Poll : Next Labour Leader.

[h.g.]

What does a fact based leader look like?

Blair would be an example. He may have supported centre-right economics for reasons I don't understand and he may have gone nuts in his later years with things like Iraq but the early years were pragmatic and what the labour party now needs. Find out and do what is necessary to get elected without crossing the line, implement the promises you had to make to get elected plus the ones you want to make to improve the social conditions for the 99%. This time it is the economy that is the most the pressing issue and successfully doing something about it will take genuine leadership and competence given the well resourced and effective opposition many of the wealthy will put up. It is also vital that it is supported by the wealth creating part of business as well as the majority of the 99% something that a hard left approach will not achieve. It will be opposed by the wealth redistribution part of business but they are at the heart of the problem and will have to be tackled head on and massively reduced in size and influence.

It is a challenging task to take on but it is also arguably the most important vacancy in the UK at the moment if it can be filled by someone capable of getting it done. It is hard to be optimistic but hope still exists for an electable labour party. If it is not to be then the earlier the population knows control of the labour party is going to remain with those of the hard left faith the earlier a progressive alternative can start to be worked on.

 

[wacko]

Perhaps voters have a realistic view that the private lives of politicians are, well, private. As long as you offer them a brighter future with conviction they will vote for you. And yes Brexit looked like a brighter future because no-one on the public stage made a strong, clear case for Remain in less than 100 words.

 

[Woodface]

I also think that Labour are under the impression that, because loads of people signed up for the £3 membership deal , they are somehow incredibly popular at large. I think that they have been blinded to the reality of they popularity by the numbers of new members.

I would be interested to know the percentage rise in the regular attendance at ward meetings the new membership has translated into.

It's all very well paying £3 but.........................

The £3 membership is no longer a thing, you have to be a full member to vote.

Size of party membership is irrelevant electorially, always amazed that intelligent people didn't realise this sooner.

 

[Weekender]

Her odds have tumbled overnight after stupidgate. She is now a proper no-hoper. 40/1 in some places.

She's now taking legal action against Flint.

 

[gintonic]

a full member to vote.

indeed..........

 

[SteveS1]

She's now taking legal action against Flint.

Poor Caroline, an emotional outbust no doubt fuelled by the realisation that the intense loyalty she felt for the Leave voters in her constituency wasn't reciprocated. Hey ho.

 

[TheDecameron]

Poor Caroline, an emotional outbust no doubt fuelled by the realisation that the intense loyalty she felt for the Leave voters in her constituency wasn't reciprocated. Hey ho.

The irony is delicious. Maybe she’ll get a safe Tory seat at the next bielection. Brexit has destroyed the Labour Party. They’ve gone from 56 seats in Scotland in 2001 down to 1 in 2019. They were made irrelevant by a left of centre progressive and pro-European party driven by a strong sense that Labour would not or couldn’t protect the democratic wishes of the voters. The only way Labour can rebuild in Scotland is by forming a new Scottish Labour Party and that might not be possible for them until Scotland is independent.

 

[notaclue]

Poor Caroline, an emotional outbust no doubt fuelled by the realisation that the intense loyalty she felt for the Leave voters in her constituency wasn't reciprocated. Hey ho.

Thornberry is so far only threatening legal action. None taken.

She has past form for this sort of stuff https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-30139832

Anyway, I doubt she was ever a realistic candidate for leader.

Starmer and Phillips leading the polls here, I see.

A pity there isn't a candidate who's a cross between the two. Starmer a bit too dull and Southern, while Phillips has got entertainment going for her, but I fear wouldn't inspire confidence among enough voters that she will be a level-headed and disciplined Prime Minister.

 

[Sue Pertwee-Tyr]

That's a neat summary and like you I find myself drawn to nandy. This happened over many debates over the last two years, I would get drawn in only to be reminded she was a leaver which put me off. Now that is over I can return to supporting her. She's gutsy and comes across as very genuine and committed. Hopefully there is more to come from her.

Yes, I could go with that. I hope there are no skeletons in her cupboard, but on the other hand, if there are, we might hope it gets dubbed Nand-gate.

 

[SteveS1]

Thornberry is so far only threatening legal action. None taken.

She has past form for this sort of stuff https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-30139832

Anyway, I doubt she was ever a realistic candidate for leader.

Starmer and Phillips leading the polls here, I see.

A pity there isn't a candidate who's a cross between the two. Starmer a bit too dull and Southern, while Phillips has got entertainment going for her, but I fear wouldn't inspire confidence among enough voters that she will be a level-headed and disciplined Prime Minister.

Getting into a slanging match with Johnson won't work. If you want to expose his poor grasp of any detailed brief and his total lack of honesty - better to have someone who will forensically take him apart without over use of emotion. I quite like Jess, but I'm not sure about her grasp of detail and I think she might struggle to keep a lid on when confronted with the amount of provocation she is likely to face.

 

[glancaster]

A pity there isn't a candidate who's a cross between the two. Starmer a bit too dull and Southern, while Phillips has got entertainment going for her, but I fear wouldn't inspire confidence among enough voters that she will be a level-headed and disciplined Prime Minister.

Sounds like they could get a Blair/Prescott kind of thing going on there. There is a deputy leader vacancy too, by the way.

 

[Darmok]

Just what depiffle needs right now is an opposition leader, "Girly Swot" eh?

K Starmer is the best leader, I rest my case.

