Sensible discussion on Labour Leadership hopefuls

Thankyou for starting this thread Yesbutnobut and for trying to keep it on track ...
I’m in Scotland and voted Tory but only because, if you’re a unionist, there is no choice. I don’t support many Tory policies and voted remain in the EU referendum. What I hope for is a strong opposition and a strong leader who will help strengthen Scottish Labour.
So I value the views of people who support Labour and who know more than I do about possible candidates.

kittyLester "Chuka" is no longer a Labour party member or even have a seat in Parliament. He "went down the pan" with rest of those that jumped their party ship and joined the LibDems prior to this election.

And never could have a finer thing happened.

Sussexborn. All the Labour MP’s will decide who they want to stand in the leadership. All who wish to stand must have 15%
of fellow MP’s to support them

Those who have the number of supporting fellow MP’s will then stand for the leadership. They will hsve a leadership campaign and party members and unions will then vote for
their choice of leader.

Rebecca Long-Bailey has spent the last twelve months speaking at trade union conferences and the TUC. In that, she has built a good reputation and accord with those bodies. Therefore if anyone can convince those unions to continue their support of the Labour Party it will be her.

Starmer seems to have come rather late to that particular party but if he can build a relationship with those left-wing activists and convince them in the process that the right-wing of the party would fully support his leadership then he could emerge eventually as leader.

However, that will be a very difficult balancing act to carry out?

Riverwalk all 3 of my daughters like Chukka so I think he has charisma as far as young people are concerned and they are the more important to win over.

I'd hate Jess Phillip's to be constrained by being the leader or even deputy.

She has huge charisma!

Exactly. You can create a thread. You are not the forum police.

I’ve heard Keir Starmour interviewed, read articles he’s written. Sadly, we didn’t hear much from him during the latest election. His family background, work in politics and his focus during his law work are positive recommendations for him as a strong contender to lead a broad based party. Keir is eloquent, strong and will manage Johnson well
I voted Yvette Cooper in the leadership won by Corbyn. I like her but I fear she may be seen as ‘contaminated’ dismissed as a Blairite.
Jess Phillips could be a good deputy to Keir. She’s an I dependent thinker and has a track record for honesty and straight talking.

Don’t want either Long Bailey or Angela Raynor as leader/deputy but yes to them being in the shadow cabinet.

And he'd be more than a match for Johnson at the despatch box - something that's been missing for a while.

I suspect he'd be the Tories least hoped for Labour leader, just as they were laughing up their sleeves when Corbyn was elected.

Yehbut he's impressed me for the past few years by being articulate, educated, a human rights lawyer, from a modest background - so overall, impressive.

Perhaps you would let us know exactly what thoughts and opinions we are allowed to have GGMK3?

Anniebach, as someone who seems to have taken on board that it is the domineering and opinionated left wingers who are scuppering labours future chances, don’t the other labour MPs have any say?

Speaking as a bit of an outsider, it’s interesting how often ABs calm and rational seeming opinions are denigrated along with anyone else who dares to pop their head above the parapet.

Should have said ‘for her own constituents’!

I certainly admire Jess Philips for the way she has stood up to bullies and her own constituents. She’s one of the few Labour MPs from here in the Midlands who bucked the trend, as did my own.

Of course because she’s a woman we will hear words like ‘strident’ thrown at her but not on here I hope. Men are never strident, they are strong!

Keir Starmer is certainly looking like a strong contender and I think Jess Philips could be in the running too.

Riverwalk why? He obviously impressed you so explain ??

OK, sorry I posted before I saw your post. I was replying to another poster about being charismatic.

Maybe Starmer could find himself a good spin doctor.

FFS let’s get away from charisma

Keir Starmer has just been on Radio 4 with Nick Robinson.

So far he'd get my vote if I had one.

It would seem by his speech yesterday that Kier Starmer is trying to build support among the Trades Union affiliated membership. However, as far as I am aware he has had little connection with those union members in the past.

If anyone thinks back to 2015 Jeremy Corbyn came "right out of the blue" to take the leadership. The same may well still happen again.

It also has to be determined if the Trade Unions will continue their one hundred years close support of the Labour party, and in that, there would seem to be "a head of steam" building up at branch activist level that they should not.

Annie stop! This is not the point of this thread. Leadership ‘hopefuls’ was the title of the thread. Let’s discuss them please.

Whether they stand in the end is up to them.

Fair enough, Yehbutnobut. I was just making the point that charisma isn't all it's cracked up to be.

I thought Chuka Umunna had charisma in spades

We obviously have differing ideas on charisma! He's probably a nice enough young man, but charisma?

growstuff Wed 18-Dec-19 08:44:56
Attlee was an Oxford-educated barrister, who had a reputation for lacking charisma, being indecisive and uninspiring. Churchill allegedly said of him “He has much to be modest about”.

I think charisma is overrated.

Completely different era. We're now in the era of the sound bite. 'Get Brexit done.' 'Make America great again.' Much as both of those make me gag, they were popular.

I thought Corbyn had charisma. But my opinion wasn't shared by most of the electorate. I haven't hear Starmer speak yet.

No one will say they will stand until the starting gun is fired,
Yes Kitty, saying ‘I am thinking of standing is testing the waters.

Annie not asking you to predict. Asking for discussions on those standing so we can bring our collective wisdom together to form our own options.