To be annoyed at Angela Eagle playing the 'woman' card

[Cguk81]

Apparently now is the time for Labour to have its first female leader. Surely she doesn't need to be playing the 'I'm a woman card' but should instead be focusing on her skills and talent, regardless of gender.

[AuntieStella]

Do you mean the BBC Breakfast interview?

Yes, that point was pretty appalling. As was much of the rest of the interview, I thought she came across rather badly on all points raised.

[DailyMailAreMassiveCunts]

Yeah, the whole 'I'm a woman of Labour' nonsense. Grrrr.

She seems like a weakling sound-biter to me and just about the last thing that the Labour Party needs. When are they going to get it?

[Grassgreendashhabi]

I did not see it. And as much as I passionately dislike Theresa May. Her not having children is a disgraceful argument

She is a professional working woman.

[wonkylegs]

It wound me up when I heard that. Yes it would be good to have more strong women in politics but not just because they are women but because they are good and the right person for the job....
"They've got one so we should too" is a childish argument and does nothing for being taken seriously. I think she comes across as weak and disappointing.
The political landscape in the UK is rather bleak for me at the moment.

[Tiggeryoubastard]

At no point has she come across well. Or even professional.

[PigletWasPoohsFriend]

Her gender I agree shouldn't come into it.

This is all getting nasty however.

A brick last night was thrown through her constituency window and her staff are getting abuse by phone.

[DailyMailAreMassiveCunts]

The political landscape in the UK is rather bleak for me at the moment.

Absolutely, and has been for some time. Despite being a non-Labour supporter, I actually joined their online forum a couple of years ago so that I could discuss Weird Ed with them. I told them that I didn't know one person who liked him and told them that imo, they were going to get trashed at the ballot box. They threw some 'support stats' at me and told me to do one. I realise that this makes me sound like a troll but I was genuinely angry. There is no party for the working classes to allign to anymore. And we've just seen the result of that with Brexit. Christ I could rant about Labour forever so I'll stop now. But basically, Eagle is a continuation of their complete and total lack of self-awareness.

[DailyMailAreMassiveCunts]

She's a bit Natalie Bennett, come to think of it.

That's horrible piglet Nobody deserves that.

[chantico]

"There is no party for the working classes to allign to anymore."

UKIP will evolve to supply this. It has a lot of support in the old Labour heartlands. Whether it does so successfully rather depends on who next leads it. But I think it's got a better chance than discredited Labour.

[DailyMailAreMassiveCunts]

You are right Chantico

I just read a throwaway comment on Twitter that said 'why don't Labour just give up' and it's given me real pause for thought. Other parties come and go. Maybe Labour has had its day and another party needs to step in and be the credible choice for the working classes. I just don't see that Labour can ever recover from where it is, especially if its future is under Eagle.

[Tiggeryoubastard]

Chantico that's how it's seen by quite a large number of people here already. Obviously it's not filtered down to London yet (or, more likely, they're not listening). All parties and, indeed, lots of people need to wake up and see that life as they live and perceive it is completely different for millions. The arrogance is quite staggering. It seems not even the out vote has snapped them out of it. Hypocrisy is proving to be Labours downfall.

[Roseformeplease]

I thought she sounded shrill and unprepared and kept returning to the same sound bites, as if for comfort.

[TrueBlueYorkshire]

As a conservative, I can't understand all the antipathy towards Corbyn from his own party, he is intelligent, well spoken when under pressure and has strong morals and represents old school labour and come across as passionate and level headed

I think the biggest problem labour has is that it has attracted a load of loonies who use the guise of labour to effectively from a protest party which has disenfranchised the working classes and made them swing right.

[sorenofthejnaii]

thought she sounded shrill

Isn't that a comment people can only make to a women? What's the male equivalent?

