Labour Party (UK) Leadership Election, 2016

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

Still, we're still better than Canada!

Indeed you are.

[IceAgeComing]

Question for the brits here from all parties, how do you think Owen Smith would do as Labour leader if he was to take over from Corbyn?

He'd probably get a polling bump; but based on the campaign I can't imagine that he'd be much better and that bump might not be a long term one.  If he won I doubt that he'd go into the next election as leader anyway, I think that if the not-Corbyn bit of the Labour party won this then they'd try to change the party rules to make it hard for a candidate of the left to win again, then he'd stand down and they'd elect someone else.  Could be wrong though!

[Vega]

Question for the brits here from all parties, how do you think Owen Smith would do as Labour leader if he was to take over from Corbyn?

He'd probably get a polling bump; but based on the campaign I can't imagine that he'd be much better and that bump might not be a long term one.  If he won I doubt that he'd go into the next election as leader anyway, I think that if the not-Corbyn bit of the Labour party won this then they'd try to change the party rules to make it hard for a candidate of the left to win again, then he'd stand down and they'd elect someone else.  Could be wrong though!

Probably wouldn't be a great idea for there to be 3 leaders in 5 years, and I don't think the Left can be put down again with ease. Not saying that wouldn't be tried, but it would be really stupid.

[IceAgeComing]

The fact that its a dumb idea only makes me more convinced that its going to happen though!

[Clyde1998]

Odd Tweet by the Owen Smith campaign: https://twitter.com/owensmith2016/status/778307742289186816



They appear to be saying, "Vote Owen Smith, get a Conservative landslide"...

[ag]

Odd Tweet by the Owen Smith campaign: https://twitter.com/owensmith2016/status/778307742289186816



They appear to be saying, "Vote Owen Smith, get a Conservative landslide"...

At this point, it is get Conservative landslide whatever you do. Migh as well relax and try to make it pleasurable.

[Blair]

In all fairness this has proved that Labour are absolutely awful at getting rid of awful leaders. Even faced with someone who is the most incompetent labour leader our party failed to get rid of him

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Quality trolling by parts of the PLP here...

[Filuwaúrdjan]

In all fairness this has proved that Labour are absolutely awful at getting rid of awful leaders. Even faced with someone who is the most incompetent labour leader our party failed to get rid of him

The PLP have learned that usual practice is not the same thing as a rule unless written down, a lot on the Left are starting to learn (or re-learn) that the Labour Party is not a mass membership organisation but a series of recognised interest groups linked together by committees.

[joevsimp]

Quality trolling by parts of the PLP here...

[img]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cs8Y2VkXgAAAXuv.jpg[/img

Because Israel is suchan excellent and potentially damage-free choice of political football to start kicking about...

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Quality trolling by parts of the PLP here...

[img]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cs8Y2VkXgAAAXuv.jpg[/img

Because Israel is suchan excellent and potentially damage-free choice of political football to start kicking about...

Trolling Left-Antisemites is its own reward.

[Blair]

In all fairness this has proved that Labour are absolutely awful at getting rid of awful leaders. Even faced with someone who is the most incompetent labour leader our party failed to get rid of him

The PLP have learned that usual practice is not the same thing as a rule unless written down, a lot on the Left are starting to learn (or re-learn) that the Labour Party is not a mass membership organisation but a series of recognised interest groups linked together by committees.

Basically lots of long boring NEC meetings. Not a surprise considering it takes us 2 1/2 hours to read a Councillors report

[Intell]

For the talk of electability, labour probably lost more votes because of the leadership election, with the Owen Smith coup (or campaign) against Corbyn, then when Corbyn was actually leader before the EU referendum, to which Corbyn, leading the party was par with the 2015 eleciton results, sometimes beating the 2015 election results in polls.

[Antonio the Sixth]

For the talk of electability, labour probably lost more votes because of the leadership election, with the Owen Smith coup (or campaign) against Corbyn, then when Corbyn was actually leader before the EU referendum, to which Corbyn, leading the party was par with the 2015 eleciton results, sometimes beating the 2015 election results in polls.

Corbyn shouldn't have started sacking shadow cabinet members on a tantrum.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

For the talk of electability, labour probably lost more votes because of the leadership election, with the Owen Smith coup (or campaign) against Corbyn, then when Corbyn was actually leader before the EU referendum, to which Corbyn, leading the party was par with the 2015 eleciton results, sometimes beating the 2015 election results in polls.

This isn't actually true. Since the referendum Labour have been polling at around 30% (with a few down towards 26% and a few up towards 34%). Before the referendum Labour were polling at... around 31% (with a few down to 27% and a few up to 35%). There has been basically no change to Labour's polling position all year.

