Ask yourself why no-one told you that.

I’ve been reassured when listening to the audience at Question Time, Any Wuestions/Answers. The attitudes don’t reflect the obsession with Labour dreadful/Reform the answer so often seen on tv or radio reports. Print media is similarly biased.

Grannygravy is spot on about how dreadful Labour comms continue to be.

Although Labour have made mistakes which they have admitted and tried to change, so called U turns, I still feel more positive with them in power than I did with 14 years of Tory misrule.

The point, though, is that whatever happens in the future, yesterday the LP was favourite to win, but that story did not make the news. If I hadn't happened to listen to James O'Brien I would be no wiser either.

Neither I nor J O'B is saying that anything is a foregone conclusion based on Ladbrokes' odds - that is not the point of the thread, or the thrust of the radio programme, which is that we are only being told what the media (and through them the vested interests of a few rich men) want to tell us.

We see on here that many believe that Reform is the most popular party, but why do they think that? Most people are fully aware that just because they and their friends think something doesn't mean that 'everyone' does, so they must get their beliefs from somewhere, and that is likely to be news reports and algorithms on SM.

Maybe it is a good thing that Reform think they are going to win, it may mean the voters can't be bothered to turn out to vote.

I have never understood the popularity of reform, unless you're a billionaire...

Labour does publicise or at least publish its achievements but with a media dominated by papers owned by right-wing, tax-exile billionaires, where is one going to read about it in the main stream media other than in the Guardian or the Mirror? I don’t believe either covered what is essentially a short-life story about current betting odds. I think it was just something James O’B picked up on social media.

Anyway, I was glad to see the BBC pushing back hard at Reform yesterday evening on Newsnight. Victoria Derbyshire and Caroline Lucas made mincemeat of Zia Yusuf as he tried to claim that young white men can’t get jobs because of the Equality Act 2010. Just another culture war being stoked by this odious party.

Iam64

I’ve been reassured when listening to the audience at Question Time, Any Wuestions/Answers. The attitudes don’t reflect the obsession with Labour dreadful/Reform the answer so often seen on tv or radio reports. Print media is similarly biased.

Grannygravy is spot on about how dreadful Labour comms continue to be.

What papers and Radio programmes do your read? I have yet to hear or read anything that suggests that Reform is the answer to anything and both rapidly publish any stories where Reform blow up in their own faces.

That Labour is incompetent, how many U turns have their been, goes without saying?

What is it Lady Bracknell says in 'The Importance of Being Ernes?t 'To lose one (parent) may be regarded as a misfortune, to lose two looks like carelessness! In this case applied to U turns. Is it 15 or 16 (that we know of)? I lose track

Doodledog

James O'Brien said this morning on LBC that Labour is now Ladbrokes' favourite to win the most seats in the next GE, and is asking why most people would be unaware of that.

I agree with J O'B that it is unlikely to be a widely known fact - it's not even a discussion point. In fact, we are routinely told that a Reform win is inevitable, and even people who would hate to see that happen seem resigned to that inevitability. Why are the media not reporting that Ladbrokes has put Labour at the top, based on opinion polls? Why are they instead telling us that Reform is a shoe-in?

O'Brien acknowledges that Starmer is unpopular, but is asking why we have not been kept in the picture about the polling, and why it is that the LP is currently the most popular one, given the 'optics'.

Anyone interested can catch the clip on YouTube (search for 'ask yourself why no-one told you that'). Most of the clip is about stories that aren't reported by the media, and that is interesting in itself.

I was listening earlier - I haven't heard it all because I'm on my way out. My quick answer would be our biased news sources. It's one if the reasons I put up videos that at least have a more centered view.

Yesterday I had to listen to a neighbour telling me how the new laws on leases will affect us. No facts only Daily Mail style headlines, and he was wrong! It's so depressing that people like him seem to want things to go wrong, to despise anyone who isn't them and doesn't whinge for England.

Will look to see others views when I get back but it is really time people looked for the truth instead something, anything to complain about whether it's true or not!

MOnica I read the guardian the I read the daily mail on line with my morning cuppa. I buy the Guardian and occasionally a Times or Telegraph. The Guardian lost good journalists, kept the awful Owen Jones. The DM predictable and I’m afraid hugely influential. So many see it as printing The truth
Radio five Nicky Campbell phone in attempts a balanced presentation he’s good at encouraging all opinions

M0nica, who decides what is a U turn and what is an amendment to a policy? Or when such a change is a news story? That is exactly the point of the thread, really.

Doodledog

*M0nica*, who decides what is a U turn and what is an amendment to a policy? Or when such a change is a news story? That is exactly the point of the thread, really.

