Lefties 9: This will succeed through its success

Am trying to come up with possible woman candidates for the Labour Leadership contest whose names I know (always helps).

What do you think about Margaret Hodge? All I know is that she is filthy rich and had a wonderful result against the BNP. Sorry to be ignorant.

I suggested Diane Abbot to DH last night. He was not enthused.

Why isn't Yvette Cooper running?! Although I probably would not run against DH. Wouldn't want to humiliate him .

I suppose they are peasants, not having yet come in from the wide fields into the back-to-back squalour of 140-character tenements.

Oh no! That wasn't what I bloody meant...

I am trying to stop my toddler mixing play doh colours, I have no time for proofing!

Eleison - I'm definitely a Twitter Prole. (You're gifted in the "Neo-necessay words" department, aren't you?) Are people not yet on Twitter lumpen-Twitter-proles?

Have been running the Diane Abbot thing through my head this morning. Has she ever been in Cabinet? I can't see her heading a Cabinet meeting, let alone going down well with C2s and swingers. Is she aiming for a shadow cabinet position, do you think?

lol at "Twitter Proles." I thought it must be the Twitter ghetto for plebs like me with sub-20 followers, in contrast with the Twittocrats

I would quite like to go to the pub with her for a glass of wine and general political chit chat but I don't want her running the country probably sums up my feelings on the situation.

It's those pesky trending topics on Twitter Proles, I often think surely I must be wrong, there can't be that many people spelling a word/name incorrectly so I change the way I spell it! My mock angry tweet wasn't aimed at you btw!

I'm afraid that premature announcement about McDonnell is exactly what makes me dislike her - I think of her as being opportunist and manipulative.

It's a really knee-jerk response though, based partly on the private schools thing (she was vicious about all the others that did it, and it had been a core platform of hers)but mainly on her manner . I LOATHE her Thatcheresque faux-gentle, breathy voice as well.

I just don't think of her as stateswomanlike in the slightest, which is a bloody shame.

It'll be the random double consonant bug that keeps me putting 2 Ls in Miliband, Proles.....

Diane Abbot. Hmmm. That's just a bit back-in-time really isn't it? T'is the WilliamHague syndrome all over again. In my ignorance I didn't even think she was that active anymore. I thought she just did telly.

I thought I heard something on the radio. I'm a bit concerned that she's claiming McDonnell has given up already though. I think it would be quite good to have a black woman as a candidate.

I'm sure we will get someone much more rightwing in a Blairite/Brownite tradition in the end, but I think we need a contest this time. I think McDonnell standing in 2007 would have done him a huge favour (or Meacher but I really don't like Michael Meacher).

I think the private school thing is quite a big issue for electorate tbh. She is often controversial and doesn't toe party line, she failed to declare earnings from This Week, made a racist comment according to Wiki.

Just don't think she is likely to get much support but happy to be proved wrong.

Diane Abbot running in Labour leadership contest too. Wowzer!

I am glad that there is a woman running I suppose, just not sure she is leader material.

Have had a response from my local Lib Dem MP after I asked for my vote back. Have posted it "Here"

Pretty standard response I'm afraid.

Hello you lovely lot. I haven't been on MN for about a week - have come back to see that near enough all the political threads have disappeared from active convos!

Have just skimmed through the thread - it makes me firmly believe that I am the stupid leftie on the thread!

Actually managed to get round to joining the Labour party today.

I am still not convinced re Ed Balls at all. Wish Yvette was still in the ring.

Loving the venn diagram.

Evening all, have been off working and having arguments about public sector pensions.

A bit [inadequate emoticon] about the wordy discussions on the thread, I see I will have to start keeping my dictionary by the laptop to keep up with you lot.

Loved your blog OBM - will never look at the Millibands without thinking about Niles and Frasier.

Heard a bit of Ed Balls being interviewed on R4 this evening, he was a bit, erm, hesitant at first but soon warmed up and I have to say I warmed to him a bit (although not a fan of the big scary eyed look). He is going to have to practice being asked awkward questions though, took him ages to come up with something to "What have you and Gordon Brown disagreed about in the last 3 years" After a lot of prompting he eventually came up with decision not to call a GE in 2007 and the scrapping of the 10p tax band.

Proles - I have also been toying with the idea of joining the greens. Am coming from the disaffected lefty LD angle though.

Hello everybody - still following thread, just not having much to say at the moment. Will have a gander at your blog later onebat when the kids are in bed.

Loving the enthymeme tangent .

afternoon all.

Remarking place, although I have now caught up with links/blogs etc (great stuff OBM)

Dd on sofa with temperature, feet resting on Campbell and Benn who arrived cosily together in a jiffy bag this morning.