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?

@LimonataRocks surely the aim is to win, so we are saved from the current despicable bunch!

I agree op that the LP have zero chance with Keir Starmer
They need a leader who can engage with older voters too ; the traditional Tories and win back the old red wall ones too. Big ask I know .
You must have the same friends that I do as they all say the same about him. It's all a bit depressing.

@the80sweregreat yes! I don’t see how those in the Labour Party can’t see how much he turns regular voters off. It’s like a blind spot. Why are they sticking with him?!

He can’t be turning voters off that much, Labour’s 15 points ahead in the latest poll.

Blossom , they might be in the lead now , but once the new improved leader comes in cutting taxes etc then the Labour Party Will drop off the radar again
I'm old and I've seen this all before.

Ed balls- why does this country always need celebrity bafoons as leaders?

I’m old too and I disagree with you. It’s easy to say they’ll cut taxes, how are they going to pay for it? Braverman says she’ll do it by cutting benefits, that’s going to play well in economic carnage, isn’t it? Cutting taxes will also stoke inflation. At least Sunak’s realistic and is clear taxes can’t be cut yet.

The last election was won on Brexit getting done and Johnson charisma (🤮). The Tories can’t count on either next time.

I know, the tax cutting idea is terrible and Sunak is the only one I trust in this to be fair. Your not wrong.
I agree that the candidates are bad and I despair at it all, but if anyone is expecting Labour to win with KS I just think it won't happen. It's only my opinion (but I'm obviously not the only one who thinks it going by this thread )
He'll also be torn to pieces because of his old job as well , the Mail will find something to beat him with too ( once a human rights lawyer ! It's a gift for them :(
Still , have to see who our new PM is first I suppose

I always wonder why Yvette Cooper is not more popular, and the only reason I can come up with is that's she's a woman

Ed Balls is popular because people recognise him from seeing him on popular TV shows.
Yvette Cooper is more intelligent and capable but she has sold out to current mob after being side lined by Corbyn for so long.
IMO.

I like Yvette Cooper.

I like Yvette Cooper too but she’s far too headmistressy to cut through with the electorate. Rachel Reeves is excellent so is Thangam Debbonaire, she’s much neglected by the Labour Party.

I would love to see Yvette Cooper in that role.

I like Ed Balls, but I'm not convinced that what the Labour Party needs is another white man. Time to change things up a bit.

I like him, but he's not an MP (lost his seat in 2015 to none other than Andrea 'Middle Finger' Jenkyns!) and seems to have given up on his political career. Yvette Cooper would be good, though.

Yes, I'd also much rather have a 'boring' non-charismatic leader like our best postwar PM Clem Attlee, than a circus clown like Boris Johnson! I do like Starmer.

Aww, Ed always looks like he's having so much fun, though! It may be a case of "you'll never get him back down on the farm now that he's seen Paree!" People do like to reminisce and dream of long-lost also-rans and might-have-beens (David Milband !!!! 😍 Rory Stewart !!!! 🤓) but I suspect once they get out, they're gone for good. Unless they're Alex Salmond, of course.

Why do so many thread starters assume that feminists are by default naturally Labour Party Voters. I’m floating middle of the road politically. I don’t agree with the type of socialism which is didactic, it’s a bit too close to patriarchy for me. but my hill to die on is feminism and the defence of women and children.
I’ve seen quite a lot of haranguing on here from the left, berating us for not being good socialist girls and told to put the Labour Party first. Well I’m not a socialist and I’m not hearing anything to change that.
I’ve seen it said that the Tories are only putting in pro women policies because it’s what the voters want, like that’s a bad thing!!!!!
I wish Labour, The Greens, The SNP and Lib Dems would demean us by listening to us and then putting in the policies to keep womens spaces for women.

but once the new improved leader comes in
Have you seen the candidates?!

Teddah bizarrely I dreamt about David Milliband last night! No idea why. I think he was possibly the best Labour Party leader we never had.

I seem to remember that Ed Balls wasn't that well thought of in his constituency.

I know that the current leadership candidates are terrible , but it's how the voters might see it , especially if they choose a person from a different background to the others or someone who comes across well , does the tax cuts etc etc
That will market themselves again , they have done it before and it worked :(
This is worst case thinking though. I'm hoping people might see through it by then especially if it means austerity is back. Which might happen if they do the tax cutting.

I think he was possibly the best Labour Party leader we never had

The best Labour PM we never had was John Smith. How different it could all have been if he’d had a stronger heart.

especially if it means austerity is back. Which might happen if they do the tax cutting

No might about it, where else are any of them going to find the money?

Blossomtoes you're so right. I can remember the moment when I came out of my office in the City and saw the news on the London Evening Standard board. It was so shocking, so awful for his family and such a terrible loss to politics.

John Smith was a wonderful man. Such a loss to the country. The current lot couldn't hold a candle to him.