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 ?

Bourdic in what way is our press anitdemocratic?

Bourdicin what way is our press anitdemocratic?

Probably in the way that most of it is owned by Rupert Murdoch.

Any time a newspaper declares their support for any party, and doesn't invite commentators from all major parties, it's not democratic.

I think it's good that quite a few of the likely candidates are from minorities, either women or racially. Obviously the best person should become leader and personally I wouldn't choose just because someone is a woman, black etc but nice that the pool of possibles does happen to be more varied and some of the best do come from those groups.

I also quite like David Lammy but I think more likely he'd go for mayor than leader of the party.

Women aren't a minority. We are 52% of the population!

Easy to get that impression, though, isn't it?

There was something on the news last night about potential leaders and everyone was described by their job as shadow-whatever, except Yvette Cooper who was described as Ed Balls wife.

Sometimes it feels as though we have a long way to go.

I quite like the idea of Yvette Cooper because she is very experienced and because something I know about from a friend who knew her long ago suggests that she is pretty focused and quite ruthless. I think these are good qualities in a leader.

i'd like to see Yvette Cooper as leader

Yvette is too linked to Blair/balls/Milliband.

A new face is needed. Dan Jarvis. He's done something other than politics which we desperately need.

And he's pretty centrist.

gender is relevant IMO

A lot of women do/did not feel represented by the boys' club

Every time I saw a picture of Milliband, Clegg and Cameron I thought: all white, privileged males....

Labour needs an exciting candidate, M/F, but ideally not another one in the same mould as Milli/Clegg/Cameron. So female, or ethnic minority (or both!) would be nice to see.

Just read that David Lammy may run, which would make sense.

TheWord

Is he the ex-serviceman?

That might appeal to the wider electorate in itself.

Personally I would never vote for someone ex military to potentially run the country.

I don't think you can see it's equality when a woman is elected as leader.

Nicola Sturgeon for example, has more similarities to Cameron/Ed/etc than differences.

I hope to see a woman leader of the labour party one day. But I also hope to see a non-christian one, a gay one, a working class one, a black one, etc.

Having a white, middle class, privately educated, Christian, woman... Is not much progress.

Yes, Dan Jarvis was a para.

Has seen a lot of action ( Bosnia, Sierra Leone, Afghanistan). Indeed has seen a lot of life ( sadly his wife died of cancer).

Maybe it's time for some people who haves real lives back in politics?

I wouldn't ever rule out an ex-military candidate because they are usually the least gung-ho about military adventures. One of the Labour party's strangest weaknesses is its historical enthusiasm in government for high defence spending and futile military adventures. Someone ex-forces would have a much more realistic head about all of that.

It's not a leader they need. It's a bottom up rethink about vision, direction and policy. Then elect a leader that can pull that off. In the meantime though there's no meaningful opposition, so a safe pair of hands who's willing to sacrifice themselves is needed. Alan Johnson would be a good choice. In fact I think Labour missed a trick not selecting him rather than Ed.

TheWord

I agree.

she is pretty focused and quite ruthless. I think these are good qualities in a leader.
Yes, unless she is a woman, then she's considered a bitch.

Having a white, middle class, privately educated, Christian, woman... Is not much progress.

You could say that having a black, middle class, privately educated, Christian, man is not much progress either.

But something that is not white, middle class, privately educated, Christian, man is progress.
It will be difficult to have it all at the same time, unless you get the proverbial black, lesbian, disabled, non-Christian, woman.

David Lammy! Dear God No! He's my MP and there is no way I want him as Leader. Way too New Labour for my taste.

I think Sadiq Khan is quite convincing. Need to find out more about Dan Jarvis now I keep seeing his name mentioned.

Another one for Jarvis.

I quite like YC but the problem is that she has a policy wonk background like EM. Oxford, Harvard, LSE and straight into researcher work.

I take your point Lweji and have just looked on wiki for Yvettes education I think she did go to Oxford, but went to a comprehensive so she would be some progress...

Going to a comp or not is not the problem.

Ed went to a London comp where he learned to build a bit of rapport with Russell Brand. Put him in a room of folk from Leeds (Question Time special) and he was eviscerated.