Alabama surprised us!
I was expecting to check the news to find that Alabama had once again done something stupid but no! Alabama rejected a horrible candidate for Senate, albeit narrowly. As such, Doug Jones is the first Democrat to win a Senate election in Alabama for 25 years. Well done, Doug Jones, and well done to the the Alabamans who voted for him!
Showing posts with label Elections/politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Elections/politics. Show all posts
Wednesday, 13 December 2017
Tuesday, 12 December 2017
Senate special election in Alabama, December 2017
In a few hours or so, Alabama will have decided its next Senator:
The Democrat is Doug Jones, who would be expected to lose in normal circumstances but the Republican, besides being a bigot, is facing claims of sexual assault, rape and child abuse, which have severely hampered his candidacy and the race is close.
The Republican, whose name is Roy Moore, should not be a Senator. He shouldn't even a candidate given the sex crimes allegations that are surrounding him. Unfortunately, Alabama is an extremely backwards state, given its support for the current president, its support for Barry Goldwater in 1964, for being a state that supported segregation and for being an ex-Confederate state. It has a history of backing awful people like Moore.
But, Alabama may surprise us yet. May it be on the right side of history for once and elect Doug Jones as its next Senator.
The Democrat is Doug Jones, who would be expected to lose in normal circumstances but the Republican, besides being a bigot, is facing claims of sexual assault, rape and child abuse, which have severely hampered his candidacy and the race is close.
The Republican, whose name is Roy Moore, should not be a Senator. He shouldn't even a candidate given the sex crimes allegations that are surrounding him. Unfortunately, Alabama is an extremely backwards state, given its support for the current president, its support for Barry Goldwater in 1964, for being a state that supported segregation and for being an ex-Confederate state. It has a history of backing awful people like Moore.
But, Alabama may surprise us yet. May it be on the right side of history for once and elect Doug Jones as its next Senator.
Sunday, 12 November 2017
The tweeting leader
It wasn't so long ago when the American president didn't make reference to childish insults when discussing a fellow world leader:
Granted, a North Korean government department called him "old" but if the current president weren't so thin-skinned, he wouldn't have resorted to the tweet he wrote in the aforementioned article.
On the bright side, in that same tweet, he mentioned that he would like to be a "friend" of the North Korean leader. That would be a good thing, if it were to happen.
Granted, a North Korean government department called him "old" but if the current president weren't so thin-skinned, he wouldn't have resorted to the tweet he wrote in the aforementioned article.
On the bright side, in that same tweet, he mentioned that he would like to be a "friend" of the North Korean leader. That would be a good thing, if it were to happen.
Wednesday, 8 November 2017
United States 2017 elections
Yesterday, the United States held its 2017 intake of off-year elections. This included various mayoral elections, such as those in Los Angeles and New York City, but more notably featured the gubernatorial races of New Jersey and Virginia.
New Jersey's election result - a Democratic heavy victory - wasn't a surprise. The outgoing, term-limited Republican governor is deeply unpopular and New Jersey is a blue state; the Democratic candidate was expected to win unless they were to take it upon themselves to openly sabotage their own campaign.
The more interesting result was in Virginia. The Democrats took that governor's seat from the Republicans in 2013 and since 2008, the state has voted for Democrats at the presidential level. In the elections yesterday, the Democrats not only held the governor's mansion by a convincing margin but also picked up swathes of seats in the state's legislature. It's an astounding result for a state that was red not so long ago.
New Jersey's election result - a Democratic heavy victory - wasn't a surprise. The outgoing, term-limited Republican governor is deeply unpopular and New Jersey is a blue state; the Democratic candidate was expected to win unless they were to take it upon themselves to openly sabotage their own campaign.
The more interesting result was in Virginia. The Democrats took that governor's seat from the Republicans in 2013 and since 2008, the state has voted for Democrats at the presidential level. In the elections yesterday, the Democrats not only held the governor's mansion by a convincing margin but also picked up swathes of seats in the state's legislature. It's an astounding result for a state that was red not so long ago.
Friday, 27 October 2017
Year 2 course rep
Last year, I ran in an election to become a course rep for the Year 1 Joint Honours students. I won that election and attended every meeting and completed all work that was expected of me. This year, I ran re-election as a Year 2 rep for Joint Honours.
The result? This afternoon I received an email that informed me of my success in the student elections - I'm once again an academic rep! For the third year in a row, I am a class or course rep at an academic institution. I am delighted to have any chance to represent my intake of Joint Honours students here at NTU.
