u3a

South East London

U3A Current affairs discussion group 8 July 2024

2024 General Election. 

 Week 1  3/6Week 2 10/6Week 3 17/6Week 4 24/6Week 5 1/7
How many voting2117121514
Cons, Governing majority00000
Cons Largest Party01  (6%)01 (6%)0
Lab Governing Majority13 (61%)13 (76%)12 (100%)14 (93%)13 (92%)
Lab Largest party8 (38%)2 (11%)01 (6%)0
SNP Do Well?00000
Reform to get MPs?0  11(52%)6 (35%)1 (8%)8 (53%)0
1   8(38%)8 (47%)3 (25%)5 (33%)14 (100%)
> 13 (17%)6 (50%)3 (2%)0
Will Nigel Farage get elected? 9 (53%)8 (66%)8 (53%)12 (85%)
Green Party, how many MPs0  5(23%)1 (6%)01 (6%)0
1  14(66%)11 (64%)4 (33%)8 (53%)9 (64%)
2    1(4%)5 (29%)6 (50%)5 (33%)5 (35%)
We are keeping a tally of what we expect the outcome of the election to be.
  1. UK Election

Who could lead the broken Tories after Sunak? I have just one answer

https://inews.co.uk/opinion/broken-tories-sunak-sayeeda-warsi-3128515?ito=email_share_article-top

Senior Tory criticises ‘worst campaign in my lifetime’ as frustration grows https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/jul/02/senior-tory-criticises-worst-campaign-in-my-lifetime-as-frustration-grows

The election issues you care about that manifestos barely mention https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1wepgxzqxqo

He won the votes, now Starmer just needs to win over the people

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/jul/05/he-won-the-votes-now-keir-starmer-just-needs-to-win-over-the-people-labour

2. French Elections

Fifty violent attacks shock France ahead of crunch vote

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4ngxeyxd9go

Can French centrist parties keep far right out in second round of voting?

https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2024/7/4/can-french-centrist-parties-keep-far-right-out-in-second-round-of-voting

3, Should people be forced to retire?

Is Cambridge University right to enforce a retirement age? I think so – who wants to be a ‘job blocker’? | Mary Beard | The Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/jun/29/cambridge-university-retirement-age-job-blocker-mary-beard

4. Is the UK really open for business.

Top scientists turning down UK jobs over ‘tax on talent’, says Wellcome boss

https://www.theguardian.com/education/article/2024/jun/29/top-scientists-turning-down-uk-jobs-over-tax-on-talent-says-wellcome-boss

5. Are women listened to by doctors.

Doctors dismissed these women as hysterical. Now they're fighting back

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cv229ereeejo

6. Are the injunctions an unreasonable restriction on the right of free assembly and protest.

Slow-walk' protests banned at 1,200 locations

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cjeegzv09l3o

7. Should we welcome a free rival to Netflix – even if its from Rupert Murdoch?

Murdoch's Fox to launch free Netflix rival in UK

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn385lgk0vjo

8. Is there a role to play for physician associates?

Wider use of physician associates will increase inequality, say UK doctors

https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/jun/30/wider-use-of-physician-associates-will-increase-inequality-say-uk-doctors