Could Labour 'split'. Tom Watson calls off talks.

@eloethan

No, I'm not suggesting that parties should tailor its policies around immigration, although Ukip does. However, people DO have real fears, which can't be ignored. There needs to be a concerted effort (in the media, from political parties, etc) to show that immigrants don't 'take our jobs' and aren't terrorists, etc. Racism of any sort needs to be cracked down.

A fascinating article by Owen Jones forecasting what would happen if Corbyn became leader. www.newstatesman.com/politics/2015/08/owen-jones-right-are-mocking-jeremy-corbyn-because-secretly-they-fear-him

I know Anniebach thinks that Labour will make themselves unelectable but I fear the exact opposite. The Blair years and New labour lost Scotland for Labour if Angela Eagle and the PLP continue and win then I fear Labour will lose its support in the North East where people are strongly Corbyn.

I don't know about a fight 'in' the Labour Party Beammeupscottie I think it is a fight 'for' the LP. The last time all that happened was part of the party were suppressed so and explosion was bound to come at some point.

Trisher, you disregard tax credits, mimimum wage, sure start, freedom of information act etc ?

It was the Scottish referendum which cost labour seats, a vote for labour, Tory, Libs meant a vote for power to England

Do you believe labour will win an election because of votes from the north east so the rest of England is't needed ?

Angela Eagle has apparently said that Labour needs a woman leader. I disagree. I think Labour needs a good leader, male or female or even non-gender aligned. In short, I don't think gender matters.

PS I don't think Corbyn is a good leader. He hasn't struck me as being much of a leader at all. This has nothing to do with his political outlook. It's more about his behaviour as a statesman, which leaves rather a lot to be desired.

Scottish labour was in problems way before the referendum Anniebach. I'm not disregarding the things Labour did in power, my post wasn't about that, but about how Labour is perceived. If you can't keep your core supporters going out there and adapting policies to bring in other voters won't be any use at all. No to your question but nor can they win without the North East. Read Owen Jones a clever and radical young man with real incite.

I do not support new labour or far left labour, I support the Labour Party , I say again read up on the 1983 election, the wilderness years which followed, the fight Kinnock had to weaken the far left in the following years, those who support Corbyn are voting for it again.

Trisher you dismissed the Blair years and doing so you dismissed the good which was brought in

Angela Eagle has a brick thrown through her office window so Corbyn responds with - I have had death threats , McDonald spoke of these alleged death threats this morning, not a word before yesterday

Oh come on what's that got to do with the electorability. You can't go back in time only forward. Read Owen Jones about the way forward.

History has a habit of being repeated . And if the past is ignored and left in the past why is there a fear of the rise of the far right in Europe ?

I read the Owen Jones article

It was said this morning there will not be hustings for the labour leader candidates because of the threats so those standing will be interviewed in the studios separately. This will please Corbyn he doesn't 'do' hustings, only single to interviews and momentum rallies. Perhaps hecklers frighten him and this is why he remained silent whilst that female MP was heckled or perhaps as he explained - I wasn't the chairman

I see there are loads of loopholes to joining to vote for cheaper than £25 on Twitter and presumably Facebook. Whether they will be subjected to the same deadline is not clear. If you were looking forward to a fair fight and an end to all this think again. I just hope the Brexit Lawyers are a bit more on the ball and don't leave massive loopholes that the rich can squeeze through.
Meanwhile off to watch DC's last PMQs. I expect a buoyant Corbyn to give him a really good send off.

Anniebach you keep going on about that meeting. At any meeting it is the Chair's responsibility to keep order and in not saying anything Corbyn was just sticking to the rules. He had no more right to speak out than any other person attending that meeting. I have said before that the person doing the rant claims not to have known that the MP was Jewish, now I'm not sure if you are rude to someone who is Jewish but you don't know that can you be accused of anti-semitism?

Trisher,I have not mentioned anti semitism

Really?I expect a buoyant (humming happily) Cameron to give Corbyn a good send off ( not that Corbyn will ever go quietly....... He has such a big mandate doncha know)
Well, the Conservatives have sorted themselves out ( almost) which is good for the country, but the Labour leadership fiasco rumbles ever on.

Crystal ball working well as usual, roses!

I think they both acquitted themselves well and no blood was spilled. It will be business as usual from tomorrow.

As for Labour's leadership contest it will brighten up the summer.

Not if your canvassing Devorgilla

I will be. I started walking more recently and brought my cholesterol down by 1.3 points so canvassing should buy me loads of brownie points with the doctor. I will be a sliver of my former self.

