Angela Rayner sacked [shock]

[Youarecountingonme]

So Keir Starmer chooses the one shining light in the labour party. A single mother at sixteen, the most inspiring story to come out of the Labour party. Anyone that has listened to Angela about her struggles to obtain a degree and to better herself. Starmer chooses her as the whipping girl for his failures and has sacked her as co-ordinator. He can't remove her as deputy, but how much longer is that position tenable?
I am genuinely shocked and horrified. The failures of the labour party on are on HIM. He should be resigning.

Absolutely livid. What has the Labour party come to.

[Marieg10]

"The likes of Andy 'burning through taxpayer money on expenses' Burnham don't care about blue walls. He's made his divisive policy quite clear. He's a Professional Northerner, don't you know.
Interesting point. Would like to know what Andy Burnham has actually achieved for Manchester other than spending cash that someone else would have spent, that he’s all of a sudden so popular. Most of what he says basically sounds like posturing."

Short memories. Unfortunately the Labour Party appoint incredibly mediocre people to these positions. Andy (body bags) Burnham was health secretary and did little to stop the North Staffs hospital deaths despite being told. He then took on Mayor for Manchester and has been responsible for the oversight of Greater Manchester Police for which he failed miserably. Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary made repeated inspections of the force and the last resulted in the revelation that they simply didn't record over 80,000 crimes (that's how to keep crime down) and now the force is in special measures with oversight from the inspectorate. He then claims that the senior leadership of the force had a nasty culture and instructed him...laughable...what it revealed is that he is another useless Labour politician with no experience of running a decent organisation.

West Yorkshire Mayor ...Tracy Brabin. FGS...so acting on Coronation Street now qualifies her to run the whole of West Yorkshire. She has just appointed another Labour crony...Alison Lowe who is well known in Leeds as a has been councillor for Leeds City Council, despite not even living in the city who will now be Deputy Mayor for Policing. Compare that to the West Midlands and they have as mayor the former chief exec of John Lewis. I think I can work out which part of the U.K. will be better run.

What I despair at is this country desperately needs a decent opposition to hold this government to account. Whilst Starmer has the intelligence, a lot of those around him simply dont and with some coupled with such Marxist views obsessed about diversity and trans rights switch of any normally Labour voting person.

I will await to see Alisons Agenda for policing in West Yorks it won't be about how well the force is run and reducing crime. It will be focussed on why are they doing stop and search of minorities in high crime areas where robbery is rife, force diversity and all the other sole stuff that only Labour politicians are interested in, rather than the working class voters who have to live in these crime riddled areas that want protection.

Oh well...looks like 10 more years of Boris unless he gets bored

[Livoey]

I’m not going to vote for someone because they have an inspirational backstory. It’s not a competition about who could write the best autobiography. Voting for someone solely because they’re from a council estate is as bad as voting for someone because they were born in a stately home. All that most people care about is what they say they’re going to do and what their vision of the future is, prince or pauper.

[C8H10N4O2]

It is the very fact that she is not an intellectual heavyweight that makes her so attractive to the Labour Party,

Because WC families don't care about education? That's nonsense, what on earth do you think drove the creation of WEAs? Nobody has said you need a higher degree to become an MP but you do need to be competent.

AR represents many people, not all northern women, not all southern women but a cross section of people that can not be reached easily

Really? What exactly has Rayner done for women? She has built up a good media persona, if she drops from politics she doubtless has a good media career in front of her. She has done precisely nothing for women and supports moves to remove women's few protections under the law.

[sst1234]

@Tealightsandd

Did you know that the Blue wall took a bit of a hit? No, nor will you, unless you look very hard.

The likes of Andy 'burning through taxpayer money on expenses' Burnham don't care about blue walls. He's made his divisive policy quite clear. He's a Professional Northerner, don't you know.

Interesting point. Would like to know what Andy Burnham has actually achieved for Manchester other than spending cash that someone else would have spent, that he’s all of a sudden so popular. Most of what he says basically sounds like posturing.

[Tealightsandd]

Did you know that the Blue wall took a bit of a hit? No, nor will you, unless you look very hard.

The likes of Andy 'burning through taxpayer money on expenses' Burnham don't care about blue walls. He's made his divisive policy quite clear. He's a Professional Northerner, don't you know.

[3asAbird]

Andy Burnham made a fair point on news that Labour should have been celebrating keeping some mayoral seats and gaining new ones not focusing on 1 bi election and shadow cabinet.
This week or last was about local politics and local candidates would it of been too much for London to keen a lot on thier infighting and not detract from some good results.

They spent early part 2020 and covid crisis fighting and another leadership battle.

[Rosehip10]

@Tanith Yep because the only message is that candidates "didn't quite make it" - if this was Labour the candidates would be saying Labour HQ are shit and didn't support them and Labour Leadership would be saying the candidates messed up and failed to appeal - all this played out in medial and social media.

I'm no Tory but locally and nationally they (usually) have pretty tight messaging and party discipline.

[Tanith]

Labour have got to get over their navel-gazing attitude full stop. All this infighting and squabbling over what happened in the past is stopping them looking to the future and handing their opponents too much ammunition.

Did you know that the Blue wall took a bit of a hit? No, nor will you, unless you look very hard.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-57057391

Here's Jeremy Hunt on the subject this week:
"Locally it was a disappointing result for Conservatives although the Conservative Candidate Lisa Townsend was voted in as the new Police and Crime Commissioner and Conservatives Kevin Deanus and David Harmer won in Waverley Villages. Commiserations to the other brilliant Conservatives who didn’t quite make it - but as local MP I will always work constructively with all councillors whatever their party."

