Brexit caused an ‘existential crisis’ in the Tory Party and has left them unlikely to recover 

Luckily there's the disabled and young people. It'll probably be gingers next. You only need three or four because you can just rotate them every two weeks, the public have goldfish brains.

Yes but for many Tories the idea of cooperation with Germany or the French was simply impossible. English exceptionalism writ large

Ditching the Single Market was the end and why I left the Conservative party along with them choosing Boris as leader, a complete cynical lying charlatan. The roots of this decline in the Conservative Party rest in ideological right wing theories taking hold that you could pigeon hole as libertarianism. In the real world there is no such thing. What used to make British Conservatism successful was actually a form of rural paternalistic practicalism that underpinned things like One Nation beliefs. For a current exmaple of a rural paternalistic practical Conservative, think Rory Stewart. What was left of that which had anchored and steadied the form of shape shifting the Conservative party took (even Thatcher) was almost completely gone by 2019.

not exceptionalism, but latent racism which is rife in the UK who live in a fantasy world of their own fictional superiority over everyone else. They also cannot accept that Sunak, from a former colony, is PM.​@@timoakley277

@dogglebird4430 Let the House of Lords decide your future, right?

​@@NorthstanderYou really think Thatcher would STILL have been PM in 2016? She was kicked out by her own lot 26 years earlier and she died in 2013 anyway

The godless Tory hypocrites know only money. Nothing else matters to them.

No silver lining, the cloud is still there, maybe just a shade lighter!

But the divide on Europe is a divide in Britain. And the Tories have represented that divide quite well. Europe has been divisive in Britain ever since the Attlee govt refused to make us a founding member by refusing to take us into the Schuman declaration.

@@khar12d8 Of course some divide has always existed - as it does in nearly every European country, and indeed within Labour (eg the Blair - Brown split over the Euro) but in most other cases it has been seen as a dilemma to be resolved - not a means of creating division and disruption - and the U.K. had actually been good at doing that, maximising its national advantage. But it has only ever been a top 5 electoral issue when the Conservatives have made it one and only when they have been forced to do so by their own internal divisions, or as a means of diverting attention from their failures.

​@@khar12d8true that the Celtic nations have more sense than our Anglo neighbours.🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

@@davidpaterson2309 Fair enough, but have you ever thought that part of the reason the Tories won elections in the last 14 years is because eurosceptic voters have voted for them to be there? I don't think any country in Europe is eurosceptic like Britain. And the growth of UKIP was happening for a long time even before 2010.

@@khar12d8 No, you’re right. That has never occurred to me because I think it’s mistaken. I do not think it’s true that eurosceptic voters voted Tory - at least not in quantity. They voted UKIP. But the whole purpose of UKIP (Farage has said this repeatedly) was to undermine the Tory “broad church” by inciting division within the party and trying to radicalise its right wing into a UKIP-within-Tory party. Which he succeeded in doing - ERG etc.

Fascism and incitement to hate is not a good look. HATE always ends up destroying the hater from within and you have seen that happen now to the Tories and the UK economy as the ones hit hardest by Brexit were the regions outside London like Grimsby, Boston and Newcastle that voted most heavily for Brexit.

@@jamesprivet The Tories decided to vandalise Brexit - now they will face the voters' verdict on their bastardised Brexit. The latest polling suggests they will get just 66 seats - they will not survive the next 5 years. They will get wound-up, closed down and struck off the register of parties by the Electoral Commission. The Tories are a collapsed and failed party - they have chosen suicide rather than carrying out what people voted for. They will not be missed.

the writing was on the wall when the last intelligent Tories were forced out by Dominic Cummings in 2019🤡

Yep, that will last decades, if not generations.

The Tories are not proud of Brexit, they voted against it and opposed it at every opportunity (with a few exceptions). The only claimed to support it because they thought this would make them popular and keep them in power.

I certainly hope so. No party that has had such a disgust for ordinary people should ever hold power.

It has seiced to be

Unfortunately, the rest of us will never fully recover from brexit either.

@@tonyb9735 it has scarred a lot of us 😓

Putin doesn't care.

Lol.

In hindsight, there will be a lot of benefit from Brexit, as we sink into war on the continent and Emperor Macron brings more angst.

