{"id":2184,"date":"2024-07-03T09:37:53","date_gmt":"2024-07-03T09:37:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/chris-mason-we-stand-on-the-threshold-of-a-landmark-election\/"},"modified":"2024-07-03T09:37:53","modified_gmt":"2024-07-03T09:37:53","slug":"chris-mason-we-stand-on-the-threshold-of-a-landmark-election","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/chris-mason-we-stand-on-the-threshold-of-a-landmark-election\/","title":{"rendered":"Chris Mason: We stand on the threshold of a landmark election"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Chris Mason: We stand on the threshold of a landmark election<\/p>\n<div data-component=\"image-block\" class=\"ssrcss-xza2yt-ComponentWrapper ep2nwvo1\">\n<figure class=\"ssrcss-8589xk-StyledFigure e34k3c23\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-ab5fd8-StyledFigureContainer e34k3c21\"><span class=\"ssrcss-fmt1c3-Placeholder etlorgc0\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/240\/cpsprodpb\/db79\/live\/1c20ddd0-38a5-11ef-bbe0-29f79e992ddd.jpg.webp 240w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/320\/cpsprodpb\/db79\/live\/1c20ddd0-38a5-11ef-bbe0-29f79e992ddd.jpg.webp 320w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/db79\/live\/1c20ddd0-38a5-11ef-bbe0-29f79e992ddd.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/624\/cpsprodpb\/db79\/live\/1c20ddd0-38a5-11ef-bbe0-29f79e992ddd.jpg.webp 624w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/800\/cpsprodpb\/db79\/live\/1c20ddd0-38a5-11ef-bbe0-29f79e992ddd.jpg.webp 800w, https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/89cn7s.jpg.webp 976w\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/89cn7s.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/240\/cpsprodpb\/db79\/live\/1c20ddd0-38a5-11ef-bbe0-29f79e992ddd.jpg 240w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/320\/cpsprodpb\/db79\/live\/1c20ddd0-38a5-11ef-bbe0-29f79e992ddd.jpg 320w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/db79\/live\/1c20ddd0-38a5-11ef-bbe0-29f79e992ddd.jpg 480w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/624\/cpsprodpb\/db79\/live\/1c20ddd0-38a5-11ef-bbe0-29f79e992ddd.jpg 624w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/800\/cpsprodpb\/db79\/live\/1c20ddd0-38a5-11ef-bbe0-29f79e992ddd.jpg 800w, https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/89cn7s.jpg 976w\" width=\"976\" height=\"549\" class=\"ssrcss-11yxrdo-Image edrdn950\"><\/picture><\/span><span role=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-tvuve5-StyledFigureCopyright e34k3c20\">PA and Reuters<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"byline-block\" class=\"ssrcss-1hbb5i-BylineComponentWrapper e8mq1e90\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-qt5zqv-BylineWrapper e8mq1e917\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-h3c0s8-ContributorContainer e8mq1e916\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1u2in0b-Container-ContributorDetails e8mq1e913\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-68pt20-Text-TextContributorName e8mq1e96\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1q14p6q-LinkWithChevronContainer e8mq1e91\">Chris Mason<span class=\"ssrcss-o1g7k8-IconContainer-IconContainerChevron e8mq1e93\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" width=\"1em\" height=\"1em\" class=\"ssrcss-xi5oyi-StyledIcon e161cein1\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M21.6 14.3 5.5 31h6.4l14.6-15L11.9 1H5.5l16.1 16.7z\" \/><\/svg><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-84ltp5-Text e8mq1e910\">Political editor<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-84ltp5-Text e8mq1e910\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1q14p6q-LinkWithChevronContainer e8mq1e91\">@ChrisMasonBBC<span class=\"ssrcss-86zs3k-IconContainer-IconContainerChevron e8mq1e93\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" width=\"1em\" height=\"1em\" class=\"ssrcss-xi5oyi-StyledIcon e161cein1\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M21.6 14.3 5.5 31h6.4l14.6-15L11.9 1H5.5l16.1 16.7z\" \/><\/svg><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-jlwt2c-Divider e8mq1e915\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"metadata-block\" class=\"ssrcss-xza2yt-ComponentWrapper ep2nwvo1\">\n<div>\n<ul role=\"list\" class=\"ssrcss-j4gvkq-MetadataStripContainer eh44mf03\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-13nu8ri-GroupChildrenForWrapping eh44mf02\">\n<li role=\"listitem\" class=\"ssrcss-30fcoe-MetadataStripItem eh44mf01\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-m5j4pi-MetadataContent eh44mf00\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1pvwv4b-MetadataSnippet e4wm5bw3\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1if1g9v-MetadataText e4wm5bw1\"><time data-testid=\"timestamp\" datetime=\"2024-07-03T00:34:22.582Z\">7 hours ago<\/time><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/div>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\"><b class=\"ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3\">The general election campaign is all but over.