Ed Balls for Labour leader!

[Whereswoolysweater]

Very disappointed in Labour’s lacklustre performance. The Tories are making it easy for them, but they are going to get into office in their current form. I’m a floating voter and just want a competent government and PM in power. I feel depressed looking at the Tory candidates.

AIBU to want Ed Balls to become an MP again and launch a take over as leader of the Labour Party. Is this even a possibility? I also really like Yvette Cooper, but she’s not as popular with the public.

Ed Balls has charisma in spades, and according to a YouGov poll is the second most popular politician in the U.K. despite being out of office for 7 years. Yvette or Andy Burnham as his number 2 Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Come on Ed, you’re my only hope! Or is there anyone else who has the necessary charisma, but is also competent?

Ed Balls recent polling, showing how popular he is

yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/explore/public_figure/Ed_Balls?content=articles

Just look at his record, especially over the dismissal of the Head of Children's Services in Harringay. Better than most if not all Tory ministers, but not very good at all.

Yvette Cooper by contrast I think would be an excellent leader.

Ed balls day

not sure there’s a vacancy there.

but he’s welcome to throw his hat for the Tory one, everyone else and their dog already has.

I didn’t think he did very well in the past, and I don’t think there’s a vacancy.

Ed Balls for Tory leader!

He had his chance to put himself forward for the Wakefield by election very recently and didn’t so I can’t see it happening

Yvette cooper is an outstanding politician. I think Labour have a few others that are way better than Keir.

again, he needs to be an MP again first but Andy Burnham would be a good choice. But possibly too “northern” for southerners.

OP should say Labour are NOT going to get into government in their current form! Ed is not perfect but he stands the chance of actually winning.

Sure there’s no vacancy yet, but there will be when they lose GE 2024. I think keeping Starmer as leader will lose the election. I am hearing the following from other floating voters - he’s smarmy, a goody two shoes, know it all and boring, and takes himself too seriously. I can’t see why Labour want to keep him as leader when he’s so unpopular. Only 28% of the public think he’s doing a good job, a terrible performance at a time when the Tories are giving everything to them on a plate.

Being popular isn't enough. Any leader needs to be good.

For those saying Ed Balls didn’t perform very well in the past, don’t you think the bar is much lower now and the talent so thin (on all sides) that he isn’t looking like too bad a prospect

Popularity wins elections and he is definitely popular. Others can devise the policy! Labour just need to get their foot in the door.

I can't see it happening. He'd have to stand as an MP first and I think he seems to be enjoying his new post politics life a lot. I admire his focus when he wants to achieve something such as winning a cooking competition or learning to play the piano and he seems a really nice man (his memoir about food and his family is an excellent read) but I can't see a return to politics. All we'd hear about in the media would be Gangnam Style and Ed Balls Day (which always makes me chuckle).

Agh. Even the posting of this shows how politics has changed.

Ed Balls is the second most popular, because he appeared on a popular evening entertainment show, and has done a lot of media work since Parliament. The same criteria which took Johnson to the top - people were familiar with him, they felt 'invested' in him and knew him as a personality before power. Same with Trump.

The other names on that YouGov list (Hague!!) benefit from having been around a long time to build the same kind of body of recognition.

So yeah, I've never been keen on politics as a pure popularity contest, because...well, you get Boris. But, these are the times we live in, so you crack on with your Ed Balls.

For those saying Ed Balls didn’t perform very well in the past, don’t you think the bar is much lower now and the talent so thin (on all sides) that he isn’t looking like too bad a prospect

Everyone else is shit isn't a reason to elect.

Ha I posted before I saw this - well, there you go - you do like popularity! Fair enough - in which case, if you want to use Ed Balls as a Trojan Horse to bring in stronger minds who can shape the future, fair enough.

Ed Balls might be popular with thousands of Labour voters in metropolitan areas, but he would not poll well with the people we (yes, I'm Labour) have to change minds, in places where there's a bit of aspiration, good home ownership, decent wages.

These people visualise themselves as Tory because from an identity perspective the Conservative party are speaking their language. I don't think Ed Balls is the right person to convey that aspiration, future of work, how to live well message.

Interestingly in the top 10 of the YouGov popularity process, it's Angela Rayner and Andy Burnham who are the most recognised and popular Labour MPs in today's shadow team. Both are polarising figures who would struggle to win over swathes of the people in seats we need to win.

That’s interesting @Frazzled2207 I didn’t realise he had the opportunity and didn’t go for it. I agree, really like Yvette Cooper, but she is not as popular with the voting public. I’d definitely vote Labour if she were leader. I’m a southerner and like Andy Burnham.

Well quite @SavoirFlair these are the times we live in and the game we must play. Depressing but if you can’t beat em, you have to join them. It’s shit but here we are.

Also @SavoirFlair its not ME that likes it being a popularity contest. But the voting public. Im just being pragmatic about it. Im so angry with this awful government I want them out at next election.

he’s smarmy, a goody two shoes, know it all and boring, and takes himself too seriously.

I have a few isues with Starmer, but honestly this criticism is so infuriating to me. He's aiming to be Prime Minister, not presenter of a game show.

I WANT leaders that are good, that know a lot (even it all), that are boring and that take themselves seriously.

The alternative to that is someone who is bad, knows nothing, is sensational and thinks what they do is a joke. Ahem, Johnson.

Surely time for a woman, no?
2022 and the party which considers itself 'the natural party for women' has not yet had a woman leader. Shameful really.

@LimonataRocks these are not my views, but what’s been said to me by various (working class) family over the last few weeks. This is what they think and although it isn’t true, that is the perception. Labour need to accept you’re not going to win with him at the helm. They would vote Labour with a better leader.

And that attitude is exactly why it’s not going to improve. As long as idiots treat elections like popularity contests we’ll continue to have shit governments. Surely we’ve learnt something from the last three years here and the post Trump state of the US?

It’s impossible to predict the outcome of an election that might be two years away, there’s a lot of economic carnage coming down the track in that time and it’s very likely that voters will start to base electoral decisions on which party will improve their lives again.

Yeah I agree @dworky would be fantastic if female or BAME future leader. Yvette stands out

Genie out the bottle with Social Media influencing voter views. Chattering classes need to accept and embrace it. Trojan horse approach needed!

Martin Lewis from money saving expert is another public figure people have commonly said they’d vote for. Agree it’s depressing and dangerous- but I’d rather have decent people coming to power than Boris.

Yeah, totally get they are not your views.

Age old question, isn't it?

Is the bigger victory to win or to play with integrity. (I don't know the answer!)

Shame Rory Stewart is no longer in the picture.