Times article suggesting Rayner is a shoo-in for PM within months - please god no

[teawamutu]

Hopefully this link will work:
https://www.thetimes.com/article/27184a3f-e513-49a6-871d-bc8c71fa7804?shareToken=1740daa659156e3945fd8e025dbf6d22

She signed every anti-women motion. She said she'd save a bench in the Commons for Liam/’Lily' fucking Madigan. She's pointlessly fighty and I'd bet perfectly happy to try to change the Equality Act. At the very least she'd allow FWS to be undermined.

Talk me down and explain why this either won't happen or won't be a disaster, wise FWRers, please!

As I remember, that pledge was for the 2020 party leadership contenders and I don't think Streeting stood then, did he?

I also think Starmer signed a slightly less stalinist pledge to the other contenders (Angela Rayner, Lisa Nandy and Rebecca Long Bailey among them). Starmer's version declared transwomen were women but stopped short of calling for the expulsion of gender critical party members.

Editing to emphasise that's purely from memory.

Streeting is my least worst option (agree 100% about Rayner OP) but despite her saying the right things atm, I remain worried about Mahmoods potential conflict of interest on a number of issues.

She is a practising Muslim and the doctrine is that a Muslim’s first priority is to other Muslims.

Islam is not only a religious doctrine but also a legal, social and military framework. There are important areas where the best interests of the country do not correspond with Islamic principles. It would be down to her discretion vs her religious practice as to how she balances the two. Which is risky imo.

At the very least, Mahmood’s position as PM could have a chilling effect on some issues that affect us.

It’s how I remember it too.

Here's a Guardian article from the time saying that Rebecca Long-Bailey (a leadership candidate), Rayner and Dawn Butler (both deputy leadership candidates) had signed the pledge to remove Woman's Place UK members from the party:

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/feb/12/labour-leadership-row-over-support-for-trans-rights-charter

Emily Thornberry, another leadership candidate, also signed it.

At the time of the article, Lisa Nandy hadn't signed it, but she did so later.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/feb/23/lisa-nandy-wording-trans-rights-pledge-labour-leadership

Starmer didn't sign it.

Wasn't Streeting in that What'sApp chat set up to boot GC members from the Party? I'd imagine a lot of MPs would support him , after all many were selected by McSweeney and are basically Tory lite , like the lad himself.
On the other hand ....he was close to Mandelson so the membership won't like him. They are usually well to the left of the leadership. Not especially difficult now I grant you....

Ps . Crafty old Nandy. Tweeted her support for trans people but didn't sign the pledge card.

It was a secret Facebook group- see my earlier post.

May be David Milliband will come back to save the day ?

If they have a change of PM they might be forced to called a General Election, after all that's what Two Tier kept calling for when the Tory's had the PMship on a revolving door.

Rayner was barely re-elected last time, she was only about 500 votes in the lead, because her constituency is in a Muslim area and a Muslim man stood against her as an Independent on the Gaza ticket, he took nearly all the votes off her.

So even if she's made PM, if they are forced into a GE, she might not be returned and they'd have to go through the whole leadership process again.

I agree, there’s no way they’ll be able to hang on until 2029 if there’s a new PM that no one voted for.

I would be appalled if Mahmood becomes Labour Leader. Streeting would be the least worse of them all imo.

She did sign it, she just signed it later than the others. See the second link in my previous post.

Ah, my mistake, Rayner signed that pledge when she stood for deputy leader, not leader.

Re Parliamentary majorities, I think Rayner's was around 6000 (although that would still be low enough to make her vulnerable) and that it was Streeting who scraped home by about 500 votes.

And then, if any doubt remained, pranced around in that idiotic 'Protect the Dolls' tee-shirt. I'd rather have Rayner than Nandy. But as per pp, no options look good.

I can see why the labour selectorate would want her, it's about time they had a female leader etc..
But, I doubt she'd be an electoratal asset.
I'm loathe to say this, but I think her working class accent and manner is off putting to many. It might be wrong, but there's still an in built prejudice against 'overtly' working class people in high leadership positions in this country, even more so against women.

Such as?

Emily Thornbury would be a much better bet, for the party and the country. She comes from a normal background but it very articulate and does speak her mind. She looks the part too, which matters.

Or when she rants and calls people " scum" it demeans the office.

Yes, but that's because it's a shit job, where you just get grief, death threats constantly, and people being abusive. No wonder hardly anyone wants to do it! We get what we deserve, to some extent.

Emily 'my cousin is a transman so I'm prepared to junk women's rights in order to avoid hurting her feelings' Thornberry?

No thanks..

You can be from a tough, deprived background and still conduct yourself with grace and 'class'. Look at Alan Johnson, Frank Field, David Blunket, as good examples.

God, no! She is full on TWAW and always come across as very smug.

What would appall you about Mahmood?

She's serious, competent, articulate and grasps the issues that need to be tackled and which matter to voters.

She also appears to have a chip on her shoulder but she's the unions choice.