<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">In the last few weeks, recent precedent suggests up to one in five voters have already voted, by post.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Tomorrow, it is the big moment for everyone else.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">It is six weeks to the day since Prime Minister Rishi Sunak got a drenching in Downing Street and this roadshow of persuasion began.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">So, what has changed, what hasn\u2019t changed and what does this tell us about where we find ourselves?<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The stand-out fact at the heart of this campaign is that for all the noise and hullaballoo over the past month-and-a-half, the colossal gap in the opinion polls between Labour and the Conservatives has barely budged.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Conservatives, from the top down, are braced for defeat &#8211; and a potentially catastrophic one at that.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Labour, poll after poll after poll suggests, are miles ahead.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"image-block\" class=\"ssrcss-xza2yt-ComponentWrapper ep2nwvo1\">\n<figure class=\"ssrcss-8589xk-StyledFigure e34k3c23\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-ab5fd8-StyledFigureContainer e34k3c21\"><span class=\"ssrcss-vcsx3p-Placeholder etlorgc0\"><span><\/p>\n<div><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/240\/cpsprodpb\/4f55\/live\/2c3949a0-3891-11ef-a044-9d4367d5b599.png.webp 240w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/320\/cpsprodpb\/4f55\/live\/2c3949a0-3891-11ef-a044-9d4367d5b599.png.webp 320w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/4f55\/live\/2c3949a0-3891-11ef-a044-9d4367d5b599.png.webp 480w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/624\/cpsprodpb\/4f55\/live\/2c3949a0-3891-11ef-a044-9d4367d5b599.png.webp 624w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/800\/cpsprodpb\/4f55\/live\/2c3949a0-3891-11ef-a044-9d4367d5b599.png.webp 800w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/976\/cpsprodpb\/4f55\/live\/2c3949a0-3891-11ef-a044-9d4367d5b599.png.webp 976w\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"More on General Election 2024\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/zXb1zV.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/240\/cpsprodpb\/4f55\/live\/2c3949a0-3891-11ef-a044-9d4367d5b599.png 240w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/320\/cpsprodpb\/4f55\/live\/2c3949a0-3891-11ef-a044-9d4367d5b599.png 320w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/4f55\/live\/2c3949a0-3891-11ef-a044-9d4367d5b599.png 480w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/624\/cpsprodpb\/4f55\/live\/2c3949a0-3891-11ef-a044-9d4367d5b599.png 624w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/800\/cpsprodpb\/4f55\/live\/2c3949a0-3891-11ef-a044-9d4367d5b599.png 800w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/976\/cpsprodpb\/4f55\/live\/2c3949a0-3891-11ef-a044-9d4367d5b599.png 976w\" width=\"2048\" height=\"337.06666666666666\" class=\"ssrcss-11yxrdo-Image edrdn950\"><\/picture><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1o5f7ft-BulletListContainer e5tfeyi0\">\n<ul role=\"list\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Poll tracker: How do parties compare?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Compare all the election manifestos and policies<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">What photo ID will you need to vote?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">General election 2024: All BBC stories and analysis<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Sir Keir Starmer and his Labour team have been quietly preparing for government, while wracked with a paranoia about complacency.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Nothing the prime minister has attempted, both during his conventional time in office and then during this campaign, appears to have made much difference to his political fortunes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The Conservative Party is adept at chameleon-like reinvention \u2013 after all, we\u2019ve seen a succession of Tory prime ministers defining themselves against the record of their immediate predecessor.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">But that strategy began to collide with its own contradictions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Was Rishi Sunak seeking to own the long Conservative stint in office, or distance himself from it?<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">How many of the myriad challenges the UK faces could realistically be blamed on any other party?<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The past 14 years of Conservative-led government add up to a stint in office shaped by two referenda &#8211; Scottish independence and Brexit &#8211; and the international shocks of Covid and the war in Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The referenda recast our domestic politics and our relations with our nearest neighbours.