Feltham & Heston by-election

[YL]

The thing that should worry the LibDems is Labour actually making itself a big tent centre-to-centre-left party which people actually want to vote for. Let's be honest, there's no appetite for Ed for PM at the moment.

Such a situation would also mean that the remnants of New Labour could be left out in the cold as the not-New-or-Old-Labour types realise they don't really need to win centrist-to-centre-right voters to win. Then again, an SNP surge or Scotland actually seceeding would torpedo this.

I would be shocked if there wasn't atleast one major attempt to get rid of Ed in 2012 (by who, I don't know, probably by Yvette), but then again, i'd actually be more shocked if he actually went. The rules to trigger a leadership ballot make it near impossible, unless he jumps himself.

I can't really see that a civil war over the leadership is going to do Labour any good.

My feeling is that Ed M's personal political positions are relatively attractive to left-leaning ex-LD voters, compared with those of most of the alternatives.  (Certainly they are to me.)  I'm not saying he's a perfect leader for Labour, because he obviously isn't, but it's not at all clear to me that a perfect leader for Labour actually exists.

[Leftbehind]

Indeed. Most people edging to get rid of Miliband would replace him with a far less attractive voter for the disillusioned Liberal. Let's not forget Ashcroft's polling a while back of ex-Liberals showing how they were the most hostile to the coalition and to the left of loyal Labour voters on the issues asked - which shouldn't be a surprise when recalling it was a choice between Kennedy and Blair up until the last election. Miliband's not great, but then that's true of the entire parliamentary party as well.

[You kip if you want to...]

The thing that should worry the LibDems is Labour actually making itself a big tent centre-to-centre-left party which people actually want to vote for. Let's be honest, there's no appetite for Ed for PM at the moment.

Such a situation would also mean that the remnants of New Labour could be left out in the cold as the not-New-or-Old-Labour types realise they don't really need to win centrist-to-centre-right voters to win. Then again, an SNP surge or Scotland actually seceeding would torpedo this.

I would be shocked if there wasn't atleast one major attempt to get rid of Ed in 2012 (by who, I don't know, probably by Yvette), but then again, i'd actually be more shocked if he actually went. The rules to trigger a leadership ballot make it near impossible, unless he jumps himself.

I can't really see that a civil war over the leadership is going to do Labour any good.

My feeling is that Ed M's personal political positions are relatively attractive to left-leaning ex-LD voters, compared with those of most of the alternatives.  (Certainly they are to me.)  I'm not saying he's a perfect leader for Labour, because he obviously isn't, but it's not at all clear to me that a perfect leader for Labour actually exists.

Someone like Ed Miliband can't win in this age of "I Agree With Nick"-style image politics, that's obvious.

I read something the other day of one Labour MP telling a meeting of supporters that there's a difference between picking someone who makes you feel good about yourself (Ed's whole "New Labour is awful" rhetoric) and someone who can actually appeal to the wider public and win a general election.

[YL]

Someone like Ed Miliband can't win in this age of "I Agree With Nick"-style image politics, that's obvious.

I read something the other day of one Labour MP telling a meeting of supporters that there's a difference between picking someone who makes you feel good about yourself (Ed's whole "New Labour is awful" rhetoric) and someone who can actually appeal to the wider public and win a general election.

Again...

I can't really see that a civil war over the leadership is going to do Labour any good.

I think Labour need to try and work out how to win with Ed M, not undermine him and try to replace him with someone who might well not be any better.  I don't think he's actually that hopeless a case if the Government remains fairly unpopular, and realistically you're stuck with him anyway unless he falls on his sword.

(From the perspective of a potential -- but far from certain -- Labour voter.)

[You kip if you want to...]

Someone like Ed Miliband can't win in this age of "I Agree With Nick"-style image politics, that's obvious.

I read something the other day of one Labour MP telling a meeting of supporters that there's a difference between picking someone who makes you feel good about yourself (Ed's whole "New Labour is awful" rhetoric) and someone who can actually appeal to the wider public and win a general election.

Again...

I can't really see that a civil war over the leadership is going to do Labour any good.

I think Labour need to try and work out how to win with Ed M, not undermine him and try to replace him with someone who might well not be any better.  I don't think he's actually that hopeless a case if the Government remains fairly unpopular, and realistically you're stuck with him anyway unless he falls on his sword.

(From the perspective of a potential -- but far from certain -- Labour voter.)

I think Ed can win if at the next election, all three leaders are loathed. One thing he has against him past Labour leaders have never had is that Liberal voters will never approve of him...

[Χahar]

We get it. You don't like Ed Miliband.