Harman's Labour 'rebellion'

[Osem]

Labour MPs who defied the leadership over the government's Welfare Bill have undermined the party's attempts to regain power, its work and pensions spokesman says.

Stephen Timms said the 18 new MPs who were among the 48 rebels should focus on supporting the party.

The Commons backed the Welfare Reform and Work Bill by 308 to 124 votes.

Former Labour home secretary David Blunkett said the party was suffering post-election "emotional trauma".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-33608826

Oh well, they have 5 years to sort it all out...

[Ramrod]

I find myself in agreement with David Blunkett:

"I meet young people saying to me 'look, why is your party opposing the idea of saying to people, in the future, if you have more than two children then you have to be responsible in determining how you are going to pay for them'. They expect people to make logical, rational decisions about whether they can afford it rather than the State and the rest of us picking up the bill. That is quite a difficult argument for the Labour Party because we don't want to put children in a position of poverty but we have to put adults in a position of responsibility

Whatever next?!

As someone amusingly said - they're having a leadership crisis without a leader....

[Osem]

Given the dubious quality of the candidates, I don't imagine it'll be the last either.

[Kursk]

Although Harriet Harman sent her children to a school outside the catchment area whilst preaching to other parents that they should follow the rules, she seems to be the Labour politician with the grown up and realistic attitude.

The Labour Party could fare a lot worse without her leadership. Not that it matters at the moment to anyone but those scrabbling to hang on to their opposition benefits.

[denphone]

A party that is sadly rudderless from top to bottom currently.

[Osem]

Rudderless and clueless.

You can expect them to be until they get a leader. To be honest I think Harman did the sensible thing. She is refusing to commit Labour to anything during her time there and let the next leader position for party where they think best. Voting for would enrage the base and voting against would allow the Tories to portray them as welfare fans.

Let's not pretend Osborne isn't setting traps for them either. The budget on reflection will impact poorer families more than the rest and there is a mixture of good benefit reductions and more controversial ones.

[heero_yuy]

Jeremy Corbyn looks set to become the next Labour leader, according to a new poll.

Some 43 per cent of party supporters have said they would choose the left-wing backbench MP are their first preference in the Labour leadership ballot, research for YouGov for The Times has found.

If the poll is correct, Corbyn will storm ahead of bookies’ favourite Andy Burnham, after 26 per cent said they would select him as their first choice candidate. This is despite Corbyn's struggle to secure the 30 nominations from MPs to enter the leadership race.

Linky

Sharp left turn into the wilderness ahead.

[Osem]

Well, if it turns out that way, that says all there is to say about the calibre of the other candidates and the deep seated denial rooted within the party.

[nomadking]

Got to love their "logic", ie people voted Conservative and UKIP because Labour weren't Left wing enough.

Even though they are not in power in Westminster, they are in power in Councils up and down the country.

[Kursk]

Utter shambles. It seems, once again, that they are the only ones who can't foresee the impending train wreck.

[heero_yuy]

"The longest suicide note in history" is an epithet originally used by United Kingdom Labour Party MP Gerald Kaufman[1] to describe his party's 1983 election manifesto, which was more left-wing than usual.

Wiki

History has a habit of repeating itself.

[Osem]

Same old Labour, same old mistakes...

[fatmat8]

this is not the labour party that i knew and supported when i came into working for a living some 50 odd years ago , as i find it hard to differ them from the Tories !