I drive a lot around town and it occurred to me how times change…there are not that many election posters or notices up on people’s houses that were once common place features of an election .
But the bizarre thing is, the only real posters I see are a the Labour one’s …..riding around several estates over the past few weeks, all the ones I did see were in nice middle class homes and not one on Council estates…what a contrast to how things used to be…..maybe Labour no longer appeal to their original audience and the working class have also got a bit cynical.
With Labour lead by a Sir and the Labour lite Lib Dem’s by a clown Prince maybe they’ve changed too.

I've seen more England flags.
And rightly so.

I agree 101%.

have not seen either round my way. just wonder way things are nowadays that people are more afraid of a brick coming through their window because some cannot accept others having a point of view.

Think there's more apathy, the media are telling us it's a done deal so why bother?
I also think most people don't see massive differences in the main parties approach and lack of vision, the country is f*cked so why bother?

I have not seen any posters for Jill Mortimer up around the town but then again it looks like she has closed her office in Scarborough Street and retreated back to Thirsk where she has been since getting elected.
Both the Reform and Heritage Parties have changed their candidates at the last minute. I winder what the story is there?????

true. nothing has given me a reason not to abstain or vote for what i think is the best of all evils. no matter who wins it will be a repeat of the last 5 years on steroids with what most of us do not want foistered on us for the so called common good.

I hear this quote so many times that the country is knackered but is not this the time to get out and vote unless you use the other quote is that they are all the same which they are not IMO.
Apathy Party wins again.

one might have come out with the truth nobody wants to her anymore. feel if you now have even a small racist bone in your body its seen as worse than being a kiddy fidler, a thief or any other unsaviory character we used to dislike. if you nick from a sole trader who is trying to make ends meet is seen now as less of a problem than some racist comment that might hurt feelings.

Might be Reform U.K. supporters ?

100% agree. Race has been weaponized to use whever immigration is discussed. If you have any concerns about it, the only reason you could possibly hold those views is pure racism. Any concerns regarding public services being overwhelmed, the character of areas being changed out of all recognition, crime rates etc are all shot down by the "racist" allegation. Why is this? Why cant we have a reasoned discussion about this issue without "racism" weapon being wheeled out.

Vote reform

With your predictional skills, that means the ‘The West Hartlepool Sea Coal and Horse Strangling Party’ will win locally.

You an avid reader of the Guardian or BBC news by any chance Mr j?

I would like an England national anthem and keep 'God save the King' for the activities of the country called the United Kingdom.

Editor, he keeps it quiet.

Nope never bought or read the Guardian in my life, I don’t read newspapers, BBC, I look at the online headlines on a daily basis but that’s about it.

Quite a lot of false shit on the BBC website.
Their weather forecast is testamy to that.
They do get the football results correct!

It was a joke Jamie, lighten up.

Never watch it now, it’s beyond the pale.

True ,only seen a few Lib Dem posters in mostly well to do areas of the town down here.

this needs a separate topic of its own. i for one would be first to vote for a new GB national antham where there is zero mention of royalty in the lyrics. one thing is if there was a worldwide national anthem contest britain would never qualify for the finals with the tune and lyrics we are stuck with.

The BBC weather site only predicts sunshine all day.. great for lifting up your spirits ...and then lowering it with their pick of loonie left activists on question time.

I didn’t read it as a joke Snowy, some one asked me if I read a certain newspaper and watched a certain tv channel.

Did you really expect anyone to think you were the editor of the Guardian….?
Word of advice…loosen up ……and stop taking everything as a dig.

This will be the lowest voting turn out ever

agree as i feel my abstain party might have got a few seats if we had put up.

Was in Belfast yesterday - and they too have elections today. Every lamp post is decorated by election posters and Union/ Irish and Israeli/ Palestinian flags - both bizarre and chilling.

Got back into Newcastle airport and driving home I see a massive poster for Guy Awfulman, the local Tory, blown to pieces in a field (by the wind, not gunshot pellets!) and no other evidence that there is an election.....

is it just a forgone end result or total apathy causing this situation here thats akin to just local council elections with the same feel about it. feel its mediocre people selling a middle of the road mediocre product they all want us to buy.

