John Mcdonnell puts his name in the mix

[Longcol]

Yes, I know that, but neither of them are leaders of a party which still claims to be wholly for the working class.

 

 

C'mon Ruby - when was the last time that Labour claimed to be a party "wholly for the working class" - 1945?

 

And it's OK for Tories and Lib Dem leaders to never have had a proper job?

[plekhanov]

Pretty much like Cameron and Clegg (OK he went to Cambridge).

I dunno about Cameron but Nick worked as a journalist & worked on aid programs in the former USSR before entering politics.

[Longcol]

I dunno about Cameron but Nick worked as a journalist & worked on aid programs in the former USSR before entering politics.

 

Not what most of us would call "proper jobs" - working for the European Commission and such.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Clegg

[plekhanov]

Not what most of us would call "proper jobs" - working for the European Commission and such.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Clegg

What's 'improper' about beign a journalist or working on EU programs in the former USSR?

[Longcol]

What's 'improper' about beign a journalist or working on EU programs in the former USSR?

 

Nowt - but Ruby was just trying to make a point that prospective Labour leaders were all Oxford grads and then mainly worked in political lobbying. To 90 odd % of the population is there any qualatitive difference in the career paths of Cameron, Clegg or any of the prospective Labour leaders.

 

All could be said - to quote Ruby - to have made politics a "career choice".

[rubydazzler]

Nowt - but Ruby was just trying to make a point that prospective Labour leaders were all Oxford grads and then mainly worked in political lobbying. To 90 odd % of the population is there any qualatitive difference in the career paths of Cameron, Clegg or any of the prospective Labour leaders. All could be said - to quote Ruby - to have made politics a "career choice".

I was actually trying, ineptly obviously, to make the point that to the majority of the people who mindlessly vote Labour because of their misguided belief that it's the party for the working class, Mcdonnell is surely more the type of leader they'd presumably prefer. An actual 'working man' type who's done more than go to uni and then straight into political life, as the other candidates seem to have done? Whether he is or not, that seems to be the impression he is seeking to give us.

[Rivelin6]

I was actually trying, ineptly obviously, to make the point that to the majority of the people who mindlessly vote Labour because of their misguided belief that it's the party for the working class, Mcdonnell is surely more the type of leader they'd presumably prefer. An actual 'working man' type who's done more than go to uni and then straight into political life, as the other candidates seem to have done? Whether he is or not, that seems to be the impression he is seeking to give us.

Now they have a women and a black one at that. Will Diane Abbot tick all the right boxes for them to say the Leadership contest has a broad base?

[callippo]

I'd be very surprised if either Mcdonnell - who failed to get enough in 2007 - or Abbot will be able to get the necessary 34 endorsements from MP's.

 

just one of them might have had a chance, but with both of them in the field, they have very little.

[truconstruct]

The same Frank Field who accepted a position in the Lib Con government?

 

Having the leaders of all 3 major parties serving in government together during peacetime would be "New Politics" to say the least.

 

Yes that Frank Field.

 

The guy with a long track record of standing on principle in the Labour Party for socialist values.

[truconstruct]

Pretty much like Cameron and Clegg (OK he went to Cambridge).

 

Its acceptable if not expected in their case though isn't it.