The result? This afternoon I received an email that informed me of my success in the student elections - I'm once again an academic rep! For the third year in a row, I am a class or course rep at an academic institution. I am delighted to have any chance to represent my intake of Joint Honours students here at NTU.
Tuesday, 24 October 2017
Flaking out
A few weeks ago, Senator Bob Corker (R-Tennessee) accounted that he would not be running for re-election in 2018; today, another Republican Senator, Jeff Flake of Arizona, has said the same:
Flake then disclosed that his rationale for leaving was due to his distaste for the current president and that he "...[would] not be complicit" in associating with the president and his agenda. There's just one problem: Flake, along with the aforementioned Corker, has regularly voted to advance the president's agenda. The words of both Senators are great but their actions say otherwise; until they start to vote against anything that would help the president, their words are hollow.
Flake then disclosed that his rationale for leaving was due to his distaste for the current president and that he "...[would] not be complicit" in associating with the president and his agenda. There's just one problem: Flake, along with the aforementioned Corker, has regularly voted to advance the president's agenda. The words of both Senators are great but their actions say otherwise; until they start to vote against anything that would help the president, their words are hollow.
Monday, 9 October 2017
More vindictiveness - and environmental damage
The current administration in charge of the United States is continuing its unhealthy obsession of undoing everything the previous administration achieved:
How vindictive. And bad for the planet. The current president and his party have long talked about this mythical "war on coal", so rolling back these environmental protections is part of that as well as getting revenge on the previous administration.
We all share this one planet, despite what they think. The damage done to it affects us all.
How vindictive. And bad for the planet. The current president and his party have long talked about this mythical "war on coal", so rolling back these environmental protections is part of that as well as getting revenge on the previous administration.
We all share this one planet, despite what they think. The damage done to it affects us all.
Wednesday, 13 September 2017
Bernie and Hillary supporters
The presidential primaries that the Democrats in the United States held last year ended well over a year ago. Yet, despite this, hardcore and/or bitter supporters of both Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders still insist on arguing about the final result of the election.
"Bernie would have won, Hillary cheated!" the hardcore Bernie supporters yell
"Bernie shouldn't have run, he made Hillary lose!" the Hillary supporters shout back.
This continued back and forth, while being spouted by a minority on either side, achieves nothing. Continuing to divide the Democratic Party as they are doing will only serve to give the current president another term in office in 2020. That must not be allowed to happen. Re-living the 2016 Democratic primaries over and over again is destructive.
"Bernie would have won, Hillary cheated!" the hardcore Bernie supporters yell
"Bernie shouldn't have run, he made Hillary lose!" the Hillary supporters shout back.
This continued back and forth, while being spouted by a minority on either side, achieves nothing. Continuing to divide the Democratic Party as they are doing will only serve to give the current president another term in office in 2020. That must not be allowed to happen. Re-living the 2016 Democratic primaries over and over again is destructive.
Tuesday, 18 July 2017
Let it fail...
The Republicans' second attempt at repealing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA or "Obamacare") is failing. As such, the current president wants the PPACA to "fail" if his party can't repeal it:
He smugly declares "I'm not going to own it" and "I can tell you the Republicans are not going to own it.", but if the PPACA fails, it will be the fault of him and his party. They're the ones in charge, not President Obama and the Democrats; if Republicans poorly handle the government that they're running, the buck stops with them.
He smugly declares "I'm not going to own it" and "I can tell you the Republicans are not going to own it.", but if the PPACA fails, it will be the fault of him and his party. They're the ones in charge, not President Obama and the Democrats; if Republicans poorly handle the government that they're running, the buck stops with them.
Friday, 23 June 2017
The referendum...a year on
It has officially been a year since the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union in the in/our referendum the country held last year. While the leave proceedings were activated back in March, negotiations to leave only began this week.
I still don't see what positives are going to come from leaving the European Union. The EU will want to protect itself from other countries trying to leave and so it will likely make an example of this country during the negotiations. Then there's the fact the recent election produced a hung parliament, so the current Prime Minister has less of a mandate than she did before. Beyond that, we still don't know how the country will fare once it is "out".
There were so many unknowns, as was noted often during the referendum campaign. Where this road goes...no one knows.
I still don't see what positives are going to come from leaving the European Union. The EU will want to protect itself from other countries trying to leave and so it will likely make an example of this country during the negotiations. Then there's the fact the recent election produced a hung parliament, so the current Prime Minister has less of a mandate than she did before. Beyond that, we still don't know how the country will fare once it is "out".
