Let's Get Political!

[Arriba]

The candidates are totally underwhelming. I'll get a vote on this and have absolutely no idea who I'll pick. At the moment I probably edging towards not bothering. Anyone close to Corbyn is a definite no. If Labour ever want to be elected again they will have to be barely left of centre. They're currently seen as far left by many people.

[Legends-Lounge]

And elect a leader who can out poll 'don't know' in the approval ratings?

Stand up to the press, I fear she would get absolutely savaged by the press, (she just doesn't have the experience or gravitas), she is already making it very easy with all the bollocks about her dad, making up easily disproved crap is pennies from heaven.

In the run up to the election every person (media wise) and their dog came out of the woodwork to try and discredit both Corbyn and particularly IMHO Johnson, primarily because of the direction he was going regarding brexit. That said and in a way in labours favour we are entering a benign period (notwithstanding the Yanks and the Iranians etc) whereby whoever happens to grab the poisoned chalice does have a number of years to work on offering the government a credible opposition and election challenge. What should worry you labourites is should the conservatives get it right over the five years, the country prospers and everyone has the feel good factor, it is going to be a mammoth ask for labour to gain back much of the 80 seat majority. Choose your leader wisely.

[Abrahammer]

No opposition has ever overturned an 80+ deficit in an election apparently.

RLB will be a disaster, more of the same. I’ll probably vote Phillips but the gobby bird side of her probably won’t appeal to enough people though.

[Batch]

Not even Labour will be stupid enough to go for RLB...

will they?

[Legends-Lounge]

No opposition has ever overturned an 80+ deficit in an election apparently.

RLB will be a disaster, more of the same. I’ll probably vote Phillips but the gobby bird side of her probably won’t appeal to enough people though.

Looks like the Tory millionaire then. More wooden than the Cuprinol man.

[RobertT]

Not even Labour will be stupid enough to go for RLB...

will they?

Idealists tend not to worry too much about practicalities.  It's how someone like Corbyn gets the job - no chance of ever winning a GE, but everyone can be proud they stuck to their principles.

[Wobbly Bob]

A pity that Dan Jarvis won't be running. Maybe next time.

Failing that, Labour could possibly do with finding another electorate friendly phoney Tony (or Toni) type.
Fixed grin optional but preferred.

[horlock07]

Idealists tend not to worry too much about practicalities.  It's how someone like Corbyn gets the job - no chance of ever winning a GE, but everyone can be proud they stuck to their principles.

It says rather a lot that RLB and her supporters have decided that the best way to win the votes of party members is to just continue the policies that led to the worst election result since the 30's.

Starmer seems to be going for the Union vote, which may be a battle with RLB as she only got the Eccles gig off the back of having union support.

I don't have a dog in the fight but purely in terms of who I think the electorate *might* got for and also with the ability to make Johnson look a dick at PMQ's (if he ever does that again, now not been seen for 12 days and counting) I would be inclined to say Starmer as leader with Phillips as deputy?

[Bogus Dave]

Starmer is the only one of the lot who looks even vaguely prime ministerial, which means the Labour Party members won’t elect him

[pauld]

I see the refreshingly expertise free Liz Truss is working her magic to secure one of the first slap downs in trying to negotiate one of those easy as pie post-Brexit trade deals we were promised with Commonwealth countries.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/jan/07/brexit-australian-trade-minister-cant-imagine-visa-free-travel-deal-with-uk

Never mind, there's always Kosovo and Liechtenstein

[Red Frog]

I see the refreshingly expertise free Liz Truss is working her magic to secure one of the first slap downs in trying to negotiate one of those easy as pie post-Brexit trade deals we were promised with Commonwealth countries.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/jan/07/brexit-australian-trade-minister-cant-imagine-visa-free-travel-deal-with-uk

Never mind, there's always Kosovo and Liechtenstein

Who would have guessed the Australians wouldn't be interested in a fire sale right now?

[horlock07]

I see the refreshingly expertise free Liz Truss is working her magic to secure one of the first slap downs in trying to negotiate one of those easy as pie post-Brexit trade deals we were promised with Commonwealth countries.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/jan/07/brexit-australian-trade-minister-cant-imagine-visa-free-travel-deal-with-uk

Never mind, there's always Kosovo and Liechtenstein

I am somewhat surprised that part of the reason we are leaving is due to the free movement in the EU, yet we seem very keen to make such an offer to Australia?

[Red Frog]

I am somewhat surprised that part of the reason we are leaving is due to the free movement in the EU, yet we seem very keen to make such an offer to Australia?

[subtext] The right kind of immigrant. [/subtext]

[Flashheart]

Bringing the public the news they need to know:

I'd expect it from the Mail and the Sun, but it seems now the Torygraph have given up all pretence of being a professional news outlet.

[pauld]

Bringing the public the news they need to know:

I'd expect it from the Mail and the Sun, but it seems now the Torygraph have given up all pretence of being a professional news outlet.

That ship sailed some years ago, started when the Barclay brothers took over and has only gathered pace since. The Telegraph has read like the Express in terms of screaming bile all last year and intensified as they swung behind Johnson's campaign to unseat May and then install him as leader. A shame as it used to be a decent paper.