General Election Half-Time

Half-Time Prime Eviction Candidates

Chris Philp

Emily Thornberry

Halfway there, the campaigning for the general election has been dire. This is not surprising since the government, which should hold all the cards when calling an election, has yet to achieve anything to crow about. Negativity has become the lingua franca of all parties. There is much to be negative about - Brexit, Covid, the cost of living, mortgage rates, NHS, community care, housing and public services. Immigration, policing, pollution, HS2, and delays to public inquiries have been catastrophes. Tax is at its highest ever level and the number of Tory MPs involved in corruption or sex scandals has broken all records. Rishi Sunak has been helicoptered around the country like an amazing dancing bear. He generates pathos and despair amongst his MPs as well as 80% of the electorate. 

The Labour Party has tied itself in knots by their pledge to make no tax increases and a manifesto that is light on progressive policies. It has pegged its future to the Tory's spending plans, a wishlist of economic growth and, in the meantime, a remix of austerity. The country is so disillusioned with the Tories that Jeremy Corbyn could probably have won this election. He would have been a step up from Johnson, Truss and Sunak. Meanwhile, Keir Starmer is campaigning like a human air fryer - safer, more cost-effective and environmentally friendly but not able to produce anything exciting. 

The other parties are having fun. Ed Davy in particular, as he buzzes around the country in LibDem 1, the election bus, there is no LibDem 2, it is just another Lib Dem joke, geddit?. But he has modelled himself on Mr Pastry as he clowns about but combined with his sincere broadcast about his role as a carer for both his mother and disabled son he has got into the game. Daisy Cooper has been a cheerful accomplice and with no chance of forming a government they have been able to offer more progressive policies than Labour in the safety of knowing that they will not have to do a Nick Clegg and rescind them in office.

The Greens have also benefitted from the security of being able to draft their manifesto as fiction and provide the reader with some optimism paid for by the UK's non-dom citizens and the oil companies. Their joint leader, Carla Denyer, has performed well and scored some good points during the numerous leadership debates when the two main parties have been slugging it out for a scoreless draw. Similarly, the Welsh and Scottish Nationalists have landed some punches, and unlike the Reform Party, they have focused on the issues that matter most. In Scotland, John Swinney has had a torrid time as the other parties have lambasted their performance over the past 17 years. Swinney has inherited the fallout from the inglorious exits of Nicola Sturgeon and Humza Yousaf.

The press has been predictably true to the political prejudice of their owners and the BBC has tried to be balanced in what is one of the least well-balanced elections since 'Things can only get better." Comedy shows have not been afraid to ridicule the trio of prime ministers who have been responsible for the chaotic events of the outgoing government.

Rishi Sunak has had little support from his cabinet, they seem to have gone to ground, and even omnipresent rent-a-quotes like Grant Shapps have gone awol, although Penny Mordaunt always enjoys a good fight. The ultimate Tory deterrent, Chris Philp, makes me reach for the zapper faster-than-you-can-say Emily Thornberry. They would make a great pairing for GB News, and be guaranteed to eliminate the few remaining viewers