[Update] Jeremy Corbyn wins Labour Leadership

[Osem]

Finding a decent leader amongst this lot is likely to be about as productive as panning for gold in the Regent's canal. Just like so many of his colleagues, Burnham is a condescending git.

Originally Posted by Osem

Finding a decent leader amongst this lot is likely to be about as productive as panning for gold in the Regent's canal. Just like so many of his colleagues, Burnham is a condescending git.

Andy Burnham has, however, proven his ability to chuck a civil service approved speech in the bin and decide on an issue for himself, when confronted with public opinion. Just ask any of the families of the Hillsborough 96. He has God-like status around Merseyside, where admittedly they would vote for a monkey in a red rosette anyway, but you get the idea. If he can play on the compassionate man of the people thing, he may do well.

[heero_yuy]

Labour cannot survive without the unions and Ed Miliband lost the election because he lacked "courage in his convictions" and was not left wing enough, the head of Britain's biggest union has suggested.

Len McCluskey, the head of the Unite union, said that Lord Mandelson, the former business secretary, is wrong to claim that Labour needs to the values of New Labour and "party like it's 1997 again".

Link to full story

If Labour lurches further to the left it will be out of power for a generation, not just a parliamentary term. Len, the people DID get Labour's mild lefty message and they rejected it. More left, less votes.

[alanbjames]

I would like to see Diane Abbot back in the running as the last leadership was 2 brothers and her so there wasnt really much choice.

[Kursk]

Originally Posted by alanbjames

I would like to see Diane Abbot back in the running as the last leadership was 2 brothers and her so there wasnt really much choice.

She sent her son to a fee-paying private school despite her supposed desire for a 'fairer and egalitarian society'.

What a hypocrite.

She was critical of Tony Blair and Harriet Harman for doing the same.

What a bunch of hypocrites.

She even said that black mothers would 'know the position she was in'.

Hah! When in a hole, stop digging Diane.

Nick Tuition Clegg is more trustworthy. A leopard never changes its spots.

[heero_yuy]

Just another Labour toff who pretends she isn't.

[denphone]

Originally Posted by heero_yuy

Just another Labour toff who pretends she isn't.

Personally l would have liked Dan Jarvis to throw his name into the ring but alas that's not going to happen so perhaps l; should throw myself into the ring if l can get a proposer and seconder.

[Ignitionnet]

Originally Posted by alanbjames

I would like to see Diane Abbot back in the running as the last leadership was 2 brothers and her so there wasnt really much choice.

As a general rule I prefer not to have racists leading political parties.

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[heero_yuy]

Originally Posted by denphone

Personally l would have liked Dan Jarvis to throw his name into the ring but alas that's not going to happen so perhaps l; should throw myself into the ring if l can get a proposer and seconder.

He would have been a credible leader untainted by the Blier years or cohorts and not a secret toff either.

I think they'll go with Andy Burnham as he's a union fav especially if the unions manage to get enough "members" signed up in the revised leadership voting system. If they do then expect the Torys to be in power for a long time.

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by Chris

Andy Burnham has, however, proven his ability to chuck a civil service approved speech in the bin and decide on an issue for himself, when confronted with public opinion. Just ask any of the families of the Hillsborough 96. He has God-like status around Merseyside, where admittedly they would vote for a monkey in a red rosette anyway, but you get the idea. If he can play on the compassionate man of the people thing, he may do well.

How come the public has seemingly forgotten about the Mid Staffs hospital crisis and Andy Burnham's role in it? The decision to try to cover it up rather than get on and deal with the problem speaks volumes.

And the NHS was safer in Labour's hands? Yeah, yeah!

---------- Post added at 12:57 ---------- Previous post was at 12:55 ----------

Originally Posted by denphone

The greatest damage to the Lib Dems was done when Nick Clegg’s broke the party's promise on university tuition fees which massively undermined them in the eyes of voters.

True, but what most people seem to ignore is that they didn't have a choice as they were part of a Coalition. The Tories wouldn't have gone along with it so the numbers didn't add up.

So the Lib Dems went for the next best thing. Very grown up, the kind of politics that is sadly deficient in so many different areas.

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by Ignitionnet

As a general rule I prefer not to have racists leading political parties.

Is that racist billboard for real?

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by Stuart

I think Miliband damaged his own chances without the aid of Russell Brand. After all, he lost the election *despite* Cameron's government being in power while a record number of people are using food banks, prices are going up (with the Government seeming unwilling or unable to tackle them), especially food. Unemployment is going down, but seemingly as a result of low paid jobs or zero hour contracts, so we don't know what the actual figure is. We also have a Government that his introduced a tax that would seem to massively penalise benefits claimants while not really affecting the rich (the bedroom tax). These are *all* things any halfway decent opposition leader should be able to use as weapons against the incumbent Prime Minister, and possibly even force a vote of no confidence. After all, despite 5 years of severe cuts, the debt is *still* worse under David Cameron than it was under Labour.

