I'm rejoining Labour today

[NotAssigned]

I cut up my membership card some time ago over self ID.

But I want to try and be in a position to vote for a new, less woke leader.

I've noticed the Twitterarmy already reporting that Lisa Nandy has been seen dancing with the devil, aka sharing a platform with Claire Fox or something.

That’s another tick for Nandy on my personal tally sheet then!

How many people would have to join I wonder to overturn the hold Momentum has on the party.

I’d vote for Keir as leader. On a quick google he’s got the best odds apparently.

I'm not sure how relevant JRM is to a discussion about the women standing for leadership of the Labour party.

As someone from a poorer background that Emily, I think it is important to realise that you're shaped by your past but that you've had opportunities that most people from that background have not had and that a difficult upbringing in the 1970s/80s isn't comparable to those living in poverty today. We had much more of a safety net.

There are certain MPs (and Emily isn't the only one by any means - she's not even the only one amongst the possible leadership candidates) who wear their pasts like a cloak of authenticity. But they have spent much longer living away from those circumstances than they spent living in them, and I feel they should acknowledge that gap. Because if they don't, then they might actually think that they understand what it's like to live in poverty today - and they don't. They've had years without the fear of bills; without the concern of walking past gangs on the corner; without their children being in massively overcrowded classes in schools with serious building defects, etc.

Labour has around 480,000 members and Momentum has 40,000.

Just caught up with Andrew Marr from yesterday, Lisa Nandy gave a fantastically frank interview. She said she is ‘seriously considering’ standing.

I worry about Rebecca Long-Bailey or Dawn Butler potentially being popular with the current membership but no one else. I respect but do not like Emily Thornberry. I’m not sure Jess Philips would want it. Keir Starmer could be a fairly uncontroversial unifying choice; David Lammy would be great but as we discussed above don’t think the electorate as a whole would be welcoming to him.

Lisa Nandy feels a bit Andy Burnham-ish to me. Can't really explain why!
She's VERY ambitious for her career I think. She studied politics at university which puts me off. I feel like she's been training for for the top job her whole life.
I think a lot of politicians these days are like that. I would love to elect someone who has ever had a normal job and not spent all their working life on committees making policy, but I don't think there is anyone.

Keir Starmer is quite impressive (top human rights lawyer lol) but I would prefer Caroline Flint if she was standing. She seems the most normal.

I think Jessica Philips is too young just yet.

Jessica? My autocorrect is very formal!

What do we know about the potential leaders views? I am thinking of joining but only if there’s actually someone worth backing?

I love Jess and I hope she can be deputy if she’s not leader.

I understand Rebecca Long-Bailey had a series of 'real jobs' before going to her local uni as a mature student. But she also seems to be the 'annointed successor' so I confess I'm

Nandy and Phillips wrote articles for the Guardian/Observer at the weekend. I didn't get much sense of Nandy from the article although I thought she came across well on TV. Jess said the same as she has said in every article for the last few years. I think she's quite set in her views.

I’ve heard RLB speak about children in her constituency hiding behind sofas when the bailiffs knock on. It was a proper tear jerker.

She grew up in the poor part of Stretford and Urmston CLP and represents Salford which butts up against it (I like a lot of what Salford’s Mayor Paul Dennett is doing). She’s been John McD’s protege, rather than Corbyn’s. I know she’s been consulted on the GC position and has carefully held her own counsel, but certainly hasn’t shut down women’s concerns or called anyone a terf.

I wonder if the general public will think she seems too quiet/little/young to see her as a proper leader (but I don’t share that opinion).

Will try and find out more in the coming week or so.

IfNot

I posted this reply to you in the wrong thread and just noticed 🤦‍♀️
Copied it over.
....

I think Nandy is (was?) close with Burnham? His old constituency neighbours hers and iirc she chose not to stand for leader in 2015 to support Burnham’s bid instead.

Have to say ‘quiet’ isn’t the first thing that comes to mind with RLB (I don’t mean that pejoratively, I can be gobby when I’m passionate about something)! I just think she’s seen as Corbyn’s anointed one so won’t appeal to those looking to move away from the Momentum faction.

What about Stella Creasy? She’s a solid constituency MP, has done sterling work on abortion rights, and has been vocal in criticising Momentum and Corbyn in the past. She is a definite career politician and London based though. Also a very new Mum, whether that would count for or against her I don’t know. She came second for deputy to Tom Watson in 2015.

She saw into their souls - or her husband did - and 'twas thus.

Just wanted to say that really made me laugh

What I don't understand is RLB saying she grew up in Stretford, but apparently she went to school in Chester.
How does that work ?

RLB is a Catholic I believe so may well have travelled to a Catholic secondary school. Chester isn't that far from Manchester.

Chester begins just three tram stops from Stretford, Sale is the border.

Borough of Trafford is part Manchester, part Chester. The posh part of Trafford is really posh (Hale Barns, Bowden) and the poor part is really poor (Bucklow, Old Trafford).

The poor part of Trafford has borders with both Borough of Salford and Borough of Manchester.

Oh, and Trafford still has a completely selective secondary school system, so it’s fairly normal to send your kids out of borough if you don’t want to play the 11 plus game (or can’t afford the tutoring).

As a resident of Stretford I know a lot of young people none of them go to school in Chester. In fact Trafford has some excellent schools

I've never heard anything to suggest that RLB's Stretford roots aren't authentic and in any case, I think this is skating a bit close to identity politics. I also have no doubt that she's very able. My issue is more to do with her closeness to Momentum and whether she would ever act independently from them.

Cwenthryth Stella is very much of the TWAW tribe I thought...

Not Stella.

In fact Trafford has some excellent schools

It does, but if you want to avoid the selective system you are fucked. I know loads of Trafford kids that are bussed our to Knutsford (and Trafford is awful for SEN kids but that’s a whole other story).