The SNP has 5 seats, Plaid Cymru is on 4 In NI Sinn Féin has 7 and DUP 4.
The Green party has 6.8% of votes and 2 seats.
"Compass, the leftwing group committed to pluralism, has said tonight’s election results show the first past the post voting system is not fit for purpose. [Compare LibDems 50 seats at 11% of vote, vs Greens get 2 with 6.8%.].
"Lawson also said the early results pointed to a Gallagher index score (a measure of disproportionality) of around 23, which he said suggested “this election could be the most disproportionate we have ever seen”."
Worthwhile looking at global Gallagher Index scores. NZ sits high in our closeness of actual vote to seats, ie a good proportional voting system. Oz, with its strange ranked voting, looks worse off in reflecting Parliament seats with electors' choices.
Of course, Reform would bite off the biggest chunk in minority parties, essentially splitting the right of centre vote.
Nope, disagree. Lib Dems would be well out of it, after their previous shaming coalition with what was then at least a Tory party capable of administering the country. The Tory lineup now has zero administrative talent, plus I bet LibDems would have had to promise no Coalition with the Right to get significant votes, as their support comes from disgruntled centrists.
And a 2-vote electorate/party system would generate a different voting profile to that seen with UK FPTP.
I think peferential voting is a crap system, less reflective of people's primary choice than ours. NZers can vote for both their local representative AND party preference, rewarding those MPs who care for their electorate, while supporting political positions they prefer.
In PV, 60% of the vote can capture 80% of seats, as happened in Queensland. FPTP and PV. Neither FPTP or PV promote bipartisan legislative approaches, nor provide societal variety reflected in Parliament.
That's why the Gallagher Index shows Oz less reflective of electoral preference than our system.
Preferential voting is not an electoral system of itself, it is the best option in the voting for single member electorate seats. It allows a challenge to a two party status quo in the winning of such, without tactical voting. And for the us and the UK, that is an improvement.
For mine, they should start there.
Though I would add SM to ensure small parties have a presence in their parliament.
The focus of Blair back then was to reform the House of Lords as legislation was being blocked by an un-elected Tory majority.
If you aren't already, subscribe to his Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@JonathanPie
That was part 4 of a 5 part series of videos about the different elements to the election
Posie Parker probably cozied up with Reform, like the NZ antitrans lobby did with NZ First. PP would sit there comfortably, as she has made anti-migrant and Islamophobic statements in the past.
Looking at the Guardian %s, it's very clear Reform split the RW vote. One electorate I saw in TG graphics had something like 44% Labour, 23% Reform, 25% Cons, so Labour wouldn't have got in without the split.
TG also showed how tactical voting delivered seats for Cymru Plaid party in Wales.
Not spent, rather planning to be Starmer's conscience:
"Within minutes of his victory speech, Mr Corbyn made a passing attempt at generosity when asked about Sir Keir’s leadership. “He will become prime minister,” he said, sounding rather lukewarm about the prospect, before describing the manifesto of his former party as “thin, to put it mildly”.
Warming up, he decried the “completely undemocratic diktat from the Labour Party” that he could no longer stand for them, and promised: “I will be there holding the government to account.” “I will be one of those people who, if the government does good things, I will back them,” he told reporters. “If it fails… then I will be there speaking up."
If those pro-Gaza MPs don't have the sense to see what a fully sectarian electorate looks like, Sinn Feinn can give them a lesson on its consequences.
Labour's Starmer had the tactical nous to leave those toxic fools and go after a much broader set of seats. And the victory came in part from that smart choice.
If those mostly Muslim electorates saw Starmer as not only pro-Israel, but from his own words, supportive initially of Israel's illegal and geonocidal blockade of water and food supply to millions of Gazans, then good on them for abandoning him.
Starmer also kicked out local candidates who made fairly innocuous pro-Palestinian statements pre-election.
Anti-Starmer rather than anti-Labour vote. Wait and see Starmer expose his authorarian streak in office.
A good government is not a strong figurehead, it's a strong team. If Starmer used 'we' more often, hadn't completely reneged on the pledges to Party members he used to secure support, and hadn't made frankly authoritarian purges of excellent Labour candidates on the flimsiest of excuses, he would not have lost my respect.
But, like Corbyn says in his statement, if Starmer can run an effective team by being only a 30% bastard, he can claw some of my respect back too.
I do realise I have strong opinions about the politics in a country I have no vested interest in, but it's a bit of a spectator sport from this side of the world. And we can all be a bit clearer-eyed because it's not our home they're fucking up.
Europe had overtly sectarian parties after WW2 till the late 70s. Especially where the catholic- protestant were large minorities.
I seem to remember that Belgium had separate leftwing catholic and protestant parties. Nowadays their politics mostly split on language lines and separatism ( except the greens !)
Very low voter turn out of near 60% – of that Labour got roughly 40%
That calculates to 60% x .40 = 24% of the voting public actually voted for Labour. 40% did not vote at all so nearly double the numbers said a Pox on ALL your houses and voted for nobody at all!
It is only the First Past the Post electoral system which gave Labout their "majority" of the seats in Parliament.
Labour must deliver to that "silent" 40% or risk a backlash next time around.
Gone by lunchtime: smug parvenu and Johnson-lover, Rees-Mogg ; anti-migrant Shapps; Penny Mordant, sword-carrier and leadership hopeful; lazy Therese Coffey, including eight current Ministers in all. Attack-dog Badenoch stays, though.
“It is a shocking result, and I can't recall anything so similar in British history that one party does so well in terms of seats having not won very many votes,” Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform, told Euronews.
Labour's majority is built on very shallow foundations as a result, according to Grant and “can easily be washed away by the next storm that hits the UK”.
Grant's corporate masters will be delighted if and when Labour's majority is washed away by the next storm that hits the UK.
A 'feature' of First Past the Post is that it enables a fuck you vote within one of the major groups. A splinter party emerges that draws support from the main party on that side, effectively killing the main party. Shades of the Bob Jones party here in 1984.
I would argue that it's an even bigger 'feature' of MMP.
You still have the opportunity for an entirely wasted vote (Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party) – parties which don't have a sniff of getting over the 5% threshold.
But, more importantly, you can protest vote for minor parties which are likely to achieve this goal (either through an electorate seat, or wider-spread popular appeal).
There is a perspective which regards the Greens as the left-wing splinter of Labour; and ACT as the right-wing splinter of National.
In either situation, it's very rare (although not unheard of) for the splinter party to 'kill' the main party. Although it did happen in NZ in the early part of the 20th century – with the old Liberal party support being splintered between the up-and-coming Reform (later National) and Labour parties.
Takeaways from UK election. Firstly great victory for Labour but interesting they only got 35% of the vote. Glad Reform only got 4 seats – Greens with 4 most seats ever, Lib Dems big increase ; glad Jezza gets another five years, but just note he is older than me (given we've been talking a lot about age lately in politics). Would be interesting to see how this all translates in an MMP kind of system. Labour now has to deliver ; that is where the real hard work begins.
The name of the game was to win a majority of the seats in the Commons
No chance of cooperation agreement with LD or Greens when Labour has over 400 seats out of 650.
Cant compare too much with previous elections as the boundaries were changed before this election and the previous boundary changes were based on reviews nearly 20 years back
The purpose of co-operation agreements with LD and Green would be to
1affirm mandate
2..position for a coalition in 2029, should this be necessary.
A Conservative-LD coalition being an alternative in 2029, if they do not.
They might not do it, but it is the right option.
The first to imply continuance of the institutions of government (abandoned by the Conservative Party) and the second necessary progress.
This allows Labour to be itself, as per sustaining government capability and public delivery – UND of HR (1948) – education, health, housing and adequate income.
PS. I advised Blair (1998) to move to preferential voting electorates and have SM (125 seats awarded at 0.8% of a party list vote). Jenkins agreed, Blair did not and one went to the European Parliament.
Not really a civil service bureaucrat, he was an adviser to a policing board in NI and was appointed Director of Public Prosecutions – an outsider brought in because of his legal background in the human rights aspects of law.
If anything it is that experience, coming in as an outsider, that might help in the strengthening of the capability of government to deliver.
