Labour now

Good question, Morgana. The Labour Party seems a tad confused about what its values and vision are. In the end, it has to compromise if it's going to be effective and anybody who can't accept the compromises needs to leave.

Unless there's a revolution, British politics is going to remain somewhere in the centre. The Conservatives are drifting to a more extreme right-wing position, because they can get away with it and has a bickering opposition. They've also had hundreds of years of practice in keeping up the appearance of unity.

Perhaps the LP needs to practise a bit of that. Or better still, actually achieve some unity.

ab, try not to rise to these infantile comments. dj, as we are endlessly told is a person of many talents, that some of us can only dream of attaining. A lot of us on here know exactly what you mean and wouldn't dream of insulting your intelligence (or you). Even though we might harbour a different opinion, which lets face it at times we all do,I hope we manage to do this while maintaining common courtesy.

Please don't rise to the bait * annie* it only gives them another excuse to be nasty and infantile.
Believe me when I say most caring people on here know where your coming from ( even if you might not have an 'ology')

They are right, Annie. No need to tell us what you believe in. It won't make any difference if you do, you won't get rid of Corbyn. It will only make you more bitter.

My questions haven't been bait petra. I genuinely want to know what annie believes in. Jen linked to an article by Debbie Abrahams, who knows as much as most about the hardships faced by poor and vulnerable people, but annie thought it wasn't worth reading. There are other Labour MPs who are doing their job, too, despite not supporting Corbyn as a person.

I just remembered that you were a Labour voter petra, so maybe you can tell me what the Labour Party believes in, if it's not caring about the poor and vulnerable.

I'm a floating voter, who has always used her vote, so I have a vote up for grabs, if anybody can persuade me they can use it well. I'm not impressed by Labour supporters who constantly carp about their Labour, however much I personally think he's a plonker. I'm still looking for policies.

Wow, what on earth has ab done to you dj to make you so venomous towards her? Having a genuine concern for social problems and the political party supported for a lifetime, must be something to be applauded, not sneered at. Unbelievable!

daphnedil

" Conservatives are drifting to a more extreme right-wing position"

Can you give examples please.

daphnedil

Are you really a floating voter, I honestly did not know that.
In all honestly I thought you too have declared to being Lib Dem on various threads.

It gets very confusing on GN at times.

I do wish that posters would stop demanding things from other posters all the time.

We don't have to say what policies we want, or why, too much demanding is intrusive.

Please would all the caring people on GN who know where Anniebach is coming from explain it to me. She posts constantly about her belief in the Labour Party but condemns many of its members and many of its supporters as Trots, lefties and other terms which I assume she considers are abusive. She bemoans the loss of a Scotland as a Labour stronghold but seems unaware that a left wing, anti-austerity party ousted them. She wants to get rid of a democratically elected leader because she dislikes him, but apparently can't say which of his policies she disagrees with, it is purely personal. Oh I know she has years of working for the Labour Party, knows everyone from Gordon Brown to Keir Hardy and is constantly informing us of her credentials I just don't understand what she wants the party to do. Cast all so-called lefties into the wilderness?

Hello ANA Just a couple of answers as to where the money would be found for:
Stopping the bedroom tax: If someone has to move out of a two bedroom social housing property, there is very often no suitable one bedroom property in the social housing sector, so that person has to move into private accomadation which will be a higher rent, so it actually costs more in housing benefit.
A rent cap: This would also most likely reduce the housing benefit bill.
Stopping zero hours contracts would not cost the Government any more money. It would cost the companies a loss of profits and maybe we would have to pay a little more for some services like delivery or taxis, but I would feel that a price worth paying really.
Yes, building council houses would cost money but that would eventually be repaid in rent. Previous council houses would have paid for themselves by now if it wasn't for the Right to Buy.
I do apologise if the question was not addressed to me, I am still a posting beginner and perhaps do not quite understand the etiquette yet. I hope I am treating you all with respect.

I know tbat ab would like the Labour Party to win the next election, but with its present leader that would appear to be impossible. If the Tories had for their leader some one who was clearly a looser, (why would anyone want that?!!) I would certainly be clamouring for their removal, and demanding that a more appealing person to the electorate be put in their place. I can see exactly where ab is coming from and how frustrating it must be for people like her who want to look forward to the prospect of Labour government, which at the moment is a distant pipe dream!

Sorry, Ilovecheese but I dont't know which post of mine you're replying to, although I have looked back over the past day.

I agree about the bedroom tax - it's ridiculous. But the government can't just 'stop zero hour contracts' just like that.

Sorry ANA It was about where does the money to pay for those things come from. Your question might not even have been addressed to me!!!

Hello Ilovecheese, I agree with your comments about 'where the money would come from'.

I am becoming sick of what I see as hounding of Anniebach. Yes, I know Annie can take and give a lot of stick. She and I have often disagreed about politics but as is obvious from other political threads, she and I agree about the disaster that is JC as a Labour leader. Without going into chapter and verse, I don't disagree with many of his policies but I do not believe he'll ever win an election, or lead an effective party of opposition.

For the Labour MP Cat (can't recall last name) to claim that the loss of Copeland somehow reflected how well Labour is doing was beyond parody. The fact Labour hung on to Stoke is a relief, given the poor campaign run to Ukip, who many saw as the possible winners in this 'Leave" area.

I despair.

Iam64 if you are including me in the "hounding" of Annie I suggest you take a careful look at the posts. She has in the past called me "Trot" and a "Leftie' and then berated me for admitting I was a floating voter. I am not hounding her I am simply trying to find out what sort of a Labour Party she wants. As far as I can see she is unprepared to state her real views, only to criticise others. There isn't going to be a leader election because no one wants the job at the moment, so much as you might dislike it Corbyn is likely to stay. It might be better to accept this for now and move on.

Trisher The 'lefties' surrounding Corbyn don't need to be cast into the wilderness.....
They are going willingly, and have packed their tents, torches and have a thermos ready.They may not be back for a long time.
That is what concerns ab and many other Labour voters.

And it was the very personal and offensive posts which upset Annie so much - there's no excuse, it wasn't a new poster.

Move on certainly.

What a relief to hear that I am not the only 'floating voter'
I have been berated for that in the past on GN even though I gave my reasons.

Politicians do have to compromise, dilute their policies, on occasion if they want to get into government.
And like it or not, they do need to have a charisma or at least be personable to appeal to the electorate in order to win.

Daniel Blake may have a message but it is fiction nonetheless.

rosesarered No it doesn't Annie has posted many times that she would like to see left wingers silenced and their influence removed from the party.
It isn't a question of casting anyone into the wilderness simply a matter of creating a party with a real alternative to austerity, the destruction of public services, and the privatisation of the NHS. No one is standing as a replacement for Corbyn, no one will so why not just get on with things and stop moaning.
It is interesting that some who are so insistent that the Brexit vote must be followed because it is democratic, fail to apply the same standard to a leadership election which was won so much more decisively.

The Labour Party cannot move on though, until it recognises what the problems are and acts accordingly.

Stubbornness does not win elections

I want trots , communists and the far left in the wilderness