UK General Election - 12th December 2019 | Con 365, Lab 203, LD 11, SNP 48, Other 23 - Tory Majority of 80

How do you intend to vote in the 2019 General Election if eligible?

  • Brexit Party

    Votes: 30 4.3%
  • Conservatives

    Votes: 73 10.6%
  • DUP

    Votes: 5 0.7%
  • Green

    Votes: 23 3.3%
  • Labour

    Votes: 355 51.4%
  • Liberal Democrats

    Votes: 58 8.4%
  • Plaid Cymru

    Votes: 3 0.4%
  • Sinn Fein

    Votes: 9 1.3%
  • SNP

    Votes: 19 2.8%
  • UKIP

    Votes: 6 0.9%
  • Independent

    Votes: 1 0.1%
  • Other (BNP, Change UK, UUP and anyone else that I have forgotten)

    Votes: 10 1.4%
  • Not voting

    Votes: 57 8.3%
  • Undecided

    Votes: 41 5.9%

  • Total voters
    690
  • Poll closed .
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FlawlessThaw

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Anyone who is using the phrase "Final Solution" when talking about Jewish people quite patently knows what they're doing, sorry - but I'm struggling to see how it isn't remarkably offensive on the level of major slurs. It's just something you do not need to invoke and anyone who goes down that route is being a dick.
I guess it's just a personal opinion since some of the reaction is Israel = Jewish People which I strenuously do not agree with. But I think talking about "Final Solution" when it comes to anyone is dodgy as it's been used quite a bit in reference to immigrants and refugees.
 

Full bodied red

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Why doesn't society routinely call black people the "N" word, despite it being a widely used term several decades ago (in the US at least)?

Hint: the black community find it distressing (specifically when white people use this term).

Not too sure about other parts of the world, but in West Africa ( where I worked for the last 20 years or so ) the word is routinely used between the locals to antagonise each other in order to start a fight or even worse.

Think of the famous Clint Eastwood line - ' Do you feel lucky, Punk '

The fact that it's used this way indicates how awful and insensitive this horrible word is with its references to history.

Nobody, absolutely nobody, should use this word.
 

Smores

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How big is the issue of anti semitism in the Labour Party outside of the London media bubble (and of course the Jewish community)?

I can genuinely never remember hearing anybody in real life mention anything about labour and their treatment of Jewish people. Yet it seems to dominate the news cycle and social media constantly
Useful website for party issues with anti-semitism
https://antisemitism.uk/politics/

Obviously membership numbers are wider i think there was a backlog of 100 odd last time the figures were publically discussed. It's small but factor in anti-israel sentiment is much more prevalent then the appearance of it seems higher in my view.

The lobby groups are never going to be on board with Corbyn because of his views but that doesn't mean the disciplinary processes don't need improving too.
 

Untied

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North west makes me raise an eyebrow. If this is just a standard big poll then probably no reason to panic, if it's the MRP model which called the last election weeks in advance...
It's a big standard poll
 

Untied

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Don't let facts get in the way of you spouting shite
The home office has been referred to the ehrc...
The main difference being (as yet) the ehrc has not found enough evidence of criminal discrimination to trigger the formal investigation (unlike with labour)
And yeah the ehrc is not a part of the government... Even a cursory glance at wiki would tell you that

I would also point out that saying somebody else i disgree with exhibits racist behaviour does not excuse racist behaviour of those you agree with

If the ehrc find enough evidence to start a formal investigation over windrush that will be followed through and ultimately those responsible should be put on trial if their behaviour is criminal... Just as with labour
It's a non departmental government body

It's members are appointed by government. So it's current head was appointed by Nicky Morgan to much controversy because his law firm profits from government contracts. And it's CEO was also appointed by the current Conservative government.

Curiously The JC has deleted an article in which they boasted about the Jewish representation at the top of the EHRC: https://www.thejc.com › news › the-diary › equal-opportunity-knocks-1 Archived here: https://web.archive.org/web/2019052...ws/the-diary/equal-opportunity-knocks-1.56881
 

Ultimate Grib

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I would take anything that Stephen Pollard writes with a barrel of salt.

