Labour leadership race

[King Oberon]

Labour have a choice of being tory lite or going to the left and keep some shred of respect and they are going to win anything going tory lite.

The tories are taking the center ground so labour have no other way to go.

UKIP and the scarey lab/snp rhetoric gave the tories power which was well played by Cameron and co but I don't think the country has taken a massive swing to the left luck has let the tories in and once the country wakes up to the rob from the poor and give the rich tax breaks routine they will get voted out again. 

[wigginhall]

It depends on whether Osborne can deliver affluence for the majority for 5 years.  If he can, Labour haven't a chance, whoever the leader is.   Of course, within that affluence, there are potential disasters waiting to happen, e.g. the lack of housing is becoming a catastrophe, the EU vote, rising poverty, so who knows.   Plus lots of smoke and mirrors to cover stuff up, but that is normal politics. 

[BashfulAnthony]

It depends on whether Osborne can deliver affluence for the majority for 5 years.  If he can, Labour haven't a chance, whoever the leader is.   Of course, within that affluence, there are potential disasters waiting to happen, e.g. the lack of housing is becoming a catastrophe, the EU vote, rising poverty, so who knows.   Plus lots of smoke and mirrors to cover stuff up, but that is normal politics.

Five years is a long time, and as Harold MacMillan once famously warned us to bear in mind, "Events, dear boy: events!"

[L.A.]

It depends on whether Osborne can deliver affluence for the majority for 5 years.  If he can, Labour haven't a chance, whoever the leader is.   Of course, within that affluence, there are potential disasters waiting to happen, e.g. the lack of housing is becoming a catastrophe, the EU vote, rising poverty, so who knows.   Plus lots of smoke and mirrors to cover stuff up, but that is normal politics.

They have signalled that more land will be available for housing and if they can do that, the housing market will improve. Unless other EU leaders are completely intransigent, there is no reason why Cameron shouldn't get a package that will deliver a Yes vote and if they can keep the economy on track, there will be more better paid jobs.

At least I'm pretty sure that is the plan and if they can achieve it, they will take a lot of beating - however, even if they fall short, they will still win against Corbin. They would probably have won the last election if UNITE hadn't  given them the wrong Miliband.

[BashfulAnthony]

It has to be either Burnham or Cooper.   With Burnham seems to be more of the same; with Cooper it might be a way of letting dear old Ed have influence!

[L.A.]

It has to be either Burnham or Cooper.   With Burnham seems to be more of the same; with Cooper it might be a way of letting dear old Ed have influence!

Burnham is a bit 'wooden' and very Old Labour (though at least he's not a Michael Foot clone). Cooper looks right and says sensible things but would need to up her game quite a bit.

[BashfulAnthony]

It has to be either Burnham or Cooper.   With Burnham seems to be more of the same; with Cooper it might be a way of letting dear old Ed have influence!

Burnham is a bit 'wooden' and very Old Labour (though at least he's not a Michael Foot clone). Cooper looks right and says sensible things but would need to up her game quite a bit.

Not sure Cooper can up her game.

[Nearly Sane]

It has to be either Burnham or Cooper.   With Burnham seems to be more of the same; with Cooper it might be a way of letting dear old Ed have influence!

Balls?

[BashfulAnthony]

It has to be either Burnham or Cooper.   With Burnham seems to be more of the same; with Cooper it might be a way of letting dear old Ed have influence!

Balls?

I reckon that's probably the comment that sums it all up!   

[Walt Zingmatilder]

It depends on whether Osborne can deliver affluence for the majority for 5 years.  If he can, Labour haven't a chance, whoever the leader is.   Of course, within that affluence, there are potential disasters waiting to happen, e.g. the lack of housing is becoming a catastrophe, the EU vote, rising poverty, so who knows.   Plus lots of smoke and mirrors to cover stuff up, but that is normal politics.

I thought the magic figure of making people feel affluent is 40%.
I think that's way too high for George but he has the knack of promising Jam tomorrow and getting away with it.

Big problem for Georg is the minimum wage......can he/will he deliver? and his small present majority.

[Walt Zingmatilder]

It depends on whether Osborne can deliver affluence for the majority for 5 years.  If he can, Labour haven't a chance, whoever the leader is.   Of course, within that affluence, there are potential disasters waiting to happen, e.g. the lack of housing is becoming a catastrophe, the EU vote, rising poverty, so who knows.   Plus lots of smoke and mirrors to cover stuff up, but that is normal politics.

They have signalled that more land will be available for housing and if they can do that, the housing market will improve. Unless other EU leaders are completely intransigent, there is no reason why Cameron shouldn't get a package that will deliver a Yes vote and if they can keep the economy on track, there will be more better paid jobs.

At least I'm pretty sure that is the plan and if they can achieve it, they will take a lot of beating - however, even if they fall short, they will still win against Corbin. They would probably have won the last election if UNITE hadn't  given them the wrong Miliband.

But it will still be fingers crossed as it was with Miliband. Nobody not least the Conservatives understood the electorate. Now the tories are being volatile in government vis-a-vis decisions on foreign and economic policy they won't be sure it won't rub off on the electorate.
There are two factors which Margaret Thatcher had and Osborne doesn't.
1: There isn't a fear of socialism that existed in Thatcher's early terms
2: If Corbyn can appear more decisive, that satisfies those
    who like decisiveness.

Also Corbyn is not ''Miliband Weird''. Something that swayed the weaker minded last time.

