Page 3 | To ask you to join the Labour Party?

tilder · 2019-12-16T19:48:45+00:00

We really need a strong opposition. Personally, I really really don't a Corbyn clone or McDonnell lite. I would love there to be a political party I want to vote for. Instead of a 'least worst option'. I will be joining and reading up on possible candidates. Then hoping my vote might count for something. Anyone else?

jillowarriorqueen · 16/12/2019 21:36

Ask people by all means. But if you expected them all to do what you ask, that would BVU. You're not doing that though. You're just floating it out there. I'd respectfully decline your respectful request myself, but respect you for being respectful when so many other people aren't these days.

EnthusiasmIsDisturbed · 16/12/2019 21:45

I’ve rejoined

If you are wanting Labour in power and you want a more to the centre Labour Party (that has the possibility of being in power) one that doesn’t turn a blind eye to anti semitism, one they can provide a credible leadership then join and have your say

You have to be a member for two weeks before you can vote in a leadership contest. I thought it was still 6 months (this rule came in a few years ago but now been reversed)

Control can be taken control back from the left of the party sooner than I first thought

Original poster

tilder · 16/12/2019 22:05

That's very respectful of you jillowarriorqueen!

This isn't personal. It's not really about power. It's about holding power to account for the next 5 years. Whatever you think of Boris, he needs to challenged properly.

The next election will (probably, possibly, who knows) be 5 years away. We are stuck with the MPs we have until then.

OP posts:

tabulahrasa · 16/12/2019 22:41

“Realistically though, it's not going to happen.“

Well no, not if people keep going, well I want a centre party, but I’m going to buy into the premise that only these other 2 parties can win elections and then make the that happen by only voting for one of those 2 parties...

SteelRiver · 16/12/2019 22:46

I rejoined yesterday so I can have a vote in the leadership contest. I was a member for years but resigned when Corbyn was elected. I am hoping the party can get back to being electable instead of being a 70s throwback soon.

CharlottesPleb · 16/12/2019 22:51

I agree that we need a strong opposition and you'll get no crap from me for hoping to fix the Labour Party by having people join it.

I personally think we need new parties and that the current ones are pretty much unfit for purpose - they don't represent who they claim to or they don't hold and enact the ideologies they profess.

Someone should start a new party for working class representation - Labour gave up on actually doing this years ago and any new party is liberated by the fact they are not going to do worse than the heartlands voting Tory.

TheClausSeason · 16/12/2019 23:00

Well no, not if people keep going, well I want a centre party, but I’m going to buy into the premise that only these other 2 parties can win elections and then make the that happen by only voting for one of those 2 parties...

This is becoming circular. Pretend they've got a cat in hell's chance if you want, but don't expect the rest of us to do so. Personally, I'd rather vote Green anyway, if we're going to delude ourselves that the smaller parties might get in. Lib Dems are pretty rubbish.

Andysbestadventure · 16/12/2019 23:02

We need a new centrist party tbh. The Libdems will never get in again, and at this rate neither will Labour. The country wont swing for a lefty left party so either Labour move to centre left again or the Tories will stay in power. For it to swing left again it will have to be a moderate swing before full on stalinism 😁

SpoonBlender · 16/12/2019 23:10

I rejoined today, to get in on the leadership voting.

I'm tempted to join the Cunt Party as well, in case Johnson gets put away for fraud.

Until FPTP is swapped out for some other mechanism there's not a chance of anyone else getting significant traction. I too would rather vote LD (if they could be trusted - their collusion 2010-15 is still high in memory) or Green (if they weren't worryingly anti-science in a number of respects).

tabulahrasa · 16/12/2019 23:13

“if we're going to delude ourselves that the smaller parties might get in“

The SNP went from 6 out of 59 to 56 out of 59 MPs... obviously there were loads of other issues going on, but ultimately people voted for them.

If people actually wanted a small party to become a main party, they could vote for them...

StoneofDestiny · 16/12/2019 23:24

I resigned from the Labour Party some time ago when they stood against Scottish Independence. I joined the SNP, even though I live in England currently.

Labour needs to get shot of Corbyn and his acolytes.

Fruitbatdancer · 16/12/2019 23:32

So... probably not what you want to hear @tilder but here it is... before the last leadership vote a whole bunch of my colleagues joined Labour Party too- I think it was like £20 or something? Unlike the conservatives where only MP’s cast final votes round for Labour it’s all in, all grass roots members.
My colleagues joined Labour just to vote for Corbyn, as they knew he was unelectable as PM. They are all long time conservative supporters.
I’m afraid the reason you (and others) join so easily also allows the system to be manipulated by those who don’t want labour in. Now their votes may not matter squat in grand scheme- but if I have 10 colleagues that did it how many others are out there...

sorry.

