New Labour LEADER

The confrontation between Alan Johnson and Lansman on election night was the one bright spot on a very depressing night.

Good to know we agree about another thing (Jon Lansman). Need to be careful here Grandad, all this talk of the need for us to avoid unnecessary conflict, pull together at this dreadful time may lead to consensus breaking out.

The decade long "edge" in the relationship between Len McCluskey and Lansman could very much be a large feature in the future of the Labour Party in the coming months I feel.

Anyway, I had better get on with some work. ?

Thanks for the full list Urmston. Pity Yvette Cooper isn’t in there!

I listened to this and felt for the first time inspired. Will follow him closely.

I’m pleased with Keir Starmer and his cabinet. I’m glad he’s sidelined the Corbyn faction. I have great respect for him.

I would like to know how you can successfully "sideline" someone who had massive support from the grassroots party and how the number of people who voted for Corbyn can be considered a "faction"? Isn't this doing what lots on GN forecast would happen under Corbyn, namely splitting the party?

I agree Rosalyn ??

If you ever want the LP to get into power trisher then they have to ditch the Corbyn faction ( popular with some no doubt) but overall unelectable.

Where was this massive support in the general election ?

trisher, the party did split under Corbyn. The fact his supporters seem more concerned about ‘holding KS to account’ than building a strong party suggests unity and solidarity remains only attractive to them if everyone shares their views.
Corbyn is back on the back benches, hopefully representing his constituency well

Iam64 a few MPs left the party very unsuccessfully, there was no major split.
lemongrove If the policies I believe in are adopted and KS keeps his promises, no one will need to be ditched.

.....but they have been!

Starmer won’t be backing the same policies that saw the downfall of Corbyn.

Would you like to say what policies you think should be ditched lemon ? (as far as I'm aware none have been yet and the manifesto remains which Starmer supported)

Yes I thought YC would be in there somewhere dragonfly.

Haha!

“The New Labour leader, Keir Starmer”

Err... shouldn't that be 'The new Labour Leader'..? Hard to say if that's Guardianista wishful thinking, a Freudian slip or accurate reporting!!

It’s said that Yvette Cooper and Hilary Benn are not in the Shadow Cabinet as it makes more strategic sense to let them continue as Select Committee Chairs which are very powerful positions

trisher

' Isn't this doing what lots on GN forecast would happen under Corbyn, namely splitting the party?'
----

Discussing the potential for a ' split' in the Labour Party has indeed been spoken of on copious threads since 2016 when Corbyn won the Leadership of the Party with the help of Jeremy For Leader/Momentum et al. It proved to be the case case his Leadership did cause a ' split ' and Labour did become factional.

Starmer may prove able to mend ' the split ' but it will take Corbyn faction/Momentum, some Unions to give him their backing. Time will tell.

The far left didn’t give Kinnock backing after the 1983 election ,

I think he’s there to “stabilise” things and in due course a true leader will emerge.

NotSpaghetti I think you may well be right and my money is on Lisa Nandy. Considered too inexperienced by many now, but in 5 years time....

In regard to how much power Kier Starmer will have in truly reshaping the face of the Parliamentary Labour Party will be decided in the coming weeks when fresh elections for the National Executive Committee (NEC) are held.

For the left to retain its strong influence on that governing committee there will have to be an agreement in regard to a "slate" of candidates between Momentum and the trade unions. Those candidates would go forward without opposition from any other sector on the left of the Labour movement in that ballot.

By example to the above, there are positions on the NEC held by Momentum by way of the Constituency Labour Parties. However, the trade unions also have their own delegates within those Constituency Labour Parties also which could stand against the Momentum candidates. Such a battle however would allow right wing candidates "through the middle" which would be a disaster for the left on the NEC.

There are several reasons why the leading trade unions may not agree to such a slate of candidates being drawn up and agreed for this NEC election. However, in whether such an agreement is struck may well decide how much freedom Starmer and his new shadow cabinet will have in reshaping the Parliamentary Labour Party in the coming months.

For what it is worth, I do not feel that such a slate will be agreed this time around.

Without using apparatchik gobbledygook, what tangible effects do internal Labour Party squabbles have on the agenda which will be presented to the electorate at the next election?

Urmstongran The "new Labour leader" would be correct.

Ha ha, yes, growstuff!
Let’s hope we have no more NewLabour!

New Labour won 3 general elections,