Labour Leader: Keir Starmer II
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Sue Pertwee-Tyr
Accuphase all the way down
Big mistake, IMHO. Labour marginals are, often as not, Lab/Tory marginals. Voting for a non-Labour left wing party (Greens seems like the only meaningful candidate) may well unseat a Labour MP, and thereby install a Tory. Unless you are certain of a wholesale Lab > Green shift, this approach feels risky to the point of irresponsibility.
Joe Hutch
Mate of the bloke
Jeremy Corbyn?
Joe Hutch
Mate of the bloke
Communist, wasn't he?
Of course you may not be old enough to remember, but, if you are, did you think Labour was right to campaign to leave the EEC back in 1983?
gavreid
Pretty Words...
Yeah Russian spy, even the kids
Yes, it's interesting that he seems to have 'backgrounded' them a little. Maybe he just doesn't want to turn them into lightning rods at this stage of the election cycle.
ks.234
Half way to Infinity
Yes, back grounding them is a very good choice of words to describe what Starmer appears to be doing. However, when it came to supporting the teachers unions a few weeks ago when when the usual papers were accusing teachers of trying to prevent schools reopening, Starmer appeared to be actively distancing himself from his pledge to strongly support unions and protect working conditions.
True, Starmer has come out today and criticised the government for not engaging with the teachers unions in a meaningfully manner back then, but the headlines about school reopening are not as hostile today. The wider media at last seems to be asking questions about some of the issues around eopening schools.
Starmer’s tactic, at this time at least, seems to be oppose the government and uphold pledges, only when favourable headlines allow
True, Starmer has come out today and criticised the government for not engaging with the teachers unions in a meaningfully manner back then, but the headlines about school reopening are not as hostile today. The wider media at last seems to be asking questions about some of the issues around eopening schools.
Starmer’s tactic, at this time at least, seems to be oppose the government and uphold pledges, only when favourable headlines allow
gavreid
Pretty Words...
Starmer can pay lip service now that RLB is out of the way - she had been engaging with the Unions as you might expect a Labour lead on education to do...
In times of crisis from outside the population tends to pull together which involves supporting the current government. The general population seems to be aware that the current government is performing poorly but it is their government. Team Starmer quite sensibly made pulling together to tackle the crisis noises while this feeling in the general population was strong. Under these conditions a strong attack from a party held in relatively low esteem by the general population (e.g. the result of the last election) would almost certainly lower that esteem further in the eyes of many. Now the feeling of crisis is reducing in the general population Team Starmer are introducing a few mild attacks. We will see how receptive the general population is over the next few weeks. What matters most is how those that didn't vote Labour at the last election are responding and in their eyes Labour are obviously starting from a weak position.
The polls show the drift away from conservative towards labour stalled a few weeks ago. The Starmer effect alone doesn't seem to enough. I suspect a few more in the labour party need to start to performing well in the eyes of the general population in order for trust in the labour party as a whole to start to rise. I don't think promoting policies matters too much at this time given it is mainly trust in the party that seems to have been lost and that tends to mean trusting visible labour people. The concern is that the centre-left were performing badly before Corbyn, the shift left reduced numbers and now the quality of the remaining centre-left may be lower than before Corbyn.
ks.234
Half way to Infinity
Yes. Agree with much of that. I hope a clearer picture of what Labour stands for will start to emerge soon. As you say, the shadow cabinet does not have anyone who catches the eye, or ear, yet
gavreid
Pretty Words...
Make no mistake that Starmer supports the Tories on getting the kids back and the parents back at work. He's desperate to prove to the City that he's a safe pair of hands no matter the cost, no matter how many kids might be orphaned in the process - that's why he sacked RLB.
lordsummit
Moderator
To be fair, I favour the kids to go back to school and parents back at work. The alternate reality for many of us we’ll be homeless and bankrupt. Eventually if my employer is unable to sell my services to schools I’ll be up the proverbial creek without a scrap of toilet paper, never mind a paddle. This is the balancing act that many of our retired or approaching end of career members seem to forget about. I work for an LA so couldn’t be furloughed. There are millions like me staring ruin in the face. At some point in time we’re going to have to live with the virus.
mandryka
pfm Member
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No one is saying that kids shouldn’t go back in September as far as I can see. Not teachers, not unions, not management, not government, not opposition, not parents, not children, not scientists. There is total agreement about this. The only point of contention is confined to Y7 and older, and has to do with masks of all things, and how the school day is structured. Hard to imagine this won’t be resolved. Or have I missed something?
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No one is saying that kids shouldn’t go back in September as far as I can see. Not teachers, not unions, not management, not government, not opposition, not parents, not children, not scientists. There is total agreement about this. The only point of contention is confined to Y7 and older, and has to do with masks of all things, and how the school day is structured. Hard to imagine this won’t be resolved. Or have I missed something?
lordsummit
Moderator
To be fair I was answering the criticism of KS for backing a return to schools, by a different author. I’m not overly happy, but I’m an exceedingly fit 48 year old, hopefully my risks aren’t too high. The existential threat of not going back is certainly worse. I think we can argue till the cows come home, but it’s going to be very hard to work in an environment where non verbal communication is crucial and wear a mask. We’ll be distancing, and I hope the kids that can’t learn to do it aren’t allowed in the situations they can’t do it in.
mandryka
pfm Member
I wish you well. You know what teachers and kids are like better than me, at the chalk face they’ll find solutions to problems about communication because in the reality of the moment they’ll have to communicate! There will be some very imaginative things being done I’m sure. You’ll have some good stories to tell at least!
ks.234
Half way to Infinity
There are a big logistical problems around for example having to have spilt timetables to enable split lunches and breaks to ease general madness. Also, if bubbles are to be used in schools they will also need to be in place on school buses.
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