Boulshired · 16/12/2019 23:46

People being told to join the Lib Dem’s, that not going to help labour anytime soon.

TheClausSeason · 17/12/2019 05:32

The SNP went from 6 out of 59 to 56 out of 59 MPs... obviously there were loads of other issues going on, but ultimately people voted for them.

They've still not got a majority though, have they? How do their 59 MPs compare to the hundreds that Conservatives and Labour have?

Patte · 17/12/2019 05:48

Well, I'm not left wing, so I won't be. But I do actually hope that the Labour party picks a good candidate this time as I think weak opposition does no one any good. I'm not sure which of the current mooted contenders is likely to be any good though tbh.

PatricksRum · 17/12/2019 05:51

Just joined

SciFiRules · 17/12/2019 06:16

In my mind Labour does well when it's centre left. I don't support far left politics but I would traditionally have voted Labour but it's been a long time since I could. I feel it's strange that people view the choice as right or left with the library party in the middle. To me Liberalism shoul not really be defined in this way but is seperate of both the ideologies and focused upon the needs of the individual within society. Why would I want to drag labour to the middle? Because that's where they need to be for a healthy democracy. If you want a far left party try the British communist party.

Chocpear · 17/12/2019 06:51

I have just joined. I don’t won’t to go back to centrist policies. In surveys when people were shown Labour policies but were not told whose party they were their policies were widely liked. Their policies need to be reduced perhaps and they need a better strategic team with a passionate leader who can communicate how their policies can help many.

Inequality is growing - financial sector creaming off the fat profits but but there is less business investment - more and more of the younger face never being able to buy a home. Labour’s green new deal had a lot of promise too. Time is running out. Johnson will do little.

chomalungma · 17/12/2019 07:19

My colleagues joined Labour just to vote for Corbyn, as they knew he was unelectable as PM

I have always wondered if that was a thing. It's a very easy thing to do.
Great to have members being able to vote.
Not great to be able to just let anyone joining without knowing anything about them. Easy to manipulate.

Acciocats · 17/12/2019 07:36

No, sorry I did a ritual cutting up of my membership card a while back. We’ve wanted a credible opposition for literally years and the pig headedness of labour, their refusal to listen to public opinion, the way they allowed aggressive and racist attitudes to infiltrate the party.... No thanks.

This needs way more than just trying to drum up numbers. More than just a new labour leader. Needs Total reinvention.

AristotlesTrousers · 17/12/2019 07:45

YANBU OP. I rejoined yesterday! I personally don't mind Corbyn, but he was never the right leader, especially for this election. I'm looking forward to seeing what the potential leadership contenders have to say and deciding which one to vote for.

Boulshired · 17/12/2019 07:50

When you choose you leader like a contestant from X factor this is what you get. I am originally from Merseyside and my timeline a few years ago from friends and family were full of join the Labour Party to vote for Jeremy Corbyn. The centre left may try to copy momentum playbook this time round. Not sure why conservatives would bother this time as they do not need to.

tttigress · 17/12/2019 07:55

Surely the labour party is for socialism / left wing politics.

What is the point of you joining to make it a Tory light party?

NewName73 · 17/12/2019 07:57

Well I joined the Tories for 3 months so I could vote to try and stop Boris getting selected as leader. Fat lot of good that did ....

LakieLady · 17/12/2019 08:07

I have just joined. I don’t won’t to go back to centrist policies. In surveys when people were shown Labour policies but were not told whose party they were their policies were widely liked. Their policies need to be reduced perhaps and they need a better strategic team with a passionate leader who can communicate how their policies can help many

I like your thinking, @Chocpear, but I'm not sure that a better team and a passionate leader will be enough to overcome the media vilification that most Labour leaders have had to endure.

Since Wilson's last election in 1974, the only person who has led Labour to electoral success has been Blair. I don't think it's just a coincidence that he also had the support of the Murdoch media empire.

While Blair did some great things, I will never forgive him for two things: continuing and expanding PFI (called PPP - Public-Private Partnership by the Tories prior to 1997) so that many of our public services are now crippled by debt repayments, and his illegal war. And that's without his failures by omission, like doing nothing to make secure, affordable housing more widely available.