Labour Leadership

[Saxondale]

Loathe as I am to start another politics thread (please feel free to bung it in with the other one if you wish) but in case no one has noticed, the Labour Leadership voting has finished and by this time tomorrow the new leader and deputy will have been announced.

The few people on my social medias who feel very strongly about it have been taking their last chances to call Corbyn a 'cunt' a 'twat' and wishing death upon him as well as posting hilarious memes and comments about a Cambridge educated black woman being thick.

So now they are off (I suspect Abbott will be moved away from frontline politics) who's next to be abused, insulted and slandered by the majority of the media and commentators.  And for the few people I know who seem to hate everyone who might be slightly left of the political spectrum what fresh hateful abuse can we expect to be thrown at the new labour leadership.

[pauld]

"Labour leadership" - now there's something that's been an oxymoron for the past few years

[Valid Pint]

It won't be a woman.

[Nemo]

For what it's worth, I voted first preference for Nandy & Allin-Khan but have every expectation of Starmer & Rayner winning, which would be perfectly fine. I don't think Starmer is especially inspiring and he's probably trying a bit too hard not to upset anyone at the moment, but I think he'll do an excellent job of the technical elements of being an opposition politician at least. The only person on the whole slate I'd be appalled by winning is Burgon.

[Arriba]

I voted for Starmer in the end. I based that on the assumption from my part that he'll get the easiest ride from the press. Being a Lord and also a Man. The two female candidates would be toast.

[Nemo]

A knight, rather than a Lord. But I suspect you're right on him getting an easier ride from the press, saddening though that might be.

[Arriba]

Ah of course. A knight. My bad

[Saxondale]

I also went Starmer.  My instincts were that I would like a female leader, but Long Bailey I felt was to aligned to Corbyn and would be crucified and Nandy didn't convince me.  Deputy was more difficult but I ended up going for Rosenna Allin Khan.  It will be interesting to see if they can actually get a leader and a deputy to work together not to have deputy instigating coups.

Im sure Starmer is a brilliant analytical mind who will be able to shred the arguments of the other side.  My worry is that he looks constantly surprised.  There's none of the easy charm of our last success as a leader or self entitled arrogance of the other side.  But we'll see.

What is interesting to see is what the actual membership of the party decides.  The media have practically given it to Starmer already.  But thats built on the whispers they hear in Whitehall not the 500k grass root members.

[pauld]

Deputy was more difficult but I ended up going for Rosenna Allin Khan. 

Didn't know she was standing, been impressed with the bits I've seen of her so far

[Saxondale]

She's gone back to working in hospital now.  She did a nice 'thankyou, whoever wins lets move ahead because this crisis has shown how much we're needed' mail to members the other day.

[BambooToTheFuture]

I think it would be Starmer for me - for similar reasons as above. He falls back more towards the center and will be quite capable of dealing with the press.

The only thing the gutter press could "go at him" with is a slight speech impediment but then I'd suggest the press direct their ears towards bumbling, bimbling, buffooning Boris. So likely at some point the Sun/Mail etc will run some childish headline like "Keir Stammer", they may even already have done this at some point. For him though it'll be the equivalent of calling a ginger haired person "ginger!", really heard it all before.

Definitely interested in who and how the deputy will link up. Khan and Starmer could work quite well. It'll be a decent opposition one hopes and that in itself is a start. Haven't really got to do a lot. Like in chess, just wait for your opponent to make the first mistake - with Boris, those are plentiful.

[Cookie]

I voted Long-Baily but Starmer will win. The complete absence of a decent candidate is a legacy of the Blair years, a party full of management consultants.

[Tails]

Starmer is the only one remotely electable. Nandy was a close second for me.

[stratton red 77]

We need an effective opposition that the public can believe in and which will call the government to account . Corbyn never had a chance of achieving that, the country for better or worse did not want to go that far to the left.

[Legends-Lounge]

Starmer is the only one remotely electable. Nandy was a close second for me.

I can see it now. A stage, a lectern, a snappily dressed drone in a suit with a red tie of course. A suitable catchy labouresque banner. The three finalists. The drone in a suit drones on thanking everyone yada ,yada. In third place a tie, Keir Starmer, Rebecca Long-Bailey and Lisa Nandy... so the winner is....Jeremy Corbyn. Rapturous applause. Applause dies down. With John McDonald as his deputy.... stunned silence as Jezza and Johno hug each other while giving a thumbs up to McClusky and co from the unions.