Originally published at: http://boingboing.net/2017/04/18/donate-to-momentum.html
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This seems like a win-win for May. If she’s re-elected, she gets her mandate. If she loses, then Brexit’s someone else’s problem and she can go take a holiday in the sun.
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20 Tory MPs are currently under police investigation for electoral fraud, and if any were to be charged, they could be barred from holding political office for three years.
Wh - why? I don’t understand. Is there something special about fraud that would disqualify one from holding office? You Euro-socialists just hate freedom, don’t you?
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They can be banned from office for three years on the strength of charges alone, no conviction required? That’s something.
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She’s not going to lose. Expected majority > 100, maybe even 200. She expects to get all the UKIP votes. The people who support Remain are split mainly between Labour and Lib Dem and both parties have repeatedly shown that tribal loyalty trumps actually winning elections. The Conservative secret is that they are just as tribal, but they conceal it till the count starts.
However, 2 options:
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Her huge majority means that the Conservative Right can’t defeat the government. Depends on the calibre of the new MPs. If the Bone-head wing of the party can’t call the shots, she has the chance of at least slowing the ride to the abyss. But it will continue.
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Her huge majority leads to a far right takeover, resulting in civil unrest, especially up North, Scotland leaving the Union unilaterally, and the acceleration towards pariah banana republic continuing.
I just checked house prices in one of the nicer parts of Scotland. It’s amazing what a small detached house in the South-west will buy you up there. For now. Till the rush starts.
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Doesn’t stop people here from being President.
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This is what I hope happens. Only thing is I have a friend in London and I would like to visit her someday. But if the country turns into a real life version of V For Vendetta, not sure I want to do that.
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No, they would need to be convicted under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000.
May calling this election is a tremendous way of sweeping that under the carpet, because if even half of the MPs alleged to have broken the law were found guilty, she would lose her majority.
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Are any Americans here jealous that the UK election cycle is only going to be a month and a half long? With Trump already campaigning for 2020, I wonder how Americans stand it.
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Her majority might not be that high. Labour lost a lot of seats with small majorities in the previous election and the LibDems were wiped out. Many Labour seats have quite solid majorities and the LibDems have been crawling out of the wreckage in the South West, so it is possible that Labour might hang on in their strongholds and the Tories could lose some seats in the SW.
This election will be won or lost in England - and middle-class England at that. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are all going to be left to twist in the wind (not that there are any big issues in Ireland right now of course). The SNP will be given new impetus at the prospect of another five years of hard Brexit under May, so they might be able to hold on to most, or all of their seats north of the border.
What is really unknowable is if the election will solely be about Brexit, or if there is any room for a second issue - such as the Tories catastrophic mishandling of the NHS - will gain traction (although the opinion polls suggest that Labour isn’t quite as strong as might be expected even on that).
And of course, there’s nothing to stop the EU making life very uncomfortable for May by publicising its red lines in negotiations during the run-up to the poll. If May’s vision of Brexit can be made to look bad, she might be in trouble.
I’m also wondering how much of the 48% who voted against committing national suicide can be persuaded to ditch personal political loyalties and back either candidates opposing Brexit entirely, or where they can’t win, the anti-government candidate.
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Totally feels like Thatcher in the early 1980s. But without the ugly teeth.
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Part of the backstory of V for Vendetta was that Michael Foot won the 1983 general election and got rid of Britains nukes, so when WWIII happened Britain didn’t get obliterated (although they may have been targeted as Zara Tindall was queen). When Norsefire became government there was nowhere else for British people to escape to.
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I have completely lost faith in England, to the point where I won’t even identify as such. I’m half Scottish, and I’m seriously thinking of not mentioning the half bit anymore.
I honestly feel like drawing a cock and balls on my ballot paper, going by what I think of any of the parties likely to win here. However, If Larry Sanders decides to have another go here in Oxford East, I’ll probably vote for him again.
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Alcohol and a terrible memory that makes it seem less long, aided by alcohol.
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Much the same for me.
If i had viable means to emigrate, i would have done so already.
As it is i’m stuck here 
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How the hell is Brexit at a popularity high right now?! Everything about it is being revealed to be a disaster, all the argument for it turning out to be lies. Is it the Trump effect - where supporters just turn off reality because of the sunk cost fallacy?
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You are forgetting that all the mass media - Murdoch, Dacre, the Telegraph, and the BBC - are already in an effective conspiracy to suppress bad news. The proles won’t hear about it, except for headlines saying “Traitor Fallon Wants To Steal Your Country”.
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Perhaps Corbyn resigning or getting removed could save Labour. Can’t see that happening though.
Calling for elections before triggering article 50 would’ve been the sensible move but nothing in the UK seems rational lately…
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This seems like a win-win for May. If she’s re-elected, she gets her mandate. If she loses, then Brexit’s someone else’s problem and she can go take a holiday in the sun.
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