So who's going to replace Corbyn?

[PineappleDanish]

Worst election defeat since Michael Foot in the 80s. Surely Labour has to realise that they need someone to appeal to the masses and the floating voters like me who would never vote for the Momentum crowd.

Keir Starmer is impressive. He's bright, articulate and has a life outside politics. Would Yvette Cooper be up for it?

And more importantly, can the Momentum lot take their blinkers off and realise that THEY are the problem?

[churchandstate]

No it isn't. A lot of those probably only voted Labour to try to keep Boris out, not because they supported Momentum's Labour, or just voted Labour because that's what they always do.

Probably this, probably that. The manifesto was clear and they voted for it. Ten million people. The policies weren’t the problem.

[ChristmasSpirtsOnTheRocksPleas]

And whatever your politics, not having a strong opposition is a bad thing

^This. If you are a member of the Labour Party please vote in a capable leader for everyone’s sake.

[ChristmasSpirtsOnTheRocksPleas]

@churchandstate if the policies weren’t the problem then JC would be moving into number ten as we speak.

[churchandstate]

ChristmasSpirtsOnTheRocksPleas

I don’t think we can have it such that the policies were the issue AND Corbyn was the issue personally AND Brexit was the issue. If Corbyn, perceived anti-Semitism and Brexit were drag factors - and I think it’s clear they were then ten million people just voted for Labour in spite of those other drag factors. Why? Just because they don’t like Boris Johnson? Would those ten million people in (mostly) urban areas have voted for May or Cameron?

[MarshaBradyo]

Labour is in a Momentum led hole made worse by the fact they cannot look at themselves as the cause of the defeat.

Keir Starmer

[MarshaBradyo]

Is my choice

[churchandstate]

Don’t get me wrong, I like Kier Starmer. I also think he would be electable if the manifesto was right. Yvette Cooper maybe, but to me she carries the stink of the later Blair years.

[bluebell34567]

Keir Starmer no, no.
Jess Philips yes.

[Gottheteeshirtandlostit]

Um churchandstate I agree with you in principle but you can't seriously include SNP voting numbers in your analysis when only Scotland could vote SNP...

[churchandstate]

And I like Jess Phillips. She’s pretty left-wing, isn’t she?

I think that’s one of the problems facing the Labour Party: it genuinely is very divided. You have some politicians whose views seem barely discernible from those of moderate Conservatives, and some whose views seem barely distinguishable from those of Chairman Mao.

[BeatriceTheBeast]

You have some politicians whose views seem barely discernible from those of moderate Conservatives, and some whose views seem barely distinguishable from those of Chairman Mao.

This made me laugh aloud. You're not wrong!

[churchandstate]

Gottheteeshirtandlostit

No, not really, but I am making the point more that people see the SNP as an enormous political force and grass roots movement (which they are), but actually Labour represent a far greater number of humans.

[BlooperReel]

David Lammy would not work as a leader, he is very vocal on racism and calls it out (rightly so), however this will alienate large swathes of white working class voters who do not want to be confronted with their own prejudices. Bitter pill but true.

Keir Starmer would be more strategic I think, I like Jess Philips, but misogyny will play out and I doubt she'd get the votes needed.

[churchandstate]

Also, I have to say that I really like Corbyn. I think he is dignified and stood on an authentic platform, promoting policies he believed in from the bottom of his (big) heart. He didn’t do what lots of politicians do, which is to try desperately to align himself with as many people as possible. He tried to change minds. Can’t help but respect that.

[littlebillie]

I actually agree Labour need a smart centralist leader who can take on the Tories. The country will be better for it and the-leadership will have to up their game

[Gottheteeshirtandlostit]

Urg stayed up too late last night. Loads of words missing from previous post.

[Notmyrealname855]

Keir definitely. One of the reasons our local industrial town has gone very blue (!!!!) is because so many were sick of young momentum people taking over the party. We need someone older - though firmly believe Jess Philips is a great MP and easy candidate for any front bench position

[Hefzi]

Keir Starmer was complicit in the failure to believe and protect working class young women in Rotherham and elsewhere. He's also another who benefited from grammar school yet wants to deny others that benefit, went to Oxford which is a bit of a tarnished brand in politics just now and is another upper middle class person who knows what's best for the proles. He'll be very popular with the chattering metropolitan elites, the Guardian-reading classes, but not in what have traditionally been the Labour heartlands. He's personable and polished and perfectly pleasant, in a Tony Blair sort of way, but won't appeal really broadly.

It's long past time to consider female candidates - Stella Creasey, maybe? Jess Phillips is a bit too ignorant on a few too many issues to appeal to me, but others might find her more palatable.

[Notmyrealname855]

Then we need someone “boring” (safe) and who will back the provinces... who’s that? Needs to be centrist given we’ll have two terms of tories now

[Patroclus]

And this is why people shouldnt do the ridiculous, meaningless 'IVE CANCELLED MY MEMBERSHIP' thing at the first sign of a media storm.

[FinallyHere]

Yvette Cooper
Jess Phillips
Keir Starmer

David Lammy

So.much.talent

Those looking for the 'one key reason' for the results last night need to consider the role of the newspapers in vilifying labour policies to an audience who it seems do rely mostly on news papers for political analysis.

I don't know the answer, I only wish I did.

[Didiusfalco]

@churchandstate I’m not even sure the policies were clear. There were too many of them, there wasn’t an overriding message. The one about broadband made me pull this face . Because of all the pressing issues I don’t think broadband is up there. I think there are a lot of people like me, who are frankly quite tribal and would never consider voting conservative. Doesn’t mean I (or the other 10m) was amazingly convinced by their manifesto, or impressed by the campaign - just that I would never vote conservative.

[PaulHollywoodsSexGut]

Sadiq please

But as he’s Mayor I don’t know how that would play out