Chuka Can't: The IG Thread

[Diable Rouge]

I have to say that I think that it's quite funny that the Lib Dems, just sitting there, with virtually no national profile to speak of, quietly doing absolutely nothing, actually see their support substantially diminish when a bunch of MPs that are fed up with their parties decide to leave and form a group that wants a second EU referendum and, er, we'll get back to you...

Of course the combined 21% is effectively the pre-2010 usual poll numbers for the Lib Dems, so a return to the centre, if not the brand.

[jwdd27]

That quoted text is about Heidi Allen, not Joan Ryan, jwdd.

Apologies, it was poor subediting by the Guardian (now corrected). And perhaps a bit of poor reading comprehension from myself.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Of course the combined 21% is effectively the pre-2010 usual poll numbers for the Lib Dems, so a return to the centre, if not the brand.

Its also "plague on both your houses" voters.

[E10 Rifle]

From the Guardian liveblog

"Soubry says she stands by the Tory austerity policy after 2010 and that it was the right thing to do for the country."

[Flynnie]

With Shuker in the Centrist Dads group, Lib Dems can take comfort that obsession with gay sex will be part of their New Normal.

[ursus arctos]

All of this is further indication of the fact that the IG isn't close to being a party.

It is at best a cross-party interest group and perhaps more accurately a caucus of the annoyed.

Unless that changes, it is silly to run electoral simulations.

[Snake Plissken]

She called them the Three Amigos.
My Spanish is non-existent but even I know they are definitely not amigos.

[Nefertiti2]

The Guardian won't tolerate any reference to Joan Ryan's meeting with Israeli embassy operative Shai Masot in her capacity ad Chair of labour Friends of Israel which was filmed and broadcast on Al jazeera in which she was told she had a million pounds at her dispsoal . Any comment mentioning it is deleted

This is odd because after the Shai Masot incident the Israeli government apologised and Mr Masot was asked to leave the country. The authenticity of the video is not disputed

[E10 Rifle]

Some more thoughts: for the past decade, British parliamentary politics has in no way really reflected the social and economic realities of post-2008 Britain (or post-2000 Britain). This split makes things clearer: on the radical left and nationalist/authoritarian right are those seeking to use the chaos of the post-Crash world to seek a dramatically different society rooted in their values and interests, and in the middle we now have a more forceful and identifiable group seeking to stitch that old broken world and consensus back together in some way. A proper and more honest clash of interests ––(the very stuff of politics) can now ensue.

The other largely unmentioned and obvious thing is there's been absolutely no suggestion that any trade union support or money is going to follow these MPs out of the Labour party.

[Duncan Gardner]

If Shai Hopeless coughs up a few million they won't need the Unions

[E10 Rifle]

Who do you mean?

[Lucy Waterman]

I don't know that suggesting they are bankrolled by Likud is the best form of attack.

[E10 Rifle]

No it isn't. Though pointing out that Ryan is a tad on the unscrupulous side has its merits

[Duncan Gardner]

E10- The bloke mentioned in #59 above

Lucy- a lame cricket pun, apologies. I was reacting to Nef's suggestion

[Lucy Waterman]

No it isn't. Though pointing out that Ryan is a tad on the unscrupulous side has its merits

Wouldn't argue with that.

[Duncan Gardner]

She's the MP for Ein Gedi North

[Tubby Isaacs]

The Guardian won't tolerate any reference to Joan Ryan's meeting with Israeli embassy operative Shai Masot in her capacity ad Chair of labour Friends of Israel which was filmed and broadcast on Al jazeera in which she was told she had a million pounds at her dispsoal . Any comment mentioning it is deleted

This is odd because after the Shai Masot incident the Israeli government apologised and Mr Masot was asked to leave the country. The authenticity of the video is not disputed

It's strongly disputed that he was meaningfully an "operative" or that there was a plot though, isn't it?

I don't think it's surprising that the Guardian would be touchy about being sued.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Ha ha, look who's shown up.

https://twitter.com/David_Cameron/status/1098244891375816706

[E10 Rifle]

Be interesting to see how this all plays out in local government, the last stronghold of the Labour right

[Nefertiti2]

this from Jeremy Gilbert is a good analysis I thought

https://twitter.com/InfoPrice/status/1098342959437803521

[NHH]

Interesting letter from former Labour MP David Hinchcliffe in The Guardian:

In trying to understand their thinking, I was reminded of being on a train travelling south with Chris Leslie, then MP for Shipley, not long after his election to the Commons in 1997. During a conversation with another northern Labour MP, Alice Mahon, and myself, we were both astonished when he informed us that he had always wanted to have a career in politics but had been genuinely unsure as to which major party to join.

[Diable Rouge]

Certainly the kind of broad alliance suitable for a PR system - how that's tactically adapted for FPTP is another matter.

[Flynnie]

Certainly the kind of broad alliance suitable for a PR system - how that's tactically adapted for FPTP is another matter.

I would guess a complex system of pacts essentially ensuring one progressive candidate is on the ballot with endorsement from all the major parties, akin to the Liberal-Labour pact in the early 20th century.

[Lang Spoon]

Like how the party of Gladstone/Bannerman/Asquith could accommodate stuff like Cunninghame Graham as the first Socialist MP/not run against Hardie? I dunno if this lot and Labour/Lib Dems would be willing to coordinate like that, especially now three Tories have joined the Indos.

[Lang Spoon]

They will probably need someone like Dugdale to walk the floor at the Holyrood half Parliament or Murray at Westminster to be a proper UK proposition as opposed to an English thing, and even then I doubt there's room for 'em in Scotland. Stephen Kinnock on a quixotic mission to lose his Welsh seat mibees.

Diamond Jim Murphy must rue this Centrist bandwagon came too late for him.