Excited about the Labour leadership announcement

[Badgoushk]

For full disclosure I'm a Jeremy Corbyn supporter. I'm quite excited and hopeful that he's won again. Anyone else feeling it?!

Changing the subject slightly - anyone else see Chuka Ummuna on Newsnight? I suspect he's waiting in the wings..... Not sure exactly what happened the first time round - suspect it would be a very different story had he not pulled out at that point...

What did you think of Chuka, Natalia? Twitter is saying McDonnell's was a car crash. I didn't see either.

Smith was a pretty awful candidate IMO and made lots of mistakes. I was quite surprised he got nearly 200k votes and think that shows the depth of unease with Corbyn - that's enough to start another party with..... But I suspect whoever is Labour leader the day after the next GE will be resigning, specially if it is next year (unless they are JC cos then it will be a MSM plot/voter purge/army coup), so I am quite glad a good 'un didn't get used up. Not glad about anything else, jeez what a shower today was.

Sorry - went to bed! I thought Chuka was very slick and impressive, actually (unlike John McD). No idea at all what made him pull out of the original contest; reports were that his partner's family had been hounded by the press, but you'd think an experienced politician would expect that sort of thing. Possibly someone has begged him to step up for the party. I do think he's the one that could pull it out of the hat for the Labour Party. If nothing else, the Tory commentators (Guido etc) absolutely hate him, which is pretty big signifier!

'No idea at all what made him pull out of the original contest'

I think they have it sorted for him for next time.

But whatever they do to help him, it won't work because they have lost their media power and influence as was shown by Brexit when we beat them.

I find it hard to see how Umunna or any of teh 172 can win Labour back from Corbyn now. He is too entrenched with too much support.

Tom Newton-Dunn of the Sun said that there is still a chance that Corbyn won't be Labour leader by the time of the next election and if that happens it will be the unions that will bring him down and that will depend to a great extent on what happens when Len McCluskey of Unite comes up for re-election in about a years's time.

Otherwise, even if Labour lose the next election, Corbyn still has huge support.

Thanks, Natalia. They really hate him don't they?. I live in his constituency - he's not my cup of tea politically really but he is an effective MP and was good on the business brief I think. He seems like a clever, pragmatic and ambitious politician so I think sometimes he comes across as more right wing than he is (he tends to focus on issues where he can do something, bangs heads together, that sort of thing - I am not sure he is very driven ideologically). He wasn't an MP in 2003 but I suspect is still too associated with those years (he is always getting called a Blairite, which is funny as he was GB's man, and ran Ed's campaign)?

Goodness, yesterday was a shower (Trident etc - they've hardly got anyone on the front bench and they undermine them). Meanwhile, Theresa May has worked out people are fed up with politicians and has wisely become the Invisible PM.

Has anyone seen the Prescott vs Morgan clip from yesterday? Very well handled by Prescott I think.

What a mess. Changing the autocue as someone is reading for goodness sake.

1984. Sends shudders down my spine.

By insulting 172 MP's elected by their constituents all they are actually doing is insulting the people that the Labour Party will need in the next election. What a farce.

Wish our Tory MP could be penalised for not representing his constituents but it never happens... they'd elect a donkey with a blue rosette here.

Of course you fail to recognise that some constituents are the CLP. So why aren't the 172 representing them? Or should they only represent who you think they should?

We are in a situation where the MPs aren't following their CLP.

The pertinent word you just used is some.

Unfortunately it is necessary to appeal to a wider group to win a General Election. In addition the 172 MP's (three quarters of Labour Party MP's by the way) are following the manifesto more closely than their leader.

MPs have a duty to represent all their constituents, most of whom didn't vote for them. The CLP (in effect its officials and activists) are not elected by the constituency as a whole and MPs would be failing in their duty if they did what their CLPs told them.

Otherwise, even if Labour lose the next election, Corbyn still has huge support

Won't matter. If he is still leader at the GE Labour will be so trashed with so few MPs left he can have all the policies etc he wants. Won't make a jot of difference to anyone.

