Poll - Next Labour Party Leader

[Felicity, I guess so]

I left when Kinnock stabbed the miners in the back and while I might’ve been tempted to join for Corbyn (and did some leafleting in the recent election) I couldn’t face the leadership obsession business at the moment so am happy to remain outside.
At the Newcastle demo against the Iran war I almost wished WW3 were more imminent to stop people rabbitting about why Chi’s nomination of Thirnberry was “the democratic thing to do” despite all of her politics.

Anyone in a union should raise the issue of what their organisation nationally is doing to prepare to fight for our services and the NHS. I don’t really care which of the dodgy leaders Mccluskey backs as long as he puts some money into a launch rally in the spring for the ‘hands off’ campaign that would be needed and would be popular and would change the conversation away from waiting 5 years for ‘someone electable ‘

[Felicity, I guess so]

That semi-rant over, Labour activists are doing weekly stalls at Newcastle monument which is good but I heard that yesterday they were getting bother off the pigs

[E10 Rifle]

In fact you met my son at the amazing Oxford v Orient promotion / relegation bun fight a few years ago (12).

I met a lot of people that day. And what a day.

Our CLP's membership has shot up too, though it follows the pattern of 2015, when people started joining after Ed M's defeat. I suspect that though we managed to nominate Corbyn in both 2015 and 2016, RLB won't get the E17 nod this time round. The right has cemented its control of the local party in the past couple of years. It ain't much fun.

[pebblethefish]

Just out of interest Pebble, what is it about Raynor, and to a lesser extent Phillips, that attracts you? Is it primarily policy or personality or both equally and could you briefly summarise their plus points as far as you're concerned,

This is a completely straight question, BTW. I'm genuinely intrigued as to why a LibDem voter would actively campaign for a Labour Party led by Angie Raynor.

Right, three weeks late, I'll get round to answer this.

Basically, as previously stated, I'm probably one of the least political people on here, and therefore one of the most media led. And therefore I have realised that I give politicians the egg test. Back in 2001, I didn't like John Prescott much, but some mullet headed twat hit him with an egg, and Prescott thumped him. Suddenly, I liked John Prescott. So, if it happened to these candidates, what would they do? I think Thornberry would at least have a go back. I think Phillips would at least have had an argument. Nandy and RLB I don't know enough about, and Starmer would just carry on as if nothing had happened. Raynor would have not only thumped the fucker, but also stamped on his balls while he lay on the ground crying.

Also, in TV interviews I saw during the election, it was all about the politician. "No, no, let me finish" DOES NOT WORK. Breakfast TV viewers like Naga and Dan and the gang - we don't like people who have a go at them. Raynor always accepted any interruption, listened to the question, and answered that question, rather than the question that they wanted to be asked.

So, basically, all about personality rather than policy.

[Nocturnal Submission]

Right, three weeks late, I'll get round to answer this.

Basically, as previously stated, I'm probably one of the least political people on here, and therefore one of the most media led. And therefore I have realised that I give politicians the egg test. Back in 2001, I didn't like John Prescott much, but some mullet headed twat hit him with an egg, and Prescott thumped him. Suddenly, I liked John Prescott. So, if it happened to these candidates, what would they do? I think Thornberry would at least have a go back. I think Phillips would at least have had an argument. Nandy and RLB I don't know enough about, and Starmer would just carry on as if nothing had happened. Raynor would have not only thumped the fucker, but also stamped on his balls while he lay on the ground crying.

Also, in TV interviews I saw during the election, it was all about the politician. "No, no, let me finish" DOES NOT WORK. Breakfast TV viewers like Naga and Dan and the gang - we don't like people who have a go at them. Raynor always accepted any interruption, listened to the question, and answered that question, rather than the question that they wanted to be asked.

So, basically, all about personality rather than policy.

Thanks for that, Pebble.

As someone who does have quite a keen interest in politics, or at least thought he did, I must confess that I haven't actually seen that much of any of the remaining candidates, other than Starmer who's profile was raised by all the Brexit machinations. I'm not a big TV watcher these days, though, and tend to eschew social media. But personality counts for a lot when people vote at elections and having a leader that a sizeable chunk of the electorate actually likes is a major consideration for any serious political party, or at least should be.