The below are the words of a Jewish man who risked facing actual harm on Pollard:

“Back in 2011 the Jewish Chronicle ran a piece on me, which also included mention of my parents and their politics, and my childhood and education, none of which had any bearing whatsoever on the story. One of the consequences of them running this piece is that my parents and I were profiled by far right racists and fascists. Some fascists got hold of my parents’ address, and some details about all of us were shared on extreme far right forums like Stormfront. I received death threats, while my parents had to find ways to secure their home. In all cases these threats were explicitly linked to us being identified as Jewish, by far-right antisemites. At the time my parents and I wrote to the editor, Stephen Pollard, and requested, given these grave antisemitic threats, that the article be removed from the Jewish Chronicle website (it had already gone out in a print edition.) He refused and the article remained online.
“So excuse me when I can’t quite believe my ears, when you protest there is an ‘existential threat’ to Jews. The one time in my life I was profiled and violently threatened by known antisemites because I was Jewish, you refused to help. It turns out safety should only be guaranteed to the ‘right’ sort of Jews, and only when it serves your political agenda.”
 

sun_tzu

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It's a non departmental government body
Incorrect... It's a non departmental public body... As I posted befire
. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is a non-departmental public body in England and Wales, established by the Equality Act 2006
So what is a non-departmental public body

Well funnily enough I posted that before
As well

..In the United Kingdom, non-departmental public body (NDPB) is a classification applied by the Cabinet Office, Treasury, the Scottish Government and the Northern Ireland Executive to quangos (quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations
Literally the first line and first link off wiki shows its a non governmental organisation
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equality_and_Human_Rights_Commission

Or you could have checked on the ehrc own website on their about us section
For example under the section about they work with the government
. We operate independently of the UK, Scottish and Welsh governments.
 

finneh

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I disagree. The N word is racist in and of itself. There is no legitimate use of that word for a non-black person. Its very purpose is racism and that is well known.

I think that "final solution" used in the context mentioned is also racist but might give someone the benefit of the doubt that they are being ignorant rather than intentionally racist in certain circumstances.
All this shows is that you're sympathetic to patently anti-Semitic slurs under the guise of ignorance; but are far less sympathetic to patently anti-black slurs under the same guise.

I won't criticise you personally as I know lots of people try to defend or normalise the actions of groups to which they affiliate (I'd like to pretend you haven't ticked the Labour box but unfortunately your post implies it beyond doubt). However I'd urge for you to take a fresh perspective because those two terms are genuinely comparable to the people who are horrified by each of them.

Trust me when I say that my wife would want to leave this country if the term "final solution" were thrown about as much in general discourse as it is in hard left circles; just as much as a black person would want to leave if the N word were thrown about as much as it might be in KKK circles.

/Edit - I recall the reaction of the left when Katie Hopkins said it... Not sure I remember a lot of "benefit of the doubt" back then (rightly so).
If the Jewish community (somehow) collectively decided that eating Mar bars was offensive for no other reason than a dislike of the fact that they have shrunk in the past 20 years then I'd not be racist for eating a Mars bar.
But they haven't and they won't, which renders your point a misguided attempt at straw man whataboutery.
 
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Shamwow

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All this shows is that you're sympathetic to patently anti-Semitic slurs under the guise of ignorance; but are far less sympathetic to patently anti-black slurs under the same guise.

I won't criticise you personally as I know lots of people try to defend or normalise the actions of groups to which they affiliate (I'd like to pretend you haven't ticked the Labour box but unfortunately your post implies it beyond doubt). However I'd urge for you to take a fresh perspective because those two terms are genuinely comparable to the people who are horrified by each of them.

Trust me when I say that my wife would want to leave this country if the term "final solution" were thrown about as much in general discourse as it is in hard left circles; just as much as a black person would want to leave if the N word were thrown about as much as it might be in KKK circles.

But they haven't and they won't, which renders your point a misguided attempt at straw man whataboutery.
I think you are either misunderstanding me or arguing in bad faith. The n word has a much more extensive history and as far as I know has never had any non-racist use. The words final solution have not always had the connotations that they do and if the words came out of someone's mouth and they immediately apologised then I might give them the benefit of the doubt depending on what I know of their character, whereas if someone said the n word in pretty much any context, even if they apologised it would negatively impact my view of them as a person.

