What happens if Labour wins?

maas101

'What happens if Labour wins?'

I will promptly sell everything and abandon this country for good.

Any Colour but Brown

You're missing one contending faction for the Labour leadership - the Unions.

As they hold the purse strings, they're likely to be the deciding factor in who is the next Labour leader - and they will put one of their own stooges in.

The Laughing Cavalier

The prospect of Brown going on and on must be worth a million votes for the Conservatives. Or more. It is vital that every constituency in the land ensures that the Conservative vote is mobilised to the fullest possible extent. It is not enough that we win, Labour must lose big time, it must be annihilated. I will then be plunged into such internecine warfare as to ensure it spends decades in opposition.

Willie de Peepul

Headline? Silly question.

Answer? The country goes to hell in a handcart.

Pete

If Labour wins, then the UK will deserve everything it gets.

Maybe the USA will then invade us and we can live off their generosity.

However, if the USA don't invade, then the case for letting Scotland have its independence IMMEDIATELY will be overwhelming!

Alexis

What a nightmare scenario ... though an extremely unlikely one.

Though if it did happen, I would pack up (the family) and move country, along with many others.

Ben G

C'mon, do you seriously believe that if, in the miraculous event that Brown won the election, there would be any rationale for ditching him, in his hour of victory?

DavidL

I agree with any colour but Brown that the unions hold the key to Labour's future. All of Blair's attempts to wean them off the tit of union finance have failed and there will be far fewer donations in opposition when there are less baubles to play with. Alan Johnson looks their placeman. It is probably good news. The next Government will have a hard enough time without a competent opposition.

The Moderate

What happens if Labour wins?

Much like the past inhabitants of these Islands, we bury our valuables in the ground and pray that we're still alive at some later date in order that we may come back and recover them.

Anyone with an interest in archaeology will know however, that the above scenario didn't always play out as our ancestors hoped.

Short the UK

If Old Labour win with Mr Brown the UK should be renamed the UKSSR.

A huge number of our top sales people (wealth creators) would leave the country and our economic decline would be permanent. Our balance sheet would be screwed as cash flow shrunk (tax receipts).

I would grieve for a couple of months.

Yes, the British public gave us New Labour so why not Old Labour. It would be a rerun of the 70s but this time there would be no way back.

This pithy analysis by Steve Tierney sums it up well:

"A company, Widgets Inc, is the leading firm producing widgets in Widgettown. It is so successful that it decides (for the best of reasons) to change the nature of work for its employees.

The company introduces a free creche for the workers children. It subsidises breakfast and lunch, offers 9 weeks a year holiday, it allows flexitime and extensive leave for personal and emotional issues. It puts water coolers, coffee machines and donut carts in every office. It encourages sabbatical years (on full pay) for its staff to explore the world.

In short, it becomes a fantastic company to work for - the envy of other firms - the most wonderful place to earn your wage.

Elsewhere in Widgettown a small, lean, hungry firm opens up - EasyWidgets Inc. It takes the people who couldn't get a job in Widgets Inc.It makes the same widgets, with minimal staff on minimal wages. There is no creche, no paid leave and if you want a coffee and a donut you have to bring them in and eat them during one of the very short alloted breaks each day. with so few overheads it makes the widgets for a fraction of the cost and undercuts Widgets Inc dramatically and consistently.

Widgets Inc. can huff and puff and demand protective regulation and point to its successes and progressive stance to its heart's content. Nevertheless, its days are numbered."

EyeSee

Accepting the postulation (and not considering the unlikely nature) it is clearly in line with Labour actions. If labour won the General Election with Gordon in charge, naturally there would be a leadership challenge immediately a) because the prats would want power for themselves and b) because, once again it would mean Labour led by someone the country didn't support in that role. Bloody democracy eh? Gets in the way of proper politics. You remember, the sort of conversations and spats you had when you were in the playground at primary school.

Roger Davies

The FTSE will bomb, there will be a run on £Sterling and the cost of borrowing will increase. One week later the IMF will be drafting a new Budget and set of action plans to cut Public Spending by around 20%. Coupled with this, those that can will make plans to leave.

stephen

If Labour get back its the votes for the Lib Dems that will have let them back! Dave needs to be turning his fire power on them as much as Labour. A vote for the Lib Dems in my book at the next election is a vote for Labour and all the frightfulness it brings in Govt.

JONNY

All these calculations are based on the religion that the Tories need about an 8 or 9 pt swing for an even small majority.
But a piece in today's PB argues that 5 points might suffice. And a nine pointer give a big majority.
Are we all worshipping a false god?

alex

If Labour wins the election it will be Gordon Brown TRIUMPHANT. Not the semi-contrite man of recent months.

Ed Balls as Chancellor. Taxes up, the "Equalities" agenda enshrined, the election system changed to crush the Tories for another generation, a move against private schools, a massive expansion of council housing, "pay restraint" and nationalisation of selected companies.

It's a real fork in the road coming up, and all those who'd cut of their nose to spite their face (I mean UKIP voters) should wake up before it is too late.

Barbara

If they win, then this country will go down with Greece and the rest in the EU; and half the true Brits will leave a sinking ship has it goes totally totalitarian and the staues of Blair and Brown grace parliament square. No thank you, they are already contemplating selling off Dover port, to the French, what next, the Royal Family? We must all rally and rid ourselves of this cancer before it's to late or we will see our country destroyed before our eyes. To even think they can win upsets me and I cannot believe people don't vote in this country we should make it compulsary to get true democracy here.

strapworld

I know I am not alone in challenging the opinion polls. My sceptisim was challenged by Political Bettings Angus Reid polls, which tell me what my own beliefs are.

