and in the 2 referendums (voting reform and leaving Europe) I was on the losing side.

Referendum on capital punishment anybody? I can tell you what the result would be right now.

PP.

"We really need a Trump, a total out and out nutcase," [2Legs]


I think I've said this before: you're welcome to him. Take him off our hands, please please please!

If this election is all about exit negotiations, then why did May (a Remainer, I remind you) sign Article 50 before she called it?

Putting myself in her place, my thinking process would have been:

Ok, a small majority voted to leave. I don't agree with them but it's my job to serve the country.

Oh for goodness sake I'm sick of this bitching. Right, you lot, let the public speak again - will you then just shut up and let whoever they choose get on with the job at hand?

I heard yesterday she has refused to take part in any televised debates. Again, me as her:

OMG really? They want me to sit opposite an opponent and debate issues, only to have them edit the out of before serving it up to the public in whatever way best suits their agenda? How stupid do they think I am? Maybe if they offered a properly live debate...

I'll say it again, I've never voted Conservative in my life, but what Theresa May is doing at the moment makes sense to me, personally.

But then I've also had a bit of a soft spot for Jeremy Corben since he went on The Last Leg so what do I know

Deb