But the continuance of the institutions of the realm is broader than that. And here it is not Labour doing what is is useful to Labour … . This includes being reliable and responsible in government in exercise of executive power. And partnership agreements would serve to secure mandate.
So Greens and Reform both have 4 seats each.
Not exactly a significant minority in parliament (yes, I know the FPP environment makes this harder in the UK).
But you can hardly trumpet the GP result as the 'most seats ever' and ignore that the same applies to the Reform party.
I take from this, and the election of several independents across the country that Britains are getting just a bit tired of the same old party politics.
Looking at the profiles, most, if not all, are protest votes against the Labour policy on Israel/Gaza. So, one issue candidates. The only real exception is Corbyn.
Terrific outcome for causal relations in politics: massive landslide produced by a fifth of the electorate – with the tacit support of a significantly large bunch of rightist splitters. X+Y=Z. Also interesting that 6 parties have been featured in the framing of the outcome, so there's a hexad forming UK politics just like here in Aotearoa where we have 3 rightist parties in govt & 3 leftist in opposition.
That fifth that seems primary cause of the landslide points to a pentad of course, and 5 is inherently creative, as in the opposable thumb of primate evolutionary fame, so let's hope that this 5 produces creative ethos in British Labour…
I have to admit that I watched live the declaration for Islington North and I shouted in glee and pummelled the air when Jeremy Corbyn was declared the winner!
You can't keep a good man down.
But a bit sobered down by the election of Britain's answer to Winston Peters – Farage.
I thought the election was for humans, not humanoids.
I am celebrating Angela Rayner as Deputy PM. Genuine working class, left school early, worked as a caregiver, trade unionist. Younger woman. Now compare that to NZ DPMs. If only they were like her.
I think she is a sleeper leftie, building power within Labour. Unlike NZ, her position is voted for by Labour members, not chosen by Starmer. I wonder whether part of his leftwing purge of the party was to weaken her position in making a challenge to him.
And, unlike Bennett, she has Housing and Levelling up, financially important infrastructure portfolios.
Imagine having a Deputy PM who was active in a union? Instead what we have here is an old fart who is a career politician since 1978 and a young fart who is famous for twerking and being a jerk. But btw aren’t Winston and Seymour chosen by their party?
Trade unions are only a small portion of the workforce now , and even less in 'trade' unions . Mostly more professional class such as teachers , nurses , government workers
FYI most of the Labour MPs were or are members of unions, Mostly before but some joined when they became MPs. Jacinda joined SFWU when she was an intern in HC 's office and union liaison. She went to work as a volunteer for the SEIU in the US. I gave her a reference. Those who worked in Parliamentary Service roles all joined SFWU.
"Genuine working class, left school early, worked as a caregiver, trade unionist".
Perhaps we could compare her to the leading figures in the New Zealand Labour Party. The last one that was in this vein was Mike Moore. Since his time they have all been University Graduates who have very little experience outside University or working in an MP's or Minister's office. Andrew Little is the only leader I can think of in the last 30 years who had anything to do with a real, ie non-Student, Union.
"little experience outside University or working in an MP's or Minister's office. "
Thats a lot of nationals top leadership too.
Willis for instance completed a BA, followed by Dip in Journalism, but turned down a job offer for a publication ( her mother was a Gallery journalist at the time) to work full time for the national party in parliament and did about 10-12 years at that job including writing the daily spin for John Key. There was a 'sabbatical' when she left the party cadres to be employed by Todd Muller ( later an MP himself) in Fonterra’s Corporate affairs – essentially lobbying ministers she knew in her previous work. When her mentor john Key resigned she quite Fonterra the same week to come back to Wellington to get on the Party list for the next election.
Similar path for Chris Bishop , 1st class honours in law- could have worked in any top law firm- but immediately went to work for the National party as a cadre. ( father as well was Gallery journalist) Sabbatical for a tobacco company as a lobbyist then getting onto list for parliament
Your imagination is working overtime. I think that people who have done nothing else in life except in political activities really shouldn't be MPs. That is for every party.
Those people work for the benefit of their own career, not for the benefit of the country. After all, they don't have any options to fall back on.
That is for every party, not just those on the left. The difference is that in New Zealand it is much more common on the left for them to get into the highest level in their party. Key and Luxon at least had successful careers before they entered Parliament. What did Ardern and Hipkins do?
Key and Luxon just figureheads as PM .
Key was a currency trader in London and New York while Luxon brand manager for deodorants and such. Complete newbies as far as public service goes.
English was a treasury bureaucrat- and chair of the Haitaitai branch of the party in Wellington when he became an Mp for a rural area he grew up in.. but went to boarding school in Wellington.
Willis and Bishop are the actual decision makers ( remarkable for how often they get Luxon to quickly flip flop on issues) and as explained before are long time party cadres since graduation.
You said it. What, after all is a "successful career?" Does this mean anyone who isn't a business corporate and making huge amounts of money is unsuccessful? What a sorry outlook.
I only looked post-Moore but going by Wikipedia, Phil Goff left school early to work in a freezing works to save up the money to go to university and worked as a union organiser after returning from his OE.
Only Goff and Little were union staff, but there was a range of careers among leaders and deputies since Moore besides political careers – Clark and Cullen were academics, Parker, Caygill and Little were lawyers, Cunliffe was a management consultant, King was a dental nurse, Shearer, Sepuloni and Davis were teachers (Davis also a principal), Robertson, Ardern and Hipkins were policy and political advisers.
Given the last 3, I can see where the perception comes from but it's more nuanced than just being the only or even standard career pathway to Labour leadership.
100%. Here's a little memory from me about Labour politicians' union backgrounds. In my time as MP, there was me, Sue Moroney, Carol Beaumont, Vui Mark Gosche, Rick Barker, Lianne Dalziel and others. Current MPs : Rachel Boyack worked for FIRST Union, Willie Jackson started as a freezing worker and became a union organiser. Jan Tinetti was active in the PPTA. Phil Twyford was a union organiser for SFWU, Laumaga Lydia Sosene is a long term union member. Last term, Labour MP Ibrahim Omer, refugee and Living Wage campaigner worked for E Tu, and has gone back there. . I am sure there are others as well.
Before entering parliament she was active in the trade union movement, and held the offices of National Secretary of the Service & Food Workers Union Nga Ringa Tota (SFWU), and vice-president of the Council of Trade Unions. She is also the Vice-President of the Labour Party Union Affiliates Council
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Above all, the Conservative must unambiguously set its moral compass in the direction of public service, obligation and duty firmly based on the Nolan Principles of Public Life (selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership)
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This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk Astrong majority of registered voters support certain policies aimed at tackling climate change, according to recent research by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (the publisher of this site) and the Center for Climate Change Communication at George Mason ...
Finally, Julian Assange is free after 12 years of confinement, much of it spent while under the threat of rendition to the US to face charges carrying a term of 175 years in prison. Yet ultimately, Assange has not been set free because the charges (of espionage and conspiracy to ...
A note to readers This satirical post is based on this document. Received from Auckland Transport under a LGOIMA request. the document reveals the ranking process used by the working group for the Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP). It shows how the RLTP working group (Auckland Transport, KiwiRail, NZTA/Waka Kotahi, and ...
TL;DR: Six things from Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy I think are worth noting on the morning of Thursday, June 27:The NZIER has estimated almost a third of new spending in Budget 2024 will have worsened the Government’s Paris agreement climate liability, which Treasury has already estimated at up to $23.7 billion. ...
Hi,Four days ago New Zealand pop royalty Brooke Fraser broke yet another record — largest attendance for a Kiwi solo artist at her Spark Arena gig.She was joined on stage by the Auckland Philharmonia orchestra, Radio New Zealand gushing that it was “hard to pick a singular high point of ...
Whenever people make the perfectly sensible suggestion that the world could solve its problems by taxing billionaires, the latter's stooges flood the zone with claims it would never work. Apparently billionaires are so inherently criminal that they would evade such taxes, laundering their money and hiding it in criminal jurisdictions ...
