To think that Hilary Benn should

[Sallyingforth]

take over as Labour leader right now.
He has time to rebuild the party into a credible opposition before the next election. With Corbyn in charge the Tories will walk it.

[lardyscouse]

He should be ashamed of himself. I for one would leave the party.

[SuburbanRhonda]

Because he made a good speech in the House of Commons yesterday? Or has he done something else to show great leadership qualities and that he has the support of his party?

[AbeSaidYes]

Where does this idea that Corbyn is unelectable come from? He was a threat to national security just a few months ago.

I think it's a shame that Benn, coming from where he does, has the opinions he does and cares so little for innocent people.

[Duckdeamon]

Because he gave a good speech in favour of bombing Syria?

No.

[lardyscouse]

Sallying forth. Are you a member of the Labour party? do you vote? do you actually understand politics?

[SlaggyIsland]

I will never vote for a Labour party with Hilary Benn as it's leader. How ashamed his father would have been.

[lardyscouse]

[With Corbyn in charge the Tories will walk it.]

After last night, it would make no difference if Hillary was leader, he agrees with Cameron anyway.

[molyholy]

Everything Abe and Slaggy said

[ilovesooty]

I think his father would be ashamed.
I'd leave the party if he were elected leader.

[Badders123]

Nope.
I would leave the Labour Party if he became leader.
His father will be turning in his grave :(

[APlaceOnTheCouch]

Nope he should not be Labour leader. I met him through work a few years ago. He was disappointing then but not as disappointing as he is today after his Syria speech.

[StrawberryTeaLeaf]

I would love to see Hilary Benn as PM at some point.

It was a fabulous, sincere speech and he is very principled man who sees the sad realities.

As to the timings of leadership bids etc, I'm not quite sure.

[StrawberryTeaLeaf]

do you vote? do you actually understand politics?

So rude lardy. You can disagree without being insulting.

[Badders123]

Principled!?
2 weeks ago he was adamant that we should not bomb Syria!
(Front page of the independent)

[lardyscouse]

I remember a friend at a meeting 22 years ago, when Hillary said 'we are all in the same boat' standing up and saying, ' you are in a yacht and we are still in a canoe, one day you will take our paddle as well', she was right.

[Badders123]

ind.pn/1NxAl7q

[DrDreReturns]

I'd vote for him. All this stuff about his father is annoying, he is his own person with his own opinions. Doesn't matter a jot who his father was.

[CremeEggThief]

I'm another one wondering what Tony would think.

[StrawberryTeaLeaf]

Principled!? 2 weeks ago he was adamant that we should not bomb Syria!

So 'principled' would have been making his mind up a fortnight ago, sticking his fingers in his ears and not absorbing any further information, intelligence or analysis, would it? One applies principles to real life situations.

I'd vote for him. All this stuff about his father is annoying, he is his own person with his own opinions. Doesn't matter a jot who his father was.

Added to which, this isn't 1992, we are not discussing Saddam, Iraq, or the prospect of GW1.

[Chillyegg]

So he makes one speech and that's it he should be pm? So he shold be pm because um he wants to kill loads of civilians in syria?

[lardyscouse]

How is asking a question rude? or insulting? A leader cannot just pop up from nowhere and depose an elected one. If this needs to be explained due to some-one not understanding the system then that's fine. If I went in to the minutae without asking then that would be patronising.

[iPaid]

OP - would you like the Labour Party membership to vote for that or just plonk him straight in? What about the leader who was democratically voted in a couple of months ago?

[StrawberryTeaLeaf]

How is asking a question rude? or insulting? A leader cannot just pop up from nowhere and depose an elected one. If this needs to be explained due to some-one not understanding the system then that's fine. If I went in to the minutae without asking then that would be patronising.


There was nothing in her OP to suggest she didn't vote

Party leaders have been stalking-horses 'popped-up from nowhere' (more or less), including Margaret Thatcher.

[ThenLaterWhenItGotDark]

Of course it doesn't matter who his father was, HB is his own man with his own ideas and his own vote within the party which he chose to exercise the way he did.

And I rather think that history will not be as kind to him as it is to that father, and I think his speech last night will come back to haunt him in future years.

[josephwrightofderby]

I was hoping that sentence was going to end with 'be haunted into madness by the ghost of his father'. Such a disappointment.