The media is partly to blame - as they are as bad (and in 'bed') with many of the 'political' advisors/ agents/ etc - they think that they are the news and barely question the bullshit emanating from the party machines - and the public isn't thick - the public has tired of it.

vote who ya want wont make any difference at all

Couldn’t have put it better.

In Hartlepool there are good number of Brash (labour) posters but i have only seen three for Mortimer (Con), non for the liberals,half a dozen for reform, a dozen for Lee (Ind) and thats about it.
Its not like years ago when most streets had many.
Apathy party wins.

biggest oddity is the labour overall vote being slightly down on 2019 but having a landslide victory. surely this type of affair cannot continue much longer.

Could be explained as only 60% of the electorate bothered to vote, 7.4% down from the last election, is it time to make voting mandatory then no one can complain how the country is run ?

Mandatory and Proportional Representation but that will be against someone's Human Rights somewhere

Conservatives have 23.7% of the vote and 121 seats
Reform and Greens have 20.9% of the vote and 8 seats between them
Lib Dems 12.2% of the vote and 71 seats

Labours vote only increased 1.6% since the last election, the landslide victory was because the Tory vote was down by nearly 20% as their voters jumped ship and voted for another party rather than vote Labour possibly.

we need less compulsory laws on our lives and not more. feel we,ll have enough new laws to contend with in the next 5 years without adding one more to them. there is also the question of people not knowing who to vote for anyway especially with so many choices being similar. what are they going to do, spoil their paper of just put a cross anywhere. do you want the country to be run thats decided upon 40% disinterented voters doing it to avoid a fine.

The 40% who didn’t vote can’t complain about any new laws if they didn’t then, if you hear anyone complain ask them who they voted for.

makes not the slightest difference to their opinion but worse for those who did vote labour who might get legislation they did not want as well as tackticle voters who only voted one way to keep the tories out. that could give about 70% of actual voters unhappy with a similar percentage of non voters just added to the number.

I'm afraid it will continue because it suits the two biggest parties. Why would they get rid of it if it ensures either Labour or Conservatives will always be in power?

40% of the eligible population not voting in itself sends out a message to politicians, but they're too thick skinned and self centred to either notice or understand let alone act.

Not thick skinned, it gives them more power to do what they want as no one will protest, when was the last time there was a protest about a new law being introduced ?
Years ago there used to be a great community spirit but that’s all gone now, could be a case some say I am all right Jack or look after number 1 f*** the rest.

It will be interesting to see who of the smaller parties gets the most air time by the press and broadcasters.
Will Reform get the same amount as the Greens with the same number of seats?

I think the spotlight will be on Starmer and the Labour every move being digested and also the election for the new Conservative leader. Reform and the others will fade into the background.

Fade away into the background ?? I think it's this Wednesday he takes centre stage at Parliament mr j...Bet his pint is going down well today eh .

Why would he take centre stage, he isn’t the PM or the leader of the opposition, what’s he going to say that we haven’t heard before, he will complain how unfair the voting atstem is which ain’t going to change and how Labour propose to stop the boats. With 5 MPs Reform don’t have any power or real say in Parliament, will30p Lee be allowed to speak, he is a loose cannon, he will be kept under a tight rein by Reform.

The only way Reform will fade away will be if they merge with the Tories. They're more likely to get stronger as more Tory voters look for a new home as their party continues to fragment as yet another leadership contest takes place.

Labour only got in because of highly pathetic the tories were.
Probably be the same at the next GE for Reform to get in.
Was it anutha 700 migrants crossed the channel yesterday.
The public will soon get sick of Starmers Give us time to clean up 14 years of mess. Blah Blah Blah.

Interesting week or 2 ahead for Labour - meetings with Junior Dr's to try to resolve pay dispute, will they capitulate to the unions as Labour historically did.
Port Talbot steelworks on the verge of closure, will they save it and if they do at what cost to the taxpayer?
Are we going to see Starmer walk his talk, or will he be doing what the hard left instruct him to do?
Be refreshing to see him do as he said he would, Country before party.