[Nocturnal Submission]

Is there much going on at the moment with this? I haven't seen anything for a while, other than an anti-Starmer video that popped up on Twitter when I was scrolling through Streatham Rovers tweets last night.

Checking Wiki it seems that RLB still hasn't made it through to the final round, which would have surprised me a month or so ago but not so much after watching the contest unfold.

Rayner's out of sight in the deputy poll and it's not obvious that she'll even have an opponent in the final found, though Burgon should get through I suppose.

Not much support for Rosena Allin-Khan, I see. I've always been quite impressed by her, but judging by her MP supporters she looks to be on the Right of the party.

[Lobachevsky]

the rules seem quite archane. what do you hqve to do to be on a ballot that actually gets voted on by the membership.

[Nocturnal Submission]

As I understand it the first stage is threshold support from MPs & MEPs followed by threshold support from either CLPs or trade unions/affiliated organisations in stage two. Candidates who get over those two hurdles make it onto the final membership ballot.

[Snake Plissken]

There was supposed to be another hustings on Saturday but it was cancelled as Kier Starmer's mother in law was rushed to intensive care.

It has gone quiet though. But maybe that is because there was an over load of focus in the early weeks? I mean, not much else happening at the moment and even Emily Thornberry and Lisa Nandy have been more visible than the Prime Minister.

[Duncan Gardner]

I mean, not much else happening at the moment and even Emily Thornberry and Lisa Nandy have been more visible than the Prime Minister.

That's the likely ongoing model for his administration. While he can get away with gormless stunts and nursery rhymes about Bill and Ben's bong, he will. When anything important looms he'll be as visible as Marie Celeste

Meanwhile, a friend and neighbor of mine is hoping to be Labour's Candidate in the Urban West Midlands mayoral election. Any Labour activists on here following it?

[Snake Plissken]

It's OK, I'm sure that Johnson will be held accountable for his many absences.

[Felicity, I guess so]

Steve Bell has already nailed that as his line of attack- Johnson on the beach phoning it in to Cummings

[ursus arctos]

It's OK, I'm sure that Johnson will be held accountable for his many absences.

It is a strategy that he has already perfected with his children.

The commitment to twuntitude is so complete that even his dependents desperately want him to eff off.

[Snake Plissken]

Long-Bailey is on the final ballot. Anyone want to do a sweepstake of how many attack articles the Guardian will run?

[ooh aah]

Long-Bailey is on the final ballot. Anyone want to do a sweepstake of how many attack articles the Guardian will run?

How many days between now and the final vote?

[Snake Plissken]

4th April so um... 65?

[E10 Rifle]

The general tactics with RLB has been to gaslight here. One of the other candidates, or a pundit, floats an idea that RLB's suggested and supported, and then chides the Left for not having any proper thinking on the subject. John Harris is a master of this art.

[Nefertiti2]

John Harris is a turd.

at least that’s what the salt of the earth working class people I met in a Stoke on Trent Wetherspoons told me.

[E10 Rifle]

Generally, white male middle-aged music journalists aren't worth listening to about politics (with a couple of exceptions)

[Duncan Gardner]

And equally generally, white male middle-aged sports journalists?

[E10 Rifle]

God yes, we are a dreadful people, my demographic

[Lang Spoon]

https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v42/.../what-happened


this is very good, if bleak.

[Satchmo Distel]

How the fuck did Starmer become odds-on favourite? We were headed for a female leader the last time I was paying attention (admittedly a few weeks ago)

[San Bernardhinault]

Presumably the same way that the most racial, gender and sexuality diverse Democratic primary ever is ending up as a race between three 75+ straight white dudes.

[Nocturnal Submission]

https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v42/.../what-happened


this is very good, if bleak.

Yes, a long read but very balanced.

Who is James Butler? Just a LRB journo? I don't think I've come across him before.