Current Affairs The Labour Party

[Billy Dean]

Just anecdotal evidence but most old people seem to be massive racists

I'm trying hard not to believe that racism was a big driver in the massive swing to the Tories. There was so much highlighting of Johnson's past racist comments in the run up to the election. It seems to have made him more popular if anything.

 

[Tubey]

Starmer for me. Less divisive than Phillips. She seems quite unpopular on the left of the party, would she even be able to win enough votes to become leader?

Oh we're talking theoretically here.

It's odds on Momentum will punch themselves in the face once more and put Long-Bailey or Thornberry in charge.

Labour died when they changed the leadership rules due to the Momentum insurgency. The election thrashing was just the zombie corpse of the party being bashed over the head with a shovel - it had long since been dead.

Corbyn will go but that toxic membership that doesn't represent the country in any way whatsoever remains.

 

[edge]

Starmer for me. Less divisive than Phillips. She seems quite unpopular on the left of the party, would she even be able to win enough votes to become leader?

Phillips winds me up no end looks on the verge of having a nervous collapse every time I see her , and pulls the most dramatic look at me faces all the time.
wish she would disappear of the telly
Reminds me of an over opinionated local union representative
like Davina instant tv turn off for me.

 

[Pudsey]

Someone, a long standing Labour member who is also a colleague, once said to me that the only thing Long-Bailey is good at is nodding enthusiastically at anything Jeremy says. I agree and for this reason it would seem that she might be the Momentum shoe in.

Burgon is so gaff prone it is unbelieveable. He would get eaten alive by the media and the Tory machine.

 

[dannyboy]

And people say the likes of David Miliband are the ones to put us back in touch with the northern towns. Corbyn might have lost them but this was the final chapter of a story that began a lot began a long, long time ago.

 

[Tubey]

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And people say the likes of David Miliband are the ones to put us back in touch with the northern towns. Corbyn might have lost them but this was the final chapter of a story that began a lot began a long, long time ago.

Honest question - are people allowed to earn money and still be in touch with the working class?

Like if I earn, I dunno, £40,000 a year or something, do I suddenly disown my entire upbringing?

 

[The binman chronicles]

Ah, "facts". Blair achieved power because he managed to buy off the media, and as a result didn't get demonized anywhere near as much as previous Labour leaders - thats why something like the windfall tax, which would have been absolute communism if anyone else had done it, was greeted as common sense.

He then "professionalized" the party, bringing in (and Brown was as guilty of this) a host of bright young things with the intention that they'd reshape Labour in his image - this worked to a degree, with the party membership changing as many left wing people left. The policy programme was also really clever, with many Labour voters stopped voting Labour as a result (he lost 4 million votes between 1997 and 2005). The drop in membership and insistence on a professional approach nearly bankrupted the party, which almost resulted in him being the first PM ever interviewed under caution.

This project then ran into difficulties when Blair was forced out; the bright young things turned out not to be so bright - first they failed despite several opportunities in removing Brown, then they lost the 2010 leadership election, then - convinced of their own popularity - they changed the rules for the next leadership election so that people from outside the party could vote in leadership elections, which would prevent 2010 ever happening again. The rest you probably know.

Why is trying to get the media onside a bad thing? We can try and be a party of salmon swimming upstream but surely it is better to try and get a bit more of a fair crack?

Blair knew this and he discussed what would be possible and what businesses would accept to endorse Labour. I think the one off windfall tax was a far less controversial policy compared with say the share scheme that this party wanted to test.

New Labour were always going to lose a small amount of votes in the heartlands but again, what was better that Labour government or the 9 years we had since.

There were lots of problems of course like with any ruling party, especially one that had been in for that long. No one says you copy absolutely everything, it is a blueprint on how to get power, then it is up to the individuals to sell it and do better for the equality of the country without losing the wealth generators. It's not simple but that's where we stand.

...Or we push for something that is unlikely to deliver a majority unless the Tories completely blow a gasket and even then it would probably be a one term wonder.

 

[Tubey]

Someone, a long standing Labour member who is also a colleague, once said to me that the only thing Long-Bailey is good at is nodding enthusiastically at anything Jeremy says. I agree and for this reason it would seem that she might be the Momentum shoe in.

Burgon is so gaff prone it is unbelieveable. He would get eaten alive by the media and the Tory machine.

Exactly this. She reminds me of the assistant manager from Mike Bassett. Useless.

 

[dannyboy]

Honest question - are people allowed to earn money and still be in touch with the working class?

Like if I earn, I dunno, £40,000 a year or something, do I suddenly disown my entire upbringing?

I just find the idea that Corbyn and only Corbyn is to blame for what happened in those towns on Thursday night ridiculous. But to answer your question, all you need is to understand the struggles your constituents face. Money doesn't enter the equation.

 

[Tubey]

I just find the idea that Corbyn and only Corbyn is to blame for what happened in those towns on Thursday night ridiculous. But to answer your question, all you need is to understand the struggles your constituents face. Money doesn't enter the equation.

And David Milliband doesn't solely because he earned money and moved abroad? Because that's all that clipping implies - he's clueless about the working class now because he's made money.

Makes no sense to me.

 

[jaycee]

Labour will never win an election without the "forelock touching serfs" though.

Calling disenfranchised Labour voters (and voters of other parties) names and/or dismissing them and their concerns is a massive part of the reason that the Tory's have a massive majority today.

This I dont get,the clown these people have just voted in has called the working class feckless,lazy,drunken drug users,called single mothers and their children thick,insulted numerous minorities and yet its Anon on twitter who caused them to change parties

 

[dannyboy]

And David Milliband doesn't solely because he earned money and moved abroad? Because that's all that clipping implies - he's clueless about the working class now because he's made money.

Makes no sense to me.

A career politician who was parachuted into a seat he knew nothing about then abandoned the movement after one set back. He's not for me.

 

[Tubey]

I'm trying hard not to believe that racism was a big driver in the massive swing to the Tories. There was so much highlighting of Johnson's past racist comments in the run up to the election. It seems to have made him more popular if anything.

It's the same as how climate change wasn't a factor. People didn't care - it wasn't perceived as relevant to their lives.

Look at it this way - is a small business owner going to consider a 8% increase in Corporation Tax more important than a rogue comment about burkhas? Of course they are - it doesn't mean they are voting because they are racist.

 

[OnlyBlueWillDo]

Starmer will get it, he's the most PM looking material in the party, he's a well respected lawyer, so can put points across and argue, he'd make mincemeat of Johnson at PMQ's.

Only thing about Starmer is he's a proper centre left Tony Blair type, and I like the Labour party a little more left than that, but he would give the party what they have been looking for since Blair, someone who can definitely win an election.

 

[LouReedwalkonthewildside]

Someone, a long standing Labour member who is also a colleague, once said to me that the only thing Long-Bailey is good at is nodding enthusiastically at anything Jeremy says. I agree and for this reason it would seem that she might be the Momentum shoe in.

Burgon is so gaff prone it is unbelieveable. He would get eaten alive by the media and the Tory machine.

The Labour cupboard looks rather bare for the next leader.