The anti-vax nutters are a minority and they also inhabit both sides of the political spectrum. Nothing vaguely approaching rational thought is going to deter or influence them.Stom wrote:I think you’re under doing how big a grip this is. There are a lot more then you might think, while there are a lot of Tory voters who would rather vote for a liar then for the communists taking their pension away.Sandydragon wrote:He is gambling on the public having no attention span and forgetting about party gate, particularly if some of the mud sticks. Most of the anti-vax conspiracy nutters won't be influence either way but would probably like the excuse to get (more) angry at someone like Starmer. I suppose the question is that having crossed one line, how many more will he cross to hold onto power? I sense that the May elections will be interesting, but the next GE will be very dirty.Son of Mathonwy wrote: Despicable. Will it work, I wonder? Some people will be willing to believe it, some will be disgusted at Johnson's tactics. The QAnon crew were never going to vote for Starmer anyway.
In the end though, it's a desperate tactic, no doubt a line Johnson would have preferred to save till a general election. So he's shot that bolt.
Whilst anecdotal, I don't get the sense that the anger around party gate is dropping. Some people don't care and will never care, but there is something about us all being in it together that Boris has just driven a bulldozer through. That might always be a load of rubbish but the perception that we are all following the same rules is important and Boris has destroyed that. With cost of living increases about to hit very hard and many businesses not looking forward to paying the additional NI after such significant disruption, things are about to get a lot worse for Boris.
The big question is I suppose when we get to the next GE, can Starmer and Labour, plus other opposition parties and I still think there is merit in an agreement with the Liberals and SNP, exploit this to the full? If Labour can regain the red wall and hold the big cities and the Liberals can make headway in parts of the country that won't vote Labour but might vote Liberal then that 80 seat majority suddenly looks very vulnerable.
There are plenty of life time conservatives who I wouldn't categorise as anti-vax nutters who will never vote Labour. But then they may decide not to vote at all, or could be tempted to vote Liberal. The Conservatives will retain a lot of seats in the rural areas, even Blair only made limited inroads into the likes of East Devon in his 97 victory, which Im sure Labour will know and will target those that are ripe for the taking.
