Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

To think Diane Abbott was off her face on the radio this morning?

588 replies

Ginlinessisnexttogodliness · 02/05/2017 09:53

www.lbc.co.uk/radio/presenters/nick-ferrari/diane-abbotts-agonising-interview-over-policy-cost/

Fragrant Diane, she really is the kiss of death.
My toes are still curling

OP posts:
makeourfuture · 03/05/2017 12:18

How did you vote under Blair or Brown? Did you "hold the line" then?

Yes. And listen there is no dictatorship....after the Brown loss, and then the Milliband loss, the party electoral system registered the shift.

This is the way things change in a political party. Tanking an election because you are unhappy with the leadership is no way to go about it.

RoseGoldProsecco · 03/05/2017 12:22

So you should vote labour just because you've always held the line, even when that line has changed???

That's insane Confused

Greenleave · 03/05/2017 12:23

So what does DA and/or Labour propose regarding to numbers of police increase and cost in the end (I understand that they plan to fund it via a tax increase: capital gain tax increase).

Bringmesunshite · 03/05/2017 12:24

I'm more than unhappy with the leadership. I don't think that a Corbyn government is in the best interests of our country.
He cosies up to terrorists.
He indulges anti-semites.
He flakes out when things get tough (holiday during referendum)
He can't compromise.
He has alienated most of the PLP.
He hasn't got the balls to assert his obvious belief on Trident.

This is more than disagreeing over some policy issues. I can't, in good conscience, vote in a way that would put this man and his cronies in No.10.

HorridHenryrule · 03/05/2017 12:37

TM idolises Margaret Thatcher that says it all. TM is not stupid she will get the majority vote and that's when they can do what they want to you.

makeourfuture · 03/05/2017 12:42

So you should vote labour just because you've always held the line, even when that line has changed???

We are able to change the party line. If the views of Labour Party members begin to reflect those of Cooper or Starmer then through party election leadership will change.

Bringmesunshite · 03/05/2017 12:44

I would vote for a Labour Party led by Cooper.

HorridHenryrule · 03/05/2017 12:51

Who would you vote for?

HorridHenryrule · 03/05/2017 12:57

You know what is really funny about this thread is that no one comments on how Tories took labour policies to bring down the deficit. The Tory mp couldn't even give a straight answer he waffled a lot of shit.

PigletWasPoohsFriend · 03/05/2017 13:00

We are able to change the party line. If the views of Labour Party members begin to reflect those of Cooper or Starmer then through party election leadership will change.

What about the views of the electorate who are a far bigger majority than Labour membership.

If in June Labour loses a whole load of MPs but Corbyn and his team refuse to step down, then what? They keep going until Labour has a handful of MPs?

In whose best interest is that?

PigletWasPoohsFriend · 03/05/2017 13:02

TM is not stupid

Neither is Corbyn or McDonnell. They know exactly what they are doing.

JM didn't accidently stand in front of a Communist and Ba'ath flag on Monday did he?

Bringmesunshite · 03/05/2017 13:03

My options (assuming they stand in our constituency) are Lib Dem or Green. Or I spoil my paper. None of these is satisfactory. Our local Labour MP is pretty good but I disagree with him on a local issue- sacrifice of Green Belt land.

makeourfuture · 03/05/2017 13:20

What about the views of the electorate who are a far bigger majority than Labour membership.

This is what I am trying to get across. We have a party system. The parties form platforms/manifestos along both ideological and popular lines. These are set by the leadership. If the membership feels that the ideology/manifesto is faulty, or that they don't reflect the values of a wide enough part of the electorate to succeed, then they elect new leadership. Thus the ideology and platform change.

That is the point of a party. It is democratic (and as leadership in the past was a murky affair, empowering).

Batgirlspants · 03/05/2017 13:35

But make its all been done before. Labour and tories both know that the electorate in Britain is generally centre and leans either left to Blaire or to the right to Maggie.

The difference is trust. The electorate trusted Maggie and then Blaire and any sensible person knows they will defiantly trust TM and not Corbyn.

It's not rocket science and while labour re invent the bloody wheel there is no opposition to a right leaning Tory government.

The membership know this but clearly they don't care about actually getting into power or no way would Corbyn have been voted leader.

It's such a huge waste and helped the Brexit campaign snd most certainly cost us this general election.

Batgirlspants · 03/05/2017 13:39

Horrid

After Dianne Abbotts performance yesterday let's not get partisan on who woffles shit.

makeourfuture · 03/05/2017 13:46

sensible person knows they will defiantly trust TM and not Corbyn.

I perhaps agree with most of your assertions...except for the above. The Tories have bungled everything they have touched. Theresa May has, to my knowledge, never answered a question.

This talk of possible labour debt and deficit (which are not the end all and be all) to me seems incredulous when the Conservatives are actually, in practice ineffectual at both. The list is too long to go into here....NHS, housing, Brexit planning, ad infinitum......

Take "sensible" out and maybe...

