BGD 6,436 Posted August 8, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2016 This is a good piece on the coup First the party establishment tried to overturn the result of a leadership election held just eight months earlier by resigning en masse to make Corbyns position untenable. When this failed, they sought to exclude him from the leadership ballot, in a disingenuous attempt to circumvent rules that were perfectly clear on his right to stand. When this was unsuccessful, a millionaire party donor tried to challenge the decision in the high court, which also failed. Today, in a second legal defeat, a high court judge has struck down an attempt by the partys national executive to stop 130,000 of Labours newest members, thought to be mostly Corbyn supporters, from voting in the coming leadership election. Meanwhile, apparently having no plan for what to do if Corbyn simply pointed to his mandate and refused to resign, MPs dithered for over a fortnight before producing an alternative party leader. They then found themselves with two rival unity candidates Angela Eagle and Owen Smith before Eagle dropped out just eight days after a cringe-inducing car crash of a campaign launch. We are now into the seventh week of a spectacle which, altogether, has not exactly been a showcase of managerial competence from the self-styled party moderates. Nor have the last few weeks been a great advert for the Labour establishments election-winning skills. A basic principle of electability, whether the battleground is the party selectorate or the national electorate, is that one should avoid antagonising the very people whose votes you need to win. Yet the party executive now plans to waste members money appealing against todays court decision, in the hope of disenfranchising tens of thousands of those same members. This will hardly endear the membership to MPs and party bosses who owe their lucrative careers to the donations and voluntary labour of the party rank-and-file. And it will clearly rebound to damaging effect on the party establishments candidate, Smith. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/aug/08/labour-party-mps-corbyn-conservatives-tories-post-brexit Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Blackbriar 8,569 Posted August 9, 2016 Report Share Posted August 9, 2016 This is a good piece on the coup First the party establishment tried to overturn the result of a leadership election held just eight months earlier by resigning en masse to make Corbyns position untenable. When this failed, they sought to exclude him from the leadership ballot, in a disingenuous attempt to circumvent rules that were perfectly clear on his right to stand. When this was unsuccessful, a millionaire party donor tried to challenge the decision in the high court, which also failed. Today, in a second legal defeat, a high court judge has struck down an attempt by the partys national executive to stop 130,000 of Labours newest members, thought to be mostly Corbyn supporters, from voting in the coming leadership election. Meanwhile, apparently having no plan for what to do if Corbyn simply pointed to his mandate and refused to resign, MPs dithered for over a fortnight before producing an alternative party leader. They then found themselves with two rival unity candidates Angela Eagle and Owen Smith before Eagle dropped out just eight days after a cringe-inducing car crash of a campaign launch. We are now into the seventh week of a spectacle which, altogether, has not exactly been a showcase of managerial competence from the self-styled party moderates. Nor have the last few weeks been a great advert for the Labour establishments election-winning skills. A basic principle of electability, whether the battleground is the party selectorate or the national electorate, is that one should avoid antagonising the very people whose votes you need to win. Yet the party executive now plans to waste members money appealing against todays court decision, in the hope of disenfranchising tens of thousands of those same members. This will hardly endear the membership to MPs and party bosses who owe their lucrative careers to the donations and voluntary labour of the party rank-and-file. And it will clearly rebound to damaging effect on the party establishments candidate, Smith. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/aug/08/labour-party-mps-corbyn-conservatives-tories-post-brexit That's the way I've read it so far. What it adds up to (as far as I can see) is electoral oblivion, at a time when we need an effective opposition........ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BGD 6,436 Posted August 9, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 9, 2016 That's the way I've read it so far. What it adds up to (as far as I can see) is electoral oblivion, at a time when we need an effective opposition........ I don't think it's quite as bad as all that pal, assuming after the leadership election the plotters shut up and start actually doing their jobs this will all be forgotten by the general public in a matter of weeks and with the new loyal Shadow Cabinet that isn't constantly briefing against the leadership to the press and undermining them at every turn we'll start seeing some real robust opposition, it remains to be seen whether they have the sense to do that of course... There has been some good effects of all this too TBH, Corbyn's policies have been reaching a wider audience and all the attacks from the press and other establishment figures are just strengthening his image as an anti-establishment candidate. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BGD 6,436 Posted August 9, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 9, 2016 Haven't had a picture of a big turnout at a rally for few a pages......So here's Bristol yesterday Quote Link to post Share on other sites
walshie 2,804 Posted August 9, 2016 Report Share Posted August 9, 2016 You're getting as bad as Joe with your politics. Looks photoshopped to me anyway. Someone's copied and pasted a picture of a tramp onto a crowd scene. Doesn't seem to be appealing to the ethnics much does he? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
