Corbyn and No Confidence

JessM , Corbyn refused to join tv debates

A Jewish friend of mine, someone who has been an active member of the Labour party for 40 plus years talked with anger and sorrow about Corbyn's behaviour and comments at the anti semitism meeting. My friend does not support the Israeli prime minister or the governments actions towards the Palestinians but is in despair about the way the Jewish community is treated and spoken of by many on the left, including JC.

Iam, I was shocked the way Corbyn just watched and listened to the .jewish MP being heckled , he just watched and kept silent , and at a meeting to announce the findings of anti semitism report , no one could make it up.

Anniebach the answer is 'no', and that doesn't just apply to Labour. The recent referendum was all about main stream conservatives trying to appease their right-wing, and really very little to do with Europe.

But while Labour are split internally. The Conservatives have split the country, implicitly sanctioning divisions across our social structure; young against old, north against south, zenophobia against anyone whose colour, accent or name is not obviously British, which is far worse.

To govern the country a political party has to persuade/convince the majority of politically non-aligned voters to vote for them. The Conservatives do seem to have got that message in their leadership contest. Labour, unfortunately, has not.

MOnica, the labour MP's got it as soon as Corbyn was elected, grassroots members such as me didn't . I have watched and listened and for me I now accept we haven't a hope of winning an election , in fact with the loss of Scot labour, and the changing of boundaries before the next election plus the loss of seats because the party is in turmoil, we will be lucky if we can form a weak oposition party .

ab I didn't mean nous to mean intelligence, if you took it to mean that I thought loyal party members lacked intelligence, I most certainly didn't and perhaps I should have used a different word, blame my use of the English language.

I think the term Floating Voters' was coined about 30 years ago so not my phrase, as for them forming a party - it would only add to the existing chaos as they would not necessarily all be floating in the same direction.

I think the unelectability of Labour severely damages our democracy, which works on having a majority ruling party and a strong opposition to challenge them.

That challenge doesn't just come from having a good following in the country, but also a team, not just a leader, who can mount an effective challenge to the government in the parliamentary chamber and in the many committees that run behind it. However a good team needs a good leader and currently the Labour party has neither.

As an outsider, the only MP with any leadership skills that I can see is Hilary Benn. He is showing these skills at the moment by keeping his head down and not getting involved in the current shenanigans.

He knows that Labour will need to have one more leader after Corbyn, and that he/she will have to stand down after the party loses the next election. He can then come forward as someone not involved in the infighting who can make Labour an electable party again.

ab and monica, it's certainly sad to watch the Labour Party in such a mess. My dad would be distraught.

Jalima, seems there is divide in Wales and England even when English is being spoken. I am use to nous being used when describing a person who is not the brightest coin in the mint , I did flare up but hope you now understand why. And I was startled that you would use an insult - but you didn't .

Floating voters I am so use to, when telephone canvassing I use Lab/Lib/Tory/Plaid/floating in my notes

I am inclined to float away from them all at the moment.

I agree again MOinica, if Corbyn is replaced as leader the next leader will have to do as Kinnock did and bring the party together again. Mandelson knew what had to be done and was ruthless, Brown put the party first even though he would have won the vote if there had been a contest. Oh that Corbyn would do the same. If Angela Eagle does stand I think she will do so for the party

Anniebach

I can't help but think of all the arguing that took place on the Anti-Semitism in the Labour Party and Universities thread.

I will not be churlish and go against the findings of Shami Chakrabarti's report but I will say I found it bemusing she stepped in to defuse the disagreement between a labour activist attacking a Labour MP, Ruth Smeeth ,not Corbyn. Also she passed him notes at the Select Committee hearing, why?

I thought to bump it and put the incident with Labour MP Ruth Smeeth and Corbyn's dire handling before the Home Affairs Select Committee as an update . The irony of what has happened so recently cannot be missed by many.

I am fed up with the conspiracy theories and in-fighting in the Labour Party. When Corbyn was elected I voted for him with my £3 vote and I am not a member of Momentum, but I can understand how they grew out of a dissatisfaction with a LP virtually indistinguishable from the Tories. I liked Corbyn's honesty and the things he was saying chimed with me. Labour was weak during the coalition government, and didn't oppose strongly enough the swingeing cuts in benefits or public services. The poorest were definitely the losers and we certainly weren't "all in it together". I was also horrified by the reorganisation of the NHS, the damaging effects of which we are still suffering. After Jo Cox died during the vitriolic EU campaign, I decided to join the LP as a full member but I am now conflicted. My heart is with Corbyn but pragmatically I know that a left winger like him will never succeed in unifying the party or winning a general election. I am also uneasy about his sidekick McDonnell. I realise, as I think Anniebach has said that the leader cannot be greater than the party. I just hope there is an MP who can heal rifts and unify the party, motivate members and appeal to a broader group of disaffected voters. I just don't know who. IMO there is a lot of nonsense spoken about leadership qualities such as charisma etc. I remember past superficial media judgements on leadership candidates, involving physical appearance or mode of dress, regardless of other attributes. The public is quick to pick up on this and the media will descend like vultures and rip anyone to shreds who does not meet with their approval.

Jalima, seems there is divide in Wales and England even when English is being spoken. I am use to nous being used when describing a person who is not the brightest coin in the mint anniebach my DM used to say 'use your nous' or 'use your noddle' when I couldn't make up my mind.

Anyway, the conversation has moved on now!

DB tells me he voted Labour despite Corbyn and I think he is not the only one.

POGS, the appearance before the select committee yesterday left me in tears ,to excuse his silence with 'I was not the chairman' disgusted me . I have said I did not make a mistake by voting for Corbyn, I had changed my mind. Now I have changed my mind again sorry. I made a bloody big mistake , how could he sit there in silence and watch and listen to Ruth Smeeth being verbally attacked , she burst into tears and he still just sat there , shame on him .

Lazigirl, there will be a leader who will strengthen the party again . If there is s contest now I would think only one will stand against Corbyn so as not to split the vote . Tom Watson is meeting the union leaders today, that I would love to hear

If May is PM and IF Corbyn stands down , labour will need a woman leader, this narrows the field , who?

I don't think it's necessary for the Labour Party to have a female leader. I would rather have the best person for the job. I don't see gender as relevant.

I understand Angela Eagle and Owen Smith are now at each others' throats. I give up!

I wish that our Jewish friend (*Venus*) would come back and read this thread, as she would be very pleased, to see a change of heart, she was heckled herself on the Anti-semitism in Labour and Universities thread!Perhaps it should be 'bumped' and read by everyone as you say POGS.

As there are now 80% of Labour MP's calling for Corbyn to stand down, you would think he realised that the time was right to go.But no, not he!

And there's no point his hanging on for the Chilcot Report, as it appears that Teflon Tony is immune from prosecution (unlike our troops!).

Rosesarered, only POGS and I have spoken of the anti semitism findings, I have no idea what POGS views are on it but I haven't changed my views. I spoke of a female MP being heckled and .Corbyn not saying a word. Did the heckler say anything which causes you to think it was anti Semitic?

No one in the house can arrest Blair for anything, they can give their opinions ,

Daphne, not all male MP's are as ill mannered as Cammeron, Kinnock had problems with thatcher didn't he?