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It's an unpopular opinion but they need another Tony Blair character. Somebody with charisma and who appeals to all voters.
The next Labour leader thread
- Thread starter Ricochet J
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It's an unpopular opinion but they need another Tony Blair character. Somebody with charisma and who appeals to all voters.
Soldato
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Ironically I agree with much of what has been said, Corbyn probably is a decent man. He is popular with the Labour grassroots and in another World that would make him a good leader for a political party. Just not in this one.
Ironically again Labour has historically been the faithful party not knifing it's leaders in the back, but because they failed to read the mood of their members. And because their outgoing leader had changed the leadership process. The old approach of including a "token" lefty on the ballot has left them a token lefty in charge. Now they are forced into the kind of infighting normally reserved for the Conservatives plus a dose of electoral punishment too I'd guess.
Ironically again Labour has historically been the faithful party not knifing it's leaders in the back, but because they failed to read the mood of their members. And because their outgoing leader had changed the leadership process. The old approach of including a "token" lefty on the ballot has left them a token lefty in charge. Now they are forced into the kind of infighting normally reserved for the Conservatives plus a dose of electoral punishment too I'd guess.
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You have to question the logic of a party that thinks it will be more electable by putting socialism into action...
What is the point of power if you abandon your principles to get it? If you have to compromise so much that you can't implement anything you went into politics to try and achieve, what was the point? Power for its own sake?
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When you get into power you can do whatever you want. When you're not, you can't do anything.
They say they hate austerity. If they want rid of it, they need to be in power. They don't need Jeremy Corbyn to do so.
Soldato
Angela Eagle's constituency Labour Party looking at giving her a vote of no confidence because of the challenge to Corbyn's.
I think it's abundantly clear that the PLP and Labour as a whole are facing a probable Schism.
I think it's abundantly clear that the PLP and Labour as a whole are facing a probable Schism.
The funny part of that is that if enough mps split they could take the money for being in opposition (both short money and salarys) with them.
I find it hilarious that labour have called for a general election as the conservative leader changed, despite a commitment to the existing manifesto, but it was OK for Labour to abandon manifesto pledges such as trident support for corbyn...
Associate
He doesn't need them. The rules are clear only the challenger needs the 20% of PLP signatures there is no requirement on the incumbent leader to get any nominations. The NEC will probably confirm that on Tuesday and I expect the chicken coup leaders to go to court in one last ditch attempt to stop the party membership having a real choice.
Soldato
It's also hilarious how May herself called for Brown to call an election when he was appointed as he had 'no democratic mandate'. We'd probably be in a better position now if he had...
The rules aren't clear at all, the drafting is terrible, hence the confusion and multiple interpretations.
The question is, are the rules intended to give the incumbent an advantage in the contest. Given that fairness is one of the key aims of the document, it will be interesting to see what the nec does tomorrow. Especially as precedent from Kinnock/Benn had both seeking nominations.
Still, it's great entertainment.
The problem is if they do get power, what is there stopping them just non-nonchalant forgetting about that manifesto pledge and carrying on regardless?
IE just throwing a bone to the electorate in some stupid way like VAT cuts, but taking it away again by using a less obvious tax on something to cover it up.
We need to federalise and that is the only solution, this parliament has existed 100 years longer than it should have.
What we really need is a concrete set of rules that all laws are measured against, that has no weird exemptions like the current ones do.
No politician will give up that much power though.
Associate
That is drivel. In what way has Corbyn used dog whistle poltics? he has been attacking migrants? islam? What has he done or said that is in any way dog whistle politcs?
As for fringes of the parties unelectable side. The so called electable side have been in charge since 1997 from 1997 to 2005 Blair lost over 5 million Labour voters, Brown lost in 2010 Milliband in 2015 in what sense is this the electable side?
He has a mandate because 59% of Labour party members voted for him around 250,000 people. The Labour party now has over 500,000 members its now the largest social democratic party in the Western World. The bitterites in the PLP keep saying its all just entrism by SWP etc but the suggestion that over 200,000 people were in SWP and nobody noticed is absurd. The new members of Labour are from all sorts of backgrounds and ages. I was in Labour from 2010, my ex civil servant Phd mum joined and supported Corbyn she has never been in a political party her whole life, she is no crazy trot she is easily to my right and she is not the only member of my family to join Labour none of whom are SWP members or have even been politically active before.
Corbyn appeals to a lot of people and its not some kind of crazy communist conspiracy. Whether this can be converted into election results I don't know. The unrelenting attacks of the main stream media on Corbyn since his election are unprecedented and no Labour leader has ever had to deal with anything like it before. The fact that a right wing press are so scared of him should tell you something about his potential to actually make change.
The last general election was not fought on a left versus right basis in any shape. Otherwise the parliamentary labour party wouldn't be riddled with red Tories.
Associate
No they are not. Its clear but its been muddied by people who have an interest in trying to keep Corbyn off the ballot. The arguments put up are nonsense and the Kinnock precedent has no relevance as that was under the 1976 rulebook and the current rules come from the Collins review and the 2014 rulebook.
The PLP took legal advice on this back in November 2015 (oh yes not a pre-planned coup at all!) and the conclusion was that he could not be kept off the ballot hence the plan to bounce him into a resignation with the rolling resignations plan instead. This has not worked as they expected and so now they are back to BS about the rules and rolling out (i barely got a 3rd class degree) Kinnock to make feeble minded arguments about the rules.
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Unpopular and untrue. A John Smith, maybe, frankly by the time the current government are finished destroying the country Corbyn may yet make you eat your words.
Soldato
The left are the loud angry voice in the labour party and the unions, they are not the people that will get labour elected.
Caporegime
Eagles press conference was lolworthy. Desperately looking for important journalists to ask her questions like BBC journalists and Robert Peston, but none had bothered to turn up lmao!
what is the point of reelecting the Tories by another name, Blair - deregulate the banks and go to war in Iraq both supported by the Tories because at his heart he was a continuation of Thatcher.
At this point in time we've seen that given big choices no one really knows what the electorate will choose.
Corbyn is part of a trend toward political diversity. That's largely why I want him to stay - if Douglas Carswell wins the UKIP leadership then that gives us a party in each corner of the political compass, and one near the centre. Compared to a decade ago, when everyone was clamouring for the "Centre-Right" sweet spot, that's an incredible change.
Labour's history and Union backing makes them the natural Socialist party in the UK. If people want 'New Labour', or something similar to it, they'll find that in the Liberal Democrats. I'd suggest that many Labour MPs, and many Labour voters, would find a better home there.
Labour's history and Union backing makes them the natural Socialist party in the UK. If people want 'New Labour', or something similar to it, they'll find that in the Liberal Democrats. I'd suggest that many Labour MPs, and many Labour voters, would find a better home there.