 

[TheDecameron]

Getting into a slanging match with Johnson won't work. If you want to expose his poor grasp of any detailed brief and his total lack of honesty - better to have someone who will forensically take him apart without over use of emotion. I quite like Jess, but I'm not sure about her grasp of detail and I think she might struggle to keep a lid on when confronted with the amount of provocation she is likely to face.

One of the relatively few pluses from this GE is that Flint is gone from the political landscape. Her trying to slander Emily Thornberry is simply a substitute for relieving her butt hurt-




She voted with a far right Tory government, tried to appease the gammon and the gammon turned round and bit her. Shows you how much she was valued as a constituency MP (as opposed to a TV celebrity mouthpiece).

 

[roman]

Thornberry is so far only threatening legal action. None taken.

She has past form for this sort of stuff https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-30139832

Anyway, I doubt she was ever a realistic candidate for leader.

Starmer and Phillips leading the polls here, I see.

A pity there isn't a candidate who's a cross between the two. Starmer a bit too dull and Southern, while Phillips has got entertainment going for her, but I fear wouldn't inspire confidence among enough voters that she will be a level-headed and disciplined Prime Minister.

Maybe, but there is a freshness and honesty to her that appeals. I'm still recalibrating to find a realistic level of what to expect and accept politically from someone new. I think Phillips or nandy and maybe Rayner or starmer would have London and other left wing cities in the bag so it becomes a question of winning back lost seats in the north and turning a few Tories. The last bit is the trickiest. I could see starmer faring well in the south but less so in the north.

 

[Joe]

The £3 membership is no longer a thing, you have to be a full member to vote.

Size of party membership is irrelevant electorially, always amazed that intelligent people didn't realise this sooner.

Ay... Mr Corbyn was on the tv only yesterday still proclaiming "the Labour party has the largest membership of any party in Western Europe"

Bright man, that Mr Corbyn.

 

[Rcook]

Whoever they choose they should keep in mind that the candidate must be able to garner the respect of the public and be capable of building a concensus for change. It will be disaster if they choose another leader more interested in keeping the faith within the Labour party than in winning an election. I remember when they chose Michael Foot over Denis Healey or Roy Jenkins. That choice resulted in the election of Thatcher and now the choice of Corbyn to Johnson.

It didn't. Thatcher was elected in the 1979 election and beat James Callaghan who was the PM. Michael Foot then became Labour leader but resigned after losing the 1983 General Election, to be succeeded by Neil Kinnock.
and under his (and his predecessor's) watch we had the 1978/79 'Winter of Discontent', power cuts, industrial unrest on an epic scale, uncollected rat-infested refuse piling up in the streets, the dead going unburied because grave diggers went on strike, petrol rationing, the three day week and left the country pretty much bankrupt. It amazes me that anyone old enough to remember all that might want to go back to it. History has proven that Socialism never works.

Of the present contenders, they are all ghastly. Keir Starmer always looks like he's about to burst into tears and makes himself look ever dafter every time his lips move.

 

[TheDecameron]

Funny, I remember petrol rationing, factories closing down to a three day week, food shortages, stagflation with government food and price controls and an unemployment level of over 1 million- the highest seen in 30 years. Under a Conservative government led by Edward Heath. No wonder I never vote Tory.

 

[alanbeeb]

What's so good about Rebecca Long-Bailey that's she is front-runner? haven't really noticed her before. Angela Rayner & Jess Philips both impress me when I've heard them speak. Keir Starmer too but I doubt he's what Labour want now, they think they'e got to move on from Brexit.

Wonder how Tom Watson's fitness coaching business is going?

 

[notaclue]

Maybe, but there is a freshness and honesty to her that appeals. I'm still recalibrating to find a realistic level of what to expect and accept politically from someone new. I think Phillips or nandy and maybe Rayner or starmer would have London and other left wing cities in the bag so it becomes a question of winning back lost seats in the north and turning a few Tories. The last bit is the trickiest. I could see starmer faring well in the south but less so in the north.

Especially given the low number of seats, any new leader will fall short in certain areas.

Nandy is a safer bet for mass appeal.

Phillips is disliked on the right and on the left. Her appeal may be too narrow. I think she is too theatrical and emotional (e.g. here) to be widely seen as a good Prime Minister.

Former army major Dan Jarvis has great leadership credentials to win back those who deserted Labour, but he's rather low profile and that's probably because he's rather dull. We'll see if he decides to run.

Tricky. Probably Nandy slightly edging it for me.

 

[Seanm]

Blair would be an example. He may have supported centre-right economics for reasons I don't understand and he may have gone nuts in his later years with things like Iraq but the early years were pragmatic and what the labour party now needs. Find out and do what is necessary to get elected without crossing the line, implement the promises you had to make to get elected plus the ones you want to make to improve the social conditions for the 99%. This time it is the economy that is the most the pressing issue and successfully doing something about it will take genuine leadership and competence given the well resourced and effective opposition many of the wealthy will put up. It is also vital that it is supported by the wealth creating part of business as well as the majority of the 99% something that a hard left approach will not achieve. It will be opposed by the wealth redistribution part of business but they are at the heart of the problem and will have to be tackled head on and massively reduced in size and influence.

It is a challenging task to take on but it is also arguably the most important vacancy in the UK at the moment if it can be filled by someone capable of getting it done. It is hard to be optimistic but hope still exists for an electable labour party. If it is not to be then the earlier the population knows control of the labour party is going to remain with those of the hard left faith the earlier a progressive alternative can start to be worked on.

You’re describing a “hard left” program. I guess it’s possible for someone to push such a program while being perceived as moderate, but since the management of perceptions is part of “the well resourced and effective opposition many of the wealthy will put up” it’s a big ask.