Rebecca Long-Bailey

[Danllan]

As long as Momentum have a stranglehold on the Labour party they're unelectable IMO.

The fact they think RLB, Rayner or Burgon would be leadership material sums it up.

Richard Burgon…

He is, without any doubt, one of the most stupid people in public life of the last few decades. He has been nicknamed 'Burgbot' inside the Labour Party, by those not on the hard left of it, with reference to his automaton-like interview style, lack of sense of humour and inability to imagine anything other than what he's been programmed with.

Bearing in mind its current (and continued?) internal electoral system, if the Parliamentary Labour Party really can't see that it needs to do much, much better than the likes of him, RLB and Thicky Thornberry, it will be shafted for a generation. And so, in the total absence of a credible opposition, will our democracy...

 

[Martin Holden]

As long as Momentum have a stranglehold on the Labour party they're unelectable IMO.

The fact they think RLB, Rayner or Burgon would be leadership material sums it up.

Precisely! They will be in the wilderness for a long time. Interesting to see Tom Watson’s article in today’s paper. As in all parties, even JC’s inner sanctum tried to cleanse the top table to suit their aims. So much for inclusion and openness. Ah but it’s politics we are talking about so they are all piranhas!

 

[Martin Holden]

Richard Burgon…

He is, without any doubt, one of the most stupid people in public life of the last few decades. He has been nicknamed 'Burgbot' inside the Labour Party, by those not on the hard left of it, with reference to his automaton-like interview style, lack of sense of humour and inability to imagine anything other than what he's been programmed with.

Bearing in mind its current (and continued?) internal electoral system, if the Parliamentary Labour Party really can't see that it needs to do much, much better than the likes of him, RLB and Thicky Thornberry, it will be shafted for a generation. And so, in the total absence of a credible opposition, will our democracy...

Your last sentence says it all!

 

[Hindsight]

 

[borderterribles]

Lol, I saw her statement expressing her delight at being endorsed by Momentum. It really does show the level of either naivety or delusion that the upper echelons within the Labour party "suffer" with!

 

[Ball acre]

She's a woking class hero.

 

[Martin Holden]

Lol, I saw her statement expressing her delight at being endorsed by Momentum. It really does show the level of either naivety or delusion that the upper echelons within the Labour party "suffer" with!

Yup, if they maintain Corbinpolitics they will be out of power for a long time.

 

[Bald Rick]

Press seem to find examples of her being “economical with the truth” on a regular basis- not that that will bother the labour membership too much.

Pity Jess Phillips has defaulted out. Only Nandy can stop Starmer now

 

[Oldmacdonald]

Press seem to find examples of her being “economical with the truth” on a regular basis- not that that will bother the labour membership too much.

Pity Jess Phillips has defaulted out. Only Nandy can stop Starmer now

What's wrong with Starmer?

 

[Danllan]

What's wrong with Starmer?

Seriously? Just for starters... he was the architect of Labour's key policy in the 2019 General Election.

 

[Martin Holden]

Seriously? Just for starters... he was the architect of Labour's key policy in the 2019 General Election.

Let them vote in KS or RLB. They are all lemmings heading for the cliff edge. The UK isn’t a socialist type of state these days but they seem to have overlooked that crucial position. Blair’s new Labour was more centrist and it got them into power. Why do they believe a move to the left will appeal to the voters is a conundrum!

 

[Oldmacdonald]

Let them vote in KS or RLB. They are all lemmings heading for the cliff edge. The UK isn’t a socialist type of state these days but they seem to have overlooked that crucial position. Blair’s new Labour was more centrist and it got them into power. Why do they believe a move to the left will appeal to the voters is a conundrum!

KS would be a move towards the centre, certainly not a move further left!

 

[Danllan]

KS would be a move towards the centre, certainly not a move further left!

Quite true, but it's all relative.* KS is well to the left of Ed Miliband, and Ed was too far left for the comfort of the electorate. And... he, KS, is just another part of the Islington set.

Loathe Labour though I do, we need a credible Opposition and it has to be credible both in its composition and policies, and its prospects of being voted into government. KS is very unlikely to placate the voters Labour have recently lost, the only one who could do that is Lisa Nandy. LN doesn't really have the gravitas, yet; but she has the intellect, pragmatism and 'likability' necessary, and she could well grow into the role.

Anyway, Labour generally give their leaders more time than the Tories do, they generally binning leaders a.s.a.p. after an electoral defeat. Labour haven't much hope for the next GE, but if Ms Nandy is in place soon, she could bed-in and be fir to pose a proper challenge in the GE after.



*Tom Watson is, by any usual measure, on the pretty hard left. But, for the last few years, he has seemed the reasonable face of Labour.

 

[Mek]

Personally I like a hard left Labour Party and a hard right Conservative party with the liberals in the middle. It doesn’t blur the lines so much. The Blair government was too far to the right for a Labour Party. Politicians should have the courage of their convictions instead of trying to be all things to all voters.

 

[Danllan]

Personally I like a hard left Labour Party and a hard right Conservative party with the liberals in the middle. It doesn’t blur the lines so much. The Blair government was too far to the right for a Labour Party. Politicians should have the courage of their convictions instead of trying to be all things to all voters.

But the current Conservative Party isn't hard right; Boris is a social and economic liberal.

Supporting and pursuing Brexit has been tagged as being 'right wing', but that's rubbish, Len McCluskey and Unite are pro-Brexit as, historically, has most of the 'Left' been, remember Tony Benn?

We're about to see a Conservative government roll out a lot of policies that are far from being 'right wing'.

 

[Mek]

But the current Conservative Party isn't hard right; Boris is a social and economic liberal.

That’s what I mean about blurring the lines.

 

[Danllan]

That’s what I mean about blurring the lines.

Interesting, please give some examples of 'hard' right and 'hard' left policies, and a few that the 'liberals in the middle' might offer too.

Just in passing but, if there were truly only the hard right and hard left in the two main parties, there would have been Brexit a long, long time ago.

 

[Mek]

That’s exactly what I’m saying. There isn’t a totally hard right party and there isn’t a totally hard left party hence the general population unless they study every policy, and they don’t, haven’t a clue which side to vote for.

 

[borderterribles]

But the current Conservative Party isn't hard right; Boris is a social and economic liberal.

Supporting and pursuing Brexit has been tagged as being 'right wing', but that's rubbish, Len McCluskey and Unite are pro-Brexit as, historically, has most of the 'Left' been, remember Tony Benn?

We're about to see a Conservative government roll out a lot of policies that are far from being 'right wing'.

The Old Guard hard left are pro Brexit because they see the EU as being some kind of Capitalist Cabal, which they want no part of. Surely this gives the more rational amongst us, some idea of just how far left they are, doesn't it?

 

[Martin Holden]

KS would be a move towards the centre, certainly not a move further left!

Ok not so sure. He was a staunch Corbyn supporter unless he’s a kipper of course