Angela Raynor being talked about as possible leader? Surely not.

[Ozgirl76]

I get the point of Raynor - she’s the modern Prescott, the “Everyman”, the one who the trad Labour voters might identify with, with the vaping, clubbing and tax evasion.

But as a leader on the world stage? Have we learnt nothing from Boris? Having a deeply unserious leader is surely not what the U.K. needs now, in this time of global turmoil?

Honestly if she becomes leader the U.K. will be an absolute laughing stock.

I liked her at the start and the hounding by the press of her coming out of a nightclub etc made me like her more. She seemed ordinary and refreshing after the Eton type idiots that mucked up the country and the job was just a way to make more millions and to massage their ego.

I think the way the press went after her with the house was shameful, but if she did wrong, she has to face it. Shame Farage seemed to get away with his house in Clacton much lighter.

As leader? Not so sure. I'm not totally against it but I would rather someone else. Wes, no, I liked him in the run up to the elections, not so much now. He's turning into one of those politicians who don't answer straight questions in interviews and to be honest, not seen anything much from him other than 'Labour are great' soundbites.. Nah.

What about Emily Thornberry? Easy to imagine her on the world stage, she’s articulate, assertive, very human, intelligent and educated, I think she comes across very well. Anyone have any thoughts on her? (Don’t know if she’d even want the job though)

@Offmybloodybulbsoh god! As a woman I’m sick of this wet wipe rubbish! If a female Tory MP had done what Rayner had done, she would have wiped the floor with them. She didn’t practise what she preaches! I’m a single mother who has zero support and due to circumstances had to rent out my property (which she will happily tax me to hilt for) and I mange to keep my affairs in order whilst working full time and surviving off fuck all sleep! The arrogance she has to even contemplate wanting to PM is beyond me!

In no other industry would a person who resigned because of misconduct then be able to go back and apply for CEO job! Politics is such a fucked up arena where normal societal rules don’t seem to apply!

Unfortunately many Labour voters don’t like Rayner and find her too far left. She’s no leadership potential because she’s divisive. Since when is a government gojng to be judged on its trans position? Trump, Russia, no economic growth and our overall decline are the big issues! Rayner would have no idea. She’s a one trick pony and on the make too.

I think that poster is possibly talking about "two tier policing?" Unless it's something else and I have missed the explanation in which case apologies, have only skimmed the thread.

I don't love her but I don't see what makes her "deeply unserious."

Oh ffs do we have to set the bar so low?

it’s not misogyny to point out a woman who’s dishonest. She’s a cheat. I’d prefer someone (female or male) who isn’t. Plus someone with discernible leadership skills.

it actually seems more a case of misogyny to never apply any logical thought process and to jump to defending a dishonest, not very bright woman just because she’s a woman. It doesn’t do the rest of womankind any favours.

If there’s a new leader why wouldn’t you choose her? Who would you go for?

If a switch was happening for sure

I’m not a fan of her, and think a move to the left when reform are an election threat would be a step in the wrong direction.

But at least she has a mind of her own. Although, I suspect this will mean a lot of people will be invested in making sure she doesn’t succeed. Interesting times ahead.

Leaving aside what anyone thinks of Rayner, I respectfully disagree with some of what you say.

IMHO you don’t need a certain level of formal education to be a good leader. You have to have a clear vision, be personable, a persuasive communicator, a good strategist and negotiator, be diplomatic and have integrity. All skills someone with no formal higher education can have. And someone with a PhD may not have.

I agree being able to speak other languages is v important (which is why it’s a shame so few kids take language GCSEs). But I’m not aware of many previous PMs who could speak enough languages competently enough for it to make a difference. Maybe proficient French or a conversational level in one or two languages. But so can anyone with enough lessons. And is it essential when they have bi-lingual embassy staff and translators?

As for having finesse, being polished and dressing well, that’s very subjective and usually sexist. Women are far more scrutinised over their appearance. A man can visit the barbers and sling on a dark suit and, as long as it fits well, it could be Primark or Armani. Women are constantly scrutinised over their clothes, hair, shoes, handbags, makeup etc. Even women like Angela Merkel, who adopted a certain style of trouser-suit ‘uniform’, just like men, was routinely criticised and mocked.

