Farage is no “Master of Smoke and Mirrors”. He cherry picks, dissembles and deceives with masses of help from his incredibly well-connected friends in business, politics and the media. Essentially, he’s too dim to realise that he is being manipulated for their ends.
Maybe, but this is Farage - Master of Smoke and Mirrors...
O, he'll win, but hopefully (as @Alan Cresswell says) with a reduced share of the vote.
I am no longer convinced he is a shoe in. Yes he will make the best of it no matter what the result, but I think it is not as sure as people say. I said the same when he was seemingly impossible to beat in the polls. Look at that now. Not counting any chickens but there has been a change in the atmosphere
The interesting question I ponder is what will those who voted Conservative last time do? Will they switch to Farage, stay at home, get Binfaced or lump in with a variety of the others?
To pin my colours to the mast, my prediction was for a ~40% turnout with the following:
Farage - 16,500
Binface - 11,200
Fox - 2,800
All others combined - 1,400
I would love to wake up tomorrow to news of a recount because it was too tight to declare.
The interesting question I ponder is what will those who voted Conservative last time do? Will they switch to Farage, stay at home, get Binfaced or lump in with a variety of the others?
To pin my colours to the mast, my prediction was for a ~40% turnout with the following:
Farage - 16,500
Binface - 11,200
Fox - 2,800
All others combined - 1,400
I would love to wake up tomorrow to news of a recount because it was too tight to declare.
A tie where Farage gets tossed out by a coin flip and goes on TV and rants about weighted coins would be hilarious.
Farage is no “Master of Smoke and Mirrors”. He cherry picks, dissembles and deceives with masses of help from his incredibly well-connected friends in business, politics and the media. Essentially, he’s too dim to realise that he is being manipulated for their ends.
Farage said he was advised by the police not to go the count. The police said they didn’t advise anyone not to go
Reading between the lines it looks like some sort of protest at the declaration may have been planned and Farage took umbrage and tried to use the police as cover for going off in a huff.
Farage said he was advised by the police not to go the count. The police said they didn’t advise anyone not to go
Reading between the lines it looks like some sort of protest at the declaration may have been planned and Farage took umbrage and tried to use the police as cover for going off in a huff.
I think the simpler explanation is that he's a coward and that he did not want a photo stood next to non-entities at the count. He actually said that.
Referring to the non-parody candidates as nobodies out to humiliate him is not a good look - nor not thanking the election officials who put in all that work for his indulgence.
He's a career politician, he's stood for enough elections to know how count nights are organised. Given that none of the other candidates had a large organisation behind them there would be very few supporters of those parties present (every candidate can attend the count with a guest, their agent and some counting agents with the election officials informed of who they would be in advance so that passes can be issued - the number of counting agents will depend on the venue and the number of parties so that the number of people in the venue won't exceed safe limits). Other than candidates and supporters the other people present would be count staff, a few independent election observers, the media and police. Entry to the venue would require a pass, photo id and bags etc will be searched. The police or returning officer can limit supporters for some candidates if they consider there's a reason to do so (I've been at a count where one candidate was limited to bringing just one guest and their agent after supporters of that candidate had pursued another candidate with her young teenage daughters down a street shouting obscenities with the police intervening, and at a hustings had verbally attacked another candidate over their sexuality - the candidate in question didn't turn up). There would be no protest within the count, and only whatever police considered peaceful and appropriately distanced or in the vicinity of the count, if Farage considered that to be a realistic threat to his safety then not only has he failed to show the good grace to thank all the people who have indulged his stunt but he's also implying that the police and election officials would be complicit in permitting protest at the count.
Pleased to see that the Parliamentary enquiry into Farage's finances has re-opened today. I thought they might have to wait until he was officially sworn in. I had the feeling before it was suspended that they were nearing the end of the process. I hope that is true and we get the report sooner rather than later.
Yes, I've been to quite a few counts and the security is pretty tight, not just anyone can turn up.
So as has been mentioned we now await the result of the investigation. If he is found guilty and suspended from the House for ten days or more, as we know a petition will be raised. The question is will the petition get enough signatures to cause another vote. Are the people of Clacton just fed up of turning out to vote.