Also my hypothetical wasn't a straw man or whataboutery, it was a deliberately absurd demonstration of the principle I was talking about.
 

finneh

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I think you are either misunderstanding me or arguing in bad faith. The n word has a much more extensive history and as far as I know has never had any non-racist use. The words final solution have not always had the connotations that they do and if the words came out of someone's mouth and they immediately apologised then I might give them the benefit of the doubt depending on what I know of their character, whereas if someone said the n word in pretty much any context, even if they apologised it would negatively impact my view of them as a person.
Anyone living in Europe in the last 70 years knows the history behind the term final solution. I don't know what your definition of "always" is but if ignorance is an excuse for a term synonymous with the death of 6 millions Jews, then you should be equally sympathetic to the cynical Suarez defence.

If it came out of someone's mouth and they immediately apologised then it would be no different to Ron Atkinson... Whom I recall was defended by Carlton Palmer immediately who knew his character and said he wasn't racist.
Also my hypothetical wasn't a straw man or whataboutery, it was a deliberately absurd demonstration of the principle I was talking about.
You're engaging in reductio ad absurdum.

If you want to argue a legitimate situation whereby a group of people feel genuinely distressed by an action or inaction and at the same time it's legitimate to completely ignore their distress, actively deem it manipulated or exaggerated and continue to perpetuate said distress, then go ahead. I imagine the person in that scenario who ignores their distress and actively continues to cause it would be at absolute best an asshole.

Or you can talk about some parallel universe where Jews find eating Mars Bars offensive and you can happily mock them and it not be racist... Or something.
 

berbatrick

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Anyone who is using the phrase "Final Solution" when talking about Jewish people quite patently knows what they're doing, sorry - but I'm struggling to see how it isn't remarkably offensive on the level of major slurs. It's just something you do not need to invoke and anyone who goes down that route is being a dick.
I hadn't seen the offending post in question so I was with your position till now, but having seen it, I think I agree with sweet square - insensitive, stupid, but very different from someone saying, for example, that we need a final solution for the migrant crisis.*

*someone has said this, which is why i used the example. i think it was an australian tory minister.


:lol:
labour is probably losing anyway so i hope this one spreads. the more the merrier. it will affect the way some people process these things in the longer term.
 

Shamwow

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Anyone living in Europe in the last 70 years knows the history behind the term final solution. I don't know what your definition of "always" is but if ignorance is an excuse for a term synonymous with the death of 6 millions Jews, then you should be equally sympathetic to the cynical Suarez defence.

If it came out of someone's mouth and they immediately apologised then it would be no different to Ron Atkinson... Whom I recall was defended by Carlton Palmer immediately who knew his character and said he wasn't racist.


You're engaging in reductio ad absurdum.

If you want to argue a legitimate situation whereby a group of people feel genuinely distressed by an action or inaction and at the same time it's legitimate to completely ignore their distress, actively deem it manipulated or exaggerated and continue to perpetuate said distress, then go ahead. I imagine the person in that scenario who ignores their distress and actively continues to cause it would be at absolute best an asshole.

Or you can talk about some parallel universe where Jews find eating Mars Bars offensive and you can happily mock them and it not be racist... Or something.
First of all I don't know who Carlton Palmer is and I'm definitely not him.

The n word is not a word that should be connected to your vocal chords in any way. The words final and solution are commonly used words and I can imagine someone clumsily using them in combination, realising what they said and then immediately apologising.

Thirdly this is the third logical fallacy you've said I've used that isn't true, knock it off.

I never said I'd mock anyone, I just like Mars bars.

I've already given you an example in the parents who feel uncomfortable about LGBT education in schools.
 

berbatrick

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First of all I don't know who Carlton Palmer is and I'm definitely not him.

The n word is not a word that should be connected to your vocal chords in any way. The words final and solution are commonly used words and I can imagine someone clumsily using them in combination, realising what they said and then immediately apologising.