It did however have the commonsense of covering its grotesque face with an acceptable mask. That mask was discarded under Johnson.

@@nigelhardy7218 100% CORRECT...!!! It also had the common sense to pay and staff the police, if you are going to be terrible - you need the police on your side.

You can't compare the Conservative party before and after Thatcher

​@nigelhardy7218 the mask was discarded by Thatcher.

Are you talking about the remainers/rejoiners there?

Well played! Just so!

:-D

Brexit benefit being to undo Brexit.

Yeah, but at to high price, most of us used the freedoms that we have all lost

The Tories sold their soul to the devil when they tried to stave off the threat from the extreme right by out-UKIPing UKIP. Their latest little gem regarding national service merely confirms that they have given up all pretence of caring for the aspirations of young people (and hence any future support), preferring to cultivate the vote of the geriatric Little Englanders. As a 74 year old myself, I despise both them and their target supporters.

Keep them out forever, more like

DUDE stop thinking so small - FOR EVER....!!!

It will take at least that long to repair the damage they have done

Sorry, but next time they will win again. They lie unhindered and all te poorely educated belive them. They also has the press behind them. Because the citizens of England doesn't care that murdoch and russian oligarchs are feeding them propaganda.

If the Lib Dems become the official opposition, which is possible but not certain; then the Tories could be out for the next 100 years. Think back to 1922 when the Liberal Party lost the election and finished in 3rd place behind Labour.

I do see your point. CH is a very different country. Referenda are normal and well understood, it ois also a small country, and has a much more democratic election system. Maybe one day UK can handle them.

@@Benjamin.Jamin. I agree with you. Our system requires education that starts before even kindergarten, with kids voting regularly and learning to compromise. But I think that with some work and adaptions, it could function in a country with a long tradition of democracy like the UK.

Is it because the Swiss and other sensible countries employ referenda on clearer questions where implementation is easier?

​@@PlanofBattle The Swiss will often redo referenda multiple times until a consensus is reached, the idea that a 52/48 vote would be the last word on an issue of fundamental importance would be ridiculous to their democratic system.

there's always plenty of useful idiots. 18% of the population are far right wing.

....or stand

The Tories deliberately shrunk the economy during a recession through Austerity, the economy has never recovered.

​@@Dmanz67well we have a smaller population so we don't need such a big state.

@@therealrobertbirchall Eh?

@@Dmanz67 well isn't that right?

@@therealrobertbirchall No, it's not right. What do you mean? Smaller than 2010? The population is millions higher now.

It wasnt that he didnt allow it- it was a manifesto commitment that they would be able to vote- but it could not be done in time- which he should have known

​@@sinistregothevery council has the electoral register already done. It's an ongoing process.

According to Boris former flame(Jennifer Accuri) - the actualy result to leave was around 70%. The establishment were shocked and covered it up. I know we only have word on that - but I tend to believe that, as I think immigration was a major factor in that vote.

@@alphabetaxenonzzzcat So it wasn't 51%, it was 70%? Another phoney election result just like Biden winning the 2020 election by 8 million was a fake.? Go and lie down with your comics..

Blair ruined Labour with Iraq and Afghanistan though, those disaster were massively influential on the 2010 result.

This is different. They’ve gone too far now. Ruined the country. Stolen my EU citizenship from me and my children. I was a swing voter. I still am. But I will never vote Tory after what they have done. Ever. Ever. I’m a fairly affluent middle income homeowner - Tory traditional demographic. Not any more.

They have already said they want closer ties with the EU. So definately not ignoring the consequences... Labour is still deluded to think the UK can simply turn up with what it wants and simply get it... Beggars can't be choosers so best get the fancy begging bowl out.

Labour will not ignore the "elephant in the room", but you forget that the media in the UK is owned by Tory brexiters, which means it is pointless to pick a fight with them before the election, why is this so difficult to understand?

I agree. Though I think that if there is a massive Labour majority, Labour will actually grasp the nettle and start making moves to at least trying to join the SM. But they’ll also have to point out factually what damage has been caused by Brexit and also prosecute Brexit loons, especially Johnson, for their fraud.

Brexit has made Zero impact on Britain's ranking in the European economies. ! Care to explain what " devastating " effects it has had ? German economy is in Recession and predicted slower growth than UK next year... Is that because of Brexit..😂😂😂

The irony of the EU referendum is that Cameron would hope it would silence once and for all the Right element in the Tory party. In fact, Brexit provided them with more oxygene and has made them more of a problem than ever.