[Jack Knave]

I'd say it's a bit more fundamental than that.

While there might be  people on the Celtic fringes who still have the Socialist dream, the English electorate have no such illusions. They want a centre-right government to give them the prosperity that they know is possible.

If the Labour party can't get their head around that, they are finished.

I think the problem Labour has nowadays is that many of their original natural supporters have moved away from that economic level to higher ones, with greater ambition to succeed, thus bringing them into the sphere of the Tories' policies.  Prior to May I would have said that their only 'block' of votes would be in S. Wales, Northern England and Scotland, but even that last is no loger guaranteed.  It is interesting to listen to staunch Labour supporters in S. Wales moaning about the paucity of the Labour Government in Cardiff.

But there is a move now downwards from the 'higher ones'. This is why Corbyn is doing well with the grass roots.

[Jack Knave]

It has to be either Burnham or Cooper.   With Burnham seems to be more of the same; with Cooper it might be a way of letting dear old Ed have influence!

Burnham is a bit 'wooden' and very Old Labour (though at least he's not a Michael Foot clone). Cooper looks right and says sensible things but would need to up her game quite a bit.

Not sure Cooper can up her game.

I agree, she's got no balls - if you see what I mean?

[L.A.]

Also Corbyn is not ''Miliband Weird''. Something that swayed the weaker minded last time.

No - he's a recycled Michael Foot!

They say that Conservatives are joining the Labour party just to vote for him! - How stupid would a Labour supporter have to be to vote for the man?

I'm not a great fan of Labour but I would like to see a functioning opposition.

[Walt Zingmatilder]

Also Corbyn is not ''Miliband Weird''. Something that swayed the weaker minded last time.

No - he's a recycled Michael Foot!

They say that Conservatives are joining the Labour party just to vote for him! - How stupid would a Labour supporter have to be to vote for the man?

I'm not a great fan of Labour but I would like to see a functioning opposition.

But nobody remembers Michael Foot. If Corbyn is a bit edgy and a bit ballsy he could have 'bad boy' appeal.

He already has the power to make tories shit it a little as exemplified by your silly posts.

[L.A.]

Also Corbyn is not ''Miliband Weird''. Something that swayed the weaker minded last time.

No - he's a recycled Michael Foot!

They say that Conservatives are joining the Labour party just to vote for him! - How stupid would a Labour supporter have to be to vote for the man?

I'm not a great fan of Labour but I would like to see a functioning opposition.

But nobody remembers Michael Foot. If Corbyn is a bit edgy and a bit ballsy he could have 'bad boy' appeal.

He already has the power to make tories shit it a little as exemplified by your silly posts.

Those who forget 'Michael Foot' are doomed to repeat it 

I think Corbyn has the power to make the Tories piss themselves laughing.

[Walt Zingmatilder]

Also Corbyn is not ''Miliband Weird''. Something that swayed the weaker minded last time.

No - he's a recycled Michael Foot!

They say that Conservatives are joining the Labour party just to vote for him! - How stupid would a Labour supporter have to be to vote for the man?

I'm not a great fan of Labour but I would like to see a functioning opposition.

But nobody remembers Michael Foot. If Corbyn is a bit edgy and a bit ballsy he could have 'bad boy' appeal.

He already has the power to make tories shit it a little as exemplified by your silly posts.

Those who forget 'Michael Foot' are doomed to repeat it 

I think Corbyn has the power to make the Tories piss themselves laughing.

No Tory Govt was elected for 23 years, tiny minority, Prosperity predicated on 2 years prior to the election, remember?........so......''Arseholes clenched''.

[L.A.]

Absolutely unbelievable:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-33745731

Just like a re-run of the 80's 

[Shaker]

What's unbelievable about it? Excellent news 

[L.A.]

What's unbelievable about it? Excellent news 

For Cameron - sure it is!

[jeremyp]

Just like a re-run of the 80's 

Actually, it's more like a rerun of last time where labour was paralysed for several months. 

[L.A.]

Just like a re-run of the 80's 

Actually, it's more like a rerun of last time where labour was paralysed for several months.

If Corbyn is elected, I think the situation would be an uncannily similarity to the election of Michael Foot.

i.e. Labour veering to the Left and becoming totally unelectable - causing a split with the moderates.

[Jack Knave]

What's unbelievable about it? Excellent news 

For Cameron - sure it is!

The political landscape could have changed by then. People are getting the whiff of the elites and how they are sucking society dry. By then Corbyn  could be in vogue, with UKIP and the Greens and perhaps independents.

[Harrowby Hall]

- causing a split with the moderates.

Could be - and at the grassroots a substantial proportion leaving to support UKIP.

[Gonnagle]

What's unbelievable about it? Excellent news 

For Cameron - sure it is!

The political landscape could have changed by then. People are getting the whiff of the elites and how they are sucking society dry. By then Corbyn  could be in vogue, with UKIP and the Greens and perhaps independents.

Dear Jack Knave,

Yes I think that is happening, the times they are a changing.

I have only listened to one interview from this Corbyn guy but he seems to be a very down to earth kind of person.

We need to step away from old ways of thinking/talking, calling some one a socialist or he is far right, people are far more complex.

In the run up to the last election I heard some brilliant ideas from all the parties, politicians should step away from, my way or the highway.

One word that I am hearing more often, Corbyn and some of his supporters use it, Compassion, the Tory party need to look this word up in the dictionary but then they are far to busy conning the British public.

Gonnagle.