The Labour leadership race

Mott1 wrote:Yes, Starmer is definitely focusing on distancing himself from the 'Westminster bubble' in recent interview. He's clearly focusing on rebuilding the red wall in the North.

Indeed Starmer and Rayner have been endorsed by the Community union as their 'dream team'.

Don't get me wrong, they both come across as fine during cosy tv interviews, but do either have the necessary bite to nail Johnson or are they just a couple of wet weekends? 

Unfortunately I suspect the latter more.

Well Rob - I did see Starmer fire off a fair few volleys at the despatch box around the time of the marches in London. I was pleasantly surprised, I must admit, tho I've not seen him do it since. I suppose lack of fire isn't something that Jess Phillips could have been accused of, tho having Nandy face you at PMQs would probably be like having the next door neighbours dog licking you to death.

I quite like Paul Brand generally on itv news but he seemed determined to trick Starmer into upsetting brexiteers, by admitting that on Friday he won't be dancing the hokey-cokey or making a prat of himself like Farage and co. I guess he'll just have a worried look...

I'm not interested in the opinions of that clown.

I dunno why, but Lisa Nandy always wears an facial expression which suggests she's just done a rather large stinky pooh in her knickers or that someones shoved a hard boiled egg up her arse...or that perhaps a combination of the two has occurred.


I think it's a combination of the cross scowl/flustered looking expression she permanently wears.

Rob Filth wrote:I dunno why, but Lisa Nandy always wears an facial expression which suggests she's just done a rather large stinky pooh in her knickers or that someones shoved a hard boiled egg up her arse...or that perhaps a combination of the two has occurred.


I think it's a combination of the cross scowl/flustered looking expression she permanently wears.

Starmer always looks like he's about to experience one of the above incidents.

Nandy looks like they've already happened!

Poll in the Evening Standard looks a bit grim for a Long-Bailey / Burgon team tonight...

Third Hustings from Cardiff:



I think Emily Thornberry once again comes across as the strongest candidate, but is falling back too much on repetition from her BBC Kuenssberg interview, she could well be knocked out of this round unless she gets the CLP nominations however which is a shame because internally she is probably the "centrist" candidate between the left and right of the parties wings.

Both RLB and Starmer come across better in this Hustings than the first and there's an interesting dispute between Nandy and RLB on open selections, personally I'm with RLB on this. Open Selection is not about replacing Labour MP's instead of focusing on getting rid of Tory ones as Nandy suggests, it's about accountability and having the best person in the position, but it has to be done correctly so as not to appear as internal party navel-gazing and purity sanctimony which leads to fractious divisions rather than unity.

Starmer was saying all the correct things for the most part, but there's something about him I just don't trust. I can't put my finger on it and perhaps that's why I don't trust him. His commitments seem vague and half-hearted.

All in all, I'd list them in this order:

1) Thornberry
2) RLB (only just, she's still incredibly robotic with her hand/arm gestures)
3) Starmer
4) Nandy

To be frank, a final battle between RLB and Starmer as the last 2 candidates just doesn't inspire confidence one bit.

What's this data hacking row about Starmer?

Particularly insensitive and bad timing as he's just lost his mother-in-law...

Mott1 wrote:What's this data hacking row about Starmer?

Particularly insensitive and bad timing as he's just lost his mother-in-law...

Basically 2 members of his team have been accused of hacking the Labour Party membership data base so they could get personal information of party members so they coud lobby members direct to persuade them to vote Starmer. This followed accusations against RLB's campaign that they had shared a link to the Labour Party's phone banking system with its volunteer supporters so the latter could similarly lobby activists. So first Beccy's team then Starmer's. Both sides have denied.

Thats how i understand it but i may have misunderstood.

Useful link:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/keir-starmer-labour-leadership-data-hack-party-membership-database-a9325441.html

Hope it helps.

Mott1 wrote:What's this data hacking row about Starmer?

Particularly insensitive and bad timing as he's just lost his mother-in-law...

 He's playing heavy on the sympathy vote with this, for all we know he might not have been able to stand her!

Rob Filth wrote:

Mott1 wrote:What's this data hacking row about Starmer?

Particularly insensitive and bad timing as he's just lost his mother-in-law...

 He's playing heavy on the sympathy vote with this, for all we know he might not have been able to stand her!

Regarding Stengos' post I think it's ironically worked out OK. As Keir and RLB's teams both acted at the same time (and during Storm Ciara) they seem to have cancelled each other out - the right wing press don't know what to print & what to ignore.

