Diane Abbott: Shadow Foreign Secretary

[longfingernails]

It is now a serious possibility.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/jeremy-corbyn-to-dismiss-disloyal-shadow-ministers-in-new-year-reshuffle-a6786956.html

AIBU to be glad at the pitiful state of Labour?

We can have significantly more right-wing policies as a result (assuming Cameron takes the opportunity to be less of a wet), which will result in more prosperity, less poverty and a better country.

'Jess Phillips relished telling her to fuck off. Was it necessary? I'd far rather she told Theresa May to fuck off but that never happens'

I don't like Jess Phillips but I don't think what she said had anything to do with racism. I think Jess Phillips is the Establishment's working class dream. I think she attacks Corbyn and Abbott and McDonnell etc because they are the old Labour left wing and she is a gift for the Establishment who don't like Old Labour.

Jess 'I'll stab you in the front' Philips is a shambles, why would you join the labour party to tear it apart.

I actually think Jess Phillips' comments had everything to do with Diane Abbott's race. I'm sure she'd deny it to the end of time but I highly highly doubt she'd make a similar comment to a white woman.

'but I highly highly doubt she'd make a similar comment to a white woman.'

I think she would say it to white men like Corbyn or McDonnell. I can't think of any white women, off the top of my head, who are as left wing or competent as Diane Abbott, but if there were some, Phillips would probably say the same to them too.

She is always interviewed on TV. I think it is because she is working class and opposes Old Labour and Corbyn in vigorous style and the Establishment laps that up because no one would listen if they did the same themselves.

Wow, Alastair Darling had a bit of the Aiden Turners about him back in the day, didn't he?

But whilst Vintage Corbyn may not have been a looker as such, there's always something highly attractive about a man holding an anti apartheid banner.

longfingernails
For example, I would slash the foreign aid budget by around 95%; splitting the proceeds between deficit reduction, tax cuts and enhanced military spending.

Our annual defence budget (assuming the GDP figures I found are accurate and that we meet our 2% target) is about £395bn; foreign aid is about £12bn, so 95% being £11.4bn and assuming an even split between those three areas you mentioned, that's £3.8bn increase for the armed forces - less than 1%. I think the money probably does more good as foreign aid.

I think that we need a good / strong opposition for good government. Our parliamentary system has lots of checks and balances that need to work properly. A good opposition that holds the government to account is necessary for that and Labour is not doing that at present. I think that when a party loses as badly as Labour did it takes 5+ years to work it through and become effective again and be electable. Unfortunately I think it will be 10+ plus before labour is in a position to be a serious contender and potentially even longer. The most effective opposition we have is the Scottish nationalists.

Back to the OP, let's see what happens in January before passing comment but so far I don't think it's a new style of politics but a mixture of mismanagement and bullying from some influential figures.

Seventh post: "It would make me question his integrity, she is strutting around like the typist who has been sleeping with the boss.... She has no shame"

I couldn't get past this. This is an absolutely dreadful statement. It doesn't say anything except you think she is bloody well too jumped up for a woman. No better than she should be. The belittling and reductive misogyny is just depressing and says more about the objectionable mindset the author has towards (other?) women than it can ever say about the subject of such a comment.

Like George Osborne and David Cameron, so. Bullingdon boys. Club and an appointed chum. They are godfathers to each others children. Many all Conservatives also enjoy nepotism. Do you think they are all strutting like a typist who has been sleeping with the boss too? Or would you ever say strutting around like paper boys who put out for the CEO? Getting a leg in on a heads up from chums.

So Labour aren't that different in this issue then. What about the male Labour potential appointees? Diane gets special sneer as a jumped up typist.

This type of comment reminds me of the mooing noises made by men in Stormont when a woman would speak. Because they were nothing more than Cows, of course.

This was in the Irish Times in 2007. "When the two Women's Coalition representatives spoke in the ambitiously-titled "Forum for Political Dialogue", half of the DUP group made moo-ing noises. Iris Robinson, proud to be anti-feminist, made a point of laughing appreciatively."

I seem to remember it was more widespread than just that.

I don't have any special regard for Diane Abbott, but it is an Everywoman putdown, isn't it?

Agree, that is a vile comment and the poster should be ashamed of themself.