Stop saying 'the 172' as if they're a politically identical mass unless you know a majority of their names and political views, which you clearly don't.

Stephen Bush (who's a pretty much infallible commentator when it comes to Labour) reckons Umunna is unusually popular across the party and may have a chance even with the new membership, in a few years. Wouldn't have been my choice last year, but I'd send his leadership campaign a few quid now.

Daisy, SB is great I think, funny an self deprecating and very clever.

Chuka - that is interesting and I can see how that could be. He doesn't ruffle easily, is very measured and he does get things done, I have seen him at very heated meetings just quietly acknowledging the emotion and then moving on to solving the matter t hand, but people feel they have been listened to. And he is very, ahem, adaptable politically. My DC think the party are mad not to put him forward more. I wonder if he is a bit bloodless for the country at large though - however good in Westminster and his constituency?

I am not sure Chuka would be the right person to take over from Corbyn and he wouldn't win for a year or two. I think for many he will be seen as too Blair like he is very slick. I think someone like Keir Starmer would have a broader appeal Chuka will have his time at some point I just don't think it will be in the next ten years. I also think Sadiq Khan could also be in the running after his stint of being mayor

EnthusiasmDisturbed, I agree that Chuka is far too slick. Those slick Blair days are over, the public now wants authentic which is why they like geography teacher Corbyn. I personally don't think Keir Starmer stands a chance because he is too stiff, too Establishment and Sadiq Khan won't appeal to the general public as he swallows his words when speaking and tries too hard.

The member of the 172 who has shone in the past few days is Jon Ashworth. He made a stunning speech today and handled himself well on the Daily Politics with Andrew Neil, and even though he is one of Corbyn's main critics, he has a sense of humour that over several years may see him through, but it will be very difficult for the 172 to beat the new left wing Labour.

Yeah, I'd back either Keir or Sadiq. I think after very turbulent times, both of them could seem very appealing.

Who are the women who could be in the running do people think? I'd love to see a Labour Ruth Davidson rise to the top.

'Who are the women who could be in the running do people think? '

Heidi Alexander

Not sure I'd call Chuka slick, actually. He's a bit more edgy than that. What he also is - at least superficially (and every obviously so) - is the antithesis of Theresa May. I love the "geography teacher Corbyn" comment a PP made; it is spot on! But just look at the headteacher's report column in Private Eye. It's been going a long time, but it is even funnier now. She does have a headmistressy manner about her. She and Corbyn at PMQs do look like they're in the staff room. Chuka looks like a City slicker. It's a good visual. Superficial? Sure. But politics is. It's sad that it is. But I do think it is.

The other thing is that, while hardcore Labour supporters spit at the name of Blair, he was the only Labour leader in however long who actually got his hands on the wheel. Because he won an election. And to do that you have to move a long way from your core Labour roots....and you have to have someone who will appeal to the type of voters who voted for the Tories under Cameron and Osborne. I think Chuka's their best bet by a country mile.

Sadiq Khan has been impressive as Mayor of London, though - agree with Lalsy on that. Can't think of any obvious women, though, especially as a lot of their big hitters lost to JC.

I agree that Labour need middle voters that's why Blair won three elections and he was charismatic Corbyn isn't (neither is May) and
I think many people are wanting that it's part of there appeal. Chuka does come across as a city slicker I just think his time is not now or in the near future but certianly a Labour leader of the future

I think Chuka perhaps is too slick and too edgy (there is some nasty "lifestyle" stuff that will keep resurfacing) to have broad voter appeal and also wonder if his talents could be better used in another role, certainly while he shakes off the slightly flaky image.

I thought Sadiq was great in the campaign too - rose above the vile smears, was utterly focussed, and produced clear, pragmatic messages that reflected Labour values and had broader appeal. He repeats himself a lot so if you follow politics t gets a bit irritating but he is very, very effective.

Yes Chuka will find it difficult to shrug of some of his highflying lifestyle choices these will not appeal to the electorate

Sadiq my father was a London bus driver Khan just needs a little more media training he was OK in the referendum debates not great but he is improving I really like him and he is looking confident in his role