Breathe.Inhale deeply through your nose, and hold it.Open your mouth slightly. Exhale slowly, feel the breath passing over your lips.Hear it. You’re alive.Statistically, if the last government hadn’t taken the actions it did, about twenty of you, even in my small audience, would be dead now. If I do a ...
TL;DR: Electricity affordability is a growing concern for households and small businesses, despite falling generation costs for solar and wind, a survey has found.Meanwhile, Stats NZ is forecasting more than a third of 19-29 year olds will stay living at home within the next two decades, no doubt because of ...
This is a guest post by Darren Davis, reposted with his kind permission. It originally appeared on his excellent blog Adventures in Transitland, which we warmly encourage you to check out.Aotearoa has one of the worst road safety records in the developed world. Australia is doing quite a bit ...
The audio in today’s newsletter contains a conversation I had last year with journalist Elizabeth Williamson, author of an incredibly moving book on Sandy Hook. We talked America, conspiracies, and Alex Jones. It’s been gathering dust for reasons we’ll get to, but I wanted to share our conversation today. ...
The anti Three Waters campaign which seemed so simple during the election campaign is now bogged down in a Select Committee as submitter after submitter raises issues with the replacement legislation. The so-called “Local Water Done Well” has now morphed into the Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill, which ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
On we go, at 20 kilometres an hour, truly the best pace for rolling through the world and breathing it all in.Fascinating to get to see two, four, twenty new places each day. Marvellous to get to see how very many different ways you can make it good for people ...
There's a couple of pieces about architect-of-our-constitution Geoffrey palmer's views on the current government doing the rounds today. The first, on Newsroom is an excerpt from a speech he gave to a Young Labour meeting last weekend, in which he says NZ an executive paradise, not democratic paradise. The Spinoff ...
The government just introduced its Education and Training Amendment Bill to the House. The name is deliberately obfuscatory, because what the bill actually does is reintroduce charter schools - effectively allowing National to privatise the education system. That's corrupt and it stinks, but to add insult to injury, National's new ...
Confidence about future job availability collapsed after Budget 2024 to lows last seen during the the Global Financial Crisis of 2008/09. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Employee confidence in more jobs being available in a year’s time collapsed in the first two weeks of June after the Budget, falling ...
Walking through the rooms in my headI came across your image,You looked at me with that sweet smile and saidSomething they won't let me repeatWe hurt the ones we love the mostIts a subtle form of complimentAfter you’ve watched Christopher Luxon for a while you think to yourself - that ...
Without warning or discussion, the Whānau Ora commissioning agencies were recently told they must retender for their contracts. “The Minister for Whānau Ora, Tama Potaka needs to provide evidence and a copy of their policy changes and rationale, then sit down to consult with the board of Whānau Ora.” Says ...
Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland is our biggest city and one of the most diverse in the world. This week our Labour team was out and about across Auckland to meet with businesses, educators, innovators, students, community groups, apprentices, housing providers and more. ...
In the Government’s scramble to sell their failed boot camps, we’ve had the Police Minister contradict the Prime Minister, officials correcting and warning Ministers, and a Children’s Minister missing in action, said children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
“It’s all well and good to want to ensure development opportunities, but unless the Government fronts with infrastructure money, councils are limited in what they can offer by ways of expansion,” says Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty. ...
While today’s announcement shows some support for bolstering urban density, it will not be enough to turn the tide on a status quo of urban sprawl. ...
The government’s failure to invest in flood protection and emergency relief will be felt for generations to come says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Te Tai Rāwhiti, Tākuta Ferris. “It was only three months ago that councils were calling for the government to help invest in flood protection. Cyclone Gabrielle ...
Mema Paremata mō te Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi, says the government is subscribing the Rotorua Housing Crisis to a privatisation fast-track. The comments come after 100-homes have been placed on hold whilst Kāinga Ora conduct a review. “With a quick text message to one of their rich mates, this government has ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding that the Māori Development Minister move quickly to prevent a financial restructure announced by Whakaata Māori yesterday. "Minister Potaka must immediately intervene and recommit funding to Whakaata Māori. A 25% reduction is cutting Whakaata Māori at their knees; we cannot accept that," said broadcast spokesperson, ...
National has come up with yet another way to make driving a car more expensive – this time adding more costs to sit a driver licence, Labour transport spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
Correspondence released under the Official Information Act reveals the Government’s boot camp concept is not backed by the military that is expected to run it. ...
The Government is risking the wellbeing of vulnerable children across Aotearoa who benefit from services like counselling, intensive family support, parent programmes and early intervention, as they claw back funding. ...
Thousands of people have taken to the streets and voiced their concerns about National’s destructive and undemocratic Fast Track Approvals Bill. Add your voice and tell National why this legislation needs to be stopped in its tracks. ...
Celebrating Matariki as a public holiday over the past two years has made sure everyone gets to spend some extra time with friends and family, as well as the chance to learn more about what makes this time of year meaningful. ...
The Government needs to be transparent about the cuts they are making to hospital infrastructure, so that cities are clear on the health resources they will have into the future. ...
Our students deserve access to fresh, healthy food to fuel their busy school days and lives.That’s why Labour introduced the Ka Ora, Ka Ako healthy school lunch programme. Teachers, parents, principals and health experts all saw the benefits of it. ...
The new Covid-19 Inquiry we campaigned and fought for will start in November.The current Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Covid-19 response will be divided into two phases. ‘Phase Two’ of the inquiry will start from November 2024 and will be the independent, full scale, and public inquiry we ...
“Today’s announcement is simply a repeat of the Government rejecting decades of evidence and expert advice, as they forcibly try to turn marketing slogans into policy,” said children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
“I am relieved Pharmac will be funded more to buy medicines for Kiwis. It is important that decisions on which drugs get funded remain independent from politics,” Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
The Green Party welcomes the announcement of more funding for cancer treatments and medicines, however, calls for more to be done to address the severe health inequities that come with cancer. ...
Frivolous check-ins with beneficiaries are the Government’s latest plan to find excuses to punish those on the Job Seeker allowance and add to the stigma they face. ...
The grounding of the Aratere Interislander Ferry is a wake-up call to the Coalition Government; they need to front up with a realistic long term solution to moving people and freight between our islands. ...
New Zealanders need and deserve a strong public health system. Throughout the country, we need to ensure hospitals, clinics and community providers have the resources needed to provide the best level of care. ...
Victims of family violence could fall through the gaps in New Zealand, as Police stop responding to some call outs and the Government chooses to prioritise other things. ...
The lack of bids at today’s ETS auction is a sad indictment on this Government's staggering indifference to the climate crisis and their lack of a plan. ...
“I am deeply disappointed in the National Party's budget. Their broken promises and cuts to essential services, including health, education, and support for vulnerable groups, will have long-lasting negative impacts” – Raymor, Auckland ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has today thanked the outgoing Secretary for Education. Iona Holsted was appointed in 2016 and has spent eight years in the role after being reappointed in May 2021. Her term comes to an end later this year. “I acknowledge Iona’s distinguished public service to New Zealand ...
Associate Health Minister for Pharmac David Seymour says today’s announcement that Pharmac is opening consultation on new cancer medicines is great news for Kiwi cancer patients and their families. “As a result of the coalition Government’s $604 million funding boost, consultation is able to start today for the first two ...
A half-century after pursuing self-government, Niue can count on New Zealand’s steadfast partnership and support, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand and Niue share a unique bond, forged over 50 years of free association,” Mr Peters says. “We are looking forward to working together to continue advancing Niue’s ...
Acting Internal Affairs Minister David Seymour says wait times for passports are reducing, as the Department of Internal Affairs (the Department) reports the highest ever monthly figure for digital uptake in passport applications. “As of Friday 5 July, the passport application queue has reduced by 34.4 per cent - a ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed news that the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) is getting on with the Government’s first seven Roads of National Significance (RoNS) projects expected to begin procurement, enabling works and construction in the next three years. “Delivering on commitments in our coalition agreements, we are moving ...
The Coalition Government is building for roll growth and easing pressure in Auckland’s school system, by committing to the construction of a new primary school, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. As part of Budget 24’s $456 million injection into school property growth, a new primary school (years 1-6) will be ...