And no doubt, that's all you'll hear about it. You certainly won't hear that Surrey Conservatives were so worried about their seats, they had Jeremy out litter-picking for a photo op, nor will you know that he was spotted leafletting a council estate in the area. Well, you will now, because I've told you

Re: William Hague. It was the "charisma of a slug" comment that made me think of him. We'll never know what he would or would not have been competent as PM.
We can only go by his performance in opposition, which was hardly earth shattering. "His reputation suffered further damage when a 2001 poll for The Daily Telegraph found that 66% of voters considered him to be "a bit of a wally", and 70% of voters believed he would "say almost anything to win votes".

[Ginuwine]

@Rosehip10

See this article "written" (i.e produced by 20 something labour party grad activists in her office/Labour HQ) by Angela Rayner - it is ridiculous, Labour have to get over the idea that ranting about Thatcher destroying industry has zero appeal to red wall seats anymore, "hating tories" is a dead concept in the post Brexit (and massive social change etc) red wall.

Agreed. We as Labour seem to be fighting ghosts and historic enemies. The real problems in front of us aren't being well addressed by the leadership.

[Rosehip10]

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/may/10/voters-labour-angela-rayner

[Rosehip10]

See this article "written" (i.e produced by 20 something labour party grad activists in her office/Labour HQ) by Angela Rayner - it is ridiculous, Labour have to get over the idea that ranting about Thatcher destroying industry has zero appeal to red wall seats anymore, "hating tories" is a dead concept in the post Brexit (and massive social change etc) red wall.

[Viviennemary]

Labour might as well pack up and go home. Waste of space.

[mainsfed]

This was an embarassing moment for Angela Rayner. If you're promising to reduce class room sizes, you should know how many kids will be affected. Embarrassing that the interviewer knows but you don't. Also, to then try and style it out with 'Go on Nick, you tell me' is cringe-worthy.

It's like she didn't have to do her homework because it's all abstract to her.

[oneglassandpuzzled]

Jonathan Ashworth wouldn't say boo to a goose. I like Andy Burnham but he now seems to be living in Club Tropicana with his hair and tan.

[oneglassandpuzzled]

@Tanith

“ They'll choose someone for PM because he's a 'good union man' and ignore the fact that he has all the charm of a slug, the electorate loath him and he's crap at the job.”

Ian Duncan Smith, William Hague, Michael Gove...

William Hague actually would have been very competent as PM.

[3asAbird]

@korawick12345

Loved Alan Johnson. Diane Abbott is another example, can't stand her personally as a politician but one look at her background will tell you that she is an intelligent skilled woman who has overcome huge barriers and achieved a great deal. And when I say I can't stand her personally as a politician I mean I don't agree with her politics rather than her as a person!

Agree with you.. theres lots of new Labour i dident like . I don't agree with dianne abbot politics and she was hypocritical about sending her son private.
Theres no stand out nice normal people I like currently Labour shadow cabinet.
Liked valerie vaz shadow leader of commons shes been replaced by someone newer and younger.
Like Jonathan ashworth has he stayed health?
Liked Andy Burnham but he's better off as mayor.
Ben Bradley used be ok.
Liked Caroline flint she got voted down.

[korawick12345]

Loved Alan Johnson. Diane Abbott is another example, can't stand her personally as a politician but one look at her background will tell you that she is an intelligent skilled woman who has overcome huge barriers and achieved a great deal. And when I say I can't stand her personally as a politician I mean I don't agree with her politics rather than her as a person!

[korawick12345]

@Youarecountingonme

I think AR does have those qualities, so we will have to agree to disagree won't we!

Yet your OP was about her being inspiring because she was single wc mother at 16 - everything to do with her 'identity' nothing to do with her skills. Not to mention the imaginary degree you credit her with!

[3asAbird]

I agree i had such a soft spot for him and loved him on this week.
An ex postman.

I don't give a monkeys about where they born grew up their personal life its are they a good politician.
A good politician to me means being good down to earth communicator, honest, good ideas broad appeal.
To me Angela raynor is very niche..
Shes always so angry and negative.
The pictures of her and kier for Mavin rees Bristol mayoral election were embarrassing.

[Youarecountingonme]

I think AR does have those qualities, so we will have to agree to disagree won't we!

[Tanith]

“ They'll choose someone for PM because he's a 'good union man' and ignore the fact that he has all the charm of a slug, the electorate loath him and he's crap at the job.”

Ian Duncan Smith, William Hague, Michael Gove...

[korawick12345]

@Youarecountingonme

You seem entirely incapable of understanding why we should have a diverse range of people representing us as MPs, so I am giving up. There is simply no point trying to explain the importance of representation and diversity - whether it is race, class, gender, age and background to someone who just wants more grey suits from Oxford. Pointless.

What you don't seem to understand is that none of those factors should trump actual education, skill and knowledge. None of those factors 'race, class, gender, age and background" preclude someone from being, intelligent, knowledgeable, skilled, professional, experienced etc The fact is Angela Rayner is IMO none of those things. Alan Johnson on the other hand was a brilliant politician, intelligent, thoughtful, professional and very very skilled despite having had an extremely difficult life.

[Andante57]

I don’t get the view that the “voice of a working class man/woman” is needed to re-engage the “red wall” voters who’ve abandoned the party. Those voters have just been engaged by a posh, Eton educated toff

This. Where MPs went to school seems to be an obsession with various Labour supporters, including plenty on here and Guardian journalists who were privately educated themselves.
Evidently most voters don’t care.

[Youarecountingonme]

You seem entirely incapable of understanding why we should have a diverse range of people representing us as MPs, so I am giving up. There is simply no point trying to explain the importance of representation and diversity - whether it is race, class, gender, age and background to someone who just wants more grey suits from Oxford. Pointless.