Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Politics
Original poster

Labour morale is wonderfully low

78 replies

longfingernails · 06/08/2013 23:33

I heard nary a peep from any senior Labour figure in the last month!

The self-pity on Labour sites is self-evident
labourlist.org/2013/08/cameron-may-be-out-of-touch-but-the-labour-leadership-are-running-out-of-time/

The Tories are successfully striking a chord when they say Ed Miliband is weak on the economy, weak on immigration, weak on welfare (even voting against a £26000 a year benefits cap!!)

And I am starting to think that some of the Lib Dem's soft-left voters might even forgive them for tuition fees etc. if the economy keeps growing well. These soft-left Lib Dem to Labour defectors are pretty much the entire reason for Labour's lead; that their votes are soft is what will make that lead so flaky come the election.

These are good days for us small c conservatives indeed, especially with UKIP doing a fine job keeping the Tories honest.

OP posts:
SirChenjin · 14/08/2013 15:29

Was he? Shock Who by, and what for?

mirai · 14/08/2013 15:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SirChenjin · 14/08/2013 16:32

That was only one person Mirai.

niceguy2 · 14/08/2013 17:45

Labour are traditionally stronger in the north than the south. The south is generally more affluent and as a result have more Tory voters.

I wouldn't read too much into it. I'd give DC an egg or two given half the chance.

Mamamamoose · 14/08/2013 17:51

It's on BBC news. The PR minder was quick to block the cameras so there are no good eggy shots to run and run. And he didn't throw a punch like John Prescott.

SirChenjin · 14/08/2013 18:31

I don't agree with Ed's policies but egging anyone is utterly contemptible

TheCrackFox · 14/08/2013 18:37

I don't actually know what Ed stands for - it is all one white noise.

SirChenjin · 14/08/2013 18:54

That is true CrackFox

TabithaStephens · 14/08/2013 19:13

He stands for not being the Tories. That's the only reason anyone could possibly have for voting for him.

SirChenjin · 14/08/2013 19:48

The lines between Tory and Labour are becoming very blurred - it's virtually impossible to tell one from the other

ttosca · 14/08/2013 21:52

Labour are traditionally stronger in the north than the south. The south is generally more affluent and as a result have more Tory voters.

I wouldn't read too much into it. I'd give DC an egg or two given half the chance.

Not so simple as that. Labour has typically been more metropolitan, as historically that's where has been labour based.

Hence, most of the north is Labour and most of the south is Tory scum, but then most of London is also Labour.

ttosca · 14/08/2013 21:52

The lines between Tory and Labour are becoming very blurred - it's virtually impossible to tell one from the other

Because Capital is in control of politics.

niceguy2 · 14/08/2013 22:16

I don't agree with Ed's policies....

ElBurroSinNombre · 20/08/2013 10:32

I can't see Labour winning the next election or even getting close - to me these are some of their problems;

  • Ed is an uncharismatic leader who seemingly has nothing new to add to political discourse. His USP seems to be 'I went to a comprehensive school' which IMO is really very pathetic (and I went to a comp.).
  • Ed is tainted by association with Brown whose reckless spending has caused some of the current problems. We could argue about the validity of this statement in the context of a world banking crisis but this is a widely held perception amongst the electorate.
  • Labour has lost touch with its core support - white working class people in provincial towns and cities are probably more likely to support UKIP nowadays. The rainbow coalition which Labour hoped will replace this support is a lot smaller in numbers. There is a big opportunity for a populist party of the left (like UKIP is to the right) at the moment.
  • The stampede to occupy the middle ground has made all parties virtually indistiguishable. The things they argue about are irrelevent to the lives of the majority.
  • Ed Balls (don't really need to add anything here).

So what could Labour do?
Personally I think that the next election is already lost and like the Tories with Thatcher, Labour will not get another chance until it is clear that their leadership is not associated with the GB disaster. This cannot happen under Ed because he was one of its architects of the mess.

Long term perhaps the y could be brave and bold. Move to the left and try to engage with the lost support. This would mean more involvement for the grass roots of the party, no parachuting in of candidates and less emphasis on image management.

