New Labour LEADER

I'm more interested in what Starmer's policies are with respect to the people of this country than whether or not he unites the Labour Party. I sincerely hope that his time and energy aren't taken up with trying to appeal to a few within some factions. Leave that kind of thing to those with time on their hands, who like to go to meetings and who don't seem to think that winning an election and enacting policies which would enhance people's lives are important.

growstuff, I take it you would wish to see Keir Starmer come up with polices in a similar fashion to producing rabbits from a hat, ether without consultation with any other sector within the Labour movement or without.

That process would be exactly the same as the Liberal Democrats carried out at the last General Election. Other than yourself, I seem to recall that very few of the electorate found that approach very attractive, as the results demonstrated.

Hello POGS

I was making a point about the cartoon in the Evening Standard very insulting to Keir Starmer and Ed Miliband with Ed depicted with a hook nose eating a bacon sandwich Osbourne as editor thought it fine. Now what will the BOD say if anything as it is in a Tory paper the BOD are Tory supporters All the efforts Starmer went to to please the BOD why is there no outcry from the BOD about this The piece in VoxPolitical was very well presented and a talking point. Lots on twitter thought the same as you can read in the piece.

As I said I hope Starmer does well with good Labour polices that I think he will he said enact from the L manifesto. I don't know how he will be as leader and hopefully PM will see he has my support for now. Hope that clears up any misunderstanding POG

One thing that Starmer is putting pressure on the government for, and which many others are in agreement is that the government must get its act together over and exit strategy.

This isn’t about timing but preparedness.

I absolutely agree. They did not prepare for the virus, let’s at least prepare for when we can safely emerge into the world again.

One Labour MP -Kylie- is making a good point. With Hancocks attention understandably entirely in the NHS, we need a minister whose job is to oversee Social Care.

I am wondering what will happen in regard to the Labour Annual Delegate Conference. It will be Starmer's first big chance to shine in front of the whole movement, and in that bring sceptics onside.

However, despite the Conference start date not being until the 19th of September, many trades unions and other affiliate organisations hold their national conferences in May, June or early July which bring forward motions and resolutions for debate at the Labour Conference.

Many of the above affiliate organisation conferences have already been cancelled due to the crisis, therefore it is difficult to see how the Annual Labour Delegate conference will be able to go ahead?

Should that happen it would be a great loss for Keir Starmer in his new leadership role I feel.

grandad you are beginning to sound like annie during her wilderness years ?

I wasn’t in wilderness years the Labour Party was with
Corbyn

??

Whitewavemark2, surely I could never sound like that. ?

However, I was genuinely thinking that for new leaders of all parties the annual conference is where they stamp their style and image on all who are significant in the organization.

Who I wonder are ‘the significant’

1Anniebach Quote [ Who I wonder are ‘the significant’] End Quote

Anniebach, chair persons and secretaries of Labour senior committees etc. The same could apply similarly to trade union bodies and other affiliate organisations.

Starmer will require their support if he is looking to change policies and stance into the future.

He’ll get it, no one wants to commit suicide

Whitewavemark2, Starmer will get the cooperation of the vast majority as long as he holds to the commitments he made during his leadership election campaign.

That included all the policies that were contained in the Labour party general election manifesto.

Now, even I do not believe he will not wish to change some of that just to stamp his own leadership mark on the party and movement if not for any other reason.

So why wouldn’t he?

I would expect and hope that the Labour manifesto which was rejected by the voters would be revisited and where thought necessary changed. It can’t be moribund.

Nothing has ever been in tablets of stone.

With the unions waving the cheque books

Not entirely annie and perhaps it is time to rethink funding

Whitewave. Corbyn promised the unions a free rein , they
want the same from Starmer, if they don’t get what they want
they will work against him to get a new leader from the far left.

We will see. That won’t happen very quickly and if Starmer looks like a winner that will be enough to silence at least some of them.

Whitewavemark2, who in Britain would fund an independent left of a centre political party. Blair tried it by climbing into bed with the bankers, and we all know where that finished up.

Many "breakaway" left-wing parties have been launched by disgruntled Labour MPs over the years but all have fallen over finance backing.

For further evidence just look to the Lib Dems as they have never possessed the finances to truly breakthrough as a credible alternative government.

It takes a great deal of money to run a credible political party in Britain.

Perhaps we should change the way all political parties are funded.

We should MO but we won’t.

Many breakaway left wing parties have been launched ?

Please name these parties granddad43

monica yes I agree. Level playing field and all that.

The Conservative Party will never agree to any change in the funding of political parties away from what is now.

I would also believe that a large majority of the British public would never agree to taxation being used to fund Political parties.

Just pie in the sky thinking.