Labour Party leadership election 2015

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Harman is also standing down as DEpty, so we have another slot to fill.

Any chance of Cruddas standing? I like him.

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On the other hand if you select whoever that person is presumed to be, you can end up with Kevin Rudd.

I remember reading a comments board of National members quaking at the thought of a David Cunliffe leadership.

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Will this force Tristram Hunt into the race?

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Eagle is in the Deputy race.

Angela Eagle, to be clear.

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I had a dream last night where Burnham won, and in his speech at his first conference said (paraphrased) "Margaret Thatcher is my idol, and the bravest, best politician in British history..."

It didn't go down well

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basically, shameless populism.

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And then there were three: Kendall has made the ballot. Meanwhile in another universe, Frank Field has decided to give his nomination to Corbyn.

WTF

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Where would they go? I mean, maybe it'll inspire some movement to Plaid in Wales (which I doubt); but what party would Labour activists go in Emgland?

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I guess she was trying to raise her profile? Not that it worked because now she'll be known as "the one that completely failed to make a niche and backed out humiliated", but worth a try.

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And one of modi's long-time advisors is part of Imran Khan's Mayoral campaign.

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And one of modi's long-time advisors is part of Imran Khan's Mayoral campaign.

Err, that was an odd mistake. Salman Khan is running for Mayor, not the Pakistani cricket player/politician.

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Chris, your first mistake is reading CiF comments.

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The Guardian, fwiw, do not want an interfactional civil war to break out in the Labour Party. That would be a certain consequence of two of the candidates in this race winning.

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I wonder if Kendall will win the endorsement in her own constituency party?

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Yes. We must remember one of the keY challenges (certainly one of the most tangible ones) of NuLabour was to eliminate child poverty in the UK. Now maybe you can argue tax credits are the wrong way to go about it, but to condemn large families to poverty seems downright cruel.

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I'm more interested in what Kendall (or more importantly the powers that be behind her candidacy) do if (as expected) she finishes a poor fourth. Will they do a Hodges, so to speak?

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Here's a bit of a fun turnaround: Burnham (Blair-aligned, member of the traditionalist right) was attacked in his opposition to benefit cuts by Harriet Harman (Brownite, vetoed the Frank Field reforms). How times change.

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Yes, and possibly some of his protégés in the Commons (although the prominent ones are too ambitious to start being outright wreckers).

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Seems about right. Maybe if he achieves some sort of miracle and keeps the right flank bolted on, he can grab a minority or something in a neutral year; but yeah the odds would be stacked against him.

i wonder if Corbyn gets a Shadow Cabinet position out of this?

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Yeah, that's what I thought. I would figure by this point even the right would be abandoning her and backing Lady Balls as a more realistic candidate to stop the left.

I'd be happy if that happened.

Labour has an outside chance (a very outside chance) of forcing a hung parliament with Yvette as leader. She comes across as a less tribal politician than Andy Burnham which could play well with floating voters.

You aren't half a pessimist, hey remember we don't know what Tory goon will be up in 2020!

The worry about Cooper is that the stench of balls might linger on her. Balls is just not a popular guy (it's probably better in the long run that he lost his seat).

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1) Burnham
2) Cooper
3) Corbyn
4) Kendall

I like Corbyn, but I'm not a fan of pointless factional warfare. Kendall is basically a walking disaster.

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The thing is Corbyn does hold some positions very dear to me. Unilateral disarmament, a genuine loathing of the arms trade, completely comprehensive education, pro-Palastine, huge animal rights supporter, a republian and (supporters aside) a member of the True Left that isn't annoying, self-defeating or a gigantic prick. But I have no doubt (and I hope I'm wrong if such a thing happened) the PLP would implode in bickering and stupidity. It's all very disturbing. Hunt and Ummuna currently feeding stories to the press in anticipation.

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L

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 I don't think a "progressive party" would have a hope in hell of succeeding, tbh. Say what you you like about Woy Jenkins, Dr Death etc. they were proven and talented politicians. Hunt, Kendall and Ummuna? Not so much.

YL, do you know when our CLP meets?

Finally, to all our Corbyn fans - the guy appears to be a homeopathy nut. So, err, there's that.

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The thing is Corbyn does hold some positions very dear to me. Unilateral disarmament, a genuine loathing of the arms trade, completely comprehensive education, pro-Palastine, huge animal rights supporter, a republian and (supporters aside) a member of the True Left that isn't annoying, self-defeating or a gigantic prick.

I don't even think many of the (southern) Irish support a United Ireland any more; more trouble than it's worth for them.

I meant republican in the sense of abolishing the monarchy, as much as I hate Orangemen.

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I liked you.

I would ultimately like the reestablishment of the traditional Anglo-Saxon Witenagomit. Finally end the failure of 1066.

Anyway that's by the by right now.


Currently the gaffe of the day is a Cooper supporter praising Cooper as a 'mum', in a seemingly passive aggressive attack on Kendall who is childless.