Viviennemary · 20/08/2013 10:40

I'm not in the least surprised. Milliband is a total and absolute dead loss. Until they get rid of him they have no chance. They need a straight talking person not a waffler. So when he/she speaks people will think I agree with that or that's a good idea. I've yet to hear Milliband say a single thing I agree with. It shouldn't really be that difficult to find somebody who will be a match for David Cameron.

All this pie in the sky stuff about increasing wages. It isn't going to happen. But I do agree that minimum hour contracts should be made illegal.

niceguy2 · 21/08/2013 13:36

Looking at the Labour benches I can't think of a single person other than David Miliband who'd be a match for Cameron. And I don't consider Cameron to even be a good PM. He's just the best of a bad bunch.

The perception is that Labour have no new ideas and that Miliband isn't PM material.

Policies rarely matter. It's perceptions that will win the next election.

ElBurroSinNombre · 21/08/2013 16:13

I completely agree niceguy,

The quality of the Labour front bench is disturbingly poor. I remember watching Angela Eagle (I think) on QT and was really disturbed by her lack of understanding of economic matters. It was just embarassing.

The only one who looks like a runner to me is Andy Burnham - he seems like a credible candidate who has actually made a difference with his role in exposing the Hillsborough cover up.

niceguy2 · 21/08/2013 16:44

Personally I'm hoping they get rid of Cameron and we get Boris!

He's such a popular character that he'd probably raise the Tory popularity by 10% overnight.

Personally I'd love the idea of having a bimbling baffoon in charge. I'm sure he couldn't do worse and it'd be dead funny watching him meet Obama or the Queen etc.

Wellwobbly · 24/08/2013 13:35

I know how much they screwed up the economy in 13 years in power.

Thank you for admitting that, Ophelia.

BangOn · 25/08/2013 15:57

Ewww... Some really creepy tories on this thread. The hairs are standing up on the back of my neck at the obviously glee & schadenfreude the very creepy longfingernails expresses at the thought of all the nasty poor & disabled people suffering as they should.

Scratch, scratch, scratch

Wellwobbly · 25/08/2013 16:50

That's right, BangOn. ALL you ever have to do, is decide that the people you disagree with, are evil.

That makes you morally better than them, and it also, very especially, completely removes you from having to think about anything they say.

Because they are creepy and evil and not as good as you.

A very old, worn, deeply faded and completely out of touch with reality left wing tactic.

Something wrong with the NHS? That is evil.
Welfare state and benefits actually trap people? Only uncaring people can think that.
Rehabilitative justice doesn't work? Now you are a nazi!
'Green' energy is pointless and a scam? OK, now you are a whacko and you don't care about the ENVIRONMENT
etc
etc
etc

Not washing much any more, BangOn.

BangOn · 25/08/2013 18:11

Evil is your word, not mine.

The existence of a merciful welfare state isn't what 'traps' people on benefits. As the Joseph Rowntree foundation has proved over & over what traps people on benefits are low wages, job insecurity & mass redundancies.

I have many, many reasons to hate the Labour party btw, but what's that old saying about my enemy's enemy?

Viviennemary · 25/08/2013 19:06

And I thought this evil Tory silliness had gone decades ago. Apparently not. I voted Labour last time but won't again. They haven't got a single answer to anything except spend more. And I disagree with that policy I'm afraid.

flatpackhamster · 25/08/2013 20:52

Viviennemary

And I thought this 'evil Tory' silliness had gone decades ago.

Goodness, no. The left is so bereft of actual political arguments that childish smearing is all they have left.

Wellwobbly · 27/08/2013 12:00

Focusing on 'evil' rather than 'creepy' doesn't dodge it Bangon.

By the way, I do not vote Conservative.

You are I are agreed on a merciful welfare state. Which we do not currently have.

The welfare state as it is currently constructed traps people on benefit.

The answer would be to CHANGE the welfare provisions, but they won't. Why? Because 1. they don't have the balls, any of them, apart funnily enough from Ian Duncan Smith and he has already been stymied/shut down, and 2. it would cost too much.