"Slashing life saving foreign aid (0.7% of GDP) and spending it on deficit reduction and tax cuts?"

Um, is this criticism of New a Labour still relevant now Corbyn is in control?

(The coalition and Tories having both ring fenced and mildly increased the aid budget, something Labour in government didn't do).

Like George Osborne and David Cameron, so. Bullingdon boys. Club and an appointed chum. They are godfathers to each others children. Many all Conservatives also enjoy nepotism

Which to be fair is pointed out on a regular and continuous basis.

You always see comments about a specific school connection etc.

More right wing policies??? You obviously don't work in the social services, teaching profession or the NHS - David Cameron does not care about vulnerable people at all.

I will believe it when I see it. The press (which is mainly right wing) has been claiming Corbyn is going to reshuffle or purge these so called "moderate" MPs since day 1, yet nothing has happened so far.

Corbyn has a huge mandate from his party and I do think he has the right to remove people like Benn and Eagle that are openly critical of him in public. If they want to dissent they should be doing if from the back benches.

Oh and Dianne Abbot is an idiot, but without a doubt she gets far more aggressive and negative attacks than other similar politicians. The combination of being a woman, black and successful is just too much for some to handle.

And I wouldn't blame him for appointing his loyalists to the top jobs. He has spent the first 3 to 4 months trying to be inclusive to the "moderate" Blairite wing of the party and the result is many of them refused to be involved in the shadow cabinet and those that have got stuck in have been openly critical and desperate to trip him up at every opportunity.

The Labour party desperately need to unite; stop scoring own goals and get on with opposing the government because Cameron & Osborne are getting away with destroying the country bit by bit at the moment.

Our annual defence budget (assuming the GDP figures I found are accurate and that we meet our 2% target) is about £395bn

£395bn is more than the total pensions/welfare and NHS budgets combined. It's also more than half of government spending. You need to check your figures, they're way off.

noseasboba

£395bn is more than the total pensions/welfare and NHS budgets combined. It's also more than half of government spending. You need to check your figures, they're way off.

If you have better figures, I'd be interested to see them - I couldn't find any after trawling through several pages. £395bn is 2% of our projected 2015 GDP, which is the NATO target.

As a member of the SNP and just as a human being in general I'm delighted at the state of the Labour Party. I hope the Labour Party either splits or dies.

Abbot though is an improvement. Diane Abbot is a bit of a numpty but she is at least a genuine and well meaning numpty. Hillary Benn on the other hand is utter scum. Crypto-Tory slime. Abbot is a far superior human being to Benn so it's hard to understand any concern about Abbot replacing Benn as Shadow Foreign Secretary.

I quite like Dianne Abbot. She is a champagne socialist who sent her children to a private school, but then so am I.

I am a member of the Labour party and Corbyn is a disaster. The list below are also a disaster.
John McDonnell
Diane Abbott
Emily Thornberry
Ken Livingstone.

If he is prepared to ditch Angela and Maria Eagle and Hilary Benn in preference for that bunch then there is no hope. Where that leaves me , I'm not sure. Nothing would make me vote SNP.

Labour needs champagne socialists.

Hillary Benn on the other hand is utter scum. Crypto-Tory slime. Abbot is a far superior human being to Benn

Abbot though is an improvement. Diane Abbot is a bit of a numpty but she is at least a genuine and well meaning numpty. Hillary Benn on the other hand is utter scum. Crypto-Tory slime. Abbot is a far superior human being to Benn so it's hard to understand any concern about Abbot replacing Benn as Shadow Foreign Secretary.

Aren't you delightful

"Utter scum" "slime"
SNP member in action

Typical SNP member indeed (although crypto Tory makes a refreshing change to red Tory.)

Well the Labour Party are digging their grave deeper and deeper but then so is Jeremy Corbyn and that I am pleased about as the sooner we get rid of him the better chance we have the Labour Party winning an election. He will never ever be prime minister. He has no appeal to middle voter and these are the voters the Labour Party need

I agree that Diane Abbot being a black women will at times be treated differently certainly by the press but she has made some gaffs and is doing herself no favours by taking on the role of constantly defending Corybn she seems totally out of touch with many labour supporters who are already 3 months in questioning if he is the right man to lead the party - which he is not

I voted for JC, knowing he would stay for about two or three years, didn't everyone expect this?