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"image-block\" class=\"ssrcss-xza2yt-ComponentWrapper ep2nwvo1\">\n<figure class=\"ssrcss-8589xk-StyledFigure e34k3c23\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-ab5fd8-StyledFigureContainer e34k3c21\"><span class=\"ssrcss-eic35i-Placeholder etlorgc0\"><span><\/p>\n<div><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/240\/cpsprodpb\/5820\/live\/f4a395b0-38a7-11ef-be63-dd84b28a5b0d.jpg.webp 240w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/320\/cpsprodpb\/5820\/live\/f4a395b0-38a7-11ef-be63-dd84b28a5b0d.jpg.webp 320w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/5820\/live\/f4a395b0-38a7-11ef-be63-dd84b28a5b0d.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/624\/cpsprodpb\/5820\/live\/f4a395b0-38a7-11ef-be63-dd84b28a5b0d.jpg.webp 624w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/800\/cpsprodpb\/5820\/live\/f4a395b0-38a7-11ef-be63-dd84b28a5b0d.jpg.webp 800w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/976\/cpsprodpb\/5820\/live\/f4a395b0-38a7-11ef-be63-dd84b28a5b0d.jpg.webp 976w\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"John Swinney\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/WvkujO.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/240\/cpsprodpb\/5820\/live\/f4a395b0-38a7-11ef-be63-dd84b28a5b0d.jpg 240w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/320\/cpsprodpb\/5820\/live\/f4a395b0-38a7-11ef-be63-dd84b28a5b0d.jpg 320w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/5820\/live\/f4a395b0-38a7-11ef-be63-dd84b28a5b0d.jpg 480w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/624\/cpsprodpb\/5820\/live\/f4a395b0-38a7-11ef-be63-dd84b28a5b0d.jpg 624w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/800\/cpsprodpb\/5820\/live\/f4a395b0-38a7-11ef-be63-dd84b28a5b0d.jpg 800w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/976\/cpsprodpb\/5820\/live\/f4a395b0-38a7-11ef-be63-dd84b28a5b0d.jpg 976w\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1151.7280728376327\" class=\"ssrcss-11yxrdo-Image edrdn950\"><\/picture><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/span><span role=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-tvuve5-StyledFigureCopyright e34k3c20\">PA<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">One propelled the Scottish National Party to unprecedented heights, altitude from which it expects to tumble tomorrow.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The other &#8211; leaving the European Union &#8211; convulsed the continent, the country and, in particular, the Conservative Party, emboldening, chewing up and recasting the Tories in ways still visible now.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The cast of Conservative MPs elected in 2019 was an improbable coalition, sent to Westminster by an electorate collectively desperate to see the Brexit impasse end and the UK\u2019s departure from the EU delivered.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">That done, the Jenga-like combination of northern English Tories &#8211; many of whom wanted more state intervention in the economy &#8211; and traditional small-state Tories, often in the south, quickly proved very wobbly indeed under Boris Johnson\u2019s chaotic leadership.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">And while most people don&#8217;t pay attention to politics most of the time, even the least engaged  \u2013 here and around the world \u2013 noticed the UK, that longstanding bastion of political predictability, churn through three prime ministers in a matter of a few weeks in autumn 2022.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">In this context, I suspect the history books, shorn as they are of the daily noise of news, may be quite kind to Rishi Sunak: a man who brought an element of political and economic stability to the UK after the absence of either, confronting political headwinds that precedent suggested would be almost impossible to withstand.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">But stopping other countries laughing at us and managing a sluggish economy at best \u2013 after nearly two decades of pitifully weak economic growth, traced back to the economic crisis of 2007 and 2008 \u2013 was never likely to be a general election-winning formula.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">And there is another thing: no party has ever won five general elections in a row in modern times.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">That is the brutal truth of history, from Rishi Sunak\u2019s point of view, that he walks towards tomorrow.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"riddle-block\" class=\"ssrcss-134xvqb-EmbedPortraitContainer-PortraitRiddleContainer ecegd044\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-8kytpf-StyledRiddleContainer exeu9nv0\">\n<div class=\"riddle2-wrapper\" data-embed-url=\"https:\/\/www.riddle.com\/embed\/a\/Y6ACaWEy\" data-rid-id=\"Y6ACaWEy\" data-testid=\"riddle-target\" id=\"riddle-quiz-Y6ACaWEy\"><iframe title=\"riddle-embed\" style=\"height:0\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1tnb477-MessageContainer ecegd041\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1o1bctl-IconContainer ecegd042\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" width=\"1em\" height=\"1em\" class=\"ssrcss-xi5oyi-StyledIcon e161cein1\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M16 31c8.5 0 15-6.5 15-15S24.5 1 16 1 1 7.5 1 16s6.5 15 15 15m-2.2-5.5V12.7h4.4v12.9h-4.4zM16 10c-1.7 0-2.7-.9-2.7-2.4s1-2.4 2.7-2.4 2.7.9 2.7 2.4-1 2.4-2.7 2.4\" \/><\/svg><\/span><span class=\"ssrcss-1n29i04-MessageTextContainer ecegd040\">What information do we collect from this quiz?