Who will be left in the Labour Party?

I like the prospect of the Peace and Justice movement and some of the people involved. The ex Greek finance minister Yannis Varoufakis, Len McCluskey should be interesting

Yes it’s an excellent idea, and although I feel no longer able to support the Labour Party as it is evolving under Starmer, I look forward to putting my energies into a movement such as this, which is so worthwhile and so necessary at present.

Retiredwell

Varian regarding your post at 14:02 today, I would be interested in your thoughts (and the thoughts of others) on reports that Keir Starmer may attempt to align the Labour Party in an opposition alliance with the Liberal Democrats. Such a move would be as "waving a red flag to a Bull" to the left of the Labour Party and movement, but should it prove not possible it is speculated that Starmer could resign as Party Leader and join (with other right wing Labour MPs) the Lib Dem party as a prospective leader of the future.

I am viewing the press speculation on the above in the light of Jeremy Corbyn's announcement today along with other Labour MPs and several trade unions of the formation of the "peace and justice Movement" which is seen as the forerunner of a new left wing party.

Without doubt, Starmer was aware of today's move well in advance of the announcement being made and therefore behind the scenes talks may already be taking place involving him with the Liberal Democrats.

Therefore Varian, do you think that the present Labour leader would be welcome in the Lib Dems as a sitting MP and prospective future leader along with much of the right of the Labour Party???

Press Links to the above can be found here.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/12/08/would-keir-starmer-better-leading-lib-dems/

www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/viralnews/18941226.corbyn-announces-launch-peace-justice-project/

Firstly Retiredwell I am not at all surprised that The Telegraph is trying to drive a wedge between different factions in the Labour Party.

The Liberal Democrats would certainly be willing to work with Keir Starmer to consolidate a movement towards progressive politics in the UK, but it is highly unlikely that anyone expects the Labour Party leader to join another party.

To join the LibDems, any MP would have to accept the aims, principles and policies of the LibDems, and one of these is the need for electoral reform. If we had a fair voting system where every vote counted and the number of MPs was in proportion to votes cast, it might be likely that a future government would be a coaliton, and the LibDems would be more than willing to work with a Starmer led Labour Party.

As for Corbyn, he is welcome to start any movement he likes, but I doubt whether everyone who wants to promote peace and justice will flock to join him.

Well Said Greeneyedgirl I agree the climate emergency is most important to deal with now And the Green Deal is what is needed. Who could argue with Peace and Justice movement it's more than needed right now. It's a global opportunity for those working for Peace and Justice to get involved Ai agree trisher I like this prospect too. I have joined.

The launch of the Peace and Justice project and movement has brought widespread support throughout the labour movement and beyond. However, it would have been expected that such a project would have been brought forward officially as part of developing Labour Party policy and therefore such a launch would have been carried out by the current Labour leader.

The fact that the above did not take place and that the launch was headed up by the former leader demonstrates that large sections of the Labour movement now seek to sideline Keir Starmer due to his unbelievable poor leadership of the Parliamentary Party in the past weeks.

No doubt Starmer would wish to respond to the launch of the Peace and Justice initiative and engage in its development but in withdrawing the whip from Corbyn he now sits as an independent MP and therefore in making the launch it is not and cannot be seen in any way as part of Labour Party policy.

So, once again Starmer in carrying out what seems to be a personal vendetta against Corbyn can be seen as damaging to the current party leader.

There is something rather Trumpian about Corbyn. He was a total failure as Labour leader and contributed to the disaster of the current government by narrowing the voter's choice., but, just like Trump, he retains a loyal band of acoytes who will continue to support him, to the detriment oc progressive l
politjcs in the UK.

What would it take for Corbyn to admit that he had his chance and he blew it?

That’s a first Varian I totally agree with your last two posts.

There is nothing progressive about Starmer

There is no intention I believe for Corbyn to lead this project and movement beyond its startup for its evolvement will bring forward new faces into the political world. Those people will be from the broader Labour movement outside of the current Westminster scene.

Likewise, Len McCluskey is involved in the launch but he is due to retire as the General Secretary of the Unite Union in April and whoever replaces him may well play a prominent organisational and finance role in the project.

Such a movement will require fresh faces with a sense of drive to enable it to catch the electorates attention and succeed.

You're right varian, Corbyn is like Trump. Trump claims to have won an election he lost. Corbyn claims to have won the argument.

Trump and Corbyn are yesterday"s men.

Which other Labour Party leader after losing 2 elections and
standing down continued to try to hog the limelight and put the knife into the new party leader. I can’t recall one .

Trump and Corbyn, both 3 wives, they have much in common

Corbyns interactions with women are always fascinating to watch, particularly tv interviews with women.

Anniebach, you are right. I can't recall a previous LP leader who undermined the new leader in the way Corbyn does. Mind you, the LP has never previously had a leader who previously voted 400 times against all the party leaders who served throughout the previous 40 years. Corbyn hasn't changed.

The Labour Party also previously never had a right wing in the party that deliberately undermined its leader to the extent that they even acted to prevent a Labour Party win in a general election.

However, rather than addressing all the problems of the party and trying to create some unity, Starmer was today on the radio defending the honours system in Britain.

That, of course, is much more important than the appalling Brexit situation and the only credible opposition party in Britain tearing itself apart.

Starmer is bound to defend the ‘honours system’ as he accepted a knighthood. The system is rotten and tainted and should be binned!

Oh yes, I had forgotten that Gwyneth. He was made "SIR" Keir Starmer for services over and beyond the call of duty while sat behind a desk at the crown prosecution service I believe.

Strange that no one ever gets offered a knighthood while slaving away in an Amazon distribution centre getting all the Christmas gift parcels out to customers thus making their holiday period the best possible this year.

Of course, those workers do not have "friends in high places" to nominate them for such awards.

I know I feel the same about people who work behind a desk, in things like health and safety for example.

Galaxy

I know I feel the same about people who work behind a desk, in things like health and safety for example.

In the light of Grenfell Tower and the accident at the wastewater plant last week, it is obvious this country needs far more people working in health & safety both behind desks and out on the ground.

Iam64

Anniebach, you are right. I can't recall a previous LP leader who undermined the new leader in the way Corbyn does. Mind you, the LP has never previously had a leader who previously voted 400 times against all the party leaders who served throughout the previous 40 years. Corbyn hasn't changed.

And yet, when he was party leader expected everyone to toe the line. I just felt that was terribly two faced. I can always remember watching Corbyn in parliament one day glaring at Hilary Benn who was making a speech that he didn’t agree with. If looks could have killed....Ed Miliband is being amazing at the moment but he kept a low profile for years after losing the election. Which is what people do. Or should do. You don’t undermine the new leader.

How is it "undermining" someone to start a project which is entirely seperate from the party you once belonged to? If you have beliefs and principles don't you havea duty to see that they are supported and developed in the best way possible? Really if "glaring" at someone in the H of C is regarded as bad behaviour it's something most MPs are guilty of. There are heaps of people who are sick of Starmer and hs prevarication looking for a new direction, this may be it.

The last 2 elections showed heaps of people who didn’t want
Corbyn in No.10

The 2019 Election promised an "oven ready" Brexit and look how that has gone. In 2017 the Conservatives formed a minority government In a surprising result, the Conservative Party made a net loss of 13 seats despite winning 42.4% of the vote (its highest share of the vote since 1983), whereas Labour made a net gain of 30 seats with 40.0% (its highest vote share since 2001 and the first time the party had gained seats since 1997)
So not quite "heaps"