Starmer's speech to the virtual LP conference

I'm a Tory voter & thought BoJo would be a breath of fresh air & inject new energy. However, I like Starmer very much & think he'll give the Tories a run for their money! I might, just might, vote Labour next time. I'm so disappointed by the fire fighting, lack of clear strategy & BoJos street speak. Government to me, at present, is shambolic. God help us.

Biba after the disasterous 1983 election there was a move to
get the far left out, some were expelled, Corbyn run a campaign from his own home to get those expelled back in the party, the likes of Derek Hatton, Corbyn worked against the leader, the 1983 election left labour 14 years in the wilderness and the country got Thatcher.

I do not believe the country will vote for a far left run party,
Blair is disliked by some in this forum ,

Corbyn and the far left lost four elections.

Blair centre left, the only labour leader to win three consecutive elections.

Starmer has made two speeches in recent days which were billed as important, but for me, he has not addressed what really matters at present to the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) and the affiliated wider Labour movement. Those are matters which Starmer can effect while the government with it's eighty seat majority is holding problems that Starmer can do nothing to affect.

The first of those problems would be the present and future financial state of the PLP. We have had no news of the now long-overdue reports from the Equality Commission or the inquiry in regard to the internal leaked report on the actions of staff and others at Central Office and within other places. It is being strongly rumoured that the delays are due to the above bodies not receiving cooperation from those requested to present evidence or documents to the inquiry teams.

However, it is expected that as in the past the trade unions will financially rescue the PLP from the prosecutions and claims that will undoubtedly be brought forward when those reports are released. That stated the trade unions may not be in a position to financially rescue the PLP as no one can be sure at present what losses in membership they will suffer due to the widespread job losses brought about by the Covid crisis.

Therefore, as of many in the wider labour movement, I feel that Starmer must address the above severe problems and in regard to that olive branches are being held out to him from within the trade union leadership. Despite that, the Labour Party leader seems not to wish to pick up on those moves and that does not bode well for the future.

Starmer must win over the grassroots affiliated lay activists within the trade unions if there is to be any certainty brought back into the one hundred year support from within those bodies that has kept the PLP in being.

Some may find the above a mundane uninteresting "nuts and bolts" issue. However, the continuation of that relationship and support along with the reforming of the Labour Party organisation and structures will be paramount if the Labour party is to be in a position to make any real challenge for government in the future.

What that reorganisation and restructuring should be is a matter of very deep debate within the wider Labour movement, but I will end at present here.

There will be no real challenge, even to this disastrous Government, unless the far left of the party stops undermining Starmer. Simple as that.

biba70

There will be no real challenge, even to this disastrous Government, unless the far left of the party stops undermining Starmer. Simple as that.

You mean as similar to the way the right in the party disastrously and if as alleged illegally undermined Corbyn biba70

“You mean as similar to the way the right in the party disastrously and if as alleged illegally undermined Corbyn biba70“

Every political party has a range of opinions and the influence ebbs and flows over the years, in the end the majority opinion prevails. The centrists in the Tory party tried to undermine Johnson and lost the battle in the same way.

My own opinion of Corbyn was that he was a poor leader who did not inspire his own MPs and certainly did not inspire many traditional Labour voters, let alone floating voters.

You think that Starmer should have used his speech to discuss divisions in the labour party? Yes that would be a vote winner.

Nothing new or positive from Grandad

Unless Labour get their act together - enough to appeal to the voters who troop to the polling booths - Tory will secure another term. Especially when tangible positives are felt by voters from Brexit in the next year or two!

Grandad ''You mean as similar to the way the right in the party disastrously and if as alleged illegally undermined Corbyn''

no, there is NO comparison. Many in the Labour Party were very concerned that Corbyn was un-electable for all sorts of reasons. Many felt he was targeted in a truly unfair way by the gutter Press, and were disgusted by that. Many of us felt he was a great activist, but not PM material- and we still voted for him.

In any other EU country, the left and the right would be split into more representative factions. The far left of Labour should be its own party- as is the case elsewhere. At the end of the day, it was not party members who didn't vote for him.