Being opposed to change is rather a characteristic of being a conservative though is it not?

Absolute drivel !

40 different answers if you ask them twice. 🙄

but if it brings the end of the Tory Party perhaps there's something in it.

Freedom of movement, political influence in Europe...

Completely agree. But ask 20 remainers where the EU is going and you get 20 different answers.

This 👆

A hard way to learn. There were alternatives

I know people who still think brexit was a good idea 😂

No, what has kept them in power are the silly feckers who keep voting for them

I think it will be 12 seats, 9 of them in Scotland.

Isn’t it true? Have you heard Rachel Reeves speak? She makes Blair look like Atlee 😂

There’s more to policy than welfare policy. E.g. without successful foreign and trade policy you won’t have the means needed to fund the welfare spending you call for. Not saying you’re wrong re the salience of those issues but the money needs to come from somewhere, foreign direct investment needs to grow, etc.

Brexit directly stopped foreign investment and will always do so while better choices exist in EU countries / globally. The disastrous Conservatives destroyed internal investment in all U.K. infrastructure and public services so this is what the next government has to turn around.

We've had loads of issues like you mention long before Brexit, the Post Office scandal started decades ago. Having an unelected PM is completely normal. Gordon Brown was unelected. John Major was unelected before 1992. That's how our system works. And always has done.

@@khar12d8 The last prime minister to take office on winning an election and leave office on losing an election was Ted Heath. I don't think any prime minister has ever done that and served more than one parliament.

You do know that we don't elect a pm in this country don't you??

​@@khar12d8you do know that we don't elect a pm in this country don't you??

@@khar12d8 But the extent of the mess since austerity and Putin's lies pushed GB into brexit are way out of order. It's strong coffee time for many people.

You where dreaming. Uk held a referendum on the issue. Parliament with a tory majority made brexit. Uk is not ruled by referendums but is a parlamental democracy. A civics class might help.

@@ulfosterberg9116 could have sworn you just wrote that the choice was a referendum.

Criley! Does anyone think that piece of work is worth his rations? Hopefully the election will rid us of such trash.

So, you voted 'Brexit' to reduce beaurocracy, remove unnecessary 'red tape' and improve the efficiency of government. How's that working out for you?

There was probably an 80:20 split between the benefits of staying versus any benefit of leaving; no way should it have ended up 48:52. You may have disliked aspects of the EU but we are undoubtedly poorer for leaving.

it won't happen while the Tory owned media dictates public opinion, it will happen at some point under a Labour government

Yes. Show us. Be transparent. Don’t just say it. Or that there is a “Plan”

Totally agree. At some point he has to grasp the nettle. Right now he seems to be doing his best to not say anything at all - precisely because he can win without having to say anything, so catastrophic the Tories have been. But he will have to tackle the EU issue and I imagine the Labour membership will expect him to do that. At the moment I'll give him the benefit of the doubt - he doesn't want this messy and divisive subject to dominate the campaign and he doesn't want to bring Farage into play. But when he's in Downing Street I'm expecting a different approach towards the EU from Labour.

@@hugodrax71 Totally Agree. Starmer had to Take Brexit Off the Table in this election campaign, but if he continues to ignore it during his entire first term I guarantee it will become a live Topic at the 2029 General Election where the Tories and Reform will double up and say ' Look Statmer squandered out Brexit Opportunity'. It's in the post and if Starmer tries to ignore it then it will be a single term parliament for him and Labour.

That's because they have a semi-direct democracy.

The problem the Tories have is they haven’t recovered from 1997 and are going into another disastrous election that could on current polling remove most of their tools for ensuring even a similcum of recovery. Of the last 7 elections labour have won 3, the Tories 2 and the best of those about as good as the worst of Labours 3 wins, with 2 hung parliaments. If Judas Clegg hadn’t betrayed 80% of his voters by creating the 2010 coalition even that decree of recovery wouldn’t have happened. The 2015 victory was only possible because the Lib Dem’s collapsed, with the SNP performance in Scotland obscuring the Labour gains in England and Wales. In 2017 May lost an election against a Labour Party led by a disciple of Michael Foot and could only remain in power with the votes and abstentions of diametrically opposed bigoted terrorists in the DUP and SF. The Tories never cleansed their extremists in 2004-2015 when they had multiple chances to do so. Instead they have become UKIP and are about as electable. A centre right party will emerge from the wreckage of this election. The question is can the Tories purge the far right nutcases who currently dominate the party and recover or will the Lib Dem’s become that party. Right now the smart money is on the Lib Dem’s.

