Politics Thread 6

[Tineash]

Watson behaves like someone who doesn't actually want a Labour government while Corbyn is leader. He can't be deputy leader anymore.

[That]

@CRD: I don't see why you would want another leadership challenge against Corbyn, particularly if you like his policies. Amongst the party's membership Corbyn is one of the most popular party leaders ever. He will definitely win any challenge, so all it does is generate an easy anti-Labour media narrative.

What would help Labour is for Tom Watson and his Blairite "Future Britain Group" to shut the strawberry float up.

[Lex-Man]

@CRD: I don't see why you would want another leadership challenge against Corbyn, particularly if you like his policies. Amongst the party's membership Corbyn is one of the most popular party leaders ever. He will definitely win any challenge, so all it does is generate an easy anti-Labour media narrative.

What would help Labour is for Tom Watson and his Blairite "Future Britain Group" to shut the strawberry float up.

Corbyn is more popular with the party but he is deeply unpopular with the public. He is an election liability, so really he should stand down if he cares about Labour winning an election. That said I'm not sure who would actually be a better choice as leader.

[Lagamorph]

@CRD: I don't see why you would want another leadership challenge against Corbyn, particularly if you like his policies. Amongst the party's membership Corbyn is one of the most popular party leaders ever. He will definitely win any challenge, so all it does is generate an easy anti-Labour media narrative.

What would help Labour is for Tom Watson and his Blairite "Future Britain Group" to shut the strawberry float up.

Corbyn is more popular with the party but he is deeply unpopular with the public. He is an election liability, so really he should stand down if he cares about Labour winning an election. That said I'm not sure who would actually be a better choice as leader.

Isn't David Lammy generally seen as a pretty popular choice for a potential Labour leader?

[Lex-Man]

@CRD: I don't see why you would want another leadership challenge against Corbyn, particularly if you like his policies. Amongst the party's membership Corbyn is one of the most popular party leaders ever. He will definitely win any challenge, so all it does is generate an easy anti-Labour media narrative.

What would help Labour is for Tom Watson and his Blairite "Future Britain Group" to shut the strawberry float up.

Corbyn is more popular with the party but he is deeply unpopular with the public. He is an election liability, so really he should stand down if he cares about Labour winning an election. That said I'm not sure who would actually be a better choice as leader.

Isn't David Lammy generally seen as a pretty popular choice for a potential Labour leader?

Maybe, honestly I'd probably vote for Watson or Lammy if they were leaders. That said I may vote for Corbyn in the next election.

[That]

@CRD: I don't see why you would want another leadership challenge against Corbyn, particularly if you like his policies. Amongst the party's membership Corbyn is one of the most popular party leaders ever. He will definitely win any challenge, so all it does is generate an easy anti-Labour media narrative.

What would help Labour is for Tom Watson and his Blairite "Future Britain Group" to shut the strawberry float up.

Corbyn is more popular with the party but he is deeply unpopular with the public. He is an election liability, so really he should stand down if he cares about Labour winning an election. That said I'm not sure who would actually be a better choice as leader.

All of that is irrelevant. In a democratic party it is the membership who decide who the leader is and which policies are adopted.

[satriales]

@CRD: I don't see why you would want another leadership challenge against Corbyn, particularly if you like his policies. Amongst the party's membership Corbyn is one of the most popular party leaders ever. He will definitely win any challenge, so all it does is generate an easy anti-Labour media narrative.

What would help Labour is for Tom Watson and his Blairite "Future Britain Group" to shut the strawberry float up.

Corbyn is more popular with the party but he is deeply unpopular with the public. He is an election liability, so really he should stand down if he cares about Labour winning an election. That said I'm not sure who would actually be a better choice as leader.

All of that is irrelevant. In a democratic party it is the membership who decide who the leader is and which policies are adopted.

There is a new rule just added that if Corbyn quits it would be the NEC who decides the next leader (presumably temporarily until the members elect a new one). Before it would have automatically gone to Watson as deputy to lead the party in the interim.
They are really covering all angles in their Tom Watson stabbing.

[Moggy]

@CRD: I don't see why you would want another leadership challenge against Corbyn, particularly if you like his policies. Amongst the party's membership Corbyn is one of the most popular party leaders ever. He will definitely win any challenge, so all it does is generate an easy anti-Labour media narrative.

What would help Labour is for Tom Watson and his Blairite "Future Britain Group" to shut the strawberry float up.

Corbyn is more popular with the party but he is deeply unpopular with the public. He is an election liability, so really he should stand down if he cares about Labour winning an election. That said I'm not sure who would actually be a better choice as leader.

All of that is irrelevant. In a democratic party it is the membership who decide who the leader is and which policies are adopted.

In the Labour Party the deputy leader is also elected by the [i]membership[/], why does Momentum think it has the right to oust a deputy leader by appealing to the NEC?

[KK]

Anger as Emily Thornberry compares the Lib Dems to the Taliban

Speaking to The House Magazine, Emily Thornberry has sparked outrage after comparing the Lib Dems to the murderous Afghan regime.

“The Lib Dems have gotten kind of Taliban, haven’t they?

“They’ve said they’re just going to revoke, there’s not going to be another referendum.