There were so many unknowns, as was noted often during the referendum campaign. Where this road goes...no one knows.
Friday, 9 June 2017
Results of the United Kingdom general election of 2017
All results for the general election are through. Despite expectations that they would increase their majority - possibly drastically - the Conservatives instead lost several seats and with it, their majority in Parliament. As a result, in order to govern, the Prime Minister has had to make a deal with the Democratic Unionist Party, a party in Northern Ireland, who have enough seats to support the Conservatives and give them a small majority.
The Labour Party, which had long been expected to losses masses of seats to the Conservatives, instead gained 30 seats. Labour was able to seize long-term Tory seats such as Canterbury and Kensington, both of which (and other seats) were attributed to heavy turnout of the under-25s, which is estimated to have been over 72% this election. While Labour did lose a handful of seats through a combination of them being in Brexit-voting areas or the UKIP vote went to the Conservatives, Labour otherwise weathered the Brexit vote and also increased its margins in many Remain areas, taking out Tories in the process.
The Scottish National Party lost nearly half of its seats but nevertheless remain the largest party in Scotland and the third-biggest in Parliament. Their losses can be attributed to them overplaying their hand at another independence referendum; Scots mostly consider the matter settled and are likely tired of voting, seeing as they've had more national referendums to vote on when the AV from from 2011 is included.
The Liberal Democrats increased their numbers from 8 to 12 but had their margins reduced in some seats and their former leader, Nick Clegg, was defeated in Sheffield Hallam; his loss marked the first time that Labour has won that seat. Despite taking a heavily pro-Remain stance, Liberal Democrat gains were fairly minor.
The United Kingdom Independence Party/UKIP again failed to win any seats and its share of the vote severely collapsed, in both number and percentage. Many UKIP voters returned to the Tories although there were a large number who returned to Labour, too.
It is hard to predict where British poltics will go from here. Some are expecting another election in the fall but that will depend on how well the Tories can govern with their DUP-backed minority administration. It also depends on if any political infighting takes place within any of the parties; while Jeremy Corbyn appears to have emerged from this election unscathed thanks to his strong campaign and achieving the first Labour seat increase since 1997, many on the Tory side are annoyed with their leader for calling an election which they were supposed to win and, instead, ended up losing.
The Labour Party, which had long been expected to losses masses of seats to the Conservatives, instead gained 30 seats. Labour was able to seize long-term Tory seats such as Canterbury and Kensington, both of which (and other seats) were attributed to heavy turnout of the under-25s, which is estimated to have been over 72% this election. While Labour did lose a handful of seats through a combination of them being in Brexit-voting areas or the UKIP vote went to the Conservatives, Labour otherwise weathered the Brexit vote and also increased its margins in many Remain areas, taking out Tories in the process.
The Scottish National Party lost nearly half of its seats but nevertheless remain the largest party in Scotland and the third-biggest in Parliament. Their losses can be attributed to them overplaying their hand at another independence referendum; Scots mostly consider the matter settled and are likely tired of voting, seeing as they've had more national referendums to vote on when the AV from from 2011 is included.
The Liberal Democrats increased their numbers from 8 to 12 but had their margins reduced in some seats and their former leader, Nick Clegg, was defeated in Sheffield Hallam; his loss marked the first time that Labour has won that seat. Despite taking a heavily pro-Remain stance, Liberal Democrat gains were fairly minor.
The United Kingdom Independence Party/UKIP again failed to win any seats and its share of the vote severely collapsed, in both number and percentage. Many UKIP voters returned to the Tories although there were a large number who returned to Labour, too.
It is hard to predict where British poltics will go from here. Some are expecting another election in the fall but that will depend on how well the Tories can govern with their DUP-backed minority administration. It also depends on if any political infighting takes place within any of the parties; while Jeremy Corbyn appears to have emerged from this election unscathed thanks to his strong campaign and achieving the first Labour seat increase since 1997, many on the Tory side are annoyed with their leader for calling an election which they were supposed to win and, instead, ended up losing.
Thursday, 8 June 2017
2017 election night
I'm at my mother and brother's house, in my brother's room (with him) awaiting the results of the general election. Our intent is to stay up all night or stay up to a point when the result is obvious. The full result won't be known until about 5:00am but a current exit poll points to a hung Parliament, with the Tories and Scottish National Party losing seat and Labour and the Liberal Democrats gaining. Should be interesting.
