Labour ?

TOBYJUG posted:

Another lady ? The one who should have been the Deputy leader -Harriet Harman ?

Not such a bad idea...who else is their?

Clive Lewis has a good chance of being (a good) leader at some point IMO, but two things currently stand in the way.  First, that I think he feels he needs to serve his time for a while yet, and two, I don't think he'd challenge Corbyn while he was still in post.

But he's definitely on the radar.

TOBYJUG posted:

Another lady ? The one who should have been the Deputy leader -Harriet Harman ?

She WAS deputy leader.  Under first Gordon Brown and continued under Ed Milliband.

Then resigned for some explicable reason

TOBYJUG posted:

Then resigned for no explicable reason

Well she decided not to continue when Ed Milliband stood down.  Suspect that, given she will be 70, she may be planning to stand down at the next General Election (if in 2020).

Eloise posted:

TOBYJUG posted:

Then resigned for no explicable reason

Well she decided not to continue when Ed Milliband stood down.  Suspect that, given she will be 70, she may be planning to stand down at the next General Election (if in 2020).

67 wow she looks great. Thought she was younger than TM.

Non the less - a younger strong lady leader would do a great deal to address and balance the political correctness in our society 

In my view Yvette Cooper is the leader Labour needed, and she's the one I voted for. A woman of principle but pragmatic too. That ship has probably sailed now, unfortunately.

wenger2015 posted:

TOBYJUG posted:

Another lady ? The one who should have been the Deputy leader -Harriet Harman ?

Not such a bad idea...who else is their?

Angela Rayner and Rebecca Long-Bailey are two names in the press.

C.

I havent voted Labour in a long time - the last time was when I voted for Blair.. and I came to really regret that.. but I agree the country needs a strong opposition - and I kind of feel the one party with the strongest effective  opposition to the Government currently is  the SNP.. 

As has been mentioned Yvette Cooper, is someone I hadn't considered,  maybe that's still a possibility... as for Angela Rayner and Rebecca Long Bailey, don't really know enough about them to give an honest opinion.. 

Simon-in-Suffolk posted:

I havent voted Labour in a long time - the last time was when I voted for Blair.. and I came to really regret that.. but I agree the country needs a strong opposition - and I kind of feel the one party with the strongest effective  opposition to the Government currently is  the SNP.. 

Not enough of them, so not an effective opposition.

If Labour split, they would split their vote in each constituency and hardly win any seats at all. They need a clear policy and a strong, charismatic leader with integrity. I think it's called a "pipe dream"

Looks to me like John Redwood and Michael Gove look-alikes could sweep to victory with 500 or more seats in a nightmare election worse than Brexit !

RLB is said to be the favoured candidate of the shadow chancellor. As such, given the internal state of the PLP, I can't see her getting sufficient nominations to be on the ballot.

Then again, no ballot is necessarily happening until 2020, so who knows?

Contrary to popular opinion in my view for Labour to ever be a strong opposition and to have any chance of forming so government they do need another TB, or at least elements of what he had to offer.  I think labour were lucky in their leaders with TB and those who preceded him because they were each able too offer a vision that went beyond the narrow left and appealed to voters who wouldn't usually vote labour whilst standing up to and controlling the more extreme elements of the party.  Whilst he may have got some things wrong Tony Blair was able to give direction and offer leadership that has been very badly missing since he left.  Whilst Corbyn may appeal to the unions and his left wing, and even that support is drifting, he doesn't appeal to the country at large who see him as a throw back to the 70s and 80s, and a weak leader with it.  Frankly it pains me to say that with the current leader election process labour is doomed to keep repeating its mistakes as the unions put in place those they see as the best fit whilst ignoring what is required.  I still think we got the wrong Milliband for similar reasons too.  Unless labour can reconnect with the general public and introduce policies that remain labour based but deal with modern issues and concerns I doubt they will survive

I agree 100%. For example,  I think Hilary Benn is great, a real conviction politician,  but I am no doubt in the minority of labour party members.

Is their a viable 'way forward'  for the labour party? 

If their is, then what is it?

Heard a little of TB's speech this morning,  I thought he came across a little awkward ....? 

wenger2015 posted:

Heard a little of TB's speech this morning,  I thought he came across a little awkward ....? 

He suggested the brexit vote was based on politicians not telling voters the truth,  now that's one point  I do agree with him on....

Dave, I agree, however although Blair did provide leadership, he brought spin from the US to the UK orchestrated by Campbell in a way I'm sure  that even Goebbels would have been impressed with. To me this started the detachment of the political centre from the people, the start of the liberal 'elite' if you like... he became seemingly more obsessed of his self righteousness within his own Westminster bubble showing arrogance and disdain for anything that got in the way.. just remember the Chilcot enquiry.. and of course when the going got tough, it was a case of 'here are the keys Gordon'...

And what I find truly alarming and potentially haunting, Blair thinks he can come back from his wilderness and portray his arrogance all over again... thank goodness his credibility now is  way less than that of Jeremy  Corbyns and so I doubt other than a bit  of media curiosity about a relic much will come of it. Mr Blair, either join politics again and become a real answerable MP or get another job... please.

Agreed Simon, the longer he was in power the more detached and arrogant he became which is a shame because he did a lot of good work, building on his two predecessors,  for the Labour Party and for the country in the early days.  I haven't seen much from the Labour Party that pleased me since he left

I think Blairs credibility is damaged beyond repair. During his speech yesterday I made a mistake by saying he came across awkward , I meant to use the word arrogant.....  He is  obviously of the opinion he is held in high esteem .....!!!

As a lifelong Labour voter, and a pro European, all I could think was 'you're a year too late, mate'. 

Hungryhalibut posted:

As a lifelong Labour voter, and a pro European, all I could think was 'you're a year too late, mate'. 

I may be wrong, but wasn't Blair viewed as simply too toxic to be used to any great extent by the Remain campaign?

Timmo1341 posted:

Hungryhalibut posted:

As a lifelong Labour voter, and a pro European, all I could think was 'you're a year too late, mate'. 

I may be wrong, but wasn't Blair viewed as simply too toxic to be used to any great extent by the Remain campaign?

That's how I understood it..

ok its from the Daily Mail - but google and you see from many sources around April 2016 - the British people can't be trusted to vote on this... it says it all really..

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new...trusted-EU-vote.html