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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Diane Abbott: Shadow Foreign Secretary

152 replies

longfingernails · 27/12/2015 19:30

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.

OP posts:
WMittens · 28/12/2015 19:23

noseasboba

Sorry, I've realised my calculation error, I was out by a factor of 10 - so £39.5bn (ish).

EnthusiasmDisturbed · 28/12/2015 19:23

I think many thought this but I do not think he is going to step aside why would he when he has the chance to move the Labour Party to the very left

UninventiveUsername · 28/12/2015 19:38

I agree with TheXxed about Diane Abbot. I'm not a huge fan but she does seem to inspire a certain amount of hate.

LordBrightside · 28/12/2015 19:43

I'm a former long time Labour supporter and voter who was utterly betrayed by New Labour. Benn is a Blairite crypto conservative.

I don't like Jeremy Corbyn either though to be honest. If he was really the man of principle he portrays himself he would have left the a Labour Party and stood as an independent but he liked his wage and his seat too much. And now that he is leader the principles thing to do would be a cull of the Blairites, starting with the expulsion of Tony Blair from the Labour Party but he won't do that.

Shutthatdoor · 28/12/2015 19:49

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

No because I didn't vote for him.

LassWiTheDelicateAir · 28/12/2015 20:02

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

I voted for Yvette Cooper, failing whom Andy Burnham , failing whom Liz Kendall.I didn't vote for Corbyn.

I assumed sense would prevail and he would be recognised (and indeed recognise himself) as the unelectable disaster he is and we'd shot of him within 12 months.

His treatment of Maria Eagle - in
(a) making policy announcements on defence without even discussing it with her and
(b) not only appointing the contemptible Livingstone to a defence role without discussing it with her but leaving her to find out on twitter
indicates he is an old school, sexist, misogynist trot.

QueenLaBeefah · 28/12/2015 20:28

Yy

Corbyn has come across as old school sexist.

citybushisland · 28/12/2015 21:01

www.thecanary.co/2015/12/22/george-osbornes-christmas-gift-to-britain-is-beyond-a-joke/
And the op thinks labour is a joke? Cos right wing policies are doing SO well...

EnthusiasmDisturbed · 28/12/2015 21:27

Labour is a joke at the moment

The Tories are in power so can put through policies without much worry of labour gaining power in the next election bring in Boris as leader of the party and many of those middle voters will vote Tory

OTheHugeManatee · 28/12/2015 21:27

I think Corbyn comes across as an old-school sexist too.

claig · 28/12/2015 21:49

'Sorry, I've realised my calculation error, I was out by a factor of 10 - so £39.5bn (ish).'

Yes that sounds about right, because the modernisers tell us that foreign aid is ring-fenced at 0.7% of our GDP.

claig · 28/12/2015 22:05

'Benn is a Blairite crypto conservative'

Yes and to top it off, he reminds me of a Conservative Cuthbert Cringeworthy in a Blairite Bash Street Academy School.

vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/beano/images/5/5e/Cuthbert_Cringeworthy.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20140823162037

BoneyBackJefferson · 28/12/2015 22:14

WorraLiberty
"I'm sorry I've lowered the tone"

You said yourself its a political thread, you have raised it from the sewers in to the gutter.

Original poster
longfingernails · 30/12/2015 00:37

More tea leaves: McDonnell refuses to back Benn as SFS
www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/dec/29/mcdonnell-refuses-to-back-hilary-benn-in-labour-reshuffle

And there are rumours of mass resignations if Benn is sacked... Frankly, I doubt Labour MPs have the spine. The Tories (and historically, though not during Calamity Clegg's years) have been efficient at getting rid of dud leaders, but Labour are terrible at it:
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/jeremy-corbyn-could-face-frontbench-resignations-if-he-sacks-hilary-benn-in-reshuffle-a6789861.html

OP posts:
EnthusiasmDisturbed · 30/12/2015 10:55

I doubt many will rebel against JC because at the moment no one is willing to stand up directly to challenge his leadership and now is not the right time

Hopefully this will happen a few months before next years conference or the year after then we can build the Labour Party into a party with a leader that can win a general election

Hatethis22 · 30/12/2015 11:01

The party is not fit for purpose anymore. It needs to split to become a credible opposition. The vast majority of Labour MPs need to leave the left behind and start a new party. The unions and Corbyn can then be free to be a truly left wing party that's anti Trident, anti austerity etc. The new party can be free to try and get into government.

EnthusiasmDisturbed · 30/12/2015 11:10

Totally agree Hatethis22

LordBrightside · 30/12/2015 11:25

Sounds good. The Blairite Party would be ground into the dust and die as they have no grass roots support anywhere.

I like this idea.

EnthusiasmDisturbed · 30/12/2015 11:42

Really

I doubt it Labour had far more support under Blair than they have ever done. He himself may have lost that support but the party of that time was at it's most popular it moved more to the middle many labour voters do not want trade unions to have such an influence or the far left of the party

It's middle voters we need to get back in power not the few from the very left

Hatethis22 · 30/12/2015 11:44

Grin With Corbyn as leader Labour can't win the seats they need to even reduce the Tory majority. 'Grassroots support' is lovely for knocking on doors and organising meat raffles. Not so handy for actually getting a majority of votes, particularly in Southern constituencies.

LassWiTheDelicateAir · 30/12/2015 11:45

It's middle voters we need to get back in power not the few from the very left

Yes. What the left wing party activists don't seem to understand is they are left wing party activists and only a tiny proportion of the voters.

Hatethis22 · 30/12/2015 11:54

FYI I have no problem with anti austerity, anti Trident policies. I'd be happy to have a government with those values. Unfortunately we're never going to get one. I do have a problem with a completely unchecked Tory government dismantling the NHS while Labour are split between the ethical, unelectable wing and the pragmatic, political wing.

knobblyknee · 30/12/2015 11:56

There has been more poverty under every right wing government.

Hatethis22 · 30/12/2015 11:59

I live in the South of England. I find it utterly heart breaking but I can't tell you how little the perfectly pleasant, kind, helpful neighbours I'm surrounded by give a shit about the impact of Tory austerity. Lib Dem is as far from Tory as most of them will ever stray in their lives. These are the voters that you need to reach to put enough pressure on the Tories to move back within spitting distance of the centre ground of politics.

Hatethis22 · 30/12/2015 12:00

Not living in the South. I don't find that heart breaking. Not since I moved out of Surrey anyway ...

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