Tuesday, 6 June 2017
My vote for the United Kingdom's 2017 general election
The general election is nearly upon us. So how is it that the United Kingdom
is facing a general election now, after holding one two years ago? The answer
is that Parliament voted to hold one three years early, the reason being that
the Prime Minister wanted to seek a mandate for her vision of Brexit whereas
the leading figures of the opposition have been eager to challenge her, both to
claim a mandate for their own Brexit visions and to take the country in a
different direction to where it has been travelling for the past seven years.
The two primary figures of this election are Theresa May, who is the current Prime Minister and the leader of the Conservative Party, and Jeremy Corbyn, who's the Leader of the Opposition and the Labour Party leader. Minor figures include Nicola Sturgeon of the Scottish National Party, Tim Farron of the Liberal Democrats, Caroline Lucas of the Greens and Paul Nuttall of the United Kingdom Independence Party.
With all that in mind, for whom shall I be voting? For once, it's an easy decision: My vote this year will given to Corbyn's Labour and it will be the first time I've ever voted for the Labour Party. In the past, I've voted for smaller parties (not UKIP) because I long considered Labour, Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats to be three slightly different versions of the same party. Not anymore. With Jeremy Corbyn, a staunch progressive, in charge of Labour, we at last have a clear difference between our two main parties. Instead of proposing more austerity, more tax cuts for billionaires and more war, Corbyn is instead promising to re-invest in the country, such as reversing cuts that have been made to essential services like the National Health Service and the police. Other key policies will be to scrap student tuition fees, to re-nationalise several privatised services and to protect childcare and pensioner benefits, as well as to expand them where possible.While Corbyn's Labour will still be carrying out Brexit, they have promised to do so in a fair manner that benefits Britain, rather than a "Hard Brexit" (or "Brutality Brexit") that leaves the country with nothing, including stripping away human rights that citizens are afforded under European Union law.
For the 2015 election, while Ed Miliband was a leader I could respect, he was regularly sabotaged by his own cabinet, as he was unable to select whom he wanted and was forced to accept was the Parliamentary Labour Party chose for him. As such, whenever he tried to break away from the image of Labour being seen as a second Conservative Party, he was held back and the party's message was clouded; thus, I was not able to vote for Miliband Labour. By contrast, Corbyn has been able to choose his own cabinet and despite a rebellion to overthrow him last year, he has endured and the party message is from him.
Corbyn is regularly dismissed by his critics as an "idealist" with policies that are "unaffordable" and/or "unworkable". My response to that is why are people like Corbyn, who genuinely want to re-invest in this country and its people again, viewed in such a manner whereas nationalists, warmongers and austerity-pushers are all seen as "common sense"? In 1945, after World War II, the United Kingdom was in ruins and what was left of the British Empire was seeking independence; despite this, the Labour government that came into power under Clement Attlee that year established the support system that still exists today, despite erosion from neo-liberal (pro-corporate) policies. If 1945 Britain could do it, why not 2017 Britain? I’ve noticed that the "We are British! We can do anything!" attitude always seems to evaporate when it comes to, say, re-investing in our schools, redeveloping our roads or funding our National Health Service.
And Corbyn isn't someone who is promising a load of "nice things", only to follow up with the opposite once elected; he became an MP in 1983 - the same year as former Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown - and his voting record supports his message. This is a man who was arrested for protesting apartheid and was called a "loony lefty" for supporting gay marriage at a time when it was politically unpopular to do so. He has flaws, of course - he is a person, after all - but for the first time in British politics, there is someone I can believe in and trust, similar to how I felt about Barack Obama in 2008. Only this time, however, I can vote - and I shall do so.
The two primary figures of this election are Theresa May, who is the current Prime Minister and the leader of the Conservative Party, and Jeremy Corbyn, who's the Leader of the Opposition and the Labour Party leader. Minor figures include Nicola Sturgeon of the Scottish National Party, Tim Farron of the Liberal Democrats, Caroline Lucas of the Greens and Paul Nuttall of the United Kingdom Independence Party.
With all that in mind, for whom shall I be voting? For once, it's an easy decision: My vote this year will given to Corbyn's Labour and it will be the first time I've ever voted for the Labour Party. In the past, I've voted for smaller parties (not UKIP) because I long considered Labour, Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats to be three slightly different versions of the same party. Not anymore. With Jeremy Corbyn, a staunch progressive, in charge of Labour, we at last have a clear difference between our two main parties. Instead of proposing more austerity, more tax cuts for billionaires and more war, Corbyn is instead promising to re-invest in the country, such as reversing cuts that have been made to essential services like the National Health Service and the police. Other key policies will be to scrap student tuition fees, to re-nationalise several privatised services and to protect childcare and pensioner benefits, as well as to expand them where possible.While Corbyn's Labour will still be carrying out Brexit, they have promised to do so in a fair manner that benefits Britain, rather than a "Hard Brexit" (or "Brutality Brexit") that leaves the country with nothing, including stripping away human rights that citizens are afforded under European Union law.