Yesterday and today Political Betting are running two articles on well researched data on local constituencies and all conservatives from Trevors Den to those like myself should read it. It will raise your spirits.

As for Cameron. At long last he has attacked the one person who can be blamed for our problems BROWN. It has taken him far too long but praise where it is due.

But he must continue this attack on the person. After all that is all Brown and that odious creep Mandleson and the boy Balls, have been doing all the time to the Conservatives.

Never mind policies. It is Brown who should be the target. Do you want this awful person as Prime Minister? Brown is the worst news for the Labour Party.

Give Brown a good kicking!

Marcher Baron

What happens if Labour wins? Armageddon - in the sense that some people will be thinking "Ah'm a-geddin' outa here".

I've just watched a BBC (hiss, spit!) questionnaire set in Caerdydd (Cardiff) asking "Do you want another 5 years of Brown/Labour?" Very few said yes unhesitatingly, but an awful lot were dithering. The minuscule hike in the "we're out of recession" figures seemed to be enough to sway some towards not rocking the boat. I can only hope that come election time, the figures will have been corrected and turned negative again.

John Bailey

England deserves all it gets.

Paddy

Maas 101: I've already left.

I'll be back when Brown goes.

John Richardson

'alex'

Please see Cameron's (well publicised) pronouncements before hoping he will not simply continue the same destructive 'equalities agenda'.
It is the few clear policies he has announced that mean some of us cannot support him.

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'strapworld'

Thanks for the ref. to those two essays.
Though it is always fun to read an expert writing about something they love, even statisticians, I have one serious question.
What about turnout ?
This question seems totally absent from both essays.
The political issue was never...
'What form will a swing to the Conservatives take?'
Instead it was...
'Will deserting core principles to attract swing voters pay off for Cameron?'
Without an acknowledgment that BOTH Parties have moved from their 'core' vote, the essays seem to me to be purely 'stats' with no 'politics'.
If Brown does something like guarantee no compulsory redundancies from State jobs for two years. Then he might bribe a lot of voters at the last minute.
Dishonest and corrupt, but that's not stopped them before.
How could Cameron respond ?

Sevo

If Labour win, Sterling and the Footsie will plunge faster and deeper than gold ingots (sold by the Treasury at the worst possible time) dropped over the side of a fishing trawler (operated by now-redundant fishermen).

Old Holborn

the French are so worried, they've bought Dover. Try getting out after June.

Pardon Monsieur, c'est ne pas possible. Vous etes un "Extremist domestique"

Ben Elford

Labour MPs must be earnestly hoping that their party is indeed comfortably defeated at the coming election, to make it more likely that their unfortunate leader can be swiftly despatched without undue effort on their own part.

It's their only hope.

Chuck Unsworth

If Labour wins I've still got the Beretta px4 and simply masses of rimless.

Chris lancashire

In the event of a Brown win even blindness would be no bar to him carrying on.
After all, he's completely blind to what he's done.

Edward Palmer

Time to leave, along with all the Archbishops, as the Caliphate (friends of Straw, etc.) will be established before the next GE. Maybe I'll move to Pakistan - it will be much more pleasant after all the troublemakers have moved here.

Richard

well Call me Dave will end up like the last 4 leaders on the back benches regreting his edict on secondary incomes.
He could write his memoirs I suppose...."How I threw it away"

Who ever wins we are in for some tough times so does it really matter?

strapworld

John Richardson. I did consider turnout myself, but, I am though of the opinion that we are in a state where people are well and truly sick and tired of Brown and his cronies. The scandal of Iraq and Afghanistan. I feel that the turnout will be far greater than we dare think and the Labour Party and Liberal Democrats will suffer.

I take heart from the post by Marcher Baron re Cardiff. A safe Labour constituency and they are not confident, obviously. Wales will kick the Labour Party for six. The recession has hit the valley's greatly.

I am not compacent. I believe the greater the attack on Brown the greater the chance that those most loyal to Labour will actually listen and realise that this clown, Brown, has been is and will be a total disaster for the country.

Sir Graphus

The electorate is in something of a quandary, then. We are, collectively, aware that we're up the swannee and need a leader of rare character.

We're not that convinced about Dave & George, when we imagine a conservative govt.

But the thought of Labour is horrific. We know Gordon is a disaster, and we're well aware the fighting will start again very quickly if they win. We know they haven't a clue how to fix the country.

So what do we do?

Rob C

Answer = civil war. It may take a few months, but sterling will free-fall, the UK will default on debt, inflation will soar (followed by interest rates) and when there is no money left to pay the public sector the widespread strikes will plunge the country into anarchy. The army's depleted resources will be inadequate and the NATO will be forced into a containment operation. After a number of years, the failed state of the UK will be either carved up between France, Germany and Spain or used as an EU 'Alcatraz' (offshore refugee camp)...

Those of you lucky enough to have emigrated, please spare a thought for those of us left behind in a third world ghetto created by New Labour's social experiments.

Disco stew

If they win,all hope will be lost and i will
move to Brasil.surely the people of this country are not stupid.

Fergus Pickering

What do you do, Sir Grahus? You vote Tory and hope. You can pray too, if you wish.

David Jones

Dear maas101: why do people so often declare they will leave the country if such-and-such party gets into power or such-and-such a law is enacted? They never keep do leave in the end and, if they did, how many of us would notice?

dave1

If Labour wins then it shows that people don't care what happens to their country.

Das

Certainly there will be plans for civil war if Labour get back in. Remember, only 20% of the country would have voted for that party. Where I live I saw one labour poster, loads of lib dems and conservative posters.