To be a bit disappointed in Chuka Umunna

[Viviennemary]

I thought Chuka Umunna would be a good candidate for Labour to re-invent itself and appeal to more voters. I thought he spoke well and sincerely and was a lot better than Ed Miliband. But I read today that he lives in a £1m house reportedly funded by a Family Trust located in the tax haven of Jersey. How can ordinary folk take him and his party seriously going on about tax avoidance.

I don't trust Chukka. I think he is a bit of a snake in the grass. I'll be interested to hear more from Liz Kendall as I don't know much about her.

There's a few interesting candidates for London Mayor, although it won't be hard to get better than Boris.

I'm not a fan of Ed Balls the Politician, but when I've heard interviews with him that aren't about politics he comes across really well and seems a nice enough guy. I probably wouldn't vote for him though.

As for Chuka, I'm not sure. I don't care how much his house is worth, house prices are ridiculous anyway.

I think Labour have a bigger issue to solve - how to balance between those who think they are too far to the left and those who don't think they are left enough. Chuka seems to be just like Bliar centre right.

Liz Kendall worried me. When she was talking about people helping each other out, I heard echoes of Cameron's Big Society.

Her interview on Newsnight is on i-player.

Thanks for that Thyme out. I will take a look on I player.

Labour need to decide what they are about first. They've spent too long producing policies that they think will get the most votes rather than what is right and what is in line with a left wing agenda. For too long they have been a right of centre party with a left wing history.

There's no use courting floating tory voters if your core supporters leave you. They certainly didn't lose seats in Scotland because they were too left wing.

The traditional working class labour voter doesn't feel represented by them anymore.

The party seems to have been over run by career politicians who turn their noses up at ANY strike action even though they are meant to be the party of the working person.

The conservatives and the press have convinced the public that unions and left wing ideas are evil and instead of fighting them on it, they just rolled over.

You wouldn't think I just joined would you

From what I've heard from people who know him, David Lammy's a really really great, very able guy.

Zampa - I don't think you could even dismiss it if he was in university, even though TheBlackRider says he was 28 when he made those remarks - I still think at 18-21 it shows an arrogant snobby person, let alone 28. Not likeable in the least.

Trusts aren't necessarily as posh as they sound. My parents' house is held in trust by DSis, DSF's son and I and it's certainly not worth anywhere near £1million.

I'm not his biggest fan (though I do like that he's not from the standard Oxbridge PPE background) but that's a bit unfair to throw at him.

It seems they can't win. We no one more than me btw had contempt for David Cameron for being born with never mind a sliver but a diamond spoon in his mouth and being ridiculously out of touch with the ordinary man or women.
Yet here's someone who to me seems to at least want to be In touch with the general people, and seems very down to earth.
I've saw him s few times on question times.
It's not his fault he was born into wealth.
I'd say all or mist politicians are millionaires.

Quite possibly the referendum will diminish ukip's point but The traditional working class labour voter doesn't feel represented by them anymore. as per soapbox's point above is something labour needs to recognise.

Sorry copy and pasting isn't clear. The 'them' in bold above is the Labour Party not ukip

Yabu and very prejudiced.

YABU- I don't have any particular preference when it comes to next leader of the party and I'm not a loyal labour voter, but I just don't get the problem with him having a nice house and liking expensive shirts or suits, really. Why would you be "disappointed" in him for having certain degree of privilege in his life? It's not like he chose to be born to a specific set of parents or chose where he went to school. I don't think coming from a comfortable background is something to be ashamed of or hidden. Also don't see why his choice of suits or shirts makes any difference when it comes to your view of him as a politician.

I think it's what he thinks, says, and more importantly what he does that matters. So if you agree with the policies he is talking about, think he has done the right thing in terms of voting in parliament etc in the past, has acted as a good constituency MP, then he would be as good a candidate as any, regardless of his background.

I stand corrected on the "trash" comment. He should know better by 28 not to post silly comments in public forums.

I quite like him and his wealth and comments I think are blown out of proportion. Few candidates will have no baggage at all, no one is perfect. It is a bit shallow but he has a good look which will attract young voters.

I am not keen on Yvette Cooper,too associated with Blair/Brown/Balls. Andy Burnham is good but the whole Staffs scandal may follow him?

I am left leaning, and liked Ed M, but know so many people who didn't bother voting this time as they are 'all the same' and some people are annoyed with people on benefits who are perceived to be getting more than them (this seems to be a common theme- maybe encouraged by the right wing press). So it is very difficult to know how to move forward. Society has gone very selfish and individualistic. Maybe when this government screws up massively people will realize they need Labour after all.

www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/chuka-umunna-is-the-last-thing-labour-needs--a-proausterity-leader-who-calls-people-trash-10247245.html

CHUCK NOT left jelly

He exudes too much of the shininess that Blair had in his pre-leader days. I never trusted him either. And it took a few half asleep half watches of him on Question Time before I worked out that he was Labour. Nothing to do with the price of his suits (or shits) and everything to do with what he says.

To clarify, further up when I said I didn't trust him, I meant that based on what I'd seen and heard from him. I don't care about his house or shirts (or shits) and I have no idea what it means that his house is in a trust fund.

"The non-Daily Mail version is that his mother and father bought the house. They are both dead. They set up the trust. He now owns the house."

This is not true.

His father died in 1992 in mysterious circumstances having acquired substantial wealth as a property developer www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2180339/Bennett-Umunna-death-Labour-MPs-father-killed-mysterious-car-crash-refusing-pay-bribes.html

The trust was set up in 1994 (when Chuka was 16) by an offshore tax avoidance firm.

His mother (who is daughter of a judge) is still entirely alive www.wslaw.co.uk/people/patricia_umunna/

I think David Lammy has been mentioned as candidate for the Mayor of London many times over the last few years.