If she is a "cheating liar" then why is the HMRC investigation taking so long?

It would suggest it's not so clear cut hmm?

unfortunately I agree with this ^ it sums up situation perfectly.
I said unfortunately because I had high respect for Angela Rayner for what she achieved in life. I found her story very inspiring. However the situation with stamp duty showed her in a very different light.

I don’t give a shit that Rayner is Northern and working class. So am I. What I do mind is that she is so unbelievably STUPID. I mind that even more than the self serving dishonesty tbh.
It seems most politicians are incapable of following even the basic ethical standards we plebs are held to, and then thick enough to get caught.
Aside from that Labour always seem to have such unimpressive people. Theres no one that stands out as someone I’d want as a colleague let alone a PM. Wes is a slimy climber and I’ll not be surprised when more comes out about him..

Much as my politics ( aside from on women’s rights) differ from Badenoch, she is at least a formidable woman with a brain.

Labour have done some reasonable things so far actually but they seem to be appallingly bad at politics so the optics have been a shit show. Bunch of civil servants and councillors who have overreached.

Because Labour only ever wins elections from the centre ground, and although I lean to the left myself, I don't think anyone ever achieves much by being in opposition.

And fwiw, I don't assume that everyone dislikes her because she is a northern working class woman. People might object to her for all sorts of reasons, and that's fine. But when the very thinly veiled classism and misogyny is oozing from certain posts, then I think that should be acknowledged.

I mean, if you were conspiratorial you might wonder whether someone was deliberately slow-walking the investigation so that Rayner can’t make any moves. Which I absolutely would not put beyond the men in No 10.

Or the UK’s tax code is so ludicrously complex that it takes multiple specialists to determine one woman’s tax bill.

I’m northern and from a working class background. Grew up in the same town as Angela Rayner and went to possibly an even worse comp than she did. Many northern working class people do not feel she represents them. Let’s see what happens in the Denton by-election

We are definitely conditioned to view certain accents as having more trustworthy, leadership etc qualities.

However Andy Burnham has a strong Northern accent. Granted he is a man but I don’t think that’s why he presents better, it’s because he can articulate an argument. Rayner is poor on this.

Thatcher famously changed her voice so she could present her arguments more effectively.

You can be authentic and develop your presentation skills at the same time. It’s not classist to say this - a PM needs to appeal to the widest possible audience.

Boris is an example of someone who just didn’t bother and thought his class of presentation would carry him through - that people would see educated etc.

But people didn’t see that, we saw someone lazy who couldn’t communicate his message.

I think they need to choose someone from the centre ground if they want to stand a chance of succeeding electorally. At this point, I don't have a preferred candidate.

I also think it's about time they chose a woman.

I like Emily Thornberry - heard her on the radio a few times and she is rational and intelligent and makes her point clearly and eloquently.

Mahmood is another clearly intelligent person too.

PP above is right - Labour needs centre left leaders to stay in power.

My objection is because she is an idiot who does not have the knowledge nor experience to be taken seriously, domestically or internationally. As a northern woman I think it would be great to have a northern female leader but only if that northern female was competent. I will take competence over northern female

I agree with your description of Kemi Badenoch but I will say that as bad as it was to get caught out on stamp duty etc it’s not as bad as appointing a major ambassador with close ties to a known paedophile, who then took money and disclosed information.

I think she shot her self in the foot trying to blame others but that seems to be a Labour thing. I’d take her over Starmer rn

My objection is that knows nothing about economics, she'd bleed the "squeezed middle" drier and drier until they have literally nothing else to give, she'd punish ambition, achievement and success, and she promotes the politics of envy where even moderately successful people are seen as enemies of the people. It's nothing to do with her being a woman or northern.

One couldn't possibly have that sort at No.10.

How could one possibly tell them apart from the little people?

Personally, I find her supercilious and condescending every time she opens her mouth. In my opinion she’d be even less popular with voters than either Keir Starmer or Angela Rayner.

Yes I agree. That twitter image that led to her career stalling type thing.