Should Labour move right or left?

[alchresearch]

Very interesting piece in Saturday's Mirror, almost praising Andy Burnham for adopting and supporting Tory policies on clamping down on benefits.

 

The Guardian reported this:

 

Andy Burnham rules out union funding in bid for Labour leadership

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/may/21/andy-burnham-no-union-funding-labour-leadership-bid

 

But sadly other news sources on Sunday reported this:

 

REVEALED: UNIONS’ £20,000 FOR LABOUR HOPE ANDY BURNHAM

http://www.sunnation.co.uk/revealed-unions-20000-for-labour-hope-andy-burnham/

[Bigthumb]

There's no evidence that Labour overspent. Spending accelerated when the crisis hit. I can get you another chart if you like.

 

---------- Post added 31-05-2015 at 17:44 ----------

 

 

I'm not spinning anything. Cold hard facts prove that you were telling lies.

 

Hey that's fine. The Tories won the election because of Labour's mismanagement of the economy. You can believe what you like, but the majority of the electorate had a different view. A defining moment just before polling day occured when a blustering Miliband tried to sell your line. It clearly didn't wash with the electorate. The damage done to Labour is immesurable, but it is good viewing. :hihi:

 

http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/2015/04/milibands-refusal-to-admit-that-labour-overspent-could-cost-him-dear/

 

 

http://labourlist.org/2015/05/to-regain-trust-labour-must-admit-we-spent-too-much-says-burnham/

 

The spending deficit was too high in the years before the 2008 financial crash, Andy Burnham will say today. In a major speech this morning, the leadership candidate will say that Labour must make this admission in order to regain trust on the economy:

 

“If we are to win back trust we have to start by admitting that we should not have been running a significant deficit in the years before the crash.”

Edited June 1, 2015 by Bigthumb

[Anna B]

Well, with the rise of Jeremy Corbyn, (now ahead in the polls,) it looks like Labour might be moving left.

 

I've been surprised at the vehement opposition to him, from Labour itself, which mostly comprises insults and calling people 'morons.' Hardly parliamentary behaviour. Nobody seems to have asked themselves the question 'Why is he gaining support, and what does that say?'

[drummonds]

Well, with the rise of Jeremy Corbyn, (now ahead in the polls,) it looks like Labour might be moving left.

 

I've been surprised at the vehement opposition to him, from Labour itself, which mostly comprises insults and calling people 'morons.' Hardly parliamentary behaviour. Nobody seems to have asked themselves the question 'Why is he gaining support, and what does that say?'

 

i think it says that an opinion poll amongst those who get to vote on the labour leadership is rather different from an opinion poll amongst those who get to vote for a government.

[andyofborg]

Well, with the rise of Jeremy Corbyn, (now ahead in the polls,) it looks like Labour might be moving left.

 

I've been surprised at the vehement opposition to him, from Labour itself, which mostly comprises insults and calling people 'morons.' Hardly parliamentary behaviour. Nobody seems to have asked themselves the question 'Why is he gaining support, and what does that say?'

 

Many on here have spent years bemoaning the rightward drift of New Labour on many issues. A drift back towards the left would please many people, but not too far to the left of course

 

Jeremy Corbyn, may or may not win. He probably wont but as Cameron found out with UKIP shouts and insults wont make people not vote for him. Some will claim support and might vote for him in the first round to give the largely new labourite leadership a bit of a kicking, in the later rounds I imagine they will plump for one of the others.

 

I don't know much about his policies and how left he actually is. The only interview I've heard with him was earlier this week and it was good. He sounded like a normal person and his position on the benefit changes was principled and reasoned (even if you don't agree with it).

 

He's an outsider and not really tainted by the Blair years and that might not be a bad thing either considering.

[Happ Hazzard]

Labour were spending more than they had coming in during an economic boom, and Brown stated that Labour had put an end to Boom and Bust. There's no getting away from the fact that Labour messed up, big time. They spent money like drunken sailors in order to get people to vote for them.

[Harrystottle]

What I do find interesting is how all the politicians and media are saying "Corbyn can't win!" "Don't vote for Corbyn!".

 

It's like they are trying to convince everyone that leftism is bayyaadd.

[drummonds]

What I do find interesting is how all the politicians and media are saying "Corbyn can't win!" "Don't vote for Corbyn!".

 

It's like they are trying to convince everyone that leftism is bayyaadd.

 

i suppose that depends on what you mean by "Corbyn can't win!" as in if you mean win the labour leadership or a general election. ed miliband won the labour leadership election.

[Stoatwobbler]

What I do find interesting is how all the politicians and media are saying "Corbyn can't win!" "Don't vote for Corbyn!".

 

It's like they are trying to convince everyone that leftism is bayyaadd.

 

The moderate wing of the Labour party needs to put an end to the vitriol and abuse currently being aimed at other Labour supporters, listen and start offering something positive. If they don't wise up, they won't convince people to vote for any of the 3 mainstream candidates.

[Happ Hazzard]

Labour need to be more pragmatic and less idealistic. The most important thing is getting into power. There are too many people in Labour who prefer being out of power and criticising the government to being in power and having to make compromises.