Thirdly this is the third logical fallacy you've said I've used that isn't true, knock it off.

I never said I'd mock anyone, I just like Mars bars.

I've already given you an example in the parents who feel uncomfortable about LGBT education in schools.
"final solution", in the way it was used there, always refers to the holocaust, and that is what he was comparing gaza to. it is a stupid and insensitive comparison, but i am not sure it is worth 5 pages.
 

Shamwow

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"final solution", in the way it was used there, always refers to the holocaust, and that is what he was comparing gaza to. it is a stupid and insensitive comparison, but i am not sure it is worth 5 pages.
I agree with all of this.
 

Eboue

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i agree with shamwow's point but once i saw he engaged in reductio ad absurdium i have to say that finneh wins the debate. congrats, you've qualified for the regional debate finals. good luck at winning the trophy.
 

Fluctuation0161

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John Bercow: ‘I do not believe Jeremy Corbyn is anti-Semitic’

https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/politics/article/john-bercow-interview

Some fair points. Snippet below.

AC: One final thing. You are Jewish. What has your sense been of the Labour Party anti-Semitism debate?

JB: I think that racism is a challenge across society. After decades in which huge advances were made, I think there is a real danger of regression now. Now, I know you didn't ask more widely about racism, but that is my answer on racism. I don't want to intrude on the grief of a particular political party. All I would say is that, yes, it is an issue and it needs to be addressed, but I myself have never experienced anti-Semitism from a member of the Labour Party. Point two, though there is a big issue and it has to be addressed, I do not myself believe that Jeremy Corbyn is anti-Semitic. That is my honest view. You haven't asked me explicitly, but you've nevertheless drawn me and I want to make that point. I am not saying that he doesn't have a challenge in his party. It is an issue and it does need to be addressed and I respect those who are very concerned about it, but I don't believe Jeremy Corbyn is anti-Semitic. I've known him for the 22 years I've been in parliament. Even, actually, when I was a right-winger we got on pretty well. He was quite a personable individual.
 
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Synco

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Listening to minority groups is of course essential but there is a difference.
From my experience, it's pretty safe to say a majority of Jews will find the notion of a "Jewish final solution" antisemitically charged. You say that listening to them is "of course essential". So what should be the consequence of listening to them?
The N word is racist in and of itself. There is no legitimate use of that word for a non-black person. Its very purpose is racism and that is well known.

I think that "final solution" used in the context mentioned is also racist but might give someone the benefit of the doubt that they are being ignorant rather than intentionally racist in certain circumstances.
"Also racist", but possibly well-intentioned, so not that bad. I think that's a good example for standards that aren't usually used towards minority groups among people that understand themselves as anti-racist. Normally, the predominant (and absolutely correct) view is that intention isn't decisive for the question if something's racist or not. And that ignorance is not a mitigating factor, but a fundamental part of the problem.

Otherwise, I agree that the "N word" is inherently racist when uttered by non-black people.
If the Jewish community (somehow) collectively decided that eating Mar bars was offensive for no other reason than a dislike of the fact that they have shrunk in the past 20 years then I'd not be racist for eating a Mars bar.
As has been said, that's a really bad example.
I never said I'd mock anyone, I just like Mars bars.
Trust me, no Jews will prevent you from eating them.
 

2cents

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"final solution", in the way it was used there, always refers to the holocaust, and that is what he was comparing gaza to. it is a stupid and insensitive comparison, but i am not sure it is worth 5 pages.
I think it probably falls under the category of “Jew-baiting”, if we must draw a distinction. Trolling Jews with the most horrific episode in their history, distorting its history to the absurd in order to deny to them the sympathy or pity we’d normally expect might be due to a group who have suffered in such a way, while transferring the right to those sentiments to another group with Jews now cast in the role of their own oppressor. It’s the primary impulse underlying the Nazis = Israelis / Auschwitz = Gaza analogies so beloved of certain people. Although I’m not really sure why it should be distinguished from antisemitism rather than understood as a distinct form of it.
 

Mr Pigeon

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Yay Skills Wallets
Ok, whoever is doing this needs to just come out and admit that they're messing around. If this election is a multiplayer game of Call of Duty then the person playing as the Lib Dems is someone on a wind up who's just running around firing their grenade launcher into the air and blasting dance music through their mic.
 

