Labour now

Incidentally both Roses & Ana know I'm a Labour voter DJ

Just because I don't agree with the rabid leftism I see on this forum doesn't mean my socialist principles are compromised.

There you go again, rabid leftism. Why is left thinking always rabid? Any rabid Tories that you see on the forum? I've seen much more rabid rightwing thinking. Fortunately some of them have been asked to leave.
Your socialist principles don't count as you were not on the thread when I asked how many Tories and Labour, and Ana kindly gave up 20 minutes of her time to count for me.

You are too predictable DJ

Calm down dear!!

I'm just pointing out to some that other brands of socialism are available. But I just love your dismissal of me by saying my 'socialist principles don't count' ....Taken out of context perhaps or a Freudian slip

Fortunately some of them have been asked to leave.

What - all one of them?

Just a word of caution about what Kaufman has to say about his own constituency. Nearly 30% are students. It has one of the lowest adults in work percentages in the country at 44%.

DD lived there for four years and she had little idea who Kaufman was, despite being a member of the Labour Party.

Admittedly Kaufman had been ill for some time, but his parliamentary record even before then was poor. It's no wonder that Momentum gained a lot of ... err ... momentum.

Gorton is a rock solid, ultra-safe Labour seat and many people felt that they'd been taken for granted.

Kaufman had voted for student fees, so he was lucky that the LDs were even more unpopular. Before 2015, there had been a reasonable LD vote, but it totally collapsed in 2015.

POGS, I did enjoy watching the interview with Gerald, yes a tear or two, but I felt vindicated, he said what I have been prattling about for months, a party has to reach out to millions not just core supporters .

" Any rabid Tories that you see on the forum? I've seen much more rabid rightwing thinking. Fortunately some of them have been asked to leave. "

Who's baiting ' again '

If anyone is still interested, or counting the number of Labour voters on this thread - include my vote. I've voted Labour since I was old enough to vote, in both local and general elections. The exception was one local election in the early 70's, when our GP, Dentist and Pharmacist stood as Liberal candidates. I voted for them because I liked their policies and trusted them because I knew them all well.

Daphne dill, I know gorton well because I know several teachers there, worked with children and families in that area of Manchester and know Fallowfield well because I have friends living there. Gorton is generally a deprived area which has always been home to the latest wave of immigrants. Schools there have classes of 5 -6 year olds, none of whom have English as a first language and the majority of whom arrive with no English but soon pick it up. There is a sizeable population of Roma gypsies. A number of the older boys managed to get a good enough education once they arrived in England to now be studying at MMU. I've heard some of these young men speak about the way their were excluded socially and educationally in their home country and how much they appreciate and value their experiences here. I expect they are registered to vote so will take part in the by election.
I do hope that the LP field an excellent candidate to replace Kaufman. I share daphned's view that Gorton has been a rock solid safe Labour seat, in which people feel taken for granted.

Leigh is as white as any English town can be. It's typical of many small northern towns, high levels of unemployment and social deprivation. Andy Burnham has been a popular MP there. I can't imagine anyone other than the LP winning that seat.

daphnedil

" Just a word of caution about what Kaufman has to say about his own constituency. Nearly 30% are students. It has one of the lowest adults in work percentages in the country at 44%."

I don't understand your point!

I thought Kaufman was pragmatic about his constituency in the clip .

The point I was making was that he was being quite hypocritical. He took his own constituency for granted, so wasn't the best person to preach to others about connecting with constituents.

I don't know Gorton. So all these students which are a threat have only arrived in Gorton since 2015.

I assume so because 2015 Kaufman won with 28,000 votes, greens second with 4,000

One thing he was not was hypocritical

It's not the far left philosophy I'm describing as 'rabid' - I've read plenty of far left supporters whose posts are rational and persuasive - it's the deliberately confrontational language that is unnecessary.

That would be the same for the far right too, should it apply.

Amen to that Anya
I don't mind what politics a person has....it's the confrontational attitude and language that is so off putting.

What do you think about John McDonnell and his 'Soft Coup Warning'? He must be assured of what he says it's hardly back of a fag packet jottings

I know he has reportedly took his words back but I'm sorry too late , the inquisition has started.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/labour-coup-soft-jeremy-corbyn-john-mcdonnell-copeland-by-election-results-brexit-a7601466.html

I had vowed not to interact with you annie but you cannot assume much from Googling (as you've told me).

I'm afraid Kaufman was not very well thought of as a constituency MP. He might have been good when he was younger, but in his latter years he was conspicuous by his absence, even before he was ill.

He had a safe Labour seat and he knew it. You might recall that the LDs lost the student vote in 2015 as a result of the raising of tuition fees. That's why Kaufman's percentage rose - at the expense of the LDs.

Manchester Withington, which is the neighbouring constituency and also has a large student population, lost a good LD to Labour as a result of the tuition fees. DD canvassed in that ward and the issue came up time and time again. The 2015 students were the first cohort who had to pay the higher fees.

Kaufman might have been a well-known national MP, but he would not have hung on in a marginal seat if he'd actually had to fight.

Expected, the Sun is now in a plot to attack Corbyn , were they supporting him ? A good ploy to have voters think- poor Jeremy now Blair is plotting with murdoc , good timing McDonald

POGS until I read your link I thought you meant McDonnell was masterminding a bloodless [?] revolution.
He has given the waters a stir and will now leave others to see how far the ripples go.
He's much more dangerous than Corbyn.

2010 Lab 19,000

Libs. 12,000

2005. Lab 15,000

Lib. 9,000

2001. Lab - 17,000

Libs 5,000

Interesting figures, those, Annie.
Kaufmannhad 22-24000 votes in all the votes before those you gave. The first Blair one was 23000, then it went down to 17,000 then 15,000. I wonder why that was.

Apparently McDonnell ( or Old McDonald ) doesn't have a farm but does have a little red book full of jottings , the latest one grumbling about a coup ( a soft one, as opposed to a hard, head cracking one) but no sooner had he released these thoughts into the ether, then he was forced ( by some spin doc) to retract them.Sounds painful,and it probably was.

I wonder who will stand for UKIP.

Clive Lewis says the same.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/feb/27/clive-lewis-denies-registering-websites-for-labour-leadership-bid

There are people behind the scenes who are stirring it and trying to engineer more problems for Labour.

They did it to Harold Wilson; now they are doing it to Corbyn and more in the open, because social media allows it.

It's the ' Dark Lord ' or as some might say who were threatened with deselection 'Karma'

Sounds painful,and it probably was. I just bought a packet of nice soft prunes, perhaps I should post them to him.

be great if it were true and a success