General Election 2019 thread

amp.lbc.co.uk/radio/presenters/james-obrien/brexit-party-candidate-calls-in-to-james-obrien/?__twitter_impression=true

Tim called in from Pendle to say that he was supposed to be the candidate for Nigel Farage's party, but has just discovered that he won't be allowed to stand.

Clearly frustrated, he told James that

He told LBC: "It appears that I've been stood down without actually having any advanced notice.

"I feel sympathy for the Brexit supporters in my constituency who have been inundating me with phone calls and emails in the last hour with fury that they have been denied the opportunity to vote out our incumbent Tory MP who is only clinging on to a very small majority."


James O'Brien in the LBC studio
James O'Brien in the LBC studio. Picture: LBC
James asked if Tim would be requesting a refund for the £100 he paid to the Brexit Party to be considered as a candidate - something that Tim admitted he would consider.

He added: "My main concern isn't my £100. It's that the constituents here don't have the opportunity to vote for a clean Brexit, but rather being saddled with the soft Brexit of Boris Johnson."

The point is Al, which you appear to either disagree with, or show where I am wrong, is that we, our generation benefitted hugely from the huge expansion of public services after 1948.
Just to emphasise, we had the massive investment in an NHS, the huge expansion in the provision of higher education, particularly at comprehensive and university education, the investment in social housing.

These things you and I benefitted from hugely. It didnt mean we lost our work ethic, the opposite if you look what happened both technically and in another equally valuable sphere, the world of art (in its broadest definition).

But you appear to be decrying all of that, claiming one has just to have to worked hard, or harder. Giving no credence to what is actually, as our generation proved (in the main), the fact that if a civilised society ensures the adequate provision of health, housing and education, the rest takes care of itself.
Regardless of Corbyn, the Tories do not believe this at all. They view state intervention as near communism.

One last question Al, did you go to university?

Cheers

Well I’ll be a monkey’s uncle...let’s see how it plays out but it would certainly be very interesting (I refrain from the word ‘funny’ because I know what people think of him) if Farage helped Corbyn get elected

Ha! That would be funny, but standard practice is to shuttle the PM off to a safe seat and have them take over the candidacy there, right?

It’s a good point about the various variables. I’m hopeful it won’t be a landslide Tory victory but that’s about it at this point.

God it shows how age has crept up on me, my idea of an all nighter these days is taking a day off work so I can stay up all night watching the election results come in. Kill me now!

You're a child. My idea of an 'all nighter' is when I don't have to get up in the middle of the night for a pee !

As Nigel Farage takes £100 from would-be candidates before unilaterally deciding they won’t stand, Brexit Party members get to know what it really feels like to send significant sums of money to undemocratic, unelected leaders.

🤣🤣🤣

Nigel Farage told Eddie Mair "of course" he will not refund the dropped Brexit Party candidates, after deciding not to stand his party against the Conservatives in 317 seats.
Eddie Mair asked: "Would you refund the money would-be candidates have spent?"

Farage said that he "warned them all, face to face, that if circumstances changed" then there might be a different "situation".

He said: "I'm sorry to the people that have put their time and their money on the line."

Eddie then asked: "How much money how much money have you raked in with these non-refundable £100s?"


Farage told Eddie that 3000 people applied to be candidates.

Eddie asked if they were going to be recompensed.

Nigel Farage said: "Of course not. We're a political party set up to deliver a proper Brexit. We have reset the political agenda this year in the most astonishing way."

Eddie replied: "Well, it is astonishing, isn't it? Last week, you took their money and, last week, you said they would stand for your party and this week you changed your mind?"


Nigel Farage tells Eddie Mair he will not refund dropped Brexit Party candidates
Nigel Farage tells Eddie Mair he will not refund dropped Brexit Party candidates. Picture: PA
Eddie pressed him further on his "accountability" to the people who have given him money.

Farage responded: "People who have given me money believe that the Brexit Party is here to deliver Brexit and that is what we're going to fight our damnedest to do."

Eddie said: "You said they would stand last week in the face of everyone saying this was madness. You said no, no, 600 candidates, unless Boris Johnson backs down, he didn't back down. You can't blame the EU for this, you can't blame Theresa May for this. Why don't you open your cheque book and refund the money?"

Eddie later asked: "Are you going to bottle refunding their money as well?"

Farage replied: "I'm not going to refund their money. They put their faith in me to do the right thing and the vast majority of them, this afternoon, agree with what I've done."



The best bit is of course

28 seconds "You know, that what gets promised and what gets delivered can be two different things"

Peter Mandleson was given a seat in the Lords so he could serve in the Labour Government.