Election 2019: An Interesting Day

The Tory media feeding frenzy on Corbyn is in full cry. This is because Tory canvassers are reporting disquiet on working class and suburban doorsteps, votes they must win, lukewarm about their own safety first manifesto. Meanwhile in spite of the attacks on him on every front and ridiculing of his every appearance, Labour maintains an upward trajectory, as its own manifesto gains increasing support. Not yet enough for a Labour win but getting near to stopping a Tory majority, or one big enough to work with. With tactical voting among hard core remainers and leavers, the polls may be meaningless anyway.

But every time Corbyn is asked five times in a row a question designed to produce a soundbite to make the interviewer feel good and get a headline, Corbyn is able to repeat his key message again and again. And while the media go into overdrive about Corbyn refusing to answer a question, voters if they bother at all, remember not the question but Corbyn’s programme for solving their problems brought home by years of austerity.

Then we have the revelation (which delvers knew already) that in technical talks with the US about the wonder trade deal Boris promises, the NHS is very much on the agenda of things America want access to. It is a must do for them and even if Trump in an effort to help Boris his friend, waived the demand, Congress which has to approve every line of the deal, would put it back in. So the chances of a full trade deal are near to zero. Individual agreements involving importing chlorinated chicken and genetically modified crops in exchange for luxury cars, for example. But no all embracing deal.

Set against Boris’s hard Brexit plan with its border, invisible to him, but an obstacle to every sort of smooth trade, down the Irish Sea, his slogan ‘Get Brexit Done’ will begin to pose its own question.

Why would anyone want to do that?

And also today a record number, up on 2017, registered to vote within the deadline, bringing the total to over 3 million. 70% of whom are under 34, the majority of whom are statistically Remainers and likely to vote anything but Tory. So it is not over yet. Indeed it is getting really interesting.