Dr Shane Reti's speech to Iwi-Maori Partnership Boards, Thursday 4 July 2024 Mānawa maiea te putanga o Matariki Mānawa maiea te ariki o te rangi Mānawa maiea te Mātahi o te tau Celebrate the rising of Matariki Celebrate the rising of the lord of the skies Celebrate the rising ...
Kia Ora Koutou, Tena Koutou, Good Morning. Thank you Mahaki Albert for the warm welcome. Thank you, Prime Minister, and thank you everyone for coming today. When I look around the room this morning, I see many of our hard-working mental health and addictions workforce from NGO and Community groups, ...
An independent expert advisory panel has been appointed to review the Public Works Act to make it easier to build infrastructure, Minister for Land Information Chris Penk has announced. “The short, sharp review demonstrates the Government’s commitment to progressing critical infrastructure projects and reducing excessive regulatory and legislative barriers, so ...
A trip to Australia next week to meet mining sector operators and investors will signal New Zealand is once again open for business, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The visit is also an opportunity to build relationships with Australian state and federal counterparts and learn from their experiences as New ...
New Zealand’s ability to engage with key trading partners is set to grow further with 20 scholarships awarded for groups to gain education experiences across Asia and Latin America, Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds says. Of the 20 scholarships, 12 have been awarded to groups travelling for study ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed progress on Northwest Rapid Transit, as the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) confirms next steps on the preferred option, a busway alongside State Highway 16 from Brigham Creek to Auckland City Centre. “The Government is committed to a rapid transit system that will support urban development, ...
Reflecting the Government’s priority to improve the public services Kiwis rely on, including mental health care, Minister for Mental Health, Matt Doocey has today announced five mental health and addiction targets. “The targets reflect my priorities to increase access to mental health and addiction support, grow the mental health and addiction ...
The first round of the government’s $10 million Mental Health and Addiction Community Sector Innovation Fund is set to open for applications later this month, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “The Fund will support new and innovative initiatives that are focussed on increasing access to better mental health support, ...
Speech to the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand - 4 July 202 AcknowledgementsGood morning. Can I acknowledge Jen Baird and the team from REINZ. It’s good to be here with you this morning.IntroductionThis morning I’d like to talk to you about the Coalition Government’s plan to fix our housing crisis and ...
New Zealand and Nauru are deepening their relationship, including on economic resilience and education, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand and Nauru have a warm, long-standing relationship, and we are strengthening our engagement through enhanced political, security, and development cooperation,” Mr Peters says. “The good functioning ...
The Government will establish ambitious new housing growth targets for New Zealand’s cities, while taking steps to make it easier to expand both up and out, says Housing and Resource Management Act (RMA) Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Our Going for Housing Growth policy focuses on the fundamentals that have led ...
Increasing the recreational daily catch limit for kina around the northeastern North Island and a new special permit to remove kina will help tackle kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Kina barrens are areas of rocky reef where healthy kelp forests have been consumed by an overpopulation ...
The Government has marked a major milestone for rural connectivity at the official opening of the 500th RCG mobile tower in Anawhata today, Communications Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Rural, rugged and remote, like many of the 500 towers delivered, RCG worked alongside community stakeholders to deliver better connectivity for Anawhata ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins today released the updated Endeavour Fund Investment Plan – the Government’s $55 million per annum fund for science and research. “Endeavour is the Government’s largest contestable fund investing in science and research. It is crucial that this investment aligns with this Government’s priority ...
Work on a critical minerals list and a stocktake of New Zealand’s known mineral potential is underway and will be key to enabling a strategic, considered approach to developing the country’s resources and strengthening mineral resilience, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. Together, the list and the stocktake will identify the ...
The Government is providing a further $500,000 to the Wairoa Mayoral Relief Fund to help the community following flooding last week, Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced during a visit to the district today. “I have been back on the ground in Wairoa today to get a further ...
The Coalition Government is delivering consistency in student assessment, giving parents certainty on how their child’s doing at school, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Currently, the first glimpse at student achievement is when children sit NCEA. It’s far too late to learn in Year 10 or 11 if they have ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will visit the United States from 9-12 July. Mr Luxon will begin his visit by building New Zealand’s profile with politicians in Washington DC, meeting members of the US Administration and of Congress. “The United States is the world’s largest economy and our second biggest trading partner. It ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has confirmed that cervical screening will continue to be free for women with higher risk of cervical cancer. “Our Government is committed to achieving better cancer outcomes for New Zealanders, and screening programmes are critical to getting an early diagnosis and timely treatment,” says Dr ...
The board of Kāinga Ora – Homes & Community has been refreshed and Ministers have issued a new Letter of Expectations demanding better financial performance, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says.“Earlier this year we released the report of the independent review into Kāinga Ora led by Sir Bill English, which found ...
New Zealand and Solomon Islands are boosting their partnership in areas aimed at enhancing security and prosperity, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters says. “Solomon Islands is a very important Pacific partner for New Zealand, and we are pleased to be findings ways to do more together for mutual benefit,” Mr ...
New Zealand today concluded a groundbreaking trade deal with Costa Rica, Iceland, and Switzerland, to remove tariffs on hundreds of products that benefit sustainability and the environment, Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. “The Agreement on Climate Change, Trade and Sustainability (ACCTS) opens up commercial opportunities for New Zealand businesses ...
New Zealand and Australia have highlighted their strong commitment to Solomon Islands aviation and economic development through the handover of the upgraded Seghe Airfield today. “The upgrade of the Seghe Airfield runway in Western Province will enable flights to operate under all weather conditions, making operations safer and more ...
The Government is rolling out changes to the driver licencing system to tackle the unacceptable wait times facing New Zealanders trying to sit their driver licence tests across the country, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Since the previous government’s decision last year to remove re-sit fees for theory and practical ...
Around 11,000 singers from 40 countries will be taking to the stage in Auckland next week for the 13th World Choir Games, generating important economic and cultural benefits for the supercity, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “It’s the biggest choral competition and festival in the world, so I’m absolutely ...
A reservation over the Kermadec Arc preventing the granting or extending of minerals prospecting, exploration, and mining permits will be extended for 18 months from 5 July, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones’ declaration, enabled under the Crown Minerals Act 1991, will extend consecutive existing reservations, the latest of ...
The Government is taking immediate action to support New Zealand’s media and content production sectors, while it develops a long-term reform programme, Media and Communications Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Firstly, the Government will progress the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill with amendments, to support our local media companies to earn ...
Tākina Puanga, mānawatia a Matariki, mānawatia te huinga whetū! Congratulations to Ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Puku o te Ika a Māui on winning this year’s national secondary schools kapa haka competition Te Huinga Whetū, Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka says. “It was great to hear the stage rumbling ...
The coalition Government's latest Action Plan will have a strong focus on making Kiwis safer and restoring law and order, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced. “The Government I lead is one of action and we are already making meaningful changes that will keep Kiwis safe in their homes, workplaces ...
A successful second quarter Action Plan shows the coalition Government has continued to build on the momentum of its first 100 days, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. “Our Government Action Plan was laser-focused on rebuilding the economy and reducing the cost of living, restoring law and order, and delivering better ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour is glad to see the Natural Hazards Insurance Act come into force today, further protecting homeowners’ rights after a natural hazard event and seeing the Earthquake Commission (EQC) become the Natural Hazards Commission. “The Government is committed to ensuring Kiwis continue to get reliable insurance ...
Restoring the brightline test to two years will help increase the supply of residential property putting downward pressure on rent, Revenue Minister Simon Watts says. “From 1 July, the brightline test will replace the five and ten-year periods with a more balanced two-year period. “Every day, New Zealanders are struggling ...
Councils, iwi, businesses and community organisations with infrastructure projects that support regional priorities are invited to apply for funding from the Regional Infrastructure Fund, which opened today. “The Coalition Government is focused on growing the economy. We are doing everything we can to enable an export-led recovery, regional prosperity and ...
Kia ora koutou katoa – it’s a pleasure to join you here at Tōtara Haumaru on Auckland’s North Shore I would like to begin by acknowledging the many hands, over many years, that have been involved in the creation of this wonderful new facility Tōtara Haumaru, particularly those who are ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Wallace, Professor, School of Politics Economics & Society, Faculty of Business Government & Law, University of Canberra The Australian Labor Party’s solidarity pledge is being widely sledged in the wake of Western Australian Senator Fatima Payman’s resignation from caucus. But ...
