Scrutable

His mum can write him a note.

I've never been a member of a political party in my life. Should I join the Labour Party so I can vote for a sane leader?

bjn wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 13, 2019 8:29 pm

I've never been a member of a political party in my life. Should I join the Labour Party so I can vote for a sane leader?

Yes. If the far left can indulge in entryism why can’t centrists? (Other political identities are available)

Yes. Join. Please.

bjn wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 13, 2019 8:29 pm

I've never been a member of a political party in my life. Should I join the Labour Party so I can vote for a sane leader?

Yes

So McDonnell's leaving the Shadow Cabinet. Wonder if he intends to be some sort of Leftie conscience on the back benches?

Some of those who complained about the PLP not actively supporting Corbyn might have something to think about, if the Comrades elect somebody sensible.

Jess Philips has set out her leadership pitch.

Key messages:

a) f.cking told you this would happen
b) I'm clean on Iraq (phew)
c) Sort of not extreme but not a Blairite (before my time)
d) It was brexit my arse
e) Momentum are c.nts
f) Don't call Momentum c.nts, it isn't helpful

Nandy has also, but that us entirely vapid, testiculating platitudes.

Is there a timetable for the leadership election yet?

What about Lisa & Andy then? They might be alright as leader.

Lots of corbynites going, "yeah, but is she a leader?"

McDonnell's made it clear today. He will play fall guy so they can blame the remainers, with them hanging on to whitewash Corbyn, keep the flame of True Belief alive and install Long-Bailey.

They are lying c.nts.

And none of them look like leaders by definition, except Starmer, who is ineligible through posession of a willy. None of the others have ever led anything. Labour have been out of power for a decade, and any left with govt experience are dreaded centrists.

The Lisa'n'Andy twins don't seem very inspiring, that piece they wrote for the Graun was no more than a series of turgid platitudes. The real question is who could dismantle the Corbyn project and get rid of Milne McCluskey rtc from positions of influence without being deselected?

ISTM Starmer is like Brown: a solid technocrat with decent policies, but devoid of charisma and unable to win a GE.

Sciolus wrote: ↑

Sun Dec 15, 2019 1:11 pm

ISTM Starmer is like Brown: a solid technocrat with decent policies, but devoid of charisma and unable to win a GE.

Running him in Brown's position - future Chancellor and key policy person - with a leader that's aiming for trust on executive power and priorities might be a good idea then.

2024 we'll want zero charisma, because the entire country will be sick of Boris Buffoonery and need a dull technocrat.

Like grey John Major after the fireworks of Thatcher.

Side bet on Stephen Kinnock for me. It would be surprising if he didn't have ambitions, given his background, and he could plausibly paint himself as a pragmatic unifier.

I predict increasing wibble that the new leader has to be a lexiter, 'cos win back northern racists. The Corbyn bunker will spend the next two months repeating the deluded message that Labour should have out-kippered the Tories with a single mindedness of purpose and messaging that they never came clear to achieving in their election campaign. Because otherwise, omg it's their fault. Then they will replace themselves with essentially a cloned leadership, "led" by Long-bailey, with the same toxic advisers and McCluskey still calling the shots.

That well, known dreaded centrist Will Hutton explains in today's Observer why blaming Labour's catastrophe on not being brexity enough is bollocks. And why McCluskey is a c.nt.

snoozeofreason wrote: ↑

Sun Dec 15, 2019 1:32 pm

Side bet on Stephen Kinnock for me. It would be surprising if he didn't have ambitions, given his background, and he could plausibly paint himself as a pragmatic unifier.

Kinnock has less chance of being leader than Jess Phillips.

Probably best if the best prospect doesn't get it this time. The first one isn't going to survive the coming civil war.

Corbyn, McDonnell and Momentum are already busy at digging their trenches.

GeenDienst wrote: ↑

Sun Dec 15, 2019 3:04 pm

Probably best if the best prospect doesn't get it this time. The first one isn't going to survive the coming civil war.

Corbyn, McDonnell and Momentum are already busy at digging their trenches.

Funnily enough my wife and I came to exactly the same conclusion at the weekend.

Regarding joining, new members who join now or up to two weeks after a contest has been timetabled will be able to vote. This gives candidates an incentive to recruit new members into the party to vote for them and not simply appeal to existing members, so interesting times.

It'll be interesting to see how this goes.
When the Tories got hammered in 1997 their first reactions seemed to be "It was because we weren't right-wing enough"
And so they failed over and over again with Hague, Duncan-Smith and Howard. OK, Cameron was hardly a man of the people, but he was lucky that by the time he ran against Labour they were suffering from the "been in office a long time" effect.

I'd like to see the new leader being a bit closer to the centre and and having some charisma / leadership qualities. All the ideological purity in the world doesn't matter if you can't win elections.

I have feeling I'll be disappointed.

El Pollo Diablo wrote: ↑

Sun Dec 15, 2019 2:59 pm

snoozeofreason wrote: ↑

Sun Dec 15, 2019 1:32 pm

Side bet on Stephen Kinnock for me. It would be surprising if he didn't have ambitions, given his background, and he could plausibly paint himself as a pragmatic unifier.

Kinnock has less chance of being leader than Jess Phillips.

Phillips, Creasy, any of the modern smart funny lot - none of them have a chance, because the membership is insane.

The winner will be a MSM media-blaming in-the-trenches type. Almost certainly Long-Bailey, with Rayner as the deputy. That Rayner's got a fantastic gob on her btw.

I've joined the Labour Party to have a vote.

Jess Phillips would probably be great, but would never win an election because a) she's a woman, and b) she has a Brummie accent and people won't vote for someone with a Brummie accent.

The electorate that really that thick...and I say that as a Brummie (albeit sans accent).

headshot wrote: ↑

Tue Dec 17, 2019 10:44 am

I've joined the Labour Party to have a vote.

Jess Phillips would probably be great, but would never win an election because a) she's a woman, and b) she has a Brummie accent and people won't vote for someone with a Brummie accent.

The electorate that really that thick...and I say that as a Brummie (albeit sans accent).

Don't agree with a) but do agree with b) - she talks sense, but the accent isn't going to help her (I'm a black country lad myself). I think she'd make a killer deputy though.

I'd like to see Yvette Cooper as leader - she's clear, concise and competent in a way that doesn't come off as annoying (to me at least). She reminds me of an awesome teacher I had at school who everyone respected and no-one messed with. That's what they need.

An interview from the Conference in September has been reheated for Kuenssberg's programme. In it, Thornberry points out that if Corbyn pretended to be neutral on Brexit, it would dominate every interview and reduce his chances of being elected. At least one of the c.nts could see the obvious.

This shows why she should be a candidate, and also why she has no chance.

BTW, where the f.ck are Starmer and Thornberry out nailing this lie the True Believers are establishing? Y'know, leadership?

Looks like Phase 2 of the "Can the left get into government" investigation will put the Corbyn/Brexit excuses to one side and see if a relatively untarnished female northerner can do the job. Presumably if that fails then phase 3 will see if a relatively untarnished male southerner can do the job, and if that fails, further iterations on region and gender forevermore.