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Well, I like Chuka Umuna, he's thoughtful, doesn't ramble, and is razor sharp in a debate. He's a great antidote to the moralistic, morose, repetitive and over earnest chuntering of Andy Burnham, who at one time I supported as the next leader. For me, Umuna is definitely likeable. Perhaps it's because I like an underdog, and Umuna has a fight on his hands to get back to a meaningful position of influence in the party.
William.
Hefty
I think that's probably my point - he's polished, why does he need to be polished? Let's see the craggy bits, let's have someone honest, warts-and-all. If you're polished you're hiding something.
I've said this before on here - I don't think 4m people really agree with Farage, I think they just see him as believable whereas Ed Miliband never was, you had no faith he either knew what he was saying or believed it. He came across as false.
It's like Clarkson and the whole 'he may be a cunt, but at least he says what he thinks' line, I think that's a backlash against polished people, against unbelievable people. If you met Umunna in a pub and he spoke to you like he does on camera or from the benches you'd think he was a bloody weirdo. He's affected and unnatural.
Corbyn ain't. John Major wasn't. Farage isn't. Obama isn't. I don't think I can be accused of thinking that because I agree with those four people, but I do think the public likes them because they are, well, likeable.
Don't underestimate likeable. From the inside political competence, negotiation skills, management ability, leadership and that stuff matters. But from out here, as a shallow lay person, likeable is a real thing. Believable matters. Being fallible and human is more appealing than being polished and word-perfect.
I think the old political guard are wrong. I think the millions of disaffected people, especially young people, could be rallied to get behind someone they believe in. I think if Labour all got behind Jez-Co and got some momentum into the grassroots swell then it might just be a landslide in 2020.
They won't of course, because they are so ensconced inside they can't see it as it's seen from outside.
Still, thefuck do I know? Round here everyone is a comfortably-off middle-class lefty and we've already got a red colour MP so what I hear in the pub won't make a jot of difference. Unless they're saying the same thing in pubs in Corby and Sherwood and Warrington and all the other marginals. They fucking might be.