Beginning to distrust Jeremy Corbyn

On what grounds specifically do you think Farron is a first class pillock?

Have we come to expect charisma , charm, class etc from leaders ? I don't mean upper/middle/working when I say class , can't think of the right word!

Classiness?

Thank you Ana, yes classiness, don't mean public school, damn it, that extra something .Who?

Perhaps a woman?

I think we expect an ability to lead from leaders. It's a very difficult quality to define. Think back to managers you've had in the past and try to work out which ones inspire and command respect. It isn't always for the same reasons.

Liberal Politicians are too nice to really play an important part in Politics to-day. Polarisation is taking place and the tough nuts from left and right are fighting for supremacy. It's a fearful worried world we live in which spawns this. The Labour party is fighting for it's left to middle ground but has it's back is to the wall. It needs to really turn against the militants but seems to lack the will.

Justin Trudeau seems to be doing OK - so far. I realise he isn't a Liberal in the British sense, but he is centre ground in Canada.

Angela Merkel is centre right, but is pretty tough. She has a reputation in Germany for sitting on the fence, but she's lasted a long time.

Labour hasn't lost the will to fight Militants, doing it is damn difficult, just look how Corbyn, McDonald and Momentum work, Corbyn races to the courts , he learned from his fight to keep militants in the party in the eighties , he failed then but this time around he is craftier

Ability to lead is tops but there is more to being a leader ?

UK leader Daphne?

Hmmm......

I suspect there are people on Labour back benches, who aren't being nurtured and given positions of responsibility to show they can lead.

Wonder why Chukka withdrew from the leadership contest

Wasn't it something to do with the pressure the press would put on his girlfriend?

Has Corbyn got a wife? Have I missed the usual Press attacks on the wife?

I think Chukka came across as too smarmy. I don't think he was that popular with the PLP.

Beammeupscottie yes, he has a younger wife (his third)

I think Chukka was too urbane and smooth (yes, probably smarmy).

I'm not sure they need charm or charisma as such, but they certainly need to have the ability to make people sit up and take notice, to listen without getting bored, to command respect, to have empathy and in fact to come across as likeable, even if likeable is not essential to get the job done.
Leadership qualities.

They need to have a good TV image too. Whatever Gordon Brown had said or done, I don't think he could have won the 2010 election, because he seemed like a grumpy old bear.

The media was critical of Ed Miliband, which I think was often unfair. If you unpicked what he said, he had some good ideas (which Theresa May has apparently lifted), but he was too 'intellectual' and didn't express himself succinctly.

Attlee is often seen as one of the 20th century's greatest PMs, but he was in reality quite an unassuming man without much charisma. He was probably lucky that the country wanted change after WW2 and he promised to deliver it. I suspect his strength was that he had some good people working for him and let them get on with it.

We should be careful of charismatic leaders. Hitler was undeniably charismatic, but I don't think we want a leader like him!

Corbyn is speaking here next week so I can check out him and his "charisma" first hand, and also the atmosphere at the meeting. Will let you know if I am the oldest person there.

Gordon Brown is lovely, great sense of humour, lovely warm smile , and such compassion, problem was he couldn't do tv . Think of his list of girls friends before Sarah, I assure you that man can charm and is genuine too ,

Thinking of many MP's over the years , we need another Nye Bevan , show Corbyn a leader can be to the left but also be honest, quick of tongue, great wit and would take snyone on, didn't need protection from aids, would never, ever be a stooge and wouldn't need the likes of Momentum to gather crowds, people travelled miles to hear him speak on a mountainside.

Today, it is all in the image. I wish they would only broadcast election debates and speeches by radio or voice over TV. That way people would actually listen to the message instead of summing up how they look.
To those of you who are following the campaign I see from Facebook and Twitter that Hornsey and Wood Green, the largest constituency party in the country, has backed Owen Smith. They went for Jeremy Corbyn last time.

That's good news Devo, Corbyn will win the leadership again but if the court rules in favour of the party today we will have some idea of how high his popularity is now, I wish it was rock bottom and still drilling but that isn't going to happen

Hornsy and Wood Green. Perhaps the Jewish community are fighting back.