Labour Leadership 2016

In, my parliamentary party hated me anyway. As did the members.

Sure. Just so you know, fees have just gone up, roughly, 8 times their previous cost.

Luckily that fee was zero.

Can I vote you out for 8*0?

If you try I'll take you to court.

Fuck this, I'm starting my own party. And my party will have alcohol.

A member of the Communist Party once told me that after the revolution we wouldn't need alcohol.

Needless to say, their attempts to recruit me failed spectacularly in that instance.

Only because it would be renamed Maolcohol, surely.

Marx loved the booze.

we wouldn't need alcohol>

What was the reason for that?

Workers bliss.

The workers wouldn't need the escape of alcohol once the revolution had come.

They'd be too busy taking speed. Lotsofworktodogetitdonemustworkhardermustworkfasterworkworkcomrades

I don't like alcohol, doesn't agree with me. Can we have Dutch coffeeshops please?

Cross them with pubs for people that like both. We may need more taxis to get people home but there will be fewer fights after closing time saving the NHS 350 million a week.

I promise hand built wheels for everyone :p

No more whisky slurs?

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jul/26/labour-mp-seema-malhotra-claim-corbyn-office-violation-not-rule-breach-speaker

When is the leadership election? This is a mess.

Maolcohol

Crushingly good

Imagine if Corbyn talked this passionately
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a-hB-4h6_s

Owen Smith's policy outline. I think he's come up with more policy ideas in two weeks than Corbyn has in 12 months.

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wait - socialism is ok so long as the person touting it is a snappy dresser and not called jeremy corbyn?

still no mention of immigration.

Got a letter from my MP (John Cryer) answering a couple of questions I've asked recently. One about higher education which I doubt most are interested in, the other about his thoughts on a progressive alliance. Here's his response:

I have just been listening to Paddy Ashdown talking about the notion of a "progressive coalition" and it sounded like the Lib Dems Mark 2, in which I have little interest. I am much more concerned about former Labour voters who supported Brexit, in many cases because they feel disenfranchised and alienated. The "progressive coalition," as far as I can see, will have little appeal to those who feel they have lost control of their own destinies."

This is disappointing, but I suspect it's the position that most Labour MPs hold. Ironically, it seems to be ideological rather than pragmatic - the type of thing critics of Corbyn would attack him for. I think there needs to be recognition that that they can't win in 2020 trying to rerun 2015 (or earlier). The maths of the situation are entirely against them.

(Also, I had to Google what he was on about re: Ahsdown - this news completely missed me: http://uk.businessinsider.com/paddy-ashdown-has-launched-a-tech-driven-political-startup-called-more-united-2016-7 - it's actually quite interesting)

Interested in the higher education question

Surprised no one has posted this yet -

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jul/25/jeremy-corbyn-populist-democracy-mps

yes me also

i am NOT interested in the higher education question

#hadenoughofexperts

re: HE - it was an expression of concern re: the second reading of the Higher Education and Research Bill (UCU sent out a message asking members to bug their MPs about it - to ensure they oppose it, and if they do oppose it, to make sure they show up and vote).

Essentially it was raising concerns about overhauling HE this soon after the Brexit vote, urging for reflection on how to ensure universities continue to receive funding that may be lost, concerns about tuition and marketisation, etc.. (that is, the thing directly addressed in the bill).

His response on that was expected: we don't support the bill and will vote against it.

owen's supporters look like a lol-a-minute lot. LABOUR'S FUTURE! WOO! YEAH!

I think this is quite good.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jul/27/jeremy-corbyn-labour-party-leader-crisis?CMP=share_btn_tw

So let me be clear – Corbyn is the best candidate because, in his own way, he understands some of the economic and moral challenges we face, and is the product of a deep desire for something new.

But let me also be clear that electing Corbyn, in and of itself, is necessary but far from sufficient. As well as again electing him a whole set of other meaningful relationships and ideas need to be put in place.

Firstly, we in the PLP must build meaningful relationships whichever leader we’re backing – because there is no perfect leader. Johnny Reynolds and I did it recently: two colleagues from supposedly different wings of the party who recognise the game has changed and that Labour needs to change with it. That means a broad-based internal alliance of all who recognise this and want to see both electoral reform and broader, progressive cross-party alliances.

Such progressive alliances are now essential not just because that is the only way we can beat the Tories but because that is the way we will make better decisions and take more of the country with us. Frankly, I want to be in government with Caroline Lucas, not against her – and certainly not in permanent opposition.

...

Ultimately, though, we have to be honest with ourselves. Corbyn’s leadership has struggled. There are good reasons for this – not least the almost permanent attack from the media and sections of the PLP, which have been destabilising from day one. But we must also acknowledge that the leadership of the party has not been good enough yet – that is Corbyn’s fault, just as much as it is mine and my colleagues. Alliances have not yet been built; big ideas have not yet been developed.

I've supported Corbyn in the past, and I still support his politics - but there's no way he can unite even his own party enough to challenge in a GE. He's been a divisive element in the PLP from the get-go; why on earth would his party rally around a man who had tried to undermine pretty much every labour leader he's served under?
Additionally, winning almost no press support. Yes, that is partly the fault of the press and those pulling the strings of the press, but it's hugely important. Twitter/facebook doesn't have half the effect we think it does - just look at the 2015 election and the Brexit vote. I think if you can have Corbyn in a senior cabinet position, under a slightly more centrist and marketable leader, you'd be onto something.