<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">But there is another brutal truth, from Keir Starmer\u2019s point of view too: Labour lose far more elections than they win, including ones people might expect them to win.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Labour has lost four general elections in a row.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">While some might have expected them to have a wobble or a panic at some point in this campaign, particularly if it looked like the Tories were catching them up, Labour have been as disciplined as they have been careful, studiously protecting what they hope is a consistent enough lead to point not just to victory, but a comfortable one.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">They talk a lot about their planned &#8220;missions&#8221; in government.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Their mission in opposition has been to reassure; to show recent Conservative voters they can be trusted not least with the economy and national security.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">They have tried to pull off the balancing act of sounding like a government in waiting without sounding complacent; setting out what they\u2019d like to do without implying getting to do it is guaranteed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">They know too that if they do win, they will inherit bleak public finances and a restless electorate \u2013 a wave of optimism and goodwill seems unlikely, however sizeable any majority.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">And even a big majority doesn\u2019t make some things easier.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Sir Keir Starmer acknowledged to me this week in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire,  that Labour would let prisoners out early because the jails are full, just as the Conservatives have done.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"piano-inline1\"><\/div>\n<div data-component=\"image-block\" class=\"ssrcss-xza2yt-ComponentWrapper ep2nwvo1\">\n<figure class=\"ssrcss-8589xk-StyledFigure e34k3c23\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-ab5fd8-StyledFigureContainer e34k3c21\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1atlmgh-Placeholder etlorgc0\"><span><\/p>\n<div><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/240\/cpsprodpb\/5f10\/live\/935a3070-38a7-11ef-be63-dd84b28a5b0d.jpg.webp 240w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/320\/cpsprodpb\/5f10\/live\/935a3070-38a7-11ef-be63-dd84b28a5b0d.jpg.webp 320w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/5f10\/live\/935a3070-38a7-11ef-be63-dd84b28a5b0d.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/624\/cpsprodpb\/5f10\/live\/935a3070-38a7-11ef-be63-dd84b28a5b0d.jpg.webp 624w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/800\/cpsprodpb\/5f10\/live\/935a3070-38a7-11ef-be63-dd84b28a5b0d.jpg.webp 800w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/976\/cpsprodpb\/5f10\/live\/935a3070-38a7-11ef-be63-dd84b28a5b0d.jpg.webp 976w\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Zia Yusuf\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/qysDu5.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/240\/cpsprodpb\/5f10\/live\/935a3070-38a7-11ef-be63-dd84b28a5b0d.jpg 240w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/320\/cpsprodpb\/5f10\/live\/935a3070-38a7-11ef-be63-dd84b28a5b0d.jpg 320w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/5f10\/live\/935a3070-38a7-11ef-be63-dd84b28a5b0d.jpg 480w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/624\/cpsprodpb\/5f10\/live\/935a3070-38a7-11ef-be63-dd84b28a5b0d.jpg 624w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/800\/cpsprodpb\/5f10\/live\/935a3070-38a7-11ef-be63-dd84b28a5b0d.jpg 800w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/976\/cpsprodpb\/5f10\/live\/935a3070-38a7-11ef-be63-dd84b28a5b0d.jpg 976w\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1151.9719851170935\" class=\"ssrcss-11yxrdo-Image edrdn950\"><\/picture><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/span><span role=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-tvuve5-StyledFigureCopyright e34k3c20\">Reuters<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Alongside those stubbornly sticky opinion poll leads for Labour, the other big fact of this long campaign was the arrival, after characteristic teasing, of Nigel Farage \u2013 as both a candidate and the new leader of Reform UK.