People who know better than me, could Farage go to jail if he is found guilty of enough shenanigans?
So as has been mentioned we now await the result of the investigation. If he is found guilty and suspended from the House for ten days or more, as we know a petition will be raised. The question is will the petition get enough signatures to cause another vote. Are the people of Clacton just fed up of turning out to vote.
People who know better than me, could Farage go to jail if he is found guilty of enough shenanigans?
He gets suspended from the commons and recalled if 10% of his constituency want. Then there's another byelection and he wins again.
Maybe, but if there is a Clacton 2, the other major parties will field candidates, and it is possible that the hard-right vote will be split to such an extent that Farage will be defeated.
One can but hope, though the alternative (given Clacton's predilections) may be success for the even more odious Restore party.
If there's a by-election which isn't a stunt by Farage, other parties will definitely stand. Probably not as many smaller parties, independents and satirical candidates though.
Yes, I'm assuming that Clacton 2 (if it occurs) will be a more 'normal' by-election. IIRC, the major parties have said that they will take part, but I hope Count Binface will also be present...
Sod Farage. Sod Reform and the like. The real and inescapable problem is that so many people actually vote for the racist scum.
In constituencies like Clacton any overtly racist candidate would get elected unless-and this is a very marginal hope-a Tory would stand to split the right wing vote to let a LibDem candidate get elected. Could be Labour, Green, SNP or Plaid Cymru elsewhere, but the principle of splitting the right wing is vital.
Sod Farage. Sod Reform and the like. The real and inescapable problem is that so many people actually vote for the racist scum.
In constituencies like Clacton any overtly racist candidate would get elected unless-and this is a very marginal hope-a Tory would stand to split the right wing vote to let a LibDem candidate get elected. Could be Labour, Green, SNP or Plaid Cymru elsewhere, but the principle of splitting the right wing is vital.
Comments
I am no longer convinced he is a shoe in. Yes he will make the best of it no matter what the result, but I think it is not as sure as people say. I said the same when he was seemingly impossible to beat in the polls. Look at that now. Not counting any chickens but there has been a change in the atmosphere
To pin my colours to the mast, my prediction was for a ~40% turnout with the following:
Farage - 16,500
Binface - 11,200
Fox - 2,800
All others combined - 1,400
I would love to wake up tomorrow to news of a recount because it was too tight to declare.
A tie where Farage gets tossed out by a coin flip and goes on TV and rants about weighted coins would be hilarious.
A fair point.
Farage held the seat, with 22,239 votes (62.8%) of the vote, Count Binface got 9,455 votes (26.7%).
I heard the declaration, but I didn’t keep a running total, but I think the rest of the candidates took a couple of thousand votes between them.
Turnout was around 44%, done from the general election but not bad for a by election
(Not quorate for a strike ballot but somehow that doesn’t apply to parliamentary elections.)
(As far as I know, he hasn’t bothered to thank the election staff.)
Reading between the lines it looks like some sort of protest at the declaration may have been planned and Farage took umbrage and tried to use the police as cover for going off in a huff.
I think the simpler explanation is that he's a coward and that he did not want a photo stood next to non-entities at the count. He actually said that.
Whatever Nigel Farage says, the electorate (in their collective unwisdom) don’t override either the law or the power of a parliamentary inquiry.
Yes, I've been to quite a few counts and the security is pretty tight, not just anyone can turn up.
The police say they didn't advise Farage to avoid the Count count. Lee Anderson says that police forces are liars.
*sigh*
People who know better than me, could Farage go to jail if he is found guilty of enough shenanigans?
He gets suspended from the commons and recalled if 10% of his constituency want. Then there's another byelection and he wins again.
That is all that will happen.
One can but hope, though the alternative (given Clacton's predilections) may be success for the even more odious Restore party.
In constituencies like Clacton any overtly racist candidate would get elected unless-and this is a very marginal hope-a Tory would stand to split the right wing vote to let a LibDem candidate get elected. Could be Labour, Green, SNP or Plaid Cymru elsewhere, but the principle of splitting the right wing is vital.
This.