Aibu to think that it is about time Labour had a female leader ?

[frumpet]

And if they did who should they pick in your opinion ?

The best person should win...irrespective of gender.

I think there is a good chance they will have one in the near future.

No, not really. They should get the best leader they can. Gender is irrelevant.

It needs to be the best person for the job. Imagine someone like KH getting the job just because she is woman. Women can be dicks too !

There's usually more than one best person.

It's true i'm not interested in picking a woman regardless of any other qualities but what I do hope is that there is a field of candidates that is at least 50/50 in gender - not only one woman like in 2010.

But I hope they take a while to get to this. Happy for party leader Harriet Harman to carry on for a while.

Yes. Having all the main Westminster parties' leaders being rich white middle class men isn't good for politics overall. It's one of the reasons so many don't vote at all imo.

I'd say the same for the lib dems.

They obviously don't have systems based on merit to never have had female leaders so far.

I think they should just get the best leader possible.

Yes it would be nice if they did but they shouldn't choose a woman just because she is a woman.

Just like they shouldn't go out looking for a black leader or a gay leader or whatever.

yvette cooper would get my vote

Whilst I agree that a female leader would be a Great Leap Forward for the Labour Party, I really think Chukka Umunna should be the next leader. He is brilliant.

tethersend There is no way Chukka Umunna would be elected Prime Minister. I think he would be good but he's a bit too young atm and there is the small problem of his skin colour. London is Labour and really couldn't give a toss about the his race; the rest of the country?

I want someone who can get elected.

Yvette Cooper

Yes, absolutely, the 'sameyness' of all the leaders, white, posh male etc, clegg, cameron and milliband, and all their teams, advisors etc made me look at nicola sturgeon with real admiration. Although i agree the best person for the job should be found, its high time one of these parties had a strong female leader, i dont think yvette cooper, though...

Really prorsum? I don't think it's fair to imply everyone outside of London is a racist. There is racism in and out of London.

That is awful prorsum, so even if he is right for the job his age and race should stop that?

DH wants Yvette Cooper (not, out of the women, out of them all)

I haven't given it much thought yet - I liked Ed.

Sadly I don't think there's a cat's chance in hell of Labour getting the ukip defectors back if they elect a black leader.

Prorsum, I am about as far away from London as you can get within the UK.

Do you realise how offensive you comment is? Obviously I must be a parochial, small minded bigot as a result

I'd like to see Yvette Copper be leader.

I really do think we need more women in front line politics, we need less white, upperclass, Eton, Oxbridge educated men making decisions that's for sure.

I do like Umunna too and tthink he has a very good chance.

Sticking to women though Diane Abbott is pretty fabulous. I think she's going for major of London instead though.

I'd love Stella Creasy to be leader, though unfortunately I think it's very unlikely.

These people who think it should be merit, unless you think women aren't as good as men surely we'd expect to see them as leaders 50% of the time?

I liked Yvette Cooper's webchat on here. She came across as an actual person instead of a party drone.

I think it might be Andy Burnham's time.

I know what prorsum means, I don't think they were being offensive; more sad about the fact that those factors are likely to make a leader unelectable.

I too want someone electable- but I think the mould of the white male leader needs to be broken. I think it could work. With a change of Conservative party leader, I think it could blow things wide open. Chukka is a force to be reckoned with.

I really like the Labour MP for Walthamstow. So does my DH, but maybe it's because she is blond and pretty, lol! I can't remember her name and I guess she hasn't been around long enough to go for it, but then neither has Chuka Umuna, and I find him really grating. She seems so calm, reasonable, sincere, and well spoken. Sometimes I think women with the same qualifications get overlooked simply because a woman isn't what we are picturing in our heads in the first place.