Ed (along with the entire Labour leadership) has failed to do ANYTHING with all of those.

Actually, these arguments were made, Chris, but the public weren't having any of it.

1. Food banks have sprung up of late, but this shows that there are good natured and well meaning people trying to help people less well off than themselves. I'm not convinced, frankly, that the food banks are a reliable indicator that things have got worse.

2. Prices are going up? Have you seen the inflation figures? The reduced price of fuel more than makes up for the increased food prices. This wouldn't have happened under Gordon Brown - remember his fuel price escalator?

3. The zero hours contract issue is a desperate move by Labour to make a problem out of nothing. The vast majority of new jobs are not zero hours contracts and the figures prove it. In any case, such contracts suit those who want flexibility. The Coalition was already on the case to sort out those employers who were abusing it.

4. There is no such thing as the bedroom tax. It is a benefit, and the Conservatives have made no bones about reducing these, which have my full support. This is my money Labour wants to give away. How can it be fair that people on benefits and in council housing can claim this when those renting private accommodation cannot? What the Coalition did was to even up the playing field.

5. As for the debt, of course it's increased. Until the deficit is reduced and becomes a surplus, the debt will continue to increase as well! How can the debt be paid off before the deficit is reduced? It is this economic illiteracy spouted by Labour that has fooled so many. Let us not forget who gave us this deficit and who spent all our money on foolish Labour whims so that we couldn't fund the economic collapse when it came.

Under this Government, you will see the deficit become a surplus just after about three years (or maybe before if we can dispose of our shares in the banks and make a profit sooner rather than later) and the debt will start to come down at last. I had no confidence whatsoever (and nor did the thinking electorate) that Labour could have achieved this, and with the SNP snapping at their asses, spending would have got out of control again and the debt would be massively bigger by the end of this Parliament.

[Osem]

Originally Posted by heero_yuy

Just another Labour toff who pretends she isn't.

Too true - like a lot of her colleagues past and present.


@ Den - I'd go for it mate - you'd do a better job I reckon.

---------- Post added at 13:30 ---------- Previous post was at 13:28 ----------

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

Actually, these arguments were made, Chris, but the public weren't having any of it.

1. Food banks have sprung up of late, but this shows that there are good natured and well meaning people trying to help people less well off than themselves. I'm not convinced, frankly, that the food banks are a reliable indicator that things have got worse.

2. Prices are going up? Have you seen the inflation figures? The reduced price of fuel more than makes up for the increased food prices. This wouldn't have happened under Gordon Brown - remember his fuel price escalator?

3. The zero hours contract issue is a desperate move by Labour to make a problem out of nothing. The vast majority of new jobs are not zero hours contracts and the figures prove it. In any case, such contracts suit those who want flexibility. The Coalition was already on the case to sort out those employers who were abusing it.

4. There is no such thing as the bedroom tax. It is a benefit, and the Conservatives have made no bones about reducing these, which have my full support. This is my money Labour wants to give away. How can it be fair that people on benefits and in council housing can claim this when those renting private accommodation cannot? What the Coalition did was to even up the playing field.

5. As for the debt, of course it's increased. Until the deficit is reduced and becomes a surplus, the debt will continue to increase as well! How can the debt be paid off before the deficit is reduced? It is this economic illiteracy spouted by Labour that has fooled so many. Let us not forget who gave us this deficit and who spent all our money on foolish Labour whims so that we couldn't fund the economic collapse when it came.

Under this Government, you will see the deficit become a surplus just after about three years (or maybe before if we can dispose of our shares in the banks and make a profit sooner rather than later) and the debt will start to come down at last. I had no confidence whatsoever (and nor did the thinking electorate) that Labour could have achieved this, and with the SNP snapping at their asses, spending would have got out of control again and the debt would be massively bigger by the end of this Parliament.

---------- Post added at 13:35 ---------- Previous post was at 13:30 ----------

Originally Posted by alanbjames

I would like to see Diane Abbot back in the running as the last leadership was 2 brothers and her so there wasnt really much choice.

She's standing for London Mayor apparently. I hope she loses that and becomes Labour leader so we can consign them to more years in the wilderness.

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by alanbjames

I would like to see Diane Abbot back in the running as the last leadership was 2 brothers and her so there wasnt really much choice.

No chance. She thought Ed Miliband wasn't left wing enough. She's a dinosaur and would take Labour in exactly the wrong direction.

[Osem]

She needs to be a dinosaur to support that mammoth chip on her shoulder.