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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be ashamed of the Labour Party leadership

956 replies

20nil · 11/02/2017 21:43

Long term member, did not support Corbyn, but even I am surprised by quite how bad he's been.

Where is the opposition? I get that Brexit is difficult, but where is Labour on the collapse of the NHS, the explosion of homelessness, the decimation of local council funding and the ticking bomb that is school funding?

Why is it that we now look to the Lords, the Cof E and petitions to be the opposition?

Shocking state of affairs.

OP posts:
Original poster
20nil · 17/02/2017 15:22

Of course we wouldn't need a non-politican involved if the actual politicians did their jobs properly. But here we are. If Blair did it collectively with, say, John Major , Gordon Brown and perhaps some Lib Dem grandees like Paddy A, that would be better.

People I think might be listened to:

Martin Lewis
Sandi Toksvig
Alan Sugar
Shirley Williams

I'll keep thinking.

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Fakenewsday · 17/02/2017 15:23

see that speech is exactly the sort of careful, thought out and sensible speech that you never see from Corbyn. 'Brexit at any cost' has a good unifying ring as a soundbite and building consensus behind holding the tories' brexit plan to account whilst acknowledging the result of the referendum is a good move. Why don't we have any untainted talent like that now?

Rugbyplayersarehot · 17/02/2017 15:30

Oh yes Martin Lewis and Shirley Williams.

Can't abide sandy or Alan.

The more I think about Corbyn the more angry I am. His stupid little Marxist hat and his failure to engage and lead so reminds me of an old stupid hippie.

Original poster
20nil · 17/02/2017 15:38

Not my favourite people either, but people do listen to them. Other business people ... am drawing a blank. But not:

Jeremy Corbyn
Bob Geldoff
Eddie Izzard

you know the type ...?

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Lottapianos · 17/02/2017 15:46

'The more I think about Corbyn the more angry I am'

Same here. I was so full of hope when he first got elected and really believed that things would change. I feel like a fool now. He's a total waste of time and seems to be just as big an egomaniac as Blair in his own way

20nil, your first list is good, very credible people. Sanity deliver us from Eddie Izzard and Bob Geldof Hmm

Rugbyplayersarehot · 17/02/2017 15:49

I think lotta op said but not! Grin

Totally agree defiantly not

Rugbyplayersarehot · 17/02/2017 15:50

Or sorry Will Self too. Bag the bandwagon to promote self

Lottapianos · 17/02/2017 15:54

Yes I know, I was agreeing with her

Lalsy · 17/02/2017 15:56

Same here. Getting more and more angry. I agree TB is divisive but I think in fairness to him, he has waited till the 11th hour to do this, and he has done it well - eloquently and thoughtfully. No-one else has stepped up to the plate and time is now short. Iraq doesn't invalidate everything he says and the Brexiteers are choosing to attack him on that because they cannot engage with his argument. It is Brexit at any price - that phrase strips everything bare. Labour should have been doing this for a year.

Lottapianos · 17/02/2017 15:58

'Labour should have been doing this for a year'

This x 100000000

AmyInTheBoonies · 17/02/2017 16:11

It's a bizarre situation I find myself in cheering Blair on. But it has come to this!

It was music to my ears to listen to someone eloquently putting forward why Brexit is wrong, not talking about soft Brexit - just speaking for the those of us who opposed it.

Fakenewsday · 17/02/2017 16:17

whatever you think about Blair's record in office, he has a knack for summing up arguments and the canny phrase - if he was waiting for current labour talent to do this, perhaps he's given up the wait.

EnthusiasmIsDisturbed · 17/02/2017 16:33

It had to be someone high profile to speak out and he is a brilliant orator

I do not think we shall get another vote (the EU have made it very clear that we have to get on with it) but I do believe this could lead to a cross party agreement regarding and involvement in negotiations and this I think would be the best outcome it's something an alternative to May marching ahead with their plans only

Of course this is something Labour could have been pushing for all along or rather Corbyn should have been wtf does he actually do

I feel utter despair with his leadership of the party as many members of the labour party do. Interesting timing a week before two by elections that are but shouldn't be problematic for Labour

This is certainly an attack of Corbyn's leadership too

PigletWasPoohsFriend · 17/02/2017 16:36

I agree that someone needed to intervene, I just think that words like 'rise up' can be read the wrong way, just like the location of his speech.

Lalsy · 17/02/2017 16:42

I agree, Piglet. I don't think it was perfect, I worry that Open Britain has now been contaminated, and I wish someone else with some clout could have done it. But I am glad someone did. I just saw Stephen Dorrell tweeting that when he lost his cabinet job in 97 when Blair won, no-one suggested he had to join the Labour party. I hope more and people people will speak about the assault on democracy (good piece by Alex Massie on this today).

birdsdestiny · 17/02/2017 16:47

Boris Johnson's response " this is the man who would have led us to join the Euro, this is the man who took us into Iraq" . I could fill 5 pages about Boris with " this is the man who" . But mainly " this is the arse who got us into this mess in the first place"

derxa · 17/02/2017 17:20

Much as I dislike Blair today I thought that we don't have orators like him in any party. They really are a mediocre bunch.

Original poster
20nil · 17/02/2017 17:31

Keir S can make a good speech. I've heard him. He's stuck in an awful position now. He is no fool and knows that JC is a disaster, but is doing his best to mitigate the worst of it through loyalty to Party and county.

Boris Johnson can fuck right off. He represents the single most devastating evidence that Theresa May is not up to the job.

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flippinada · 17/02/2017 17:34

Interestingly , I was surprised to read that most of the BTL comments on that Guardian article were generally supportive of what TB was saying. It's not that long it would have been full of insults.

flippinada · 17/02/2017 17:35

*not that long ago.

Agree that Blair is a good speaker.

Original poster
20nil · 17/02/2017 18:07

Yes flip, I was surprised to see that too. Most comments seem to say 'don't like the guy, but someone has to speak out'. Still not convinced it should be him, but until Martin Lewis steps up ...

Think it really should be someone popular and trusted but not explicitly political.

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Fakenewsday · 17/02/2017 18:10

Probably the complete disaster that is the current leadership has made other people start to think about the labour leaders that could actually win elections

Lalsy · 17/02/2017 18:20

It would be great if others now came on board. I thought John Major did a good job in the campaign and I like your list. Academics, scientists and so on are speaking out but it needs leadership and coherence.....where have I heard that before?

Lalsy · 17/02/2017 19:18

This by John Curtice is very interesting - he shows exactly why Labour must retain the support of its Remain supporters in the North of England and the Midlands. Not that JC et al are listening.

Pettywoman · 17/02/2017 20:06

I found it refreshing to hear someone speaking up eloquently and sensibly and not being afraid of trolls and brexiteers. Even Remainers in Westminster are shit scared of looking like they are going against 'The People', forgetting that almost half of us voted remain and the others didn't all necessarily want hard Brexit.