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The Conservative Party\u2019s grinning nightmare personified, his party\u2019s uptick in the opinion polls matching the uptick in the blood pressure of so many Tories.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">And I note a new name in politics, who I reckon might be worth keeping an eye on: Zia Yusuf.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Mr Yusuf is a hugely successful thirtysomething tech entrepreneur who has donated hundreds of thousands of pounds to Reform UK.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">This and him being Muslim is interesting in its own right, counterintuitive as it might be to some that he would back Reform.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">But to listen to him at a giant rally in Birmingham at the weekend was to hear Reform\u2019s political case in a markedly different register to that of Nigel Farage.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">No less passionate or full of conviction \u2013 not least in his view that immigration is out of control \u2013 but a different tone.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">A future political leader I found myself pondering, if he maintains his appetite for politics.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"image-block\" class=\"ssrcss-xza2yt-ComponentWrapper ep2nwvo1\">\n<figure class=\"ssrcss-8589xk-StyledFigure e34k3c23\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-ab5fd8-StyledFigureContainer e34k3c21\"><span class=\"ssrcss-t8xsgn-Placeholder etlorgc0\"><span><\/p>\n<div><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/240\/cpsprodpb\/1733\/live\/26f30790-38a7-11ef-be63-dd84b28a5b0d.jpg.webp 240w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/320\/cpsprodpb\/1733\/live\/26f30790-38a7-11ef-be63-dd84b28a5b0d.jpg.webp 320w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/1733\/live\/26f30790-38a7-11ef-be63-dd84b28a5b0d.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/624\/cpsprodpb\/1733\/live\/26f30790-38a7-11ef-be63-dd84b28a5b0d.jpg.webp 624w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/800\/cpsprodpb\/1733\/live\/26f30790-38a7-11ef-be63-dd84b28a5b0d.jpg.webp 800w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/976\/cpsprodpb\/1733\/live\/26f30790-38a7-11ef-be63-dd84b28a5b0d.jpg.webp 976w\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Sir Ed Davey\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/vml4Eg.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/240\/cpsprodpb\/1733\/live\/26f30790-38a7-11ef-be63-dd84b28a5b0d.jpg 240w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/320\/cpsprodpb\/1733\/live\/26f30790-38a7-11ef-be63-dd84b28a5b0d.jpg 320w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/1733\/live\/26f30790-38a7-11ef-be63-dd84b28a5b0d.jpg 480w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/624\/cpsprodpb\/1733\/live\/26f30790-38a7-11ef-be63-dd84b28a5b0d.jpg 624w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/800\/cpsprodpb\/1733\/live\/26f30790-38a7-11ef-be63-dd84b28a5b0d.jpg 800w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/976\/cpsprodpb\/1733\/live\/26f30790-38a7-11ef-be63-dd84b28a5b0d.jpg 976w\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1152.0904593639575\" class=\"ssrcss-11yxrdo-Image edrdn950\"><\/picture><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/span><span role=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-tvuve5-StyledFigureCopyright e34k3c20\">PA<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Next the Liberal Democrats, where if services to absurdity were the route to electoral success, they would be heading for a landslide.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Leader Sir Ed Davey\u2019s midlife crisis just so happened to coincide with a general election campaign, and no end of zany capers followed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">In the clamour for our attention, the Liberal Democrats have always struggled, elbowed out of the limelight by Westminster\u2019s giants, the Conservatives and Labour, and for much of the last decade dislodged from third place in the Commons by the Scottish National Party.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Sir Ed\u2019s stunts have certainly caught the eye, and he can point to his difficult life, losing both parents to cancer as a child and being the father of a disabled son, to claim that messing about isn\u2019t inconsistent with being serious-minded and aware of the struggles of many.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The Lib Dems are chipper: they are confident they can capitalise on what they are certain is a disdain for the Conservatives in parts of the country which are not enamoured by Labour.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">It looks likely, given how they privately estimate they might do and how privately the Scottish National Party fear they might fare, that the Liberal Democrats can overtake the SNP to become Westminster\u2019s third biggest party.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">If this happens, it would push back the strength of the political case for another Scottish independence referendum and embolden the platform from which the Lib Dems would speak \u2013 guaranteed as they would be, for instance, to be able to contribute to Prime Minister\u2019s Questions every week.