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Original poster

Any Labour members care to start a discussion regarding the leadership election?

165 replies

MarionCole · 10/06/2010 07:38

Firstly, the email from Ray Collins which says "we have to make sure that those who share our values and beliefs are invited to have their say. That?s why we?ll shortly be taking out an advert in a national newspaper to invite them to join and to play their part." Does that mean they have changed the rules so that new members can vote?

I had a dream about Ed Miliband last night, I think it may be clouding my judgment.

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claig · 15/06/2010 23:35

Crick doing his best to boost the chosen one, David Miliband, pretending that DM's uneasiness about swimming pool rules somehow makes up for his championing of big state ID, DNA and CCTV policies. It's a fait accompli with the media doing their best to promote David Militantband

auberginesrus · 15/06/2010 23:32

At times I thought David M sounded like he was at a job interview - kept dropping in what he had done that set him above the other candidates, e.g "when you have been to Afghanistan 6 times"...

claig · 15/06/2010 23:20

agree about Burnham, he thinks he is on a winner with health care and the aged and starts overacting and waxing lyrical. The whole thing was acting by all of them except Diane. But she knows she doesn't stand a chance, but at least her record was honourable. What was interesting was David Miliband. He had an arrogance and kept getting angry when interrupted as if he were the primus inter pares and deserved to be listened to. That will be a flaw as he claws his way up the greasy pole.

auberginesrus · 15/06/2010 23:14

Andy Burnham is pretty rubbish, seems to only get animated when talking about health issues, Diane is doing pretty well when she can get a word in.

Ed/Ed and David are all much of a muchness as far as I can see - its hard to discern who thinks what, and its not really very inspiring

claig · 15/06/2010 23:13

Diane is right, all the rest opposed her, they are all big state top-downers just like their mates the Stasi

claig · 15/06/2010 23:07

Ed Miliband comes across best, he must have had RADA training, he is another thespian like Bliar

claig · 15/06/2010 23:00

David Miliband, tough decisions = more wars for "values"

claig · 15/06/2010 22:48

but to be fair to him, it's not just him, they all bear a striking resemblance to muppets, and it gets worse when they speak, it's just a stream of goobledegook like Bill and Ben the Crackpot Men

claig · 15/06/2010 22:39

it just struck me who Ed Miliband reminds me of. One of those Nick Park Creature Comforts puppets with the bulging eyes and rubber lips

Prolesworth · 15/06/2010 11:08

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Original poster
MarionCole · 14/06/2010 19:38

That is interesting and I find it quite encouraging that it really looks open.

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longfingernails · 14/06/2010 15:57

Very interesting poll here

www.labourlist.org/labourlist-leadership-poll-results-june-15?utm_source=taomail&utm_medium=email&ut m_campaign=2817+Communication%2C+Fri+11th+Jun+2010&tmtid=31461-2817-6-1-1083

I don't know how scientific or voodoo the poll is, but interesting nonetheless!

longfingernails · 14/06/2010 00:21

Ed Balls has decided to attack Alastair Darling for not ruling out a VAT increase in the manifesto

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/labour/7825548/Balls-accuses-Darling-of-costing-Labour- the-election.html

Not sure that is a very smart political move (though on purely logical grounds, Balls is perhaps right).

Darling seems to be more respected than just about anyone else within Labour (despite his record of failure as Chancellor).

Prolesworth · 13/06/2010 22:39

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longfingernails · 13/06/2010 22:30

I have just watched the New Statesman hustings and was not impressed.

Diane Abbott went for cheap applause lines too often. She was very populist (at least, with regard to the audience she was speaking to) but didn't seem to be taking it seriously.

Ed Miliband talked about nothing except "values". David Miliband was clever but utterly technocratic. He even opened with some obscure quotation by some long-dead nobody.

Ed Balls was Ed Balls.

Diane Abbott will play well amongst the trade union members and maybe amongst one part of the general Labour membership. She will fail dismally amongst MPs though.

The other candidates will do OK amongst the three selectorates.

Having seen her in action, though, I do think it is a real possibility, though not yet a probability, that Diane Abbott will not come last!

Andy Burnham could yet sneak through the middle. He is pretty unmemorable, but is definitely a consensus politician rather than a factional one. He surely has to be the second or third preference of almost the entire Labour selectorate.

Original poster
MarionCole · 12/06/2010 21:34

Sorry, yes, and proles

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claig · 12/06/2010 20:55

thanks Prolesworth and longfingernails, good links

Original poster
MarionCole · 12/06/2010 20:51

Thanks lfn, will be looking at that.

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longfingernails · 12/06/2010 20:45

The BBC showed the New Statesman hustings earlier on BBC Parliament, but I missed it.

Not on iPlayer yet but when it is it will be here

www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00stcj8/Political_Highlights_12_06_2010/

Prolesworth · 12/06/2010 20:23

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longfingernails · 12/06/2010 19:55

Prolesworth

I demand a full report!

All I can hear is those ridiculous vuvuzelas, various unedifying grunts, all accompanied by assorted curses/cheers emanating from the room next door.

claig · 12/06/2010 19:38

Prolesworth, how did they all do? What arguments did Abbott use to steal the show? How did the rest of then rank? Who came off worst?

Prolesworth · 12/06/2010 19:30

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Original poster
MarionCole · 12/06/2010 17:55

I'm going to hustings next month for exactly that reason. The media already seems to have decided that Miliband D will be elected and therefore only seem to focus on what he has to say. We have heard nothing really from Andy Burnham, not much from Ed Balls. I want to be able to hear them all for myself.

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longfingernails · 12/06/2010 15:21

And the Compass conference is happening right now, with all the candidates there.

No video feed there either it seems.

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