Labour Party leadership election 2015

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Well quite. But here's the critical detail: far from being a donkey jacket (which it clearly wasn't) it was actually a very expensive overcoat. It is now on display in the People's History Museum hilariously enough:

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Over thirty years ago.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

The appointment of the junior shadow posts is now underway, although only a few names have been confirmed so far. Somewhat remarkably arch right-wing factionalist Pat McFadden is staying as Shadow Europe Minister.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Full list of frontbenchers

Much of interest there, therefore more comments later. Two things to note very quickly: the general theme set by the ShadCab posts is reinforced (i.e. an overall soft Left kind of feel with the key word being overall: this is a clear attempt at a 'coalition' frontbench; these are not the appointments of a man setting out to start a factional war), and also the clear right-wing lean of the junior Defence posts.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

The soft left is seen as more pragmatic, less faction-orientated and likely to work with the right of the party. The very term 'soft left' traces its origins, I think, back to the 1981 deputy leadership election when Kinnock and other Tribune MPs declined to support Tony Benn.

This is correct. Specifically the Soft Left were the people who were on the Left but who did not agree with the specific political agenda of Benn and the CLPD and who thought their general attitude was damaging the Party's electoral prospects. There is the wonderful historical detail, o/c, that their intellectual lodestar was Eric Hobsbawm of all people

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Sort of depends on which policy (like over domestic policy certainly - and that is most of politics and certainly is most of Labour Party politics - but foreign affairs etc, no), but, yes, that has traditionally been true. And I guess, given the incredibly low total polled by Kendall which maybe in retrospect will be seen as the most important detail of the leadership contest for all we know, is probably now as true as it was historically.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Of course, who knows, maybe this isn't an either/or situation.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Reconquer the Midlands, basically.

'twas ever thus: Labour has never won a majority without coming close to sweeping the board wrt swing seats here. And a poor performance in one specific part of the region was the reason why Wilson's majority in '64 was smaller than expected (thankfully for Labour things went fine elsewhere).