Anew government

Well that was a thumping majority, but I think a wide but shallow one. Reform did less well that exit polls predicted, for which I'm glad, but they have quite a high vote share. THe LibDems had a brilliant night.

A nice collection of Tory scalps for new MP's, Rees Mogg and Truss amoung them.

I stayed up until 3am and then had to go to bed, so I didn't see the big scalps taken, I'm tired today though.

It dosen't feel all unicorns and rainbow, frollicking fauns, and splashing mermaids, but I'm glad we've got some change, but it's a poisoned chalice for Starmer and gang, this country has so many problems in need of fixing. But I hope we have a stable government and not all this continual chopping and changing of PM and other ministers, I think part of the problems have been caused by so many reshuffles, ministers don't have time to get on top of their brief before they're moved on. That means any policy objectives they had are discarded by the successor, so nothing gets done and the rot sets deeper.

  • Agree I try and look for the good in any party but generally extreme left or right are as bad as each other

  • Interesting point. Communist societies all treated autistic and other neurodivergent people terribly. However, I suppose the clear rules and expectations of a communist society might appeal to us. 

    What I find interesting is that the only party who has spoken about neurodivergent people and supporting SEN children at all in this election is Reform. Doesn't exactly tally with how the media has sought to portray them 

  • I have some level of hope in the basic decency of the greater part of the British people to think that whatever name - and Farage's parties have changed theirs more frequently than any other in history - Farage's party goes under it will remain the refuge of a small minority. The disgust of many who were inclined towards Farage after the views of some of his underlings were made public has heartened me.

    The Far Right use fear to drum up support, never hope. Fear of foreigners, fear of the poor sods in little inflatable boats who are so desperate to get to this apparently benighted country that they are willing to risk their lives, fear of the EU forcing straight cucumbers on them, fear of ethnic and religious minorities and so on. FEAR, FEAR, FEAR! 

    I prefer hope.

  • Trump is a definitely a Fascist, one of the defining features of which is the use of street violence (Blackshirts, SA) towards political ends and the assault on the Capitol fits this perfectly.

  • Those who openly identify as members of the group "left of centre" repeatly and consitently introduce ultra right wing concepts and symbolism as descriptive of a bloc of U.K. voters. Why is that?

    The right wingers tell me it's because you can't meme...

    Most voters I notice liek em over teh prevuous advice were clued up enough to stay at home...

    Only four million of us stirred our disconsolate selves enough to say "Anything but more of what we've had since the seventies!" but after the next four years (Unless Kier really is a Magician) the reform vote will be substantially bigger, and I think I'd even bet an ounce of slver on it....

    Unless "they" can find some serious dirt on Mr Farage of course. 

  • I do not advocate sending Reform voters, or even Farage, to gas chambers. This is the essential distinction. I have German and Austrian relatives, they fled the Red Army to get into the British Zone, walking a lot of the way. I was one of two small boys in my home town who wore lederhosen - very practical wear for small boys.

  • It's simple, really. 

    Those of us stuck out on the fringes just want things to get a bit more normal.

    Prosperity comes from production. The productive people were quiet, too busy working to produce, leaving the louder voces and idler hands to assume control of what they produced. 

    THIS is the result. 

  • I have such people in my extended family. I know why they voted for national socialism. 

    And some of them are still annoyed about losing to us. I watched Opa (grandad) Willi visbly struggle with his instinctive liking of me versus his resentment of how the Ryal navy treated him after fishing him out of the water after first torpedoing his ship.... 

    It all started with "labelliing" entire blocks of people, as "undesitables" using rigidly (or corruptly) enforced political metrics to select a scapegoat class from otherwise blamelss groups of people. 

    Labelling and denigrating people who voted differenlty is of the same ilk, how is this so difficult to see?

  • I suspect that a very large proportion of the German voters who voted Hitler into power were gullible or disgruntled

    And the American population look likely to vote Trump into power at the end of the year too. This is democracy at work.

    We have to respect the choices of these people, however personally distasteful we find them otherwise we are being dictatorial ourselves in trying to stamp out their beliefs.

    I'm sure there were plenty of gullible and/or stupid voters who went for Labour this time round too, also those disgruntled with the previous government so these arguements are worthless here in my opinion.

    That only leaves the label of fascist which is pretty much what half of America is voting for at the moment.

    You may not agree with its principles but a heck of a lot of people apparently do, so democracy needs to give then the right to expression so long as they stay within the law.

  • I suspect that a very large proportion of the German voters who voted Hitler into power were gullible or disgruntled, a much lesser proportion being stupid or Fascistic. I also suspect the same to be true of Reform voters. 'Gullible' and 'disgruntled' are not terms of abuse as far as I am aware. One can respect the right of people to vote for whoever they wish to, while at the same time finding their choice execrable.

  • There is absolutely nothing personal in what I said

    You said that those who voted for Reform were (in your presumption) gullible, disgruntled, stuid or fascistic.

    That is a very large group of people to lable this way (14% of the vote I think, so over 4 million people). That probably works out to be about 1 in 10 adults.

    It represents a valid choice for people (in spite of how heinous you may consider them) and in a democracy you should respect other peoples decisions on who they vote for.

    Reasoned arguement rather than name calling is a more mature way to debate.

    That is probably why the mods thought to remond you to be nice.

  • Paying less tax is not a good thing if it results in long waiting times for treatment of cancer sufferers, or long waiting times for autism assessments, for that matter.

  • There is absolutely nothing personal in what I said, no one on the forum has said that they have voted for Reform, so,  logically, I cannot have aimed my comments at any particular person. I see standing up against any political party or movement that is fundamentally inimical to autistics and other neurodivergent people as an imperative for me, especially here. Hans Asperger allowed 'less useful autistics' to be sent to places where he knew, or could reasonably have suspected, they would be murdered. That type of horror should not be allowed to happen again. Even small stands against that way of thinking are worthwhile.

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  • I was a child during the winter of discontent and whilst it was sort of fun sitting by candle light and playing board games with my parents of an evening, I was aware of how hard it was for others. We were lucky in that we had a gas fire and cooker so we could have hot food and stay warm, but many others were not so lucky.

  • Totally agree with this Firemonkey. 
    I’m feeling cautiously optimistic that we’ll see some improvements - and I hope it’s enough to keep the Tories in the wilderness for at least 10 years.

  • I remember the winter of discontent too. I was living with my father, when not in one of the psych wards of our local hospital.I was cocooned from the effects of it  due to my father  being reasonably well off. He was a Foreign  office inspector. He was the equivalent of an army brigadier.

  • Agree.

    Dear all I am now going too leave this discussion as I feel we are getting very deep into Politics and Religion which is a very private and personal matter and forgetting that we are on here to support each other with how society is treating Neurodivergent People .

    I wish you all well and thanks

  • I don't see how thats going to be as Starmer has openly said that he supports a free Palestinian state and that what Israel is doing is wrong. Don't forget there are lots of Israeli's that want to two state solution and lots of Muslims who don't have a problem with Jews.

  • I agree that is why I want as much money as possible to go to the less well off and why I want a low tax economy it works and the less well of have a better standard of living.

    I just have to say as far as Patrick Vallance goes he was Mr Lockdown that helped wreck the economy there was a better scientist who Sunetra Gupta who explained with pandemics that you have to get herd immunity.No one listened to her modelling or the economic effect so Professor valance does not fill me with hope James Timpson yes.Also although it can seem unfair and I can get upset we all have to accept in life some people are richer than us are better at sport etc.In fact when I look at the rich I would not want t be them

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