Today marks the 115th day since Green MP Darleen Tana was suspended from caucus amid allegations she is linked to migrant exploitation at her husband's company. ...
Opinion: In 1912, Lottie and Howard moved into their new family home in Mount Albert, which Howard, a handy kind of fellow, had finished building just in time for the birth of their third child, my grandmother. Like most inner suburbs of the time, Mount Albert was effectively an urban ...
Refreshments King Luxon sails on the great seas And watches with interest As the rudder falls off his Royal Barge. He calls for the Shipwrights And the salty board members of KiwiRail. “A refresh is required,” says the King, As the salty board members walk the plank With a pike ...
It was sleek, it was shiny, it was very, very purple: Tara Ward tuned into the very first ThreeNews, the new 6pm bulletin replacing Newshub. Yesterday was a big day for the news. First came the end of AM, then the last First News bulletin on Sky Open (featuring an ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Shaw, Professor of Politics, Massey University Getty Images At first glance, Keir Starmer’s Labour Party has just put in a performance for the ages in the British general election. The incoming prime minister controls a comfortable parliamentary majority, Tory ...
Fourteen years of Conservative government has formally ended. The Labour Party, led by Keir Starmer, has achieved a ‘landslide’ for only the third time in its one-hundred-year history. General elections are significant moments in the life of nations. They are points where we can, if we are lucky, stand back ...
Opinion: Make it click – seatbelts save lives. Regulations requiring safety features within vehicles, such as seatbelts, anti-lock braking systems and airbags, have dramatically improved safety for drivers and passengers, and it’s difficult to imagine any government abandoning those regulations, much less removing safety features that have already been installed. ...
Editor Madeleine Chapman reflects on the end (for now) of the news cycle about the news. You’d be forgiven for getting a bit tired of hearing about the news while watching the news. The media is in the unique position of both serving as an all-seeing eye on behalf of ...
Hayley was in her first year of teaching and term time was killing her. She had always loved children, and liked explaining things, and believed she had above average levels of patience. But being a teacher had little to do with sharing knowledge. It was crowd control. Hayley alternated between ...
Brooke Fraser’s homecoming show was a hit – the ‘Something in the Water’ star performed with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra late last month. Her show reportedly drew the biggest ever crowd for a New Zealand solo artist at Spark Arena. But the audience was drawn from more than just Fraser ...
Alex Casey chats to Antonia Murphy, whose experience opening an ethical brothel in Northland became the subject of Three’s award-winning new comedy-drama Madam. The incensed motel guest rang the manager, concerned that there was prostitution going on in the room next door. “There was just so much sex!” they barked ...
P Digsss, frontman of the genre-bending Shapeshifter, shares the tunes he keeps on repeat for the perfect weekend.You don’t need a special scenario to enjoy the musical stylings of Shapeshifter – in fact, it might just be what you need to make the weekend perfect. Just ask their frontman ...
The comedian and writer takes us through her life in television, including the legacy of Flight of the Conchords and watching Breaking Bad with her grandfather. Comedian Kura Turuwhenua came over-prepared for her first day in the writers room of Only in Aotearoa: Wāhine Edition. “My job was supposed to ...
A stack of brilliant novels for children are out this year. Ten authors tell us why they write for kids, and what their books offer grown-ups, too.Aotearoa’s legacy of great children’s novels is a hefty one: Margaret Mahy, Maurice Gee, David Hill, Sherryl Jordan, Kate De Goldi, Elizabeth Knox, ...
The stakes are incredibly high for New Zealand’s biggest news media company as it takes on a transformational challenge.On Wednesday evening, Sinead Boucher and Juliet Peterson sat on stage at the Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre in Auckland’s Aotea Centre, under a bright green screen headlined “it’s giving power couple ...
Drinking wasn’t just a pastime, it was my profession – and it got way out of control. The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.When I talk about my former life in Auckland, it’s hard not to talk about booze. Every neighbourhood had its ...
Full back: Christopher Luxon. Luxo is the helmsman of the team and that’s due to the fact the last helmsman we had, with all due respect to Chippy, was absolute rubbish. Critics say that Luxo lacks anything resembling a good idea. But he’s always keen to stomp around the field ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The 650 United Kingdom House of Commons seats are elected by first past the post (FPTP), in which the candidate with the ...
Alex Casey watches the final episode of Newshub, as Three farewells 34 years of making TV news.It is July 5, and there are three big news stories coming up on Newshub. Life-saving cancer drugs have been funded, the United Kingdom has voted Labour in an historic landslide, and Newshub ...
Analysis - The minister sets out his plan to solve the housing crisis and a survey shows business confidence crashing as more companies go into liquidation, Peter Wilson writes. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Wellings, Associate Professor in Politics and International Relations, Monash University This is a historic moment in British politics. It’s a huge win for Labour. It’s a historic loss for the Conservatives. It also seems to have been the product of one ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew King, Senior Lecturer in Climate Science, The University of Melbourne People living in southern Australia won’t have failed to notice how cold it is. Frosty nights and chilly days have been the weather for many of us since the start of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gary Sacks, Professor of Public Health Policy, Deakin University benjamas11/Shutterstock There are renewed calls this week for the Australian government to implement a range of measures aimed at improving our diets. These include restrictions on junk food advertising, improvements to food ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane McMahon, Research Associate, Discipline of Archaeology, University of Sydney Thalia Nitz/University of Sydney To date, little has been known about people living in north-western Saudi Arabia during the Neolithic – the period traditionally defined by the shift to humans controlling ...
Keir Starmer successfully bet on the British public wanting low-key, unfussy competence after the chaotic Tory years. But his New Zealand counterpart won’t be able to rely on a British-style wave of despair to carry him to victory in 2026 – something more inspiring is likely to be needed, writes ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anthony Veal, Adjunct Professor, Business School, University of Technology Sydney Growing populations and housing shortages are affecting cities worldwide, including in Australia. It’s driving them to adopt high-density development near public transport hubs instead of endless suburban sprawl on city fringes. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Gillespie, Professor of Law, University of Waikato An early Rocket Lab launch from Mahia Peninsula, 2017.Getty Images News of a potential new rocket launch site in Canterbury has largely been enthusiastically received. Boosts to the regional and national economies, and ...
The Free Speech Union welcomes proposed amendments to the Gang Insignia Bill by the Justice Select Committee, which go some way to addressing the weaknesses of this draft legislation, says Jonathan Ayling, Chief Executive of the Free Speech Union. ...
A new poem by Elizabeth Smither. The knowledge in grass The top sports field, now all games are ceased grows longer grass. It is the week of unaccredited exams whose students walk with books in front of their noses, in the stubble, talking to themselves. We, below them, can see ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.First, a quick PSA: Unity Books has a flash new website that lets you search and purchase ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Tuffley, Senior Lecturer in Applied Ethics & CyberSecurity, Griffith University PopTika/Shutterstock Amazon has secured a A$2 billion contract with the Australian Signals Directorate – the agency responsible for foreign signals intelligence and information security. A local subsidiary of Amazon Web ...
The appointment of a project team to accelerate consenting, property acquisition, and design, in combination with the engagement of construction partners for the first seven roads shows this Government is serious about investing in infrastructure. ...
Tara Ward reviews Three’s award-winning new local comedy-drama. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often a New Zealand television show wins two major international awards before a single episode has hit our screens, but Madam is breaking all the rules. ...
Tara Ward watches the emotional last episode of Three’s morning show. The final episode of AM began with the words “game over” sprawled across the studio’s big screen and Daft Punk’s ‘One More Time’ blasting into our living rooms. It may have been six o’clock in the morning, but presenters ...
Wellington-based climate scientist Nicholas Golledge has written a stunning book called Feedback: Uncovering the Hidden Connections Between Life and the Universe. In this excerpt, he takes us back 5,000 years to show the concept of feedbacks at work in neolithic society. Five thousand years ago, a unique and monumental episode ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Levinson, Professor of Transport, University of Sydney There’s nothing wrong with tolls on roads. Designed well, they can both pay for roads and ensure they are used efficiently. Without tolls, drivers considering whether or not to travel on particular roads at ...