For the 2015 election, while Ed Miliband was a leader I could respect, he was regularly sabotaged by his own cabinet, as he was unable to select whom he wanted and was forced to accept was the Parliamentary Labour Party chose for him. As such, whenever he tried to break away from the image of Labour being seen as a second Conservative Party, he was held back and the party's message was clouded; thus, I was not able to vote for Miliband Labour. By contrast, Corbyn has been able to choose his own cabinet and despite a rebellion to overthrow him last year, he has endured and the party message is from him.
Corbyn is regularly dismissed by his critics as an "idealist" with policies that are "unaffordable" and/or "unworkable". My response to that is why are people like Corbyn, who genuinely want to re-invest in this country and its people again, viewed in such a manner whereas nationalists, warmongers and austerity-pushers are all seen as "common sense"? In 1945, after World War II, the United Kingdom was in ruins and what was left of the British Empire was seeking independence; despite this, the Labour government that came into power under Clement Attlee that year established the support system that still exists today, despite erosion from neo-liberal (pro-corporate) policies. If 1945 Britain could do it, why not 2017 Britain? I’ve noticed that the "We are British! We can do anything!" attitude always seems to evaporate when it comes to, say, re-investing in our schools, redeveloping our roads or funding our National Health Service.
And Corbyn isn't someone who is promising a load of "nice things", only to follow up with the opposite once elected; he became an MP in 1983 - the same year as former Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown - and his voting record supports his message. This is a man who was arrested for protesting apartheid and was called a "loony lefty" for supporting gay marriage at a time when it was politically unpopular to do so. He has flaws, of course - he is a person, after all - but for the first time in British politics, there is someone I can believe in and trust, similar to how I felt about Barack Obama in 2008. Only this time, however, I can vote - and I shall do so.
Monday, 5 June 2017
Upcoming 2017 general election post
I have started work on a post that will explain my voting intentions for Thursday's general election. I shall be writing it from the perspective of why I think my preferred candidate is qualified, rather than a rant about how much the other side sucks. It's an explanation with possible gentle persuasion, not an attack piece.
Monday, 22 May 2017
Voter registration deadline, May 2017
The deadline to register for June's general election is today at 23:59. If there is a rush of people who are registering last minute, it might be extended for a day or two but otherwise, if someone doesn't register before midnight, they will not be able to vote.
I'm already registered, as are my brother and mother. We registered not long after they both moved up here to Clifton as part of changing addresses and all that. Unlike in some states in the US, where registering to vote has been made difficult by the Republicans, registering to vote here is easy as is the process of voting in itself, although we do have our share of trolls who think that voter fraud is rampant and that strict laws are needed to counter it (it isn't and they're not needed).
I'm already registered, as are my brother and mother. We registered not long after they both moved up here to Clifton as part of changing addresses and all that. Unlike in some states in the US, where registering to vote has been made difficult by the Republicans, registering to vote here is easy as is the process of voting in itself, although we do have our share of trolls who think that voter fraud is rampant and that strict laws are needed to counter it (it isn't and they're not needed).
Saturday, 20 May 2017
Hassan Rouhani: Re-elected
Four years ago, Hassan Rouhani won the first round of the Iranian presidential election of that year; as he secured more than 50% of the vote, he won the election outright and no run-off was required. As Iranian presidents have four-year terms, 2017 has been Rouhani's re-election; thankfully, he won:
Not only did Rouhani win re-election but he did so with an increased mandate, with both a larger amount of votes and an increased vote percentage. This is excellent news, as it means that Iranian moderates continue to control the presidency while all the hardline candidates were defeated. It is especially important for people like Rouhani to remain in charge of Iran; given who is currently President of the United States, it would be - unproductive, to say the least - for a loudmouthed and reckless hardliner to lead Iran at this time (or any time, for that matter, but least of all now).
Not only did Rouhani win re-election but he did so with an increased mandate, with both a larger amount of votes and an increased vote percentage. This is excellent news, as it means that Iranian moderates continue to control the presidency while all the hardline candidates were defeated. It is especially important for people like Rouhani to remain in charge of Iran; given who is currently President of the United States, it would be - unproductive, to say the least - for a loudmouthed and reckless hardliner to lead Iran at this time (or any time, for that matter, but least of all now).