Orlantina · 03/05/2017 13:48

The thing about May is - she dodges the questions.

Education is in crisis. Schools ARE losing funding. She doesn't care. She just repeats the lines about strong and stable, an economy that works for all, better schools - yet schools are losing money. That's a fact.

She just ignores it.

teawamutu · 03/05/2017 13:53

These threads have been very useful in helping me decide how to vote.

For the first time ever, I won't be voting Labour - I think the only thing I can do with my pointless vote (massive tory majority in my constituency) is pointedly not give it to Labour. I don't want even the slightest part in propping up Corbyn.

Instead I will vote lib dem as they're anti Brexit.

I'm not happy about it, but I think the quickest way to help the vulnerable if for labour to hit rock bottom as quickly as possible, and either rebuild along electable lines, or split and allow a new centrist party which might stand a chance to evolve.

quencher · 03/05/2017 14:05

This is interesting. I have listened to the interview. It was bad but not the end of the world. The Labour Party are on eggshells with the media and DA not knowing her facts does not help the party.
Based on Mn history with regards to DA, She handed her self on plate to people who already hate her. People who would love to see her gone and never to speak on tv or any other media outlet again.
If I were in her position, I would not put myself in a position where I would get anything wrong. But shit happens and this shit hit the fan big.
Mn and others will nail her to her death to the joy of the Tory party.

People who complain about her tone of voice, can go figure. Am glad she speaks like that. It stops people from calling her aggressive, which I'm my view can be worse. Let's just say, a black woman can't raise her voice. Even for a little bit. She has managed it well for now.
I have always thought she had a speech impediment that's why she tries to talk slowly and also, to not come across as aggressive. Who knows I could be wrong.

Regards to the school debacle, I would have done the same. Knowing that my child as black child has more to lose compared to all the other children.
Based on the area she is in, I can see why she did it. Also, I think her comment deserves context. Unless, I got it wrong.
From my understanding of her statement, as black parent who has a son, you have to fight to keep them safe at all cost. You have to work probably ten times as hard to keep your child in line especially if you live in places like London. Lost of factors play into your child growing up on compared to other children. Black mothers in most cases than most compared to other races are the sole careers of their children. The responsibility is all on them. Sometimes the school cannot help and she sought help in places where that burden would be reduced. It's not that the schools are terrible for teaching and learning, but what else is around it. The environment in which her children are growing.
The school is a small factor into her her argument. The bigger argument is if any one wants to argue against her is is whether the borough is safer for her race in general.
Hackney is a safer place now than it was before. Is that change? Would that be reflected in the schools?
One might argue that it's because of regenrefication that the area is getting and making it safer and better.

I totally see why people would be angry with her for sending her son to private school. I just think the issue is bigger than her. You can't choose who lives in the area and what their finances are. We all know how the government are selective on what they spend money. I thought the labour government she was under (tony Blair) was not very different to the conservatives.

As for the nurses comment, I haven't read the article but I think she is wrong. If what people have posted here is correct.

Batgirlspants · 03/05/2017 14:07

I completely agree with you Tea*

make and orlantina yes I agree TM hadn't a good record on education etc but she is still more trusted than Corbyn and she will win.

He is that bad.

Batgirlspants · 03/05/2017 14:07

I completely agree with you Tea*

make and orlantina yes I agree TM hadn't a good record on education etc but she is still more trusted than Corbyn and she will win.

He is that bad.

Orlantina · 03/05/2017 14:11

What really really pisses me off is the fact that her backbenchers were also concerned about education. They were fighting back against her proposals and the narrow majority meant she had to compromise on stuff because the more 'Liberal Conservatives" were fighting back.

Then she announced the election and Corbyn agreed. He could easily have denied her a win in the Commons and then she would have had to compromise with her backbenchers and the Opposition.

But no. He had to help her have this election. And now we get a massive Tory majority and all the stuff that could have been watered down to suit her backbenchers will be lost and we will get all the cuts.

HorridHenryrule · 03/05/2017 14:13

Batgirl I'll remind you of your post when she starts getting her own way and fucking about with you.

Batgirlspants · 03/05/2017 14:19

quencher why do you mention that she is black? Seriously no one on here cares.

she is a labour MP and championed the non selective system which is the policy of her party. It always has been snd quite right too.

You can make all the excuses in the world including black mothers are more often single mothers Hmm or as Dianne likes to say 'West Indian mothers go to the wall for their kids' and it's all utter bollocks.

She choose to send her kid to a selective school that's her choice but it was hypocritical and disgraceful of her to do so and still pontificate the benefits of state education to everyone else's kids.

Please don't play the race card it's utterly boring and an insult to black women in general.

Bringmesunshite · 03/05/2017 14:22

It's the idea that only West Indian mothers would go to the wall for their children. I don't even mind that she sent her son to private school. Understand it, in fact. And making slimy Tory Andrew Neil his godfather.
It's suggesting that I don't give a shit about my kids because I'm not West Indian descent.