Why the Labour Party will not elect a woman

And in the blue corner

mol.im/a/7846317

Dominic Cummings seeking super-talented weirdos to work at No 10.

What did we do to deserve all this.

RTB...they don't mention her ability to see into people's souls.

(Is that a function of pan-sexuality I wonder?)

Meanwhile in the yellow corner...

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7846459/amp/Im-pansexual-says-Lib-Dem-leader-Layla-Moran.html?__twitter_impression=true
'I'm pansexual': Lib Dem would-be leader Layla Moran reveals she is in a lesbian relationship - five years after leaving boyfriend who she admitted slapping

In identity politics top trumps we now have Layla who isn't just a woman.

Nope she's a Palestinian woman.

And nope she's not just a Palestinian woman. She's an LGBT Palestinian woman.

Personally I'm not interested in her identity anymore than I'm interested in her cooking ability or her flaming shoes.

I'm interested in her critical thinking skills, demonstrating good judgement and leadership qualities...

Layla Moran's girlfriend Rosy Cobb was at the centre of a controversy during the general election campaign when the Liberal Democrats became embroiled in a row over a faked email and legal threats to journalists.

Miss Cobb, then the Lib Dems' head of media, was suspended after the party's press office was accused of altering emails.

The political website Open Democracy ran a story in mid-November claiming that the Lib Dems had sold supporters' data to the Remain campaign during the Brexit referendum.

The Lib Dems started a legal fight with the website, arguing that they had sent a statement which had not been used. Open Democracy maintained that it had not received one.

The party forwarded an email they claimed had been sent – but the date it carried was the day before the request for comment had been made.

Miss Cobb was suspended pending a full investigation. She has now left the party.

bangs head on wall repeatedly

It's only since 1983 that Labour members (other than MPs) have had any say in who the leader was. They voted for Kinnock in 1988 and Blair in 1992 and Miliband in 2010 in roughly the same proportions as MPs did.

Allowing for both Corbyn victories and counting Red Ed as the left candidate, you get:

1983 true
1988 false
1992 -
1994 false
2007 -
2010 true
2015 true
2016 true

Four times out of eight contests where party members have been polled, your thesis is true, twice it's false and twice I think it doesn't really apply.

The thing is there hasn’t often been a hard-left candidate in leadership elections. Ed Miliband wasn’t that left IMO, he just looked it compared to David (although I have counted him above). In 2010 the real hard left candidate was Diane Abbott. John McDonnell couldn't even get onto the ballot against Gordon Brown in 2007. Tony Blair beat John Prescott in 1994. In 1992 neither John Smith nor Bryan Gould were considered left wingers. Neil Kinnock absolutely thrashed Tony Benn in 1988. Kinnock himself had been called soft-left in 1983, but he wasn't the furthest left candidate, that was Eric Heffer. In 1980 Michael Foot beat Denis Healey, but it was very close. Callaghan beat Foot in 1976 (although Foot had been slightly ahead in the first round of voting). Harold Wilson beat Callaghan and Brown in 1963. Gaitskell soundly defeated left-wing challengers in 1955, 1960 and 1961. Going any further back takes us to before WW2 so I'll leave it there.

What is quite shocking is that not only has Labour never had a female leader, there have only ever been four women even stand for election as leader.

It's my understanding that the Labour membership has always voted for the furthest left male candidate for leader, does anyone know if that's correct?

Hi there summerpavilion. It’s really complicated as although individual members have been able to vote since Neil Kinnock was leader, the rules have changed over time. Neil Kinnock beat Michael Meacher and subsequently Tony Benn - both more left wing than him. John Smith defeated Bryan Gould. Neither was particularly left wing but Bryan Gould was more anti European. Tony Blair defeated Margaret Beckett & John Prescott. Again, there was not much in it in terms of right wingness but Blair was seen as more popular with the electorate. Gordon Brown stood unopposed. Ed Milliband was probably more left wing than his brother or Ed Balls but not more left wing thanDiane Abbott who also stood. Jeremy Corbyn’s election is the odd one out. Before him, there was a real realisation that members had to elect a potential Prime Minister, not party Leader.

The introduction of the £3 supporter category was a disaster in terms of entryism. Hoping the Corbyn cult is finally going to be defeated. I actually think Jess Phillips is quite popular except with Momentum supporters. Not sure if she would stand as they would give her such grief.

Also I have a theory that Labour would have lost just as badly in 2017 as last month, except Theresa May was a woman, and I have a horrible feeling that lost the Tories some votes

It's my understanding that the Labour membership has always voted for the furthest left male candidate for leader, does anyone know if that's correct?

Couldn't have been when Tony Blair got in though. Whatever those conditions were when he was chosen need to be recreated. Until then they're stuck in the wilderness.

I say "they" but I'm a party member, so I feel like "us". I'd be over the moon if there was finally a female leader, but I agree with others that Starmer is the only electable one (love Jess Phillips though).