Good for you , enjoy

Smiling at Cameron's Monty Python joke about the knight hacked to pieces and still proclaiming "it's only a flesh wound" made me think of "The Life of Brian" apropos Corbyn

"He's not the Messiah, he's just a very naughty boy".

I have to smile at the comments on the Andrea Leadsom thread and how 'disgusting 'she was for making motherhood an issue, Anniebach you even called her a 'cow' and a'bitch'. Eloethan called her 'Underhand and bigotted' Daphnedil 'Shallow and spiteful' Jalima agreed.

Perhaps she should have tried the well known John McDonnel 'I WAS ONLY JOKING'

What do those who believe Corbyn and McDonnel have brought about a kinder, friendlier way of doing politics think about the mature , friendly politician John McDonnell who calls his fellow Labour MP's Plotters Conivors and 'Fucking Useless'. Alongside PCS Union Leader Mark Serwotka calling Labour Lord Kinnock "A disgrace to Wales" telling him to 'piss off'.

www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/john-mcdonnell-brands-labour-rebels-fing-useless-during-rally-backing-jeremy-corbyn-a3294516.html

This would be the same John McDonnel who has tried to say he was only joking but has previous form trying to pass off his kinder, friendlier way of doing politics doesn't as 'just joking' doesn't he.

Who can forget John McDonnel and his words over Conservative Esther McVey , (she had to endure a dirty election campaign). He said this :-

"I was up in Liverpool a fortnight ago, where Alec McFadden, one of our [union] organisers, launched the Sack Esther McVey Day on her birthday.

“I spoke at a packed public meeting … there was a whole group in the audience that completely kicked off quite critical of the whole concept, because they were arguing: ‘Why are [we] sacking her? Why aren’t we lynching the bastard?”’ IT WAS A JOKE he said.

His words on Margaret Thatcher:-

"I would like to go back to the 1980s and assassinate Thatcher.”

Campaigning to be Labour leader in 2010. IT WAS A JOKE he said.

Well I would like to see Labour decide whether their Shadow Chancellor has the stature to be the possible Chancellor of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom one day or become a favourite on the Comedy Circuit.

I don't remember agreeing that Leadsom was underhand and bigoted, but I believe you. I actually thought she was a fraud and just not up to the job, which is why I still wonder if she was a puppet with somebody else pulling her strings, but what do I know?

You seem to be implying that I'm not critical of John McDonnell. You're wrong, but nobody has started a thread on him. Whenever I read anything about the shenanigans of the Labour Party and the various groups within it, I shake my head and am very grateful that I no longer have to do playground duty.

I remember the 'Sack Esther McVey' campaign and I read some of the threatening comments on the Liverpool Echo website. I must admit that I had no time for McVey, but the abuse she suffered was appalling. It can NEVER be a joke to talk about lynching, assassination, etc. because such language legitimises the actions after a while. As we know, characters like Jo Cox's murderer go the whole way and those who have been whipping up hatred then deny all responsibility. Some of the language and threats I see on social media appalls me, but I don't know what can be done. It's why I don't agree with unlimited free speech. It it is not right that politicians in the public eye should receive death threats. It's bullying, plain and simple, I agree with you that people who say things like McDonnell did should have been reprimanded and possibly charged.

Neil Kinnock, the man who served the longest as leader of the opposition without ever winning an election, is really in no position to adjudicate on how the Labour Party should behave.

Kinnock was known for his tub thumping speeches (and, having listened to the speech that someone recently posted on here where he shouts and blusters, to the accompaniment of table banging, he hasn't changed much.) I don't suppose anyone will forget his pre-election presidential-style performance, which left me (and I'm sure many other Labour supporters) squirming with unease and embarrassment at the sight of his egotistical, undignified and wholly misplaced triumphalism.

I think most Labour Party supporters would acknowledge that the Blair government certainly did do some good things - they could hardly have done worse than their predecessors who were, as now, wrecking public services. Sure Start was a great thing, and the repairing/rebuilding of schools and hospitals that were falling into serious disrepair was obviously needed. However, the continuation of the privatisation agenda - particularly in relation to public/private finance initiatives that were used to carry out these renewals - were, in my view, a very bad idea, from which we are now suffering. And the introduction of academies has enabled this government to prevent local councils from having any input into the educational needs of their own neighbourhoods and to incur a great deal of expense in introducing "free" schools into areas that sometimes don't need more school places.