To feel very sad that Margaret Becket isn't deputy leader of the Labour Party, instead of Angela Rayner?

[MaMaLa321]

I listened to Margaret Becket's speech at the start of the Labour Conference this morning. Reasoned, intelligent and temperate.
(I watched it live, and can't find a link yet - apologies).
Then read the transcript of Angela Rayner's speech at what seemed to be a fringe meeting yesterday, which was the absolute opposite. No reason. No intelligence. Just a rant.
I'm very off the party at the moment, but Beckett made me think again, while Rayner - well - who would that attract, apart from those who were already going to vote Labour (and feel very smug about it in the process)?
Of course, the latter speech gets loads of media coverage, which is just what the Party doesn't need.

Rayner is gob on a stick. She is doing nothing for the Labour. She sounds deranged. Could you imagine her on the world stage?

Labour are in the wilderness for years after this. I am listening to her now. Brought up the I was a single mother at 16... . She is refusing to apologise.

She is a gift to the Conservatives that just keeps giving.

I will be honest, born in the 60s that sort of red meat rant to members of your own party was fairly standard. It was never appealing to outsiders. The trouble is now there is no such thing as 'inside' as everything is shared. And she should know that.

Margaret Beckett was always good when she was deputy (and acting leader) so I'm not surprised she came across well. But how old is she now? Genuine question, I've lost touch over the years, and surely it was at least 25 years ago when she was deputy?

I'd not thought of that, permanent, good point. Perhaps someone should tell her.

She said she was passionate and clear of course. Refused to apologise. As someone said earlier. She will be clapped by the Far Left who are the biggest reason Labour will never get in when they say things like this.

It’s frustrating because there should always be a strong Opposition and this Labour Party seem to be stabbing themselves in the front.

Margaret Beckett nominated Corbyn as Leader. Never forgive her for that. I don't like Rayner bit think we need younger people than Beckett. I also think Yvette Cooper should be more prominent.

Yvette is much better.

I didn't think it sounded that bad. Honestly politicians used to be far more vicious about each other.

@Franklin12

Rayner is gob on a stick. She is doing nothing for the Labour. She sounds deranged. Could you imagine her on the world stage?

Labour are in the wilderness for years after this. I am listening to her now. Brought up the I was a single mother at 16... . She is refusing to apologise.

She is a gift to the Conservatives that just keeps giving.

This 👆

She makes me cringe, she really does.

yes, they all aim to be 'passionate'. a code word for being, as a previous poster said, a gob on a stick. I don't want my mp to be passionate (i.e. unreasonable).

Stammer has no say in it. Rayner is who the Labour Party wanted. That’s their problem. You can vote in a million Stammer types to be leader but as long as they get saddled with someone like Rayner, people won’t see Labour as an electable party.

Her politicking is and always has been terrible. It’s all about her and she doesn’t get that her life story doesn’t resonate with the population. Very few will identify with her. And her life as a political agenda is irrelevant for the vast majority of voters.

Take education where her platform always seems to be about adult learning. That’s what she became known for as a person and it was her big idea.

But most voters see education in terms of their children. Her stance screamed she just didn’t get it. I write this knowing someone will reply will a long list of her proposed policies on schools. But that didn’t matter because it wasn’t what the voters heard when she stood up and talked. She missed the point.

Labour is a party of lots of ideas. But most of those ideas don’t resonate. People want jobs and they want to buy houses. Labour talk about benefits and renting.

Unfortunately the people who back her and her politics isn’t big enough to win the votes Labour needs. They are a diminishing number. Politics moved to the right 50 years ago.

Calling people scum because they have been to a private school and bringing up the I was a single mum at 16. I honestly think she believes it endures her to others.

It really doesn’t. Who would hear the single mum comment and think - yep, that’s what I want for my daughter? Look how I have done.

Now McDonnell is on saying his normal Marxist stuff about bringing private schools into the state system and I remember him talking about bringing BT into public ownership and effectively killing 600 other internet providers. When he was questioned he clearly thought oops - hadn’t thought of that one now that broadband was free to EVERYONE.

The new head of Unite has refused to attend the conference yet McDonnell says it doesn’t really matter...

They need another Blair to get this rabble into a party that can actually provide some opposition.

Becket, Harman, Yvette Cooper ... there's talent there
Lead by Starmer, Rayner, Corbyn.... why?

It's not just the rants - its the constant "we wouldn't do that" in response to any and every government action (& more often inaction) - but no actual suggestion of what they'd actually do.
As concerned about Starmer as much as Rayner TBH.

We have a prime minister that quotes Ketmit the frog FFS - we need an effective opposition.

There were/are some really excellent women in the labour party. Unfortunately the current high profile women in the party are embarrassing. I can't watch any of them without wondering how on earth they got into their current roles. I watched a little bit of Angela Rayner's rant and had to turn it off.
Mind you, Grant Shapps on AM at the moment isn't inspiring much confidence.
I am just waiting for AM to interview Keir Starmer.

Shapps comes across as boring. Having said that he always seems to be wheeled out at challenging times.

I feel a damn sight sadder that Kier Starmer is a leader at all.

Angela Rayner just comes across as full of hate. Not someone I would vote for or trust.

No politician should be calling people scum.

@Tinpotspectator

I feel a damn sight sadder that Kier Starmer is a leader at all.

Starmer and Rayner are the perfect combination to ensure Labour remain unelectable.

I must admit that I thought KS was the best of a truly awful bunch. He has been a massive disappointment. I still think the others are hopeless though.

Raynor is an absolute liability for the Labour Party. She makes them more and more unelectable each time she speaks. It’s a shame as they have much better women among their ranks. I feel sorry for Keir having to tolerate her as his deputy.

@Franklin12

Rayner is gob on a stick. She is doing nothing for the Labour. She sounds deranged. Could you imagine her on the world stage?

Labour are in the wilderness for years after this. I am listening to her now. Brought up the I was a single mother at 16... . She is refusing to apologise.

She is a gift to the Conservatives that just keeps giving.

Exactly what I was thinking. No insight that one.

Raynor is an even bigger problem for the Labour party (and gift to the Tories) than Corbyn was.

Kitties - yet I believe she thinks this endures her to voters. We are what 2 years from the next election. If Labour are still like this then they have NO hope of getting in.

After their drubbing last time you would think they would regroup and do things differently yet they seem to be worse. Corbyn attends a fringe meeting and gets cheered to the rafters. Rayner calls the opposition scum yet seems proud of what she has said. That and being a single mum at 16...

Now Starmer is saying very little on the Andrew Marr Show. I remember when we had the last election people on here were saying if Starmer had been leader he would have walked it. Sadly he has been a real disappointment and I wouldn’t be surprised if he gives up in the next 6 months. God help Labour if Rayner gets in. Spitting Image would have a field day with her.

@Kittii

No politician should be calling people scum.

Especially one with a background such as hers.