For some reason the latest thing that's come up in the leadership contest is transphobia in the Labour party. Nandy and RLB in favour of a 12 step plan to root it out, Starmer and Thornberry not commenting.

Nandy's obviously vying for the Murdoch support after claiming things like nationalised Public Utilities & free education are unaffordable and lying that Labour "didn't have a clue how to cost them"

I'm guessing she didn't actually read the last manifesto then?

She also claims "tough decisions have to be made", what she's actually talking about is the Ed Balls school of economics of being austerity-lite and not bothering to chase up the tax-evaders and wealth extractors to woo Murdoch.

She may not be quite as thick as Jess Phillips, but Nandy is still pretty dense, how she's managed to garner the support she has completely eludes me.

Mott1 wrote:For some reason the latest thing that's come up in the leadership contest is transphobia in the Labour party. Nandy and RLB in favour of a 12 step plan to root it out, Starmer and Thornberry not commenting.

Transphobia is a real thing which has gradually taken root amongst some of the grass roots, particularly the women's/gay rights groups which seem to have been gradually infiltrated by extreme right wingers and some nasty intolerant bigoted bullshit.

In fact I would say it is far worse than the supposed anti-semitism the media claim is afflicting the Labour Party.

Basically the Labour Party should champion ALL human rights irrespective of gender, race or religion and that includes those who have transgendered despite what some ridiculously hysterical and idiotically bigoted femi-nazi's claim.

Thornberry not going down without a fight : -

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-51482227

Whilst Nandy gets a boost : -

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-51498070

I really think Labour need to get this done & dusted asap personally. The Tory cabinet turmoil yesterday (along with Boris' dodgy free holiday) means that, big majority or not, serious damage could be inflicted on the Government right now.

Mott1 wrote:I really think Labour need to get this done & dusted asap personally. The Tory cabinet turmoil yesterday (along with Boris' dodgy free holiday) means that, big majority or not, serious damage could be inflicted on the Government right now.

Personally I'm of the opinion that Johnson could shoot puppies live on tv and still get a free pass from the media.

Mott1 wrote:
I really think Labour need to get this done & dusted asap personally. The Tory cabinet turmoil yesterday (along with Boris' dodgy free holiday) means that, big majority or not, serious damage could be inflicted on the Government right now.

I'd agree but shouldn't Corbyn be dealing with the Tories while the leadership election is going on? Surely the party should take its time to get the new leadership rght and the current leadership providing opposition to Johnson and co.

Let's be honest though - dealing with the tories (particularly at the dispatch box) hasn't really been Corbyn's strength. There's also the problem that having been trounced in the GE his words carry less weight, fair or not - much like Ed Davey or Anna Soubry's recent comments about not letting the Tories get away with it.

15.02.2020 - Thornberry's out. Fell two short of enough CLP nominations.

I didn't like her - i think she comes across as unlikeable, virtually toxic, but i have to be honest - she performed well in interviews and hustings over the last few weeks.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-51505547

Lisa Nandy now saying she could introduce a vote on whether to scrap the monarchy?

If Keir Starmer becomes leader I can finally vote Labour again.
If David Lammy becomes leader I'm emigrating.

I'm hoping for Starmer or Nandy, but to be honest I wouldn't be against voting for Long-Bailey.

Although she shares many of Corbyn's politics, she does at least sound sensible and trustworthy on national defense. For one thing, she's not opposed to drone-striking ISIS.

I've gone from initially being impressed by Nandy to now hoping for anyone but Nandy. The entire point of her campaign was supposed to be reconnecting with working-class voters with a fiscally left, socially centre-right pitch, yet she's already let herself be bullied into supporting radical trans ideology and the reintroduction of free movement. Her extraordinarily stupid comments about the SNP, indyref2 and Catalonia have already turned her into electoral kryptonite in Scotland. Long-Bailey has a solid voting record, and Starmer has a certain professional charisma likely to charm more superficial voters. What redeeming qualities does Nandy have?

ClockworkOcean wrote:Long-Bailey has a solid voting record, and Starmer has a certain professional charisma likely to charm more superficial voters. What redeeming qualities does Nandy have?

I do cringe at the SJW pressure groups she's been kowtowing to lately. However she seems the only candidate in the race apart from Jess Philips willing to acknowledge that Corbyn had been a disaster and that there'd been a serious antisemitism problem.

Which meant she might've been the only one in the race who openly sent any signal of genuinely acknowledging the party needed to be seriously reformed before it could be electable again.