U turns are used by the media to make things sound much worse than they are.
I would prefer a government to admit they got it wrong and amend the mistake than plough on regardless.
U turns sound far too dramatic which of course the media loves.

Put it this way. We never had to discuss this issue when other governments were in power.

All governments do it at stometime or another, but nowhere nearly as many or as often.

Too many for misfortune, so many that rank carelessness can be the only explanation.

.

So ....... this is the scenario:

1) Lots of people place bets for Labour to win.

2) Labour loses.

3) Lots of people lose money.

4) Ladbroke makes a lot of money.

Obviously just a marketing strategy.
.

But lots of people won't place bets on a Labour win if they don't think it will happen . The odds are lower on favourites.

I'm not at all sure that as a marketing strategy it is a good one. What are they supposed to be marketing?

M0nica

Put it this way. We never had to discuss this issue when other governments were in power.

All governments do it at stometime or another, but nowhere nearly as many or as often.

Too many for misfortune, so many that rank carelessness can be the only explanation.

Do you think we 'have to' discuss it now, or that it is made into News by the media who call every change of policy a 'U turn'?

Because most of the media is owned by right wing billionaires.

I’d stop listening to James OBrien were I you, msm is way out on many folks opinions.

Would we all prefer to have a resurrection of 'The Lady's not for turning'?
Would we?

Many people will say one thing to pollsters and actually do the opposite. Exit polls have proved that. So I will wait and see....

AGAA4
Like you I would rather a party to rethink their policies and realise they were wrong and do a u turn!

We know why positive stories about Labour are not reported widely. We have a very heavily-biased right-wing press. It’s that simple.

That said, this was not a particularly important story.

Ladbrokes were quoting odds of 13/8 for a Labour win and 7/4 for Reform.

These are just betting odds based on the theory of the “wisdom of the crowd” - the collective opinion of a diverse and independent group of individuals (rather than that of a single expert). A jury trial versus a bench verdict.

If a diverse and independent gropu of individuals at the track are betting on a particular horse then the odds will shorten.

In case anyone fancies a punt.

Bet £1 on each of the two parties and you’d win £2.63 (Labour win) or £2.75 (Reform win).

Bet £10 on each and you’d win £26.25 or £27.20.

Bet £100 on each and you’d win £262.50 or £275.00

(Bookmakers typically round down winnings to the nearest penny.)

So it would be worth taking a punt on both as you would make a profit whatever the result ... always assuming a third party doesn’t sneak past on the rails!

Ladbrookes are also offering 1/3 that Keir Starmer will be gone this year. If he clings on or his replacement is not popular the odds may change. Betting odds are a result of what people are betting more than what polls say.

Maremia

Would we all prefer to have a resurrection of 'The Lady's not for turning'?
Would we?

I really enjoy listening to Nick Ferrari on LBC in the morning and find his program very balanced, but I switch off at 10.00 when James O'Brien comes on. He is so opinionated and quickly shuts down anyone who disagrees with him. It’s his way or the highway.

Sorry Maremia I didn’t mean to quote your post

Graphite

Labour does publicise or at least publish its achievements but with a media dominated by papers owned by right-wing, tax-exile billionaires, where is one going to read about it in the main stream media other than in the Guardian or the Mirror? I don’t believe either covered what is essentially a short-life story about current betting odds. I think it was just something James O’B picked up on social media.

Anyway, I was glad to see the BBC pushing back hard at Reform yesterday evening on Newsnight. Victoria Derbyshire and Caroline Lucas made mincemeat of Zia Yusuf as he tried to claim that young white men can’t get jobs because of the Equality Act 2010. Just another culture war being stoked by this odious party.

I watched Newsnight too and no way did Victoria Derbyshire and Carolin Lucas make ‘mincemeat’ of Zia Yusuf. He spoke very well.
He spoke the truth when saying so many organisations including the Bank of England, are positively discriminating against young white men by advertising for ethnic minorities and females.
You omitted to say that there were four people in this discussion including Jacob Rees-Mogg who agreed with Zia.

Interesting article: canary.co titled "Zia Yusef gets his arse handed to him on a plate on Newsnight over Equality Act." by Rachel- Charlton- Dailey.

Braverman said in her speech yesterday that she/Reform would get rid of the "divisive notion of protected characteristics". That is the protected characteristics as in the Equality Act that states you can't be discriminated against because of your sex, pregnancy, race, religion, disability, age, sexuality, gender reassignment, marriage or belief. However Reform have not actually made clear what they would "rip up" and how discrimination will be policed - which is where the author felt that Zia Yusef fell foul on Newsnight.