A personal view

Thanks Daphne. I think Shirley Williams was PM material, but we know which path she chose.
What do you think of Rachel Reeves?

During the Referendum TV programme where Eagle was one of three against Johnson, Leadsum and the Geezer Stuart (joke intended) it got to a point that Eagle was so animated she looked and sounded like someone half-drunk out on a hen night, slanging back any below the belt comments she could muster, along with rent-a-gob Amber Rudd.
Does the Labour Party really think it'll get a woman leader with people like MCDonnell using the F word then saying - he's just an ordinary bloke. I was impressed with the radio account of a female labour party member, almost in tears on the radio, explaining about how Corbyn basically refused to support an action - against abuse. Speaks volumes - they're all working class sexists whose one aim in their miserable lives is to get their hands on hard working tax payers money and do some 'wealth distribution with other peoples sweat'.

Mmm...pink bus feminism.

So far, I'm underwhelmed by Eagle. She's playing the "working class woman and a lesbian to boot" card and I doubt that's going to go down well. Smacks too much of chip on shoulder.

I'm disappointed in Labour women tbh. The Party has had formidable high profile women in the past in Barbara Castle, Betty Boothroyd who have not played The Card.

Theresa May hasn't played The Card, and to be fair, neither did Thatcher.

Not sure that's answering the tweet or not....

Try again

Ooops no it isn't! :-(

This is the message

Does anybody have any views about the second part of the tweet, ie whether Labour could ever have female as leader?

To my mind, Sam Cam is a woman in her own right, with her own life and career, who happens to be the wife of a PM (ok, exPM). I'm not sure why people would want her to present as anything else, tbh. She has nothing to gain, and neither do we. I'm glad she's kept schtum.

I must admit, fan as I am of Gordon Brown, that I thought his wife's posturing as his number one fan was gratuitous and cringe worthy.

I didn't even know Corbyn had a wife and don't much care!

Grrr.... Can't read the article because of the paywall. Can you expand on Janice Turner's views please Bags? What did she actually say?

Other than Cherie Blair I think all PM spouses have kept schtum.
After all it was their husband / wife who was voted in as leader
They are not first Lady/Man as in USA

I think you'll find that she still does!

Fair enough! I don't know much about her, have never heard her speak and haven't heard Cameron talk about her much, although to be honest I don't go out of my way to read personal stuff about them. I've only ever seen pictures of Sam with her husband, looking dutiful. I know that she's a wealthy, well-connected woman in her own right and used to have quite a high-powered job.

Daphne I always got the impression that Sam Cam was inclined to be her own woman and a likely explanation for her not speaking much as the wife of the Prime Minister, could quite simply be that she didn't want to.

I'll have a further think about this, but my first reaction was that I don't think Cameron did show much respect for Sam's talents. I don't think I ever heard her speak in the six years he was Prime Minister, although she is a talented woman in her own right and has done a 'proper job'. My impression is that she's been a dutiful wife and has stood bey her husband (often literally). She certainly hasn't made the impression that Michelle Obama has.

Secondly, it might be true that the current Labour leaders are quite misogynistic, but there have in the past been some quite strong and powerful Labour women. Harriet Harman and Margaret Beckett have both stood in as temporary leaders. Margaret Hodge has ruffled a lot of feathers on the Public Accounts Committee. Yvette Cooper is still an MP (and was tipped by some to be leader) even after her hubby lost his seat. Betty Boothroyd was a fearsome Speaker of the House of Commons and I'm sure I could think of more.

I think all of them could have become Leader of the Labour Party (and possibly PM) if circumstances had been right. Theresa May didn't, after all, have much competitition.