I agree, the Tories are masters of survival - but this time I'm not so sure. Brexit isn't the Utopia promised and the economic aftershock will be felt for years to come unless there is some sort of rapprochement with the EU. Don't underestimate the number of swing voters who feel livid Brexit happened. Also, the party is visibly splitting - more than ever - with the Right element (in tune with Reform - there's another headache for the Tories) battling for the throne so I predict further internal unrest after the GE. As for the GE itself, I'd be amazed if it doesn't eclipse 1906 as the Tories' heaviest ever defeat.

You’re wrong I think. They’ve gone too far this time. Austerity and Brexit. I am a swing voter and in the traditional Tory demographic, but I will never vote Tory in my life now. Neither will my wife. And I’ll make sure my children understand how toxic they are. They have stolen the European citizenship from my family and that will never be forgiven. Ever.

You are in Cloud Cuckoo land!"

Totally up to the 27 EU member states if that ever happens.

Nah

And where is Farage now?

But the Right element never went away with Brexit. In fact, they're more vocal and politically aggressive than ever. They rebranded into Reform which is now going after the party that gave them their wish of leaving the EU!!

They will never win because most Brits don't want to trade one group of sociopaths for another group of even the worst sociopaths

No-one has a plan, outside of the globalist cabal, whose only plan is to transfer all wealth and assets to themselves and create a feudal state.

It’s the hair. Won’t flush down.

Actually the Conservative Party, abandoned conservatism, in the Burkean sense of the word, when Thatcher took reins of the party. And yet I assume you, are one of those self described ‘true conservatives’, who believes Thatcher is an embodiment of this authentic conservatism, you seem to crave. As for Labour ‘not being the party of labourers’, you do know we’re almost a quarter of the way through the 21st century, right? Most of these ‘labourer’ occupations are now specialist niches, that are no longer as labour intensive, as used to be the case. So if you created a party exclusively for genuine labourers, in the manual sense of the word, that party would represent no more than a fifth of the electorate.

labour's paymasters used to be the unions, which have been neutered by the tories. alot of labour's funds come in small donations- I'm giving labour £15 a week till the election and I'm not a member!

Most of the largest Trade unions are affiliated to Labour, have half the votes at its conference and still provide most of its money. That is why I am a member of it, to boost as much as possible the voices of working people.

Conserve the wealth and status quo pretty well in my opinion. Isn’t that their role🙄

​@@ErinStephanie-mf2qkso the reduction in demand for manual work means we have to provide adequately for those who have no work, a decent welfare state or a UBI. Whatever, those people need and deserve political representation, which in the past the Labour Party has been the function of the 'workers party'. If we have any form of capitalism we need a pool of surplus Labour, and we need to support them.

Good comment, insightful, thank you.

But...the economic damage of Covid was short-lived. The economic damage of Brexit is permanent.

It is brexit. Leaving the eu is leaving such a massive gap in our economy and growth, and fueling inflation to the point nothing the government could do would ever make people feel like there was more money in their pocket, or better employment opportunities.

All of the intelligent Tories were anti-Brexit, they were all cast out in 2019. The Conservative party's problem is its low IQ. Why isn't Rory Stewart PM?

Its Brexit mostly

Brexit created the Tory populist mindset. A political philosophy of ideology over pragmatism. Conservatives that dared point out the truth were cast out. They even got rid of Churchill's grandson. They lost too many skilled people in the purge, and the Tory demise was inevitable.

Proportional representational voting will be an urgent necessity if we are to revive our democracy, small and newer parties have an important voice in any healthy democratic society. The purple we have now cannot last for long. Starmer may be forced to cleave to PR once in office if he is to save the Labour Party from following the Tories into oblivion. Four years ago people were saying the Tories would be in for another two terms, Starmer's decade of renewal is by no means guaranteed.