@BlackForestCake very good point.... I take it back!

Jess Philips is too outspoken to be a leader, she’s not got the diplomacy required

You are aware who the current President of the US and the current Prime Minister are?

But could he risk coming down on one side or the other though, would it lose him too many votes either way? Best to stay neutral at the moment I suspect.

Does Starmer know what a woman is? He’s most certainly been asked. As there has been no direct response one can only wonder. I’d prefer a leader to be less frightened and willing to shout from the rooftops.

Seriously fuck Labour. Put the old dog out of its misery and let's try and build something else.

I actually agree here, despite Labour activism being in my family for at least the past 4 generations and still having many Old Labour people I know who are deeply principled and who I have a lot of respect for. These include very strong women who have their voices respected and listened to and are as far away from the London elite as it is possible to be.

At least in Scotland we have a left wing alternative to vote for in the SNP. I've actually felt embarrassed at a lot of the nonsense the Labour party have come out with.

I don't think any of the main political parties care about women very much.

if David Lammy decided to stand

David Lammy pushed the GRA through parliament and told anyone who expressed concerns about its abuse that they were delusional. No way I will ever vote for him.

I will never vote for some one based on their sex. I will vote for some one whose views are similar to my own, and someone I think can win an election.

At the moment, my preferred candidates are Kier for leader, Jess Phillips for deputy.

That view may change (especially if David Lammy decided to stand).

The sex is, to me, less important than their stated intentions. Which can/ will change

Labour have a misogyny problem, but I am relieved that Starmer is in the lead as he is the only one with a remote chance of being elected both by the party membership now and the public in a GE. JP is hated by many in the party so doesn't stand a chance with them. Long-Bailey is just appalling and I would rather see a man in the role for the next 50 years than her at the helm because, if she wins, we will be stuck with the Tories forever.

their ability to run a genuine unbiased survey is highly dubious.

They got the last Labour Leadership elections completely correct.

I remember when Tony Blair came to power, I was excited, genuinely, as it was all about the future and shaping the future

With Rebecca long Bailey she harped on about how working class she was, with her father a dock worker being constantly stressed under Thatcher

I don't care about working class "credentials" neither do I think a miner's daughter or son is better qualified to decide the future than anyone else

So your dad was a miner? I don't care.

And neither did lots of actual miner's kids, many were able to vote for a typical Eton toff!

Labour is mired in identify politics, but honestly, who cares?

At least Keir Starmer does not patronise the electorate like Long Bailey does with her four Yorkshiremen act

Most people want the right person for the job, whichever sex they are.

FloralFestiveBunting - I agree with much of what you have said, but I dont think I can ever remember a time where it seems that politicians lying and it being known they lied is something people just shrug their shoulders.

BJ has already broken some of his election policies and there are no screaming headlines, but just the papers amplifying his hypocritical sentiments about cant we all just get on. Given the sheer vitriol that the faction in the Tory party that got him elected inflicted on their own colleagues and then Leader, it is just beyond credibility that the media is prepared to act as his vacuous mouth piece.

Just out of interest I looked for the origins of these figures.

So first off it is an ESRC funded project and as has come up on other threads their ability to run a genuine unbiased survey is highly dubious.

The figures were arrived at by excluding all the dont knows, but doesn't say how many that was. Only just over 1,000 members were surveyed so the results may be just the opinion of 500 people!

This is just the sort of ridiculous misdirection by the media happy to boost the CVs of academics who need to churn out pointless verbage to get grants.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/jan/01/poll-of-labour-members-suggests-keir-starmer-is-first-choice

What would be more useful is to find a way for Labour to genuinely consult with its members. But already that is fraught as some no doubt think those who joined via the cheap membership scheme aren't genuine members. (And I doubt if all Tory members were canvased that half of them would agree with Boris let alone the Cummings project.)

Quite honestly it seems it would make more sense for one of the reality shows to do a mass survey of the UK where the electorate draws up a list of things they want, and then a bit like Dragons Den prospective parties put foward how they would achieve the top 10 / 20 wish list.

The Party system is broken. Not just because of FPTP but because the media which is the medium through which people get their information if not a clear glass, it is a distorting lens.

I'd love Jess Phillips to be PM but sadly doubt it will ever happen ...

Labour should have a look to how well the snp have done in Scotland on a social democratic just left of centre position.

noblegiraffe I think Labour is best serve opposing the Conservatives in contrast to trying to both oppose Conservatives AND themselves.

This is Dan Jarvis's take on the election result:

labourlist.org/2019/12/lessons-from-campaigning-in-the-labour-heartland-seat-of-barnsley/

He was considering running for leadership before Christmas. One thing's for sure: they'll have a hell of a job trying to accuse him of sympathising with terrorists.

I think it's significant that Nigel Farage appears to have targeted his seat specifically.

to the state when THEY die. double gah.