New Zealand has a huge problem with court delays, given 43% of prisoners are unsentenced and awaiting court processes. This is a complete anomaly internationally and the team established to respond to this is now being cut. ...
If a song demands it, I just ask for quiet in the same way I would ask a friend for a hug. I risk looking like a twat every time, but I’ll take that on the chin if it means enhancing the collective experience, writes musician Vera Ellen. This story ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Martin, Senior Research Fellow, City Futures Research Centre, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock There’s a new bill before federal parliament calling for housing to be considered a fundamental human right. The bill, introduced last week by independent federal parliamentarians Kylea Tink ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Trelease, Senior Lecturer in Communication Studies, Auckland University of Technology Still from Terrace House: Opening New Doors. Netflix Often when we think about reality TV, we think about mess, conflict and scandal – three things usually grouped under the umbrella ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alison Blair, Teaching Fellow in Music, University of Otago Getty Images I first saw A Hard Day’s Night at a film festival over 20 years ago, at the insistence of my mum. By then, it was already decades old, but I ...
“It’s clear to Kiwis that academic freedom in New Zealand is under threat. In recent years, both in New Zealand and abroad, we’ve seen the consistent pattern of universities stifling opinions, and individuals feeling unable to speak freely. ...
The plucky underdog goes offline, paving the way for a brand new – and experimental – TV news service, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in today’s extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. The curtain falls on Newshub Nothing in the media scene this year ...
The Don't Subsidize Pollution campaign has taken a 6000 strong petition to Parliament asking the government to scrap free carbon credits for major polluters. ...
Days before the lights go out one last time, 6pm anchors Sam Hayes and Mike McRoberts came up to The Spinoff for a candid, powerful conversation about the life and legacy of 3 News. Tonight Samantha Hayes and Mike McRoberts present their one last 6pm bulletin, the final act of ...
The thing about floods is the water doesn’t tend to go to the right places. Housing minister Chris Bishop says he wants to flood the housing market. On Thursday, he unveiled a list of policies to deregulate the market and make it easier to build homes. His description of ...
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https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/jul/04/exit-poll-result-keir-starmer-labour-on-course-to-win-historic-uk-election-victory
Hardly 'historic' for Labour
Its predicted that Starmer will have about the same number of seats that Blair won (418) in 1997.
of course what is historic is the low for conservatives – for obvious reasons. The SNP seats in Westminster will also collapse
John Curtice, the famous expert on UK elections, says that Starmer's Labour is heading for a vote of less than Jeremy Corbyn's 40 per cent in 2017.
BG, if you're still holding a torch for Corbyn, douse it in your pint.
This victory is for the Labour Party.
Summarised from The Guardian
With 545 constituency results declared:
"Compass, the leftwing group committed to pluralism, has said tonight’s election results show the first past the post voting system is not fit for purpose. [Compare LibDems 50 seats at 11% of vote, vs Greens get 2 with 6.8%.].
"Lawson also said the early results pointed to a Gallagher index score (a measure of disproportionality) of around 23, which he said suggested “this election could be the most disproportionate we have ever seen”."
Worthwhile looking at global Gallagher Index scores. NZ sits high in our closeness of actual vote to seats, ie a good proportional voting system. Oz, with its strange ranked voting, looks worse off in reflecting Parliament seats with electors' choices.
Of course, Reform would bite off the biggest chunk in minority parties, essentially splitting the right of centre vote.
Some other system, couldawaoulda, somethingsomething.
MMP in this election would return the most rightwing government that UK has ever had.
Get a grip.
Nope, disagree. Lib Dems would be well out of it, after their previous shaming coalition with what was then at least a Tory party capable of administering the country. The Tory lineup now has zero administrative talent, plus I bet LibDems would have had to promise no Coalition with the Right to get significant votes, as their support comes from disgruntled centrists.
And a 2-vote electorate/party system would generate a different voting profile to that seen with UK FPTP.
Also tactical support by Labour voters of LibDems wouldn't have happened. I am guessing perhaps 10-20% of LD vote might fall into this category.
Tactical voting is not required where there is preferential voting.
A fairer system can also be realised by SM.
500 electorates. 125 SM.
SM Result
43 Labour, Tory 30, Reform 18, LD 15 Green 9.
Labour would have over 300-340 (depending on preferential voting changes) of the 500 electorates. Thus still have an overall majority.
The UK should adopt a moderate reform along those lines.
I think peferential voting is a crap system, less reflective of people's primary choice than ours. NZers can vote for both their local representative AND party preference, rewarding those MPs who care for their electorate, while supporting political positions they prefer.
In PV, 60% of the vote can capture 80% of seats, as happened in Queensland. FPTP and PV. Neither FPTP or PV promote bipartisan legislative approaches, nor provide societal variety reflected in Parliament.
That's why the Gallagher Index shows Oz less reflective of electoral preference than our system.
Why did SPC not suggest an NZ system to Blair?
Preferential voting is not an electoral system of itself, it is the best option in the voting for single member electorate seats. It allows a challenge to a two party status quo in the winning of such, without tactical voting. And for the us and the UK, that is an improvement.
For mine, they should start there.
Though I would add SM to ensure small parties have a presence in their parliament.
The focus of Blair back then was to reform the House of Lords as legislation was being blocked by an un-elected Tory majority.
What about Corbyns 32% in 2019
Yes Corbyn got 40% in 2017 but the May-bot got 42%
In those years the SNP in Scotland took a big swag of previous Labour seats and votes
Islington North
Corbyn 24,120
LAB 16,873
Green 2,660
CON 1,950
REF 1,710
LD 1,661
The map here has a very cool changed hands option.![](https://www.bbc.com/news/election/2024/uk/results)
https://www.bbc.com/news/election/2024/uk/results
The Guardian's words, not mine. Made comment as a link to the current up dates to the exit polls.
The Tories have already announced the dissolution honours nominated by the leaders of all the parties
This is just the Peerages as there are knights and dames separately
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/dissolution-peerages-2024
Doesn't this happen prior to every general election in the UK?
It refers to the list submitted upon the dissolution of parliament – regardless of whether or not the previous incumbents are re-elected.
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/awards-and-accreditation/content/103854
lol
.
@JimmySecUK
Ex-employee of the Russian government, George Galloway, is projected to lose his Rochdale seat to Labour, according to the exit-poll.
https://x.com/JimmySecUK/status/1808981389125300533
edit:
gone
George Galloway has lost his seat 126 days after pulling off a surprise by-election victory in Rochdale.
The Worker’s Party of Britain incumbent, defending a majority of more than 6,000 votes, was defeated by Labour’s Paul Waugh.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1917543/george-galloway-rochdale-general-election-results-labour
Well that will disappoint some of his supporters here on TS
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-23-05-2024/#comment-2000631
https://thestandard.org.nz/the-future-of-uk-labour-and-what-it-means-for-aotearoa/#comment-1994736
https://thestandard.org.nz/the-future-of-uk-labour-and-what-it-means-for-aotearoa/#comment-1994744
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-01-03-2024/#comment-1991323
Good to see that your Stasi type records mean you have the details at the finger tips.
Is that part of the software that Nationals opposition research use to scape comments from all blogs , facebook twitter
Here's a great video by Jonathan Pie:
https://mountaintuihere.substack.com/p/an-ode-to-the-british-tories
If you aren't already, subscribe to his Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@JonathanPie
That was part 4 of a 5 part series of videos about the different elements to the election
Posie Parker did well lol
Posie Parker probably cozied up with Reform, like the NZ antitrans lobby did with NZ First. PP would sit there comfortably, as she has made anti-migrant and Islamophobic statements in the past.
Looking at the Guardian %s, it's very clear Reform split the RW vote. One electorate I saw in TG graphics had something like 44% Labour, 23% Reform, 25% Cons, so Labour wouldn't have got in without the split.
TG also showed how tactical voting delivered seats for Cymru Plaid party in Wales.