Of course 'beating the 2015 result' is not impressive because that result was sh!t.

[Slow Learner]

For the talk of electability, labour probably lost more votes because of the leadership election, with the Owen Smith coup (or campaign) against Corbyn, then when Corbyn was actually leader before the EU referendum, to which Corbyn, leading the party was par with the 2015 eleciton results, sometimes beating the 2015 election results in polls.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/poll-working-class-voters-think-jeremy-corbyn-is-out-of-touch-and-an-election-loser-a7326486.html

[Phony Moderate]

For the talk of electability, labour probably lost more votes because of the leadership election, with the Owen Smith coup (or campaign) against Corbyn, then when Corbyn was actually leader before the EU referendum, to which Corbyn, leading the party was par with the 2015 eleciton results, sometimes beating the 2015 election results in polls.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/poll-working-class-voters-think-jeremy-corbyn-is-out-of-touch-and-an-election-loser-a7326486.html

A few months of Owen "Let's sit down with ISIS" Smith as leader would make those figures look excellent.

[Slow Learner]

For the talk of electability, labour probably lost more votes because of the leadership election, with the Owen Smith coup (or campaign) against Corbyn, then when Corbyn was actually leader before the EU referendum, to which Corbyn, leading the party was par with the 2015 eleciton results, sometimes beating the 2015 election results in polls.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/poll-working-class-voters-think-jeremy-corbyn-is-out-of-touch-and-an-election-loser-a7326486.html

A few months of Owen "Let's sit down with ISIS" Smith as leader would make those figures look excellent.

I don't support Owen 'Let's ignore the referendum" Smith either, btw.

Jon Cruddas where art thou

[Phony Moderate]

For the talk of electability, labour probably lost more votes because of the leadership election, with the Owen Smith coup (or campaign) against Corbyn, then when Corbyn was actually leader before the EU referendum, to which Corbyn, leading the party was par with the 2015 eleciton results, sometimes beating the 2015 election results in polls.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/poll-working-class-voters-think-jeremy-corbyn-is-out-of-touch-and-an-election-loser-a7326486.html

A few months of Owen "Let's sit down with ISIS" Smith as leader would make those figures look excellent.

I don't support Owen 'Let's ignore the referendum" Smith either, btw.

Jon Cruddas where art thou

He's a fascinating figure...but clearly not an ambitious one, aisde from that run at deputy in 2007. My gut feeling is that Corbyn will stand aside in a couple of years in favour of one of his own - perhaps Clive Lewis or Richard Burgon.

[Slow Learner]

For the talk of electability, labour probably lost more votes because of the leadership election, with the Owen Smith coup (or campaign) against Corbyn, then when Corbyn was actually leader before the EU referendum, to which Corbyn, leading the party was par with the 2015 eleciton results, sometimes beating the 2015 election results in polls.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/poll-working-class-voters-think-jeremy-corbyn-is-out-of-touch-and-an-election-loser-a7326486.html

A few months of Owen "Let's sit down with ISIS" Smith as leader would make those figures look excellent.

I don't support Owen 'Let's ignore the referendum" Smith either, btw.

Jon Cruddas where art thou

He's a fascinating figure...but clearly not an ambitious one, aisde from that run at deputy in 2007. My gut feeling is that Corbyn will stand aside in a couple of years in favour of one of his own - perhaps Clive Lewis or Richard Burgon.

I wouldn't mind Lewis, but Burgon is utter rubbish.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

There's been some vague speculation about Angela Rayner who on the face of it would make rather more sense than those two mentioned just now.

Not that there's much point in predicting much. There's a twisted argument that we should hope that the sheer misery of the impending continued impasse might ultimately be productive, but given the lack of thought shown by both the Leadership and large sections of the PLP over the summer let us not be too hopeful.

The fundamental difficulties are these: 1. the Leader cannot actually impose his will on the wider Party because the Leader is not actually a powerful post under The Rules, 2. those same Rules (combined with Party culture) make it very difficult for the PLP to remove the Leader.

[Blair]

We're basically in the same position we were 360 odd days ago right?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

We're basically in the same position we were 360 odd days ago right?

Almost but not quite: both the Leadership and the PLP are weaker and less credible. Hooray.

[Blair]

We're basically in the same position we were 360 odd days ago right?

Almost but not quite: both the Leadership and the PLP are weaker and less credible. Hooray.

As long as this stupid McDonnell Amendment doesn't get through conference I'll be fine

[Phony Moderate]

Result to be announced at 11:45AM today (6:45AM US EST).