Snap Election Anyone?

[Togo]

Rumours of a General Election on 28th February. Could be fun.

"A General Election could be about to take place.
Three Cabinet Ministers and a further six junior Ministers have instructed their local Associations to prepare for a snap election, according to the New Statesman.
They report that four of them have named 28th February as a possible date. This could move fast.
This coincides with a separate report in the Daily Mail, that the civil service have been told to get ready and draw up plans for a sudden election. Both reports came within hours of each other, is something up?"

https://www.westmonster.com/rumours-swirl-of-snap-election-on-the-cards1/

[tonyav]

Paying tribute to IRA gunmen
Mr Corbyn risked offending victims of the violence again in 1987 when he paid tribute to eight IRA gunmen who were shot dead in an SAS ambush, telling a meeting of the Wolfe Tone Society: "I'm happy to commemorate all those who died fighting for an independent Ireland."

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/05/19/exclusive-mi5-opened-file-jeremy-corbyn-amid-concerns-ira-links/

Odious nasty terrorist supporting turd deserves no votes imo.

[Theland]

Tony - Her advisors should tell her to go for it now, she would win hands down.
Corbyn is inconsistent, weak regarding antisemitism, friendly with terrorists, and is pandering to the Remainers and the EU.
He said he wanted us to remain and reform it from within. How? There is no mechanism that lends itself to reform.
The man is an idiot.

[Kromovaracun]

Robert Peston of ITV is reporting this rumour as well. Apparently May has run out of backbenchers to replace government ministers and thus has zero authority over her cabinet (about half of whom are gearing up to rebel against her about no-deal).

https://www.facebook.com/pestonitv/posts/2258078687850197?__tn__=K-R

[TonyV]

Tend to agree Theland but she's got no support from her cabinet or party, even giving Northern Ireland party a "gift" for their support will not wash

[jim360]

Togo, would you hear about this before the mass media do?

[tonyav]

Corbyn could be short of a few shadow ministers his self.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/brexit/corbyn-could-face-string-of-resignations-if-he-backs-peoples-vote/ar-BBSodZG?li=BBoPWjQ

[Togo]

Yes Jim. I do not, as you know, subscribe to the narrative view of our mas(ter)s media outlets. However I may be under obligation not to divulge information prior to official announcements.....Serious breach of confidentiality.

[jim360]

Yes, that would make sense.

I'm not interested in getting into a debate about the validity or otherwise of media. I would rather this particular story were false, for sure!

If you hear anything and *can*, I'm sure you will let us know.

[Zacs-Master]

Brietbart has it as Feb 29th. So deffo true!

[ichkeria]

A third of Tory MPs, at least, would need to be persuaded of the benefits of an early election. So much as I would like to see an election, as it would surely kill Brexit, it is rather unlikely

[Gromit]

An election in February is very unlikely and would be very inappropriate. There is important business to sort out before March 29th and such a sideshow would be very distracting.

I do not share the optimism that the Conservatives would win (and Labour lose). The Tories failed to win a majority in 2017, and if anything, they have gone backwards. Their handling of Brexit has been abysmal, and other key indicators such as the NHS, the economy and immigration are not in their favour. If there were a General Election, the most likely outcome would be a hung parliament.

[johnny.5]

a pair of Jacks gets my vote

[Kromovaracun]

FT is also reporting on the signs that an election might be incoming. May has explicitly said this week that a snap election is "not in the national interest"... and we all know what happened the last time she said that. Cabinet secretary was also this week confirmed as making contingency plans for an election.

I suppose the case for it is quite obvious. If parliament cannot agree a way forward on Brexit then perhaps a new parliament might... Seems a lot to risk for the sake of a 'perhaps' though.

[ichkeria]

There can’t be an election unless either a MONC is passed or two thirds of MPs vote for one.

[Old_Geezer]

Would have to be mad. You're suggesting some Tories would be so against enacting the stated will of the people that they'd try to get their own party out of power in preference. Anyway there was no enthusiasm to force a GE in the confidence vote recently so all seems rather unlikely.

[dannyk13]

Many polls have Labour and the Tories neck and neck except one which puts the Tories 6 points ahead.

[Old_Geezer]

"UKIP have met their single goal. There's no need for them any longer."

Wow ! I must've missed where they'd got us out of the EU. I thought we were still discussing why a treacherous government was trying to avoid exiting properly in March. Mind you, now Farage has left maybe they are in difficulties.

"Apparently May has run out of backbenchers to replace government ministers "

Easy there. Combine ministries. Or maybe go for the suspend government option until the promised EU exit has occurred. After that those trying to thwart the result of the referendum will be faced with fait accompli and their plans to betray the public in tatters.

[ichkeria]

Additionally Mrs May has said she would not lead the party into the next election so the prospect of an election would raise that issue as well. And all for what outcome anyway? Almost certainly a hung parliament.

[ichkeria]

Whatever UKIP may have done or think it has done in the past it is now irrelevant. Since the departure of Nigel Farage from the leadership they’ve had several oddities as leaders and even he’s left them now in disgust. They are only really good for attracting a few votes from people who think they are the “party of Brexit”. The party of Brexit in those terms is the ERG. Not even the DUP, who’ve said they’d consider a permanent customs union.
Listening to mad Boris yesterday at JCB even he doesn’t want a “no deal” Brexit as in “we just leave”. Tho what he does want is completely off the radar - to put it politely.

[naomi24]

/Apparently May has run out of backbenchers to replace government ministers //

Corbyn's not doing to well in the support stakes either.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1073830/brexit-latest-news-jeremy-corbyn-no-deal-brexit-labour-mps-yvette-cooper-hilary-benn