Sensible discussion on Labour Leadership hopefuls

Starmer is the only contender to have the number of MP’s
so far, the others are some numbers short .

Unison has said it is supporting Starmer , they want labour
to return to government.

Anyone who really wants Labour to come within sniffing chance of winning the next election ( long time though that may be) has to ditch a future leader who says that Corbyn ran a 10/10 campaign.

The leader of the opposition needs to have some statesman(or woman) like qualities to present as a potential future PM. Not many of the candidates show this. Keir Starmer has some gravitas but the rest not really. I warm to Lisa Nandy bit not sure she has the experience.
Why did LP lose the last GE, they got their campaign strategy wrong.

Unison was my Union of choice when I worked in the NHS. I always felt Unite was quite militant.

This is what Lewis said:

I couldn’t conceive of any circumstance where I would. Think about what you’re doing, you’re wiping out millions of women and children and probably consigning the planet to perpetual night, darkness, death, famine, destruction. Why would any politician want to boast about pushing the nuclear destruction of billions of people on this planet?

I find that quite difficult. I could not conceive of a situation where I would push the button.

Seems perfectly reasonable to me.

I agree with you 100% Maizie. I've posted info before, but London really isn't universally wealthy. It's the most unequal city in the UK and has one of the highest percentages of people living in poverty. Even the much-maligned Islington has over 30% of its population living in poverty. Some people in London live in hovels that people I other parts of the country wouldn't even consider. I think the difference is that London has a younger population and more opportunities with a more diverse economy. The divisiveness was deliberately stoked up, based on decades of tribalism, stereotyping and envy.

Anniebach Does Unison have more votes than UNITE (it has slightly more members)?

Grandad I don't do tit for tat mud slinging and dragging up history. In any case, I feel homeless from a party political perspective, but you don't "allow" flip floppers.

Urmstongran Militant in what way?

In the late 80’s & early 90’s they were always calling for ballots for strike action and work to rule. I just remember they were more bellicose.

I’m coming to the conclusion that this Labour leadership contest is exactly the same as a tin of Quality Street (other chocolates are available) at the end of Christmas, with all the ones left that nobody wants. It doesn't matter how many times you swirl between the chocolates that are there, it's always the same disappointing choice left over.

Seems perfectly reasonable to me.

Perfectly reasonable for the man in the street MaizieD but not at all acceptable for a wannabe future Prime Minister. It is the PM's job to protect and defend the UK and its population by any and all means, including nuclear weapons if that becomes necessary. By admitting to any potential enemy that he would not be willing to use nuclear weapons, Clive Lewis has immediately played into their hands and given them the advantage. An enemy has to BELIEVE that a weapon will be used, if it is to be any kind of deterrent. If he was elected, Lewis has already made us the underdog in any future potential war, without setting foot into No 10! Hopefully the public will never put him or his like there again.

Unison is also backing Angela Rayner for the deputy leadership.

Urmstongran I wonder if that was because Unite was seen as more masculine than Unison (whether true or not) and therefore more militant.

You could well be right on that point ILC.

I agree Urmstongran the candidates are weak, no big guns ,
most have only been MP’s for a few years .

The deputy leader candidates- the same

This is what Corbyn and the far left have done to the party.

Just looked membership numbers up.

Unison = 1.3 million
Unite. = 1.2million

Angela Rayner was a Unison rep in her former life and she's tough. I can see Starmer and Rayner being two sides of a coin. She's certainly no member of the so-called Islington elite.

It is such a shame Anniebach. Decimating the party whilst calling it a ‘broad church’ (sick of that phrase now it’s like Teresa May’s ‘strong and stable!).

Shame Yvette Cooper can’t stand.
Or Harriet Harman.
Definitely Frank Field in his day!

So does Unison get more votes than Unite? I don't know how the system works.

Frank Field was a maverick. He would never have got anywhere near Labour Party leadership.

I don’t know growstuff but Annie might?

I agree about FF but I always admired him.

I don't think it matters that some of the candidates have only been MPs for a few years. I am glad that they have had some life and employment experience before becoming MPs. I prefer that route rather than the ppe at university and straight into a job at Westminster.

I agree, Ilovecheese, but I think they need a reasonable amount of Parliamentary and ministerial (albeit shadow ministry) experience before going for leadership.

Apparently Starmer has the backing of a small political committee of Unison - not it's million members.

Frank Field ? Never, ever would he have made a leader, I think the most complicated MP ever, I did admire him .

It was Frank who gave the queen the idea for The Queens
Commonwealth Canopy.

We will never see or hear another Frank Field.

Urmstongran
When Blair was in power Harriet Hartman asked frank to draw up a green paper on benefits and immigration.
This was later callled the 'thinking the unthinkable'
Frank went too far with his recommendations (for the Labour Party) He resigned soon after.
It's a very interesting read as to what he proposed.