Keep the bitterness and division going and Tories will be back in- yes those nasty, selfish destructive, disastrous Tories - and the laboutr left will elect the.

Iam64

Nothing new or positive from Grandad

The truth of the situation is unpalatable to many Iam64. However, between the beginning of December 2019 and the end of March 2020, the Unite Union alone donated three million four hundred thousand pounds to the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP).

Such is the level of dependence of the PLP on the trade unions and yet despite all that funding, the Party is facing insolvency.

However, Starmer seems unwilling to enter into dialogue with the unions in regard to the matter even when those trade unions and other affiliate organisations face financial problems of their own due to the present Covid crisis.

It is strange that under Jeremy Corbyn the Labour Party became the largest and wealthiest political organisation in Europe with a membership of nearly half a million, and yet Corbyn is view by many as a failure as leader.

Opposed to the above the Labour Party, it is now reported, has a membership of under three hundred thousand and that figure is still falling quickly, with the party facing financial insolvency. That stated, Starmer is viewed by many as a success as leader.

Funny old world, is it not. ??

Corbyn did fail, he lost four elections

Funny old world indeed. But bitterly sticking to all the rights and wrongs - will mean to keep sticking to not being elected. Even when the opposition is making such a disastrous mess of everything they touch. Reality, right or wrong.

biba70, in regard to your post @08:47, should the right of the Labour Party decide they wish to cut the links with the affiliated left of the movement then I feel there would be many in the broader Labour movement in the country that would be very happy to see them go.

However, under its present charter, the TUC has to maintain a political wing. That undoubtedly would mean it launching a new left-wing party which would completely split the socialist/left vote in Britain.

The above would mean in all probability there would never again be a left of centre government in the United Kindom.

Anyway I am of to the office now, so see you later. ?

It depends whether being in power and the ability to change things for people is important to you. If it's not then yes it was a rip roaring success.

The content was well-judged, he or his advisers have concluded that now is not the time to criticise the former leadership or launch new policies.

Personally, found it very flat and uninspiring though.

Labour are in a difficult situation. Corbyn was too far left for them, and Blair too far right. And both have blotted their copybooks in one way or another..

And here comes Starmer, having to tread a delicate line between being seen as too much like Blair, or too much like Corbyn.

I think he steered a pretty good course between the two in his speech. He certainly seems electable and credible as a statesman.

However, as long as we have the first-past-the-post electoral system there will be no real democracy. Time after time in my constituency the total of votes against the winner exceed those for, because of the split opposition. It is tedious. My aim is to rid ourselves of the run of right wing MPs, but it is impossible to know how to vote to achieve this - I have to balance up which might be the most likely to oust him and it is an impossible decision.

The Spanish system isn’t FPTP and it’s a mess. Has been for years. Coalitions? Ha.

Anniebach

Corbyn did fail, he lost four elections

Really did he? I must have missed one then!
Starmer's speech is uninspiring and I can't see it attracting many people to the LP (in fact I doubt if most people will even read it). What is influencing most people at the moment is the absolute incompetence of this government as people who thought they were going to see something inspirational realise there isn't going to be any such thing. I suspect Starmer really knows that and is keeping his powder dry.
But he will have to wait 4 years. By then Brexit will have wreaked havoc, how much of that can now be blamed on the Covid virus remains to be seen.

There was much placed on the increased numbers of members in the Labour Party and the lower number in the tory party before the last election.

Yes Annie there was ( I think several posters assumed huge membership would translate to a huge majority at the GE.)
The important thing is where voters place their X on the night.
Although I like Starmer, am not sure about how popular he will be, of course the fact that he isn’t like Corbyn is in his favour, but am wondering if he will be a fence sitter and people pleaser like Theresa May was.

I've read his speech and couldn't find any mention of Labour policies, just his vision for his leadership (all very honourable of course). Is it too early for that as he's still settling in? Don't want to knock the new boy.

Those who don't want to read the speech can watch it here:

news.yahoo.com/watch-sir-keir-starmers-speech-091500549.html

I never bothered to listen to his speech why would anyone listen to him at the moment unless they were one of his supporters. Personally I think he has no charisma, is uninspiring and his delivery is deadpan.