Conservative party/opposition watch

[UndercoverElephant]

The early local election results are not that bad for the tories

They have lost 1 out of every 5 seats they were defending, and that was starting from a bad result 3 years ago.

I do not see Boris being kicked out on these numbers.

Maybe not, no. But that could work in Labour's favour, because he is still an electoral liability. I don't think he can fix his reputation and image, and the tories will lose the next general election if he remains in charge. Their problem is that they'll probably lose even if he's replaced, because there is no good candidate to replace him. Add that to the unfolding economic nightmare, and I think it is fairly safe to bet that Kier Starmer is going to become Prime Minister.

[Catweazle]

Not so much that people like the Tories/Johnson, just they distrust Labour even more.

So, how did the tories do in Anglesey ?

[clv101]

Tories now stand at 482 seats lost! 341 from England.

The Daily Mail published this chart yesterday to help us interpret the results:

[PS_RalphW]

In England and Scotland, the Greens made more net gains than Labour did. Barely mentioned in the media

[UndercoverElephant]

In England and Scotland, the Greens made more net gains than Labour did. Barely mentioned in the media

Interesting result in Hastings. None of the seats up for grabs were tory-held, so their position didn't change, but the greens took three from Labour and that means Labour have lost control. The maths are interesting now - Con 12, Lab 15, Green 5. Labour stuck out a load of leaflets saying "vote green, get tory". Greens now hold the balance of power and can choose what to do with it. Labour has run Hastings for decades, and the existing leader is not popular. But I know most of the greens, and I can't see them setting up shop with the local tories.

[Stumuz2]

Not so much that people like the Tories/Johnson, just they distrust Labour even more.

So, how did the tories do in Anglesey ?

Plaid first 41% Conservative second 19% Labour 5%

I voted indépendant. Known the fella for 40 years. Very hard working, knows all the local issues. But he is a remainer!

Turnout 44%

[Stumuz2]

In England and Scotland, the Greens made more net gains than Labour did. Barely mentioned in the media

I'd like to vote green. But their independence policies are just divisive and daft.

[Stumuz2]

Looks like Johnson is home and dry on party gate. Starmer now being shown to be a crocodile tear hypocrite. Listening to Emily (I hate working class white van man) Thornberry, saying that Starmer was not 'enjoying himself at a party' , the interviewer then said enjoying yourself was not prohibited in the legislation which said gatherings were the public health menace. To which the white van man hater replied that the Boris cake thing was planned. Now appears curries and beer were printed on the schedule of Starmer visit. Oops..

[Catweazle]

Looks like Johnson is home and dry on party gate. Starmer now being shown to be a crocodile tear hypocrite. Listening to Emily (I hate working class white van man) Thornberry, saying that Starmer was not 'enjoying himself at a party' , the interviewer then said enjoying yourself was not prohibited in the legislation which said gatherings were the public health menace. To which the white van man hater replied that the Boris cake thing was planned. Now appears curries and beer were printed on the schedule of Starmer visit. Oops..

So politicians can lie and break the law as long as other politicians lie and break the law ? Is that the new norm ?

[Mark]

Major donation to UK Conservative Party was flagged over Russia concerns:
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/12/worl ... ories.html

Ehud Sheleg 'suspected of pouring Russian money into party'. The cash was part of a fund-raising blitz that helped propel Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s party to victory in 2019. Records track $630,225 to a Russian bank account.

[kenneal - lagger]

But Boris is being praised by Zelenski for being in the forefront of support for Ukraine so he is hardly in Putin's pocket.

[Stumuz2]

The cash was part of a fund-raising blitz that helped propel Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s party to victory in 2019. Records track $630,225 to a Russian bank account.

So how much did I receive to purchase my vote?

What electoral law offences were committed?

[Mark]

But Boris is being praised by Zelenski for being in the forefront of support for Ukraine so he is hardly in Putin's pocket.

So, a Russian donation of $630,225 to the Tory Party is OK then ?

A bank alert filed with the National Crime Agency implicates Ehud Sheleg, a major Tory donor and once treasurer, with pouring cash originating from Russia into the party. Barclays Bank says the donation began its journey from a Russian account belonging to Sheleg’s father-in-law, Sergei Kopytov, and flagged the contribution to the National Crime Agency (NCA) as a potentially illegal campaign donation and suspected money laundering. Kopytov was once a senior politician in the former pro-Kremlin government of Ukraine, and owns businesses in Russian-occupied Crimea and Russia.

A memo from Barclays to NCA in January 2021, which was seen by the New York Times, reads: “We are able to trace a clear line back from this donation to its ultimate source.” Sheleg’s lawyer said that Sheleg and his wife admit to receiving millions of dollars from his father-in-law in the weeks before the donation, but they were “entirely separate” from the contribution to the Conservatives.

Imagine what you would say if $630,225 had been given to Corbyn's Labour Party....???
You need to take those blinkers off kenneal.....

We all know that Boris will go which ever way the wind is blowing at the time....
If I was him, I'd be very careful touching door handles.

[Mark]

So how much did I receive to purchase my vote?

What electoral law offences were committed?

Party funding linked to Russia – how much have Tories benefited ?
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... ing-tories

It would be impossible for someone with only Russian nationality, however rich, to donate legally to a UK political party. What has undoubtedly happened is that a series of people with dual UK-Russian nationality, or with significant business links with Russia, have donated heavily to the Conservatives in recent years.

A Labour party calculation based on Electoral Commission information estimated that donors who had made money from Russia or Russians had given £1.93m to either the Tory party or constituency associations since Johnson became prime minister.

Stumuz, no surprise that you defend this type of activity from the Tories....
Just because your mates received the 'bunce' rather than you directly doesn't make it right....
Clean politics should be of the utmost importance.

This all reminds me of the John Major government.

[PS_RalphW]

Police finish party gate investigation with 132 people find, between 1 and 5 times each.

The official enquiry report expected in about 2 weeks. No news on any extra fines for Boris