greg64 2,818 Posted August 9, 2016 Report Share Posted August 9, 2016 Haven't had a picture of a big turnout at a rally for few a pages... ...So here's Bristol yesterday scruffy twat could of ironed his suit Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DIDO.1 22,637 Posted August 9, 2016 Report Share Posted August 9, 2016 Good turn out in Merthyr this afternoon Half of them were ferried in from Cardiff and Newport. Yep people travel from all over to see Corbyn, quite impressive isn't it And that isn't a big crowd, have you been to Merthyr on a Saturday night? Not bad for a weekday afternoon IMO. Show me another politician who can consistently draw the sort of crowds Corbyn does... That's because all the Tory voters would be at work at that time 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BGD 6,436 Posted August 9, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 9, 2016 You're getting as bad as Joe with your politics. Looks photoshopped to me anyway. Someone's copied and pasted a picture of a tramp onto a crowd scene. Doesn't seem to be appealing to the ethnics much does he? The left of the party are actually beating the right for once, let me enjoy it That is actually quite a white crowd for Bristol.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DIDO.1 22,637 Posted August 9, 2016 Report Share Posted August 9, 2016 Whatever your political beliefs it's a unique situation where those of us who hate labour and the political left want corbyn to win as we believe he will destroy labour....and the political left want him to win because they think he will save labour. If your a white English person who loves the countryside and 'englishness' and you could vote labour then you must have a screw loose 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Blackbriar 8,569 Posted August 9, 2016 Report Share Posted August 9, 2016 That's the way I've read it so far. What it adds up to (as far as I can see) is electoral oblivion, at a time when we need an effective opposition........ I don't think it's quite as bad as all that pal, assuming after the leadership election the plotters shut up and start actually doing their jobs this will all be forgotten by the general public in a matter of weeks and with the new loyal Shadow Cabinet that isn't constantly briefing against the leadership to the press and undermining them at every turn we'll start seeing some real robust opposition, it remains to be seen whether they have the sense to do that of course... There has been some good effects of all this too TBH, Corbyn's policies have been reaching a wider audience and all the attacks from the press and other establishment figures are just strengthening his image as an anti-establishment candidate. By"electoral oblivion", I meant a long, long period out of government, rather than a massive loss of parliamentary seats....... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Blackbriar 8,569 Posted August 9, 2016 Report Share Posted August 9, 2016 "Big Dave", just for a while, let's go off at a bit of a tangent - (I'm sure it won't be long before developments bring us back !)...... The Tories are just as factional as Labour, but they seem united behind their new leader - maybe because when, the previous incumbent resigned, they had a "natural" successor ? Could Corbyn's unpopularity among his MPs stem from the fact that he is "anti establishment", and was, in fact, only nominated as a bit of a joke, to make the numbers up almost ? Now that their little joke has backfired, they want rid......? Also, given the public's almost universal loathing of Blair, why do a large number of MPs still (apparently) cling to the "Blairite" tag ? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BGD 6,436 Posted August 9, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 9, 2016 (edited) That's the way I've read it so far. What it adds up to (as far as I can see) is electoral oblivion, at a time when we need an effective opposition........ I don't think it's quite as bad as all that pal, assuming after the leadership election the plotters shut up and start actually doing their jobs this will all be forgotten by the general public in a matter of weeks and with the new loyal Shadow Cabinet that isn't constantly briefing against the leadership to the press and undermining them at every turn we'll start seeing some real robust opposition, it remains to be seen whether they have the sense to do that of course... There has been some good effects of all this too TBH, Corbyn's policies have been reaching a wider audience and all the attacks from the press and other establishment figures are just strengthening his image as an anti-establishment candidate. By"electoral oblivion", I meant a long, long period out of government, rather than a massive loss of parliamentary seats....... 2020 was always a right off for Labour because of Scotland and the coming boundary changes, beyond that we're talking 10 years in the future it's literally impossible to make any predictions that far ahead with how volatile everything is right now. I wouldn't even rule out a shock UKIP landslide! Anyway I'm sure we can both agree a reformed real left wing Labour party putting forward an actual alternative to Tory policy will make a more effective opposition than a Labour party that will agree with everything the Tories say to get a sniff at power. Just look at the u-turns they made once Labour were actually opposing their cuts under Corbyn, it's not just about what the oppostion do in the HoC but what they do in the media too putting pressure on the government scrutinising their policy and holding them to account in public, something I think Corbyn's team have been quite effective in despite the constant leaks and sniping from certain members of the cabinet. With those elements gone from the Shadow Cabinet I'd expect to see an even more effective oppostion after the summer recess when Corbyn returns with an even bigger mandate I'm off out now but you raise some interesting questions in your other post, I'll give you a proper reply when I get back Edited August 9, 2016 by BGD Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tatsblisters 9,508 Posted August 9, 2016 Report Share Posted August 9, 2016 (edited) One of the reasons i will never vote labour https://rotherhampolitics.wordpress.com/2016/08/08/rotherham-abuse-scandal-horrific-reality-of-industrial-scale-child-grooming-revealed/ And to think Corbyn made Sarah Champion shadow minister for child protection would be a joke if it was not so funny. Edited August 9, 2016 by tatsblisters 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ftm 3,357 Posted August 9, 2016 Report Share Posted August 9, 2016 no -one takes labour seriously these days -except bgd 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mackay 3,330 Posted August 9, 2016 Report Share Posted August 9, 2016 To be fair though labour did give a lot of people a crack at employment who might never have gotten a chance but for them. I'm pretty sure you'll find there are many young black lesbian outreach coordinators who are extremely grateful. 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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