Andrea Leadsom quits Prime Minister race

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So sign the petition calling for an early GE :wink:

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=4209478

Personally I don't think that a GE is not what we need right now... We need to sort Brexit out first - which wasn't on anybody's manifestos, really, as we weren't anticipating a leave vote.

A PM we didn't vote for doesn't really apply here, as we don't hold presidential elections like the US. Also the Fixed-term Parliament Act 2011 makes it a hell of a lot harder to call a snap election.

What's quite funny is that it's mostly the left calling for it, but a GE could be the beginning of the end for Labour - with either Angela 'can't form a proper sentence, yet alone deliver it' Eagle or Jez at the helm. :beard:

Reply 141

Doones

Original post by Josb

The Labour will lose seats to UKIP if a GE is called now. That's not what you want, is it?

I'm not convinced that would happen.

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Reply 142

Snufkin

Universities Forum Helper

Original post by Roving Fish

Personally I don't think that a GE is not what we need right now... We need to sort Brexit out first - which wasn't on anybody's manifestos, really, as we weren't anticipating a leave vote.

Brexit is why there must be a GE. We had a referendum and we voted to leave, but nobody got a say in exactly how we will leave. The government has no mandate to take us out of the single market for example. There must be a GE so that the public can decide on exactly which Brexit route we should take.

A new PM is in effect a new government anyway, so every promise made in the 2015 Conservative manifesto will be void. Is it right that a new PM can pursue new policies which nobody voted for? I don't think so.

Reply 143

Jammy Duel

Original post by Snufkin

The notion that the manifesto is void because of a new leader is absurd, that is only true if the leader chooses to not follow the manifesto (and cannot sufficiently well justify doing so). Half of the last 10 PMs went into office before facing a general election, they were elected on the same manifesto.

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Reply 144

nulli tertius

Original post by Roving Fish

Personally I don't think that a GE is not what we need right now... We need to sort Brexit out first - which wasn't on anybody's manifestos, really, as we weren't anticipating a leave vote.

But we may have to have one nonetheless.

The other fault lines in the Tory party haven't disappeared overnight.

The oldest one is between the social authoritarians and the libertarians and what is clear is that the Leadhamites were the social authoritarians. Edward Leigh was utterly baffled when Leadham pulled out. May is naturally a social libertarian who doesn't try to run other peoples' lives. That is not just the idea that government ends at the bedroom door but I cannot see her having much truck with using the benefits system to run claimants' lives.

The next is the economic wets and the dries and May is probably a wet. How will May's plans to kerb corporate pay sit with Redwood, Bone and Tyrie?

Reply 145

Snufkin

Universities Forum Helper

Original post by Jammy Duel

Brexit is an expedient reason for ignoring manifesto promises. Osborne has already said that he won't meet his targets in light of us voting to leave. Government is going to be focused on undoing a 40 year economic and legal relationship with the EU for the next few years, that will inevitably mean promises aren’t kept and new ideas are pursued.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 146

Jammy Duel

Original post by Snufkin

Brexit is an expedient reason for ignoring manifesto promises. Osbourne has already said that he won't meet his targets in light of us voting to leave. Government is going to be focused on undoing a 40 year economic and legal relationship with the EU for the next few years, that will inevitably mean promises aren’t kept and new ideas are pursued.

Osborne was never going to make it, you could see that in the budget, he just wanted an excuse.

You'll also get on that very basis that anybody mildly intelligent should know that there is no point in having an election, all that will happen is a double dose of uncertainty and a larger majority for the Tories.

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Reply 147

nulli tertius

Original post by Jammy Duel

The notion that the manifesto is void because of a new leader is absurd, that is only true if the leader chooses to not follow the manifesto (and cannot sufficiently well justify doing so).

But Osborne has already ditched the long-term economic plan.

She would be mad to keep the triple lock on pensions.

The immigration target (which she never wanted) is unattainable.

The Northern Powerhouse was a powerbase for Osborne and may be scaled back.

I do not know where she stands on HS2 and airport expansion.

Goodness knows what her policy is on the moneypit that is the NHS but the chickens are coming home to roost for the 2010-6 policy.

Reply 148

nulli tertius

Original post by Jammy Duel

Osborne was never going to make it, you could see that in the budget, he just wanted an excuse.

He was still aiming towards his target in the budget. He is no longer.

Reply 149

Jammy Duel

Original post by nulli tertius

He was still aiming towards his target in the budget. He is no longer.

If there actually is the recession risk (which given how thick people are there probably is because people think it's there) it's the right thing to do anyway. He was only aiming for it because he didn't have an excuse to get rid of it until brexit.

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Reply 150

Zenomorph

Original post by Snufkin

Brexit is a vote to leave an inherently racist institution - the EU.

The people have spoken get over it !

Reply 151

Fullofsurprises

Original post by nulli tertius

I suspect she will keep the pensions lock going at least in principle, purely because she hopes to win the next election and all the pensioner votes are crucial, although if as we all suspect, she's up against Corbyn, perhaps she will be less bothered about how big the landslide will be. :rolleyes:

The "Northern Powerhouse" was hot air, it was just Osborne/Cameron cant to cover up large public spending cuts in the North and push responsibility but with few resources onto gullible local councils. This has been swallowed for example by Manchester, taking on health, a disaster in the making. The crucial cross-pennine tunnels, much discussed, are repeatedly back-pedalled on when real money comes under review.

I personally think that May might cut HS2 - it's already now proposed (laughably) to run from Old Oak Common to Crewe (Euston has proven to be both insanely expensive, horribly disruptive to London traffic for years and a crap location for it anyway given that it isn't St Pancras) and no doubt it will soon be reduced to a pacer line with 60mph trains at £200 a ticket. :lol:

Reply 152

Josb

Original post by Snufkin

Budget deficit is not a problem now that creditors are actually paying to lend money to the UK.

Reply 153

Josb

Original post by Fullofsurprises

I personally think that May might cut HS2 - it's already now proposed (laughably) to run from Old Oak Common to Crewe (Euston has proven to be both insanely expensive, horribly disruptive to London traffic for years and a crap location for it anyway given that it isn't St Pancras) and no doubt it will soon be reduced to a pacer line with 60mph trains at £200 a ticket. :lol:

HS2 was a silly project anyway.

Reply 154

username1148663

HS2 is still going ahead that was confirmed yesterday by the transport minister we are just months away from work starting now

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