[Didiusfalco]

Im a Labour party member, and feel annoyed about the whole thing! I didnt vote for Corbyn last time, but might well on this occasion (assuming he's on the ballot!) as i feel it is poor form and political opportunism on Eagles part to launch a bid in these post brexit times of uncertainty. We could have done with the labour MPs maintaining some status quo. Yes, it seems the labour party is between a rock and a hard place at the moment.

[MetalMidget]

Yeah, I was a bit, "Really?" at her saying that Labour should have a woman leader because the Tories are on their second.

If that woman was a charismatic woman of principle that embodied the will of the membership, then yes, that would be awesome. When the woman comes across like a badly programmed robot that's helping to tear her party apart because of career politicians and red Tories being scared of the beardy leftie, then quite frankly, she can go fuck herself.

[Coffeethrowtrampbitch]

She was on BBC Scotland saying there should not be a second referendum on Scottish Independence, because there had already been one.

Why she doesn't apply that logic to the (more recent) election of JC to lead the Labour Party I don't know.

Presumably it's different if there might be a job in it for you though.

[molyholy]

It's absolute madness isn't it TrueBlue!

The labour MP's are living in cloud cuckoo land if they think Eagle is going to be elected by its' party members. WE, you know, US, THE PEOPLE!!!, voted for Jeremy, because WE wanted change. People joined the Labour party specifically to vote for him. Thousands more have joined to vote for Corbyn, should there be another vote for party leader.

Eagle's constitution who she supposedly represents, wanted Corby to stay as party leader.

It is driving me crazy tbh.

[GiddyOnZackHunt]

I was at a Labour Party meeting a week or so ago and it was painfully apparent that some members just don't seem to get the problem of the 'disaffected heartlands'. I've been banging on about this for years.
Labour went all internationalist and got hung up on being nice to everyone and forgot that their support base were actually more interested in having a job, an affordable roof over their head and a local community. And increasingly the men and women in naice suits with a degree and two homes are not making that happen.
UKIP pop up with a message of "We'll represent you first before the others" and the heartlands are buying it. They aren't necessarily voting for UKIP's nutty and vile policies but for some lost world of a Britain with jobs and council housing. As a protest against the 'system'. Labour need to get their heads around that.
Angela Eagle is not the person to 'rescue' the Labour Party. Whether you love or hate Corbyn, Angela Eagle isn't the answer.
She isn't sharp and sparky enough to do the smooth politician act perfected by Blair and Cameron nor does she now inspire confidence in her principles. And she seems a perfectly nice middle manager but not a leader that will rally all comers to her.

[Tiggeryoubastard]

^ but wasn't there lots of whining that people had joined to vote for him because he was a joke and unelectable?

[MangoMoon]

By stark contrast, I just watched Ruth Davidson put a male reporter firmly back into his box (think he was BBC, he said when she walked off "well, that's me told ")

He asked her about women being at the top of politics and she basically shut him right down - telling him (paraphrased) well of course these women are good at their jobs, and she welcomes a time when gender is not the focus but rather their abilities.

She was her usual no-nonsense, assertive self.
I think she's great - also Nicola Sturgeon, Theresa May, Angela Merkel et al are equally impressive (regardless of whether you like or hate them).

[Olddear]

I always think Angela has a script and she doesn't deviate it from it, regardless of what she's asked she repeats the same old thing......

[GiddyOnZackHunt]

Yy Mango Ruth Davidson is very, very good. Just a crying shame she's a Tory!

[P1nkP0ppy]

Angela Eagle's not doing the Labour Party any favours whatsoever; she doesn't sound convincing or capable of leading anything let alone a political party imo.

[MintJulip]

But basically, Eagle is a continuation of their complete and total lack of self-awareness


Thank you for summing up exactly what I felt about this. This ^ 100000000%. They surely must be the most out of touch, naval gazing part that ever was?

Agree with Ruth and to be honest I never looked at AL /TM as a female V male thing.

It has however tickled me when one thinks its Labour who are supposed to be equal equality champions.