I think Sanctuary was being sarcastic, Parker came trailing in last in her electorate in Bristol Central
https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/07/05/posie-parker-general-election-party-of-women-deposit/
Go that Green!
https://x.com/ThatChris1209/status/1809061851042324592
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carla_Denyer
Go Jeremy!
Heh, rare is the day you see a class left MP in a bourgeois Parliamentary setting…
read and weep Rogernomes, and opportunists…
https://amp.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/jul/05/jeremy-corbyn-re-elected-in-islington-north-for-first-time-as-independent-mp?fbclid=IwY2xjawD0UZRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHfkpjTvr-MFjYz4YqLeLVDl_qh89fy2psndl_UMsQbKTMaWOTFQpJolGgw_aem_EuKGwX8YJmczQ6Biw5FLWQ
The Guardian discusses the significant influence of a pro-Palestinian vote in response to Starmer's early Gaza conflict position, where he defended Israel's cutting of food and water supplies to Gaza.
Labour lost 3 seats to pro-Gaza independent candidates standing at short notice, and cut their majority significantly in others.
As spent as Galloway. Well time Corbyn retired. Nothing left for him to do now.
Not spent, rather planning to be Starmer's conscience:
"Within minutes of his victory speech, Mr Corbyn made a passing attempt at generosity when asked about Sir Keir’s leadership. “He will become prime minister,” he said, sounding rather lukewarm about the prospect, before describing the manifesto of his former party as “thin, to put it mildly”.
Warming up, he decried the “completely undemocratic diktat from the Labour Party” that he could no longer stand for them, and promised: “I will be there holding the government to account.” “I will be one of those people who, if the government does good things, I will back them,” he told reporters. “If it fails… then I will be there speaking up."
from telegraph
If those pro-Gaza MPs don't have the sense to see what a fully sectarian electorate looks like, Sinn Feinn can give them a lesson on its consequences.
Labour's Starmer had the tactical nous to leave those toxic fools and go after a much broader set of seats. And the victory came in part from that smart choice.
If those mostly Muslim electorates saw Starmer as not only pro-Israel, but from his own words, supportive initially of Israel's illegal and geonocidal blockade of water and food supply to millions of Gazans, then good on them for abandoning him.
Starmer also kicked out local candidates who made fairly innocuous pro-Palestinian statements pre-election.
Anti-Starmer rather than anti-Labour vote. Wait and see Starmer expose his authorarian streak in office.
A powerful left government enacting strong reform is exactly what the UK needs. No complaints with that.
A good government is not a strong figurehead, it's a strong team. If Starmer used 'we' more often, hadn't completely reneged on the pledges to Party members he used to secure support, and hadn't made frankly authoritarian purges of excellent Labour candidates on the flimsiest of excuses, he would not have lost my respect.
But, like Corbyn says in his statement, if Starmer can run an effective team by being only a 30% bastard, he can claw some of my respect back too.
I do realise I have strong opinions about the politics in a country I have no vested interest in, but it's a bit of a spectator sport from this side of the world. And we can all be a bit clearer-eyed because it's not our home they're fucking up.
Europe had overtly sectarian parties after WW2 till the late 70s. Especially where the catholic- protestant were large minorities.
I seem to remember that Belgium had separate leftwing catholic and protestant parties. Nowadays their politics mostly split on language lines and separatism ( except the greens !)
Very low voter turn out of near 60% – of that Labour got roughly 40%
That calculates to 60% x .40 = 24% of the voting public actually voted for Labour. 40% did not vote at all so nearly double the numbers said a Pox on ALL your houses and voted for nobody at all!
It is only the First Past the Post electoral system which gave Labout their "majority" of the seats in Parliament.
Labour must deliver to that "silent" 40% or risk a backlash next time around.
Sir rodney already delivered for his major backers (the establishment) by getting elected for continuity purposes.
They really don't.
Didn't vote, unlikely to vote, don't complain.
"24% of the voting public actually voted for Labour"
In totalitarian countries it was 99% turnout.
Think of it like opinion polls, where a small number is statistically representative of all the electorate
24% is a massive opinion poll that is still representative of the 'voting public'
Gone by lunchtime: smug parvenu and Johnson-lover, Rees-Mogg ; anti-migrant Shapps; Penny Mordant, sword-carrier and leadership hopeful; lazy Therese Coffey, including eight current Ministers in all. Attack-dog Badenoch stays, though.
And at 07.55 of Guardian live coverage fantasist Truss's moment of loss captured on film.
the only election coverage you need…
Euro News brief analysis of the fragility of Labour's win.
Red Wall seats lost in 2019 to Tories did not go back to Labour, but over to Farage. The vote split between Tories and Reform let Labour sneak in.
Grant's corporate masters will be delighted if and when Labour's majority is washed away by the next storm that hits the UK.
Can have corporate masters but still make a fair analysis supported by the facts.
Grant is right.
A 'feature' of First Past the Post is that it enables a fuck you vote within one of the major groups. A splinter party emerges that draws support from the main party on that side, effectively killing the main party. Shades of the Bob Jones party here in 1984.
I would argue that it's an even bigger 'feature' of MMP.
You still have the opportunity for an entirely wasted vote (Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party) – parties which don't have a sniff of getting over the 5% threshold.
But, more importantly, you can protest vote for minor parties which are likely to achieve this goal (either through an electorate seat, or wider-spread popular appeal).
There is a perspective which regards the Greens as the left-wing splinter of Labour; and ACT as the right-wing splinter of National.
In either situation, it's very rare (although not unheard of) for the splinter party to 'kill' the main party. Although it did happen in NZ in the early part of the 20th century – with the old Liberal party support being splintered between the up-and-coming Reform (later National) and Labour parties.
Winston Churchill's father said the Tories should not fear the extension of the franchise, the Whigs/Liberals should.
According to the map, it would take an orange and red coalition to beat blue.
https://www.bbc.com/news/election/2024/uk/results
Takeaways from UK election. Firstly great victory for Labour but interesting they only got 35% of the vote. Glad Reform only got 4 seats – Greens with 4 most seats ever, Lib Dems big increase ; glad Jezza gets another five years, but just note he is older than me (given we've been talking a lot about age lately in politics). Would be interesting to see how this all translates in an MMP kind of system. Labour now has to deliver ; that is where the real hard work begins.
34%.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4nglegege1o
A wise PM would have co-operation agreements with the LD and Green parties – together over 50% of the vote.
Thats not what the contest was about.
The name of the game was to win a majority of the seats in the Commons
No chance of cooperation agreement with LD or Greens when Labour has over 400 seats out of 650.
Cant compare too much with previous elections as the boundaries were changed before this election and the previous boundary changes were based on reviews nearly 20 years back
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifth_Periodic_Review_of_Westminster_constituencies
An often ignore factor in NZs electorate seats is boundaries (here are done after every census) and some places have significant changes
The purpose of co-operation agreements with LD and Green would be to
1affirm mandate
2..position for a coalition in 2029, should this be necessary.
A Conservative-LD coalition being an alternative in 2029, if they do not.
They might not do it, but it is the right option.
The first to imply continuance of the institutions of government (abandoned by the Conservative Party) and the second necessary progress.
This allows Labour to be itself, as per sustaining government capability and public delivery – UND of HR (1948) – education, health, housing and adequate income.
PS. I advised Blair (1998) to move to preferential voting electorates and have SM (125 seats awarded at 0.8% of a party list vote). Jenkins agreed, Blair did not and one went to the European Parliament.
Neither necessary nor useful to Labour.
Starmer as a senior civil servant knows perfectly well how to strengthen institutions of state.
Not really a civil service bureaucrat, he was an adviser to a policing board in NI and was appointed Director of Public Prosecutions – an outsider brought in because of his legal background in the human rights aspects of law.
If anything it is that experience, coming in as an outsider, that might help in the strengthening of the capability of government to deliver.
But the continuance of the institutions of the realm is broader than that. And here it is not Labour doing what is is useful to Labour … . This includes being reliable and responsible in government in exercise of executive power. And partnership agreements would serve to secure mandate.
So Greens and Reform both have 4 seats each.
Not exactly a significant minority in parliament (yes, I know the FPP environment makes this harder in the UK).
