Labour Party leadership election 2015

[Clyde1998]

Jim Murphy

I think Labour should choose someone who will take them back to the left - regardless who it is - as there seems to be too little of a difference between the two main parties.

[The Other Castro]

As long as they don't pick another leader that sounds like he has rubberized jam in his mouth when he talks.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Oh come on, why would Ed Milliband need to step aside? It's not his fault Labour lost the election. It was all because of these SNP scumbags stealing a God-given Labour seats

[Clyde1998]

Oh come on, why would Ed Milliband need to step aside? It's not his fault Labour lost the election. It was all because of these SNP scumbags stealing a God-given Labour seats

The Conservatives won more than half of the seats - even if every Scottish seat had gone Labour, they would have still lose the election

[ObserverIE]

Oh come on, why would Ed Milliband need to step aside? It's not his fault Labour lost the election. It was all because of these SNP scumbags stealing a God-given Labour seats

The Conservatives won more than half of the seats - even if every Scottish seat had gone Labour, they would have still lose the election

Although they came in useful south of the border for subtle dog-whistling like this:

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Military service is extremely overrated as a candidate trait in the US and I can't see it being much different in the UK

I noted it mostly because its unusual for a Labour politician these days (back when there had been conscript armies engaged in world wars matters were different of course). Not sure whether he's actually interested or whether his name is just being floated around by people with another agenda (it's the Labour Party. This happens).

[You kip if you want to...]

The early frontrunner never wins.

[Insula Dei]

Had he survived, would Douglas Alexander have been a serious contender for the leadership?

[Iosif]

I don't know much about Jarvis but I've been underwhelmed with all the candidates that have been put forward so far.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Had he survived, would Douglas Alexander have been a serious contender for the leadership?

Hahaha, no.

[World politics is up Schmitt creek]

I'm extremely suspicious of Burnham's NHS policy from that sound-bite description of it but it's not immediately obvious to me what's involved in the policy or at stake with it. Could somebody explain its good points (if any) and bad points (if any) from a leftist point of view?

[Famous Mortimer]

I thought Burnham was relatively left-wing. I mean, I wouldn't dispute that he's traditional Labour Right but I thought traditional Labour Right was now pretty left in comparison to the modern party.

[Phony Moderate]

Of course the worst thing about a Umunna leadership would be the endless (and irritating) comparisons to a certain someone.

Labour usually goes for the obvious choice (Brown, Blair, Smith, Kinnock). 2010 was an exception. Problem is there is no obvious choice this time.

[ChrisDR68]

Labour has only ever won a majority in the house of commons with three leaders. All three were very different but they had the priceless ability to project reassurance to the electorate.

In other words it's going to take an exceptional personality who has the ability to neutralize the English people's natural mistrust of the Labour Party to enable the party to win next time.

I'm not seeing that person in the runners and riders being mentioned in the media right now.

[Phony Moderate]

David Lammy is considering.

[retromike22]

http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2015/05/and-were-yvette-coopers-aides-register-domain-name

Yvette Cooper's aides have registered a domain name for her campaign, in the first clear sign from any of the runners and riders that they will seek to replace Ed Miliband as Labour leader.  Yvetteforleader.com has been registered in the name of Cooper's aide, Roger Baker. Cooper, who, I'm told, has already got a "substantial" sum of money raised and has been working the fundraising circuit hard, will start as a strong contender.

[Phony Moderate]

Angela Eagle also considering a bid.

[Famous Mortimer]

Were any of the people being discussed in parliament when the Iraq War was voted on? If so, how did they vote?

[Gary J]

Were any of the people being discussed in parliament when the Iraq War was voted on? If so, how did they vote?

This seems to be the official division list for the vote, which I believe is the one being asked about. The resolution being voted on is set out after the votes.

http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm200203/cmhansrd/vo030318/debtext/30318-48.htm


I notice that Andy Burnham, Yvette Cooper, Angela Eagle and David Lammy all voted for the resolution. I imagine that just about all ambitious Labour politicians holding or hoping to acquire ministerial office from Blair, who were in the House in 2003, voted for it.

Perhaps this is an argument for skipping a political generation, to choose a leader first elected after 2005.

Of the potential candidates I have noticed, Sadiq Khan was elected in 2005, Chuka Umunna in 2010 and Dan Jarvis in 2011.

[World politics is up Schmitt creek]

Perhaps this is an argument for skipping a political generation, to choose a leader first elected after 2005.

Miliband was first elected in 2005.

[Gary J]

Perhaps this is an argument for skipping a political generation, to choose a leader first elected after 2005.

Miliband was first elected in 2005.

I know. The political generation to be skipped is, I take it, the one elected before 2005. I was however responding to Famous Mortimer's question, which implied a 2005 cut off point as all prominent candidates elected before then would have supported the Iraq War.

My own view is that it is better to have a leader with a long political career than a novice, but Labour is not helped because Blair and Brown were the sort of leaders who preferred sycophants to independently powerful colleagues. It may be that there is no one with an ideal record available, as Blair and Brown did not give prospective strong successors the chance to develop.

[Ebsy]

That's because Brown was supposed to be the successor.

[Meeker]

Labour could win back all their Scottish seats next election and still be close to 60 seats shy of a majority. It seems they need to figure out a way to win a lot more seats in England and Wales, especially outside of London. Bringing back their lost-to-UKIP supporters doesn't look like quite enough to do that (based on my very unscientific glance at the results in Con/Lab marginals).

The quality of the leader on TV and on his/her feet seems much more important than any sort of ideological inclinations they have. A bunch of people in England and Wales thought David Cameron was doing a good enough job, and a bunch of other people thought Ed Miliband would do an even worse job. Labour needs to find someone who projects more confidence and respect than Miliband, or wait until David Cameron loses popularity and/or exits the scene (and hope that stench passes on to Boris or Osborne or whomever).

I realize this horse is very dead, but I don't see how a disinterested observer could watch Miliband speak and think he has the strength or fortitude to lead people into political fights. He evokes a sense of pity more than anything else. I have no idea how the people mentioned thus far stack up on these qualities, and I understand there are internal politics of the party that cannot be ignored, but this seems like it must be a priority. "New Labour" was just a brand; Tony Blair was the product (and a really good one).

[Chancellor of the Duchy of Little Lever and Darcy Lever]

I've seen Burnham speak and was very impressed.  Some of my workmates are constituents of his and they like him too.  Not that this means anything of course.

[Silent Hunter]

Jim Murphy

I think Labour should choose someone who will take them back to the left - regardless who it is - as there seems to be too little of a difference between the two main parties.

I don't agree; we need Middle England to win an overall majority.