There are some very important news we should be paying attention to right now. For example, storm Bert has caused widespread devastation throughout parts of the UK. Also, much of the Middle East is in turmoil, and Europe is on the brink of a military confrontation with Russia.
Yet the English so-called national press and their supporters in the social media landscape are literally wetting themselves over an online petition calling for a national general election– less than five months after we had one. Over two million people (or are they mostly bots?) have so far signed the petition calling for PM Keir Starmer to call for a new poll. Not surprisingly, commentators on the political right as well as spokespersons for both Conservative and Reform UK parties have been having their say on this.
Given the current Labour government’s current difficulties on the domestic front, particuarly on winter fuel payments, welfare plans and tax policies, there has been talk of the administration heading for collapse…except that isn’t going to happen anytime soon. For a start, as many constitutional experts will say, most online petitions, except in some circumstances, are routinely rejected by the government of the day, so such petitions may not be discussed in parliament. Also, a new poll can only realistically be called by the prime minister- even this former Conservative MP pointed this out.
It’s rather ironic that many of those people calling for an election kept telling people that the controversial EU referendum in 2016 was the will of the people, and that there should never, ever be another one in the future.
Whatever one’s view of Starmer, he… and the current administration… are not going to lose power anytime soon.