Who should be the next Labour leader and why?

[Penguinotterfoxbadger]

If you are a labour voter, or would consider voting labour in the future, who do you think they should elect as their new leader? Why?

I'm instinctively drawn to Dan Jarvis, mainly because he doesn't fit standard mould (had a proper job before becoming a politician (in the army), didn't go to Oxbridge) but I'll admit that view is connected to my own prejudices so I'm keeping an open mind.

I'd be very interested to hear your views!

Keir Starmer is metropolitan elite isn't he?

Only as defined by you, claig

I mentioned Keir Starmer on another thread the other day. Very new though but would make a good shadow justice minister or Home Sec.
I've seen Mary Creagh on QT and thought she was pretty good. Liz Kendall was not good with Evans Davies, not convincing.

Yes, of course Keir Starmer is a very experienced lawyer; and very steady when interviewed

Who eventually decides to stand will largely depend on how much support they will get. Except some who may be putting down a marker for the future. I assume Burnham will start favourite

Labour leadership candidates asked questions at Progress (1hr 35mins)

www.policyreview.tv/video/1030/7939

Lots more video of key Labour figures in the programme schedule above the video.

On the main runners if Labour really was looking to change, Liz Kendall is the right candidate to reach out beyond Labour's core vote.

If Labour just want a 'changeling'; with a supposedly enlightened leader, the one the trade union wants, and just says what we needs to for outside Labour votes, Andy Burnham.

The rest are a nonsense, currently regurgitating the MP equivalent of a Miss Worlds mantra on the need for world peace e.g. growf and good jobs without any ideas how to achieve it.

The recent warning by trade union Unite’s Len McCluskey that the Labour Party will need to appoint the “correct” leader and intimating that he may take his funding elsewhere e.g. the SNP, should be no surprise to Labour, as he warned about it over a year ago - and kept options open as withheld this general election finances to around Christmas

But it may add red meat to any debate why Labour’s Miliband manifesto was so narrowly focused on the low paid, was anti business and non detailed to HOW & WHEN Labour were going to balance the UK’s books, that McCluskey (and the SNP) continually calls, “austerity”.

April 2014; “Unite's Len McCluskey warns over Labour 'defeat' in 2015”
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-26832994

"The leader of Britain's biggest trade union has warned Ed Miliband Unite could break its links with Labour if the party loses the next election.”

”Len McCluskey told reporters he could see the union voting to disaffiliate from a defeated Labour if it ceased to be the voice of working people."

"He told a press gallery lunch at Westminster that Labour leader Ed Miliband had not yet presented a "coherent vision" to the electorate and if it were "a pale shadow of austerity", then he believed Labour would be defeated in 2015."

"He also said there was a danger of Labour taking UKIP for granted.”

”Asked if Unite could give money to other parties, Mr McCluskey replied: "We are affiliated to the Labour Party. We cannot give any financial support to any other political party. So the rules within Unite would need to be changed."

"But he added: "Can I ever envisage a rules conference voting to disaffiliate from Labour? I can, I can, and that's a challenge to Ed Miliband because I believe the Labour Party is at a crossroads, this is a watershed."

Does this mean Labour with currently 147 MP’s (out of 232 MP’s) as either Unite members or receiving donations will have more competition within the UK from better funded far left political parties, or will all Unite’s sweeties will in future go to an SNP still saying the McCluskey “correct” things???

Can Unite hand all their funding to a Scottish party? Wouldn't their non-Scotland members have something to say about that?

Is Harriet Harman in the running? Read her speech today and thought it was quite open and thought out. Otoh I saw Yvette cooper on Lorraine this morning and she didn't stand out.

Harriet is just caretaking until a new leader is found.

Unite seriously need to wake up - look where their choice of candidate got the party last time. And the way things are currently looking, Yvette Cooper and Andy Burnham are going to snap the support of so many of the MPs that it will be a three-horse race, which will massively benefit Liz Kendall.

In 2010 David Miliband actually encouraged a number of "his" MPs to support Diane Abbot just to the contest would be more evenly balanced but I can't see either of these two doing that.

Well the voting is open to non-members too. You just pay a one-off £3 to vote.

Like a church fete raffle if you will.

TheOneWithTheNicestSmile ..... a good point on 'what the non Scotland members would say' - maybe Mr McCluskey is just throwing in a red herring to keep Labour on their toes.

Tristram Hunt unable to get the MP support he needed, withdraws and throws in behind Liz Kendall.

The 'changeling' Andy Burnham rather than those eloquently putting their case forward for change must now be the run away favourite and although if so I might suggest Liz Kendall be appointed his Deputy for balance - Labour's recent record on trust issues at the top i.e. Blair/Brown and Miliband/Balls, points to the need of 100% unity IF going to change.

But I don't know how well they get on now, never mind needing to be so strong together on a Labour 'reform' agenda against the many within (and outside) who still don't think that there was/is an electoral problem needing those reforms.

Tristram Hunt will not join the leadership contest and is now backing Liz Kendall. Seems like the centre right / Blairite side of the party will try and unify around Kendall. I hope she's up to it. But I think Andy Burnham will be hard to stop.

They are all running around trying to pretend that they now believe what they think the electorate might believe, in order to get elected next time. It's very sad to see them lurch about to the right and discarding whatever few beliefs they may have had, in order to regain popularity.

People are more perceptive than they think, so they'll lose as much as they gain with that strategy.

I agree, Greenrememberedhills

On Channl 4 News, Krishnan asked Andy Burnham "you're saying all this stuff now, so why don't you join the Tories?"

Anything to get elected.

Not Andy please. He made huge damage to NHS. Of the 7% privatised NHS work, 5% come from his reign. Also PFI contracts that are bankrupting NHS trusts are also from his time. He just doesn't understand words and figures. Just being liked by Unions is not enough. Perhaps Harriet Harmsn should be persuaded to stand. Lot better than the rest.