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"image-block\" class=\"ssrcss-xza2yt-ComponentWrapper ep2nwvo1\">\n<figure class=\"ssrcss-8589xk-StyledFigure e34k3c23\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-ab5fd8-StyledFigureContainer e34k3c21\"><span class=\"ssrcss-62pxsd-Placeholder etlorgc0\"><span><\/p>\n<div><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/240\/cpsprodpb\/aa6f\/live\/f829bcf0-38ac-11ef-bbe0-29f79e992ddd.jpg.webp 240w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/320\/cpsprodpb\/aa6f\/live\/f829bcf0-38ac-11ef-bbe0-29f79e992ddd.jpg.webp 320w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/aa6f\/live\/f829bcf0-38ac-11ef-bbe0-29f79e992ddd.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/624\/cpsprodpb\/aa6f\/live\/f829bcf0-38ac-11ef-bbe0-29f79e992ddd.jpg.webp 624w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/800\/cpsprodpb\/aa6f\/live\/f829bcf0-38ac-11ef-bbe0-29f79e992ddd.jpg.webp 800w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/976\/cpsprodpb\/aa6f\/live\/f829bcf0-38ac-11ef-bbe0-29f79e992ddd.jpg.webp 976w\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A Green Party rosette\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/ARJtFQ.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/240\/cpsprodpb\/aa6f\/live\/f829bcf0-38ac-11ef-bbe0-29f79e992ddd.jpg 240w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/320\/cpsprodpb\/aa6f\/live\/f829bcf0-38ac-11ef-bbe0-29f79e992ddd.jpg 320w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/aa6f\/live\/f829bcf0-38ac-11ef-bbe0-29f79e992ddd.jpg 480w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/624\/cpsprodpb\/aa6f\/live\/f829bcf0-38ac-11ef-bbe0-29f79e992ddd.jpg 624w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/800\/cpsprodpb\/aa6f\/live\/f829bcf0-38ac-11ef-bbe0-29f79e992ddd.jpg 800w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/976\/cpsprodpb\/aa6f\/live\/f829bcf0-38ac-11ef-bbe0-29f79e992ddd.jpg 976w\" width=\"999\" height=\"561.4380000000001\" class=\"ssrcss-11yxrdo-Image edrdn950\"><\/picture><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/span><span role=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-tvuve5-StyledFigureCopyright e34k3c20\">PA Media<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">And then there is the Green Party of England and Wales.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">How might they fare in parts of Brighton, Bristol and Suffolk, for a start, where they are throwing considerable efforts?<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Let\u2019s see.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">In other words, politics could be reshaped beyond the biggest parties, as well as between them.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">We stand on the threshold of what looks like a landmark general election.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">But time is running out for folk like me talking about all this stuff.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Soon it will be over to you to decide how things look on Friday morning.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"topic-list\" class=\"ssrcss-1qmkvfu-TopicListWrapper etw6iwl1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-smoc0a-StyledTagContainer ed0g1kj1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-50vlbt-TopicListHeaderWrapper etw6iwl0\">\n<h2 type=\"normal\" class=\"ssrcss-1hh51ad-Heading e10rt3ze0\">Related Topics<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17ehax8-Cluster e1ihwmse1\">\n<ul role=\"list\" spacing=\"2\" class=\"ssrcss-1ujonwb-ClusterItems e1ihwmse0\">\n<li>General election 2024 <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Published at Wed, 03 Jul 2024 00:34:22 +0000<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Chris Mason: We stand on the threshold of a landmark election PA and Reuters Chris Mason Political editor @ChrisMasonBBC 7 hours ago The general election campaign is all but over. In the last few weeks, recent precedent suggests up to one in five voters have already voted, by post. Tomorrow, it is the big moment&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/chris-mason-we-stand-on-the-threshold-of-a-landmark-election\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Chris Mason: We stand on the threshold of a landmark election<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2183,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2184","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uk-politics","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2184","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2184"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2184\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2183"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2184"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2184"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2184"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}