“I don’t think it’s very democratic to seek to overturn a referendum without asking the people first.

“I really think the only democratic way to get through this and to break the logjam is to go back to the people and trust their good sense,”

Former Lib Dem leader Tim Farron replied: “Come on Emily, if we really were like a Middle East terrorist group, don’t you think Jeremy would’ve invited us to a conference fringe meeting before now?”

Lib Dem MP Chuka Umunna also fumed: “Emily Thornberry should withdraw her inappropriate remarks. Language counts – comparing the Lib Dems to a murderous organisation is no laughing matter.“

This whole kinder, gentler politics is going well.

[Oblomov Boblomov]

Former Lib Dem leader Tim Farron replied: “Come on Emily, if we really were like a Middle East terrorist group, don’t you think Jeremy would’ve invited us to a conference fringe meeting before now?”

Timmy

[That]

@CRD: I don't see why you would want another leadership challenge against Corbyn, particularly if you like his policies. Amongst the party's membership Corbyn is one of the most popular party leaders ever. He will definitely win any challenge, so all it does is generate an easy anti-Labour media narrative.

What would help Labour is for Tom Watson and his Blairite "Future Britain Group" to shut the strawberry float up.

Corbyn is more popular with the party but he is deeply unpopular with the public. He is an election liability, so really he should stand down if he cares about Labour winning an election. That said I'm not sure who would actually be a better choice as leader.

All of that is irrelevant. In a democratic party it is the membership who decide who the leader is and which policies are adopted.

In the Labour Party the deputy leader is also elected by the [i]membership[/], why does Momentum think it has the right to oust a deputy leader by appealing to the NEC?

I don't know the details of or really care about what Momentum does, I'm not a Labour member and I have no idea what the level of support for Tom Watson is amongst the membership. I suspect Momentum actually want a deputy leadership election but are being blocked by the parliamentary party who have a veto. I don't know the details though, I am not even particularly ideologically aligned with the left of the Labour Party, I am an anarchosyndicalist.

All I'm saying is that challenging Corbyn's leadership would be pointless because he is very popular and commands a huge mandate from the people who would get to vote on that.

[Rex Kramer]

@CRD: I don't see why you would want another leadership challenge against Corbyn, particularly if you like his policies. Amongst the party's membership Corbyn is one of the most popular party leaders ever. He will definitely win any challenge, so all it does is generate an easy anti-Labour media narrative.

What would help Labour is for Tom Watson and his Blairite "Future Britain Group" to shut the strawberry float up.

Corbyn is more popular with the party but he is deeply unpopular with the public. He is an election liability, so really he should stand down if he cares about Labour winning an election. That said I'm not sure who would actually be a better choice as leader.

All of that is irrelevant. In a democratic party it is the membership who decide who the leader is and which policies are adopted.

So do the membership have a responsibility to elect someone who might actually win an election given we live in a two party state?

[Cuttooth]

Former Lib Dem leader Tim Farron replied: “Come on Emily, if we really were like a Middle East terrorist group, don’t you think Jeremy would’ve invited us to a conference fringe meeting before now?”

Timmy

Afghanistan isn't in the Middle East...

[Oblomov Boblomov]

Former Lib Dem leader Tim Farron replied: “Come on Emily, if we really were like a Middle East terrorist group, don’t you think Jeremy would’ve invited us to a conference fringe meeting before now?”

Timmy

Afghanistan isn't in the Middle East...

Had to Google it. Would have assumed Middle East myself rather than South Asia, but I suppose you learn something new every day!

[That]

So do the membership have a responsibility to elect someone who might actually win an election given we live in a two party state?

No? They should express their genuine political views. It's not their fault the wider system is broken.

[Rex Kramer]

So do the membership have a responsibility to elect someone who might actually win an election given we live in a two party state?

No? They should express their genuine political views. It's not their fault the wider system is broken.

Maybe the question was structured in such a way as to say I have an opinion on it but I don't. The system is broken but it's not changing any time soon and so the effective choice of government is Labour or Tory. Having a certain message is what a political party is all about but if your message doesn't connect with the majority then maybe you need to do something about it? Waiting for the general public to get on board the Corbyn hype train is obviously not working.

[That]

Sure. I guess my view is that if we're going to do parliamentary democracy - it's not my preference - then I would like there to be a major party standing on an anti-capitalist platform.

What political views are "popular" is at the moment strongly influenced by right-populist tabloids and bourgeois TV presenters. That's taking the place of any genuine class consciousness. The proletariat is doomed if the bourgeoisie continue to get to decide the whole spectrum of valid political opinion. Having an organised workers' movement of some description is a prerequisite for building class consciousness and spreading proletarian politics, so as long as Corbyn's message reaches and radicalises some people then it's progress.

I'm not a defeatist, Corbyn is a good campaigner at election time, he could be PM yet. Probably in a coalition, but still PM. It is more possible than the media would want you to believe, he performed way above "predictions" last time.

[Rex Kramer]

I stopped reading at bourgeois

[That]

You've got to admit, all the French words do make communism sound pretty erotic.

[Hexx]

I don’t know I’m not sure when you’re languishing in third going into a GE against a government party disintergrating into open war far, where you appeal to no one on the big issue is the right time to decide it’s all the deputy leaders fault