[Tubby Isaacs]

There wasn't much doubt the Tories were going to lose in 1997, but the last by-election showed a "not fucking about" vote.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1997_Wirr ... y-election

Lib Dems down 3%. Not a massive fall but tactical voting was less developed then. I expect the Lib Dems made some effort to avoid bad vibes going into the election.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Still 28 days to go.

Lots of time for the Lib Dems to wind down. I reckon they'll struggle to keep up the effort.

[Youngian]

Went canvassing in Mid Beds, Labour doesn’t have it in the bag but boy are the Tories out of kilter. No Culture war bullshit is playing on the doorstep and Mad Nad’s name is mud. Didn’t meet any average Joes sticking by the Tories but quiet nasty rude people.

[Malcolm Armsteen]

'quiet nasty people' - don't understand.
Do you mean they were nasty to you or nasty about Dorries or someone else?

[Tubby Isaacs]

Wouldn't think people being nasty about Dorries were sticking by the Tories particularly. I assume he means passive aggressive towards him.

[davidjay]

"quite nasty" perhaps? I can well imagine any Tory still supporting this shower being a lot more Kipper-lite than One Nation.

[Youngian]

'quiet nasty people' - don't understand.
Do you mean they were nasty to you or nasty about Dorries or someone else?

Nasty to me, one old codger and another old bag slamming the door in my face. Those with choice words about Dorries and probably voted Tory in 2019 seemed polite enough.

That was my conclusion

"quite nasty" perhaps? I can well imagine any Tory still supporting this shower being a lot more Kipper-lite than One Nation.

[Malcolm Armsteen]

Interesting. So the blue wave is ebbing, you think?

[Youngian]

Labour still thinks there’s work to be done but feel canvass returns are reflecting the opinion polls which put them neck and neck with the Tories. Serious issues coming up on the doorstep; NHS, crumbling infrastructure, this government adrift and increasingly the environment. No frothing about wokes, immigrants or drag artists reading children’s stories.

[Crabcakes]

This is possibly the biggest thing the Tories are missing in their bewildering pursuit of culture wars: the only voters with the time and energy to get riled up about nonsense topics are those with the luxury of not having to worry about mortgages, health, jobs or education, or those with an inbuilt sense of bigotry so strong it outweighs the realities of their existence BUT not so strong as to instead be drawn to an even more extreme option. So a dwindling subset of older, relatively well-off people and arseholes without true courage of their convictions - Youngian's old codger and old bag to a tee. All of them almost certainly always were Tory voters and always will be Tory voters. As Malc said elsewhere - Tory Corbynism and preaching to the already so converted they're turning up in dog collars and habits.

Even those who previously may have leaned towards a party that reflects their views will be getting increasingly upset at one or more of NHS wait issues, their children struggling financially, their grandchildren having to be home from school, their food bills rising and their pensions not covering as much, their energy bills rising, their winter sun escapes being curtailed by time (brexit) and cost (also brexit, but also Tory economic failure) and even things like the river in the nice little town they retired to now regularly being considerably browner than it used to be.

[Youngian]

This pleasant little Bedfordshire town also had a one way system and 20mph speed limits but no canvasser found any angry car owners persecuted by this woke war on motorists.

[Boiler]

Aaaaand... the candidate list is in.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-b ... s-65988395

[Andy McDandy]

An assortment of mixed nuts.

The god botherer and the English Democrats crank (who seems to think he's the bad guy in a shit action film) are probably the worst.

[Yug]

English Democrat - neither English nor democratic.

It seems really odd that a bunch of rampant xenophobes and racists would pick an Italian as their candidate. I wonder if his English mates call him "the Wop"? But then, judging by the ones I've met, they're the sort of big men who wouldn't have the bottle to say it to his face.

[kreuzberger]

There's a huge tract between Ampthill and Bedford which manufactured bricks for centuries, at the hands of Italian immigrants. Italian names are pretty commonplace in the area.

Fun facts: those 18th c, long-case barometers are not really Italian - they were largely knocked up in the brickfields' back shop to a German template, and exquisitely signed and engraved. (Possibly, by a ragazzo known locally as "the Wop".)

[Tubby Isaacs]

I wonder if the Lib Dems being forced by their conference to give up Nimbyism is going to hit their by-election plans somewhat?

[Yug]

There's a huge tract between Ampthill and Bedford which manufactured bricks for centuries, at the hands of Italian immigrants. Italian names are pretty commonplace in the area.

Fun facts: those 18th c, long-case barometers are not really Italian - they were largely knocked up in the brickfields' back shop to a German template, and exquisitely signed and engraved. (Possibly, by a ragazzo known locally as "the Wop".)

Having lived there for over 50 years I probably know the area better than you do. I definitely know the people better than you do. I know the kids I went to school with. I know their kids, too, and knowing them, I have a good idea of how their grandkids are being dragged up.

My comments stand.

[kreuzberger]

My comments stand.

Eh? I am not questioning your points, rather I am agreeing with the central barb!

I was born in that racist hellhole and scooted the fuck out just as soon as I could, even if it meant doing my A-levels in Lu'on from a squat by Saddlers' Wells.

[mattomac]

End of the day these by elections may well be decided by what happens at conference.

[Yug]

My comments stand.

Eh? I am not questioning your points, rather I am agreeing with the central barb!

I was born in that racist hellhole and scooted the fuck out just as soon as I could, even if it meant doing my A-levels in Lu'on from a squat by Saddlers' Wells.

Sorry Kreuzie. I misinterpreted your post.