Monday, 8 May 2017
Re-committing to a failed pledge
In the 2010 general election, the Conservative Party (Tories) promised to reduce immigration to the United Kingdom to the "tens of thousands". In 2015, they again promised to reduce immigration to the "tens of thousands". Staggeringly, for the third election running, the Tories are promising immigration reductions to the "tens of thousands":
Anybody who votes for the Tories based on this promise is an idiot. If the party has to state this a third time after failing to carry the policy out despite being in power for nearly seven years now, why would anyone think it would be any different on this occasion? It's a fake promise to keep the bigots voting for the Tories.
The general election here is a month from now.
Anybody who votes for the Tories based on this promise is an idiot. If the party has to state this a third time after failing to carry the policy out despite being in power for nearly seven years now, why would anyone think it would be any different on this occasion? It's a fake promise to keep the bigots voting for the Tories.
The general election here is a month from now.
Sunday, 7 May 2017
French presidential election, 2017
The French election results are in and Emmanuel Macron, of the En Marche! party defeated Marine Le Pen of the National Front:
On the surface, this seems like a good result, as Le Pen is a far-right candidate and given recent far-right successes in certain Western nations, this is a victory against hate. Unfortunately, Macron isn't exactly a stellar candidate himself, although it's not because of any hatred on his part.
No, the problem with Macron is his political positions and his former job. He used to be a banker, so it's absurd to think that a banker is going to support policies to help the poor. With regards to his policies, he is a supporter of neo-liberalism and the discredited "Third Way" economic policies, both of which are heavily responsible for the rise of the far-right in the West in recent years. Indeed, in 2015 he pushed through economic reforms in France to make it it more "business-friendly" rather than beneficial to workers and residents.
Le Pen might have lost this time around but if Macron doubles-down on the failed policies that have caused the recent far-right resurgence in the West, he risks her or someone like her winning sometime down the road.
On the surface, this seems like a good result, as Le Pen is a far-right candidate and given recent far-right successes in certain Western nations, this is a victory against hate. Unfortunately, Macron isn't exactly a stellar candidate himself, although it's not because of any hatred on his part.
No, the problem with Macron is his political positions and his former job. He used to be a banker, so it's absurd to think that a banker is going to support policies to help the poor. With regards to his policies, he is a supporter of neo-liberalism and the discredited "Third Way" economic policies, both of which are heavily responsible for the rise of the far-right in the West in recent years. Indeed, in 2015 he pushed through economic reforms in France to make it it more "business-friendly" rather than beneficial to workers and residents.
Le Pen might have lost this time around but if Macron doubles-down on the failed policies that have caused the recent far-right resurgence in the West, he risks her or someone like her winning sometime down the road.
Monday, 24 April 2017
Ken Clarke
When I lived with my grandparents during college, the MP for my consituency, Rushcliffe, was Ken Clarke, a Conservative. He initially stated that he was going to stand down in 2020 but since an election was called early, he is running again:
Clarke is probably the only Tory I have any respect for and I am glad he is running again, which is ironic since he's so far the only MP I've voted against. He voted against the activation of Article 50 for the United Kingdom to withdraw from the European Union, which is in line with the wishes of his constituency because Rushcliffe voted 57.6% for Remain. This surprised me on the morning of the result, although it later didn't because Clarke has always been strongly pro-EU and that permeated in Rushcliffe.
Clarke is probably the only Tory I have any respect for and I am glad he is running again, which is ironic since he's so far the only MP I've voted against. He voted against the activation of Article 50 for the United Kingdom to withdraw from the European Union, which is in line with the wishes of his constituency because Rushcliffe voted 57.6% for Remain. This surprised me on the morning of the result, although it later didn't because Clarke has always been strongly pro-EU and that permeated in Rushcliffe.
Wednesday, 19 April 2017
General election 2017
Yesterday, the Prime Minister called for an early general election and today, Parliament approved it:
The reasons for this early election are because the Prime Minister is seeking a mandate for her vision of Brexit and because the polls are saying the opposition party, Labour, are polling poorly. This is a risky move, given that polling has been notoriously inaccurate as of late.
This new election will occur on June 8th.
The reasons for this early election are because the Prime Minister is seeking a mandate for her vision of Brexit and because the polls are saying the opposition party, Labour, are polling poorly. This is a risky move, given that polling has been notoriously inaccurate as of late.
This new election will occur on June 8th.
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