But you can hardly trumpet the GP result as the 'most seats ever' and ignore that the same applies to the Reform party.
At 33.8%, 1.6% more than Labour under Corbyn.
Yeah a low turnout definitely.
I take from this, and the election of several independents across the country that Britains are getting just a bit tired of the same old party politics.
There are (currently) 5 Independent MPs.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_minor-party_and_independent_MPs_elected_in_the_United_Kingdom
Looking at the profiles, most, if not all, are protest votes against the Labour policy on Israel/Gaza. So, one issue candidates. The only real exception is Corbyn.
33.8% of 60% means less people voted for Labour than in 2019.
21.67% in 2019 and 20.28% in 2024.
Terrific outcome for causal relations in politics: massive landslide produced by a fifth of the electorate – with the tacit support of a significantly large bunch of rightist splitters. X+Y=Z. Also interesting that 6 parties have been featured in the framing of the outcome, so there's a hexad forming UK politics just like here in Aotearoa where we have 3 rightist parties in govt & 3 leftist in opposition.
That fifth that seems primary cause of the landslide points to a pentad of course, and 5 is inherently creative, as in the opposable thumb of primate evolutionary fame, so let's hope that this 5 produces creative ethos in British Labour…
Reform will be outlier like the AFD in Germany and the Le Pen party in France (unless they win against the coalition arrayed against them).
Low turnout often the case when the result was long a foregone conclusion
I have to admit that I watched live the declaration for Islington North and I shouted in glee and pummelled the air when Jeremy Corbyn was declared the winner!
You can't keep a good man down.
But a bit sobered down by the election of Britain's answer to Winston Peters – Farage.
I thought the election was for humans, not humanoids.
Tonight Wanaka's old left made honourable work of the boutique breweries in celebration of the finest win for Labour since 1993.
Shoutout to the team.
Thank goodness Corbyn won Islington North!!!!
That was the only thing I cared about, tbh.
I genuinely admire him, Diane Abbott, John McDonnell and all their comrades – I can only hope UK politics improves with more people like them in time.
More politicians should be more like them around the world.
In a way —
Corbyn should be walking around the world by now.
I am celebrating Angela Rayner as Deputy PM. Genuine working class, left school early, worked as a caregiver, trade unionist. Younger woman. Now compare that to NZ DPMs. If only they were like her.
paula bennet springs to mind
I think she is a sleeper leftie, building power within Labour. Unlike NZ, her position is voted for by Labour members, not chosen by Starmer. I wonder whether part of his leftwing purge of the party was to weaken her position in making a challenge to him.
And, unlike Bennett, she has Housing and Levelling up, financially important infrastructure portfolios.
Here's a New Statesman article last year on Keir and Angela’s backstory.
Imagine having a Deputy PM who was active in a union? Instead what we have here is an old fart who is a career politician since 1978 and a young fart who is famous for twerking and being a jerk. But btw aren’t Winston and Seymour chosen by their party?
Chosen by the NZ electorate….
It's difficult to argue that either ACT or NZF electors weren't making their vote based on the party leader.
Paula Bennett never set her foot anywhere near a union. You need to inform yourself better.
Student union…. but hardly a union of employees
Just like Grant Robertson, Jacinda Ardern & Chris Hipkins.
It's actually harder to find a Leftie NZ politician that has been involved in trade unions, than one who hasn't.
Trade unions are only a small portion of the workforce now , and even less in 'trade' unions . Mostly more professional class such as teachers , nurses , government workers
How many now in national were previously 'working farmers' …apart from Barbara Kuriger..LOL.
FYI most of the Labour MPs were or are members of unions, Mostly before but some joined when they became MPs. Jacinda joined SFWU when she was an intern in HC 's office and union liaison. She went to work as a volunteer for the SEIU in the US. I gave her a reference. Those who worked in Parliamentary Service roles all joined SFWU.
"Genuine working class, left school early, worked as a caregiver, trade unionist".
Perhaps we could compare her to the leading figures in the New Zealand Labour Party. The last one that was in this vein was Mike Moore. Since his time they have all been University Graduates who have very little experience outside University or working in an MP's or Minister's office. Andrew Little is the only leader I can think of in the last 30 years who had anything to do with a real, ie non-Student, Union.
Were there any others?
"little experience outside University or working in an MP's or Minister's office. "
Thats a lot of nationals top leadership too.
Willis for instance completed a BA, followed by Dip in Journalism, but turned down a job offer for a publication ( her mother was a Gallery journalist at the time) to work full time for the national party in parliament and did about 10-12 years at that job including writing the daily spin for John Key. There was a 'sabbatical' when she left the party cadres to be employed by Todd Muller ( later an MP himself) in Fonterra’s Corporate affairs – essentially lobbying ministers she knew in her previous work. When her mentor john Key resigned she quite Fonterra the same week to come back to Wellington to get on the Party list for the next election.
Similar path for Chris Bishop , 1st class honours in law- could have worked in any top law firm- but immediately went to work for the National party as a cadre. ( father as well was Gallery journalist) Sabbatical for a tobacco company as a lobbyist then getting onto list for parliament
I doubt any of them were members of a union,
Yes . But they were party cadres straight out of university that Alwyn seems to despise…except when they are Nats
I wont even go into the ultimate party cadre/policy analyst Seymour
"…except when they are Nats".
Your imagination is working overtime. I think that people who have done nothing else in life except in political activities really shouldn't be MPs. That is for every party.
Those people work for the benefit of their own career, not for the benefit of the country. After all, they don't have any options to fall back on.
That is for every party, not just those on the left. The difference is that in New Zealand it is much more common on the left for them to get into the highest level in their party. Key and Luxon at least had successful careers before they entered Parliament. What did Ardern and Hipkins do?
LOL. That is an arguement against letting people into power that have had "successful careers before entering Parliament".
As both of these examples show, their only skill is competently "feathering their own nests" and that of their mates.
Showing why we should never put corporate brown nosers in positions of power. They do enough damage in the private sector!
Key and Luxon just figureheads as PM .
Key was a currency trader in London and New York while Luxon brand manager for deodorants and such. Complete newbies as far as public service goes.
English was a treasury bureaucrat- and chair of the Haitaitai branch of the party in Wellington when he became an Mp for a rural area he grew up in.. but went to boarding school in Wellington.
Willis and Bishop are the actual decision makers ( remarkable for how often they get Luxon to quickly flip flop on issues) and as explained before are long time party cadres since graduation.
You said it. What, after all is a "successful career?" Does this mean anyone who isn't a business corporate and making huge amounts of money is unsuccessful? What a sorry outlook.
I only looked post-Moore but going by Wikipedia, Phil Goff left school early to work in a freezing works to save up the money to go to university and worked as a union organiser after returning from his OE.
Only Goff and Little were union staff, but there was a range of careers among leaders and deputies since Moore besides political careers – Clark and Cullen were academics, Parker, Caygill and Little were lawyers, Cunliffe was a management consultant, King was a dental nurse, Shearer, Sepuloni and Davis were teachers (Davis also a principal), Robertson, Ardern and Hipkins were policy and political advisers.
Given the last 3, I can see where the perception comes from but it's more nuanced than just being the only or even standard career pathway to Labour leadership.
+100
Rayner's the one to watch while Starmer calms the farm.
Darien Fenton.
Lesley Soper and Helen Duncan worked for the CTU.
Maryan Street PPTA.
Older G. Kelly and S. Davies.
Yes. Thanks.
How many of them were ever ranked in the top half dozen of the Cabinet rankings.
Even simpler, how many, as Ministers, were on the front bench and stayed there?
Gish galloping again
An ex Tory Party boss reckons tactical voting will be important in 2029, as will modernising its use of media platforms, remaining a broad centre-right party and
He must have heeded Peter Oborne's criticism.
https://x.com/EricPickles/status/1809295591152971954
I think it was Sidney Reilly who first said – "don't be a Nigel, better to assume a new name than be a Nigel".
And who can forget the quote of Wat Tyler, to trust a king to is to be visited by 2 knights betrayed by one – "now you know how we felt".
Oswald Farange – to nationalism, what the Ferengi are to capitalism.