General British politics discussion thread

The usual dismal by-election turnout (31%) in this. Conservative vote fell to 25.4% which is at the lower end of what I expected, so no sign that Sunak is arresting the slide. Also at 4% Reform UK don't seem to be gaining any traction at all.

The arch Brexiteers high dudgeon over this while entertaining must be devastating omen for those who have careers in these industries in Britain. These kinds of things are going to increase rather than decrease with the whole EU benefitting.

It's clearly not just the tax regime either. Britain is fast becoming the sick person of Europe.

I thought of posting it there, but it's the general political malaise in the UK that has led to Brexit and this.

Sunak is incredibly weak. Allowing Johonson to swan around acting like the PM without any rebuke, allowing Truss to take to the airwaves over her side of her failure and criticism of his policies.

The man has a massive majority but has no power. Failing to deal with Raab, failing to deal with Zuhawi until he had no other option.

He was supposed to be the broom to sweep away the dirt of the previous years but has failed spectacularly to impose anything approaching a policy agenda or even a leadership style.

Total disaster. At best he may stop the downward trajectory but can't see how he could persuade anyone to vote tory at an election

Saw Dublin mentioned on Twitter...but not official.

Well, the Tories keep normalising ever shriller levels of othering, now with Lee Anderson…and then eventually, stuff like this happens:

This is on Braverman and Patel.

I was wondering as long ago as 2021 whether they had already written off the election. My view was they had already decided to use their large majority while they still had it to press ahead with whatever pet ideas their backers had, and the Mini Budget was the eventual result.

It wasn't really all that "wow" a response in fairness. Also "watch her tone" wasn't actually said.

Of course the whole thing is still a joke but there's nothing shocking about that exchange.

The opposition are constantly advising on how to approach a topic. We do it here all the time when commenting on how the Tories approach the refugee topic.

Suggesting he told a female MP to "watch her tone" has certain connotations.

I'm completely against how voter ID has been handled and the fact that it's happening at all but the answer he gave is pretty much what I would expect.