Smores

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Ok, whoever is doing this needs to just come out and admit that they're messing around. If this election is a multiplayer game of Call of Duty then the person playing as the Lib Dems is someone on a wind up who's just running around firing their grenade launcher into the air and blasting dance music through their mic.
As the TIG group found out, running the party infrastructure and campaigns isn't so easy. Although it's not as hard as 'Skills Wallets".

They've taken on half the TIGgers who had constant internal battles over every detail so I'm not surprised the combination is horryfying.
 

sun_tzu

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It's a Red Tory Israeli conspiracy funded by the banks at the behest of Blair and the corrupt ehrc... Or some other lame excuse

In other news nice to see blunket talking sense

.
Lord Blunkett said: “The behaviour of the hard-Left within the Labour Party – the anti-Semitism, the thuggery, the irrational views on security and international issues, and the lack of realisation that you have to embrace a big tent of people in order to win – certainly makes me despair.

“But it also makes the likelihood of an all-out Labour majority in this general election extraordinarily slim. The political landscape right now is completely different to what the hard-Left would have you believe.
Equally I'm sure he's only saying that because Blair told him or Israel paid him or some other pathetic excuse
 

Fluctuation0161

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It's a Red Tory Israeli conspiracy funded by the banks at the behest of Blair and the corrupt ehrc... Or some other lame excuse
That story has no source. No cited evidence. It allegedly happened in March 2018 but the story is written now. Do you have any questions about that article before jumping to a pseudo conspiracy that you've made up in your head?
 

sullydnl

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That story has no source. No cited evidence. It allegedly happened in March 2018 but the story is written now. Do you have any questions about that article before jumping to a pseudo conspiracy that you've made up in your head?
What do you mean the story has no source? It's a first-hand account. One that would be pretty easy for any of those accused to dispute if it was untrue. The article also explains why the decision to publish the story has been made now. It's not like this is some random Daily Mail journo either, he's the senior political correspondent for a legit outlet who would be hugely exposed if he made up something he claims happened in front of (literally) a bus load of MPs from several parties.
 

2mufc0

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What do you mean the story has no source? It's a first-hand account. One that would be pretty easy for any of those accused to dispute if it was untrue. The article also explains why the decision to publish the story has been made now. It's not like this is some random Daily Mail journo either, he's the senior political correspondent for a legit outlet who would be hugely exposed if he made up something he claims happened in front of (literally) a bus load of MPs from several parties.
Pretty poor reasoning, the Labour anti semitism issues have been going on for a very long time, they didn't just start over the last 48 hours.
 

Ubik

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I'd say it's almost certain that Wickham (ex Guido) has held it back to release at a more damaging point. Doesn't mean it's not true, of course.
 

sullydnl

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Pretty poor reasoning, the Labour anti semitism issues have been going on for a very long time, they didn't just start over the last 48 hours.
McGinn wasn't attempting to become deputy leader until now though, which the article also says the story has been published in response too.

However, as Ubik says, there could well be more cynical reasons for the timing of the story on the journalist's part. Or indeed a reluctance prior to now to release a first hand account gained from having access to private coaches full of MPs. That hardly matters in the slightest if it's true though. The problem is what happened, not the story getting out.
 

2mufc0

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McGinn wasn't attempting to become deputy leader until now though, which the article also says the story has been published in response too.

However, as Ubik says, there could well be more cynical reasons for the timing of the story on the journalist's part. That hardly matters in the slightest if it's true though. The problem is what happened, not the story getting out.
Why does that matter? They both held important positions at the time being members or Parliament, it should have come out straight away.
 

sullydnl

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Why does that matter? They both held important positions at the time being members or Parliament, it should have come out straight away.
Journalists sit on many stories for many reasons. For example, one doesn't have to think too hard to see why telling people what happened in a private coach of MPs on downtime might result in some difficulty in terms of similar access later. Also, with greater profile comes greater scrutiny and greater newsworthy-ness.

None of that matters in regards to whether the story is true or not though.
 
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