Should Labour move right or left?

[drummonds]

Don't forget the Tories are going to have their own problems to deal with very soon.

 

The EU referendum is in 2017. If you want to see a party split in two, then watch that.

 

yes you should cling to that dream if it helps you come to terms with reality. in the meantime.

 

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/jeremy-corbyn-would-reduce-labours-chances-of-winning-the-next-election-poll-reveals-10457458.html

 

 

 

A victory for Jeremy Corbyn in the Labour leadership race will reduce the party's chances of winning the next election, a poll for The Independent on Sunday reveals.

 

As ballot papers arrive for more than 600,000 members and supporters, the wider electorate thinks Mr Corbyn stands the least chance of returning Labour to power in 2020, the ComRes poll shows. In a dramatic twist, David Miliband, defeated by his brother in 2010, would stand the most chance of winning for Labour.

 

With Mr Corbyn still the odds-on favourite to win on 12 September, The IoS has learnt that his team has already begun preparing his shadow cabinet. He is planning to make John McDonnell, the leader of the Socialist Campaign Group who stood against challenged Gordon Brown in 2007, shadow Chancellor, a source revealed. Mr Corbyn’s aides have also sounded out Tom Watson, the front-runner for deputy leader, for a party management role.

 

As many as nine members of Labour’s current Shadow Cabinet are ready to quit if the Islington North MP wins, and many MPs are preparing to join the Labour for the Common Good group, set up by Chuka Umunna and Tristram Hunt, which aims to bring together the soft left, old right, Brownites and Blairites as a moderate pressure group in anticipation of a Corbyn victory.

 

Liz Kendall, who is fourth in the polls, said her supporters could “hold their heads up and be proud” of what they believed in, despite a campaign of personal abuse against the candidate and anyone who backed her. Ms Kendall said a Labour councillor had told her he had been threatened with deselection if he voted for her.

[blake]

Mcdonnell for Shadow Chancellor. You couldn't make it up.

 

why not have Dennis Skinner in the Politburo as well, as Shadow Foreign Secretary? Just exactly the right guy to connect with younger voters, even if he is 83 years of age.

[drummonds]

Mcdonnell for Shadow Chancellor. You couldn't make it up.

 

why not have Dennis Skinner in the Politburo as well, as Shadow Foreign Secretary? Just exactly the right guy to connect with younger voters, even if he is 83 years of age.

 

the question in the op is should labour move right or left. it seems they are doing both with the party set to split down the middle. where is the option in the poll for that because that seems to be the obvious solution?

[alchresearch]

Totally agree. People don't trust them both or what they have to say. So each time they come out and slate Corbyn, all they're doing is helping him get further support.

[drummonds]

Blair and Brown don't seem to have noticed that their brand of Labour, minus the allegedly charismatic leadership of Blair, has already lost them two general elections and led to their "annihilation" in Scotland.

 

perhaps it was just the "allegedly charismatic leadership of blair" that carried the day between 1997 and 2005, and in reality labour have been otherwise unelectable since the 1970s.

[DrNorm]

Blair and Brown don't seem to have noticed that their brand of Labour, minus the allegedly charismatic leadership of Blair, has already lost them two general elections and led to their "annihilation" in Scotland.

 

??? Where does Milliband fit into this analysis?

[Vague_Boy]

perhaps it was just the "allegedly charismatic leadership of blair" that carried the day between 1997 and 2005, and in reality labour have been otherwise unelectable since the 1970s.

 

I don't know if it's quite that straightforward. Yes, things have become more "presidential" with leaders seemingly more important than policies.

 

But in 1997 there was a feeling that the Conservatives were tired, complacent and full of sleaze (lots of scandals around the mid-90s). I'm sure John Smith would have taken the party to victory in 1997. Unless they had a real liability as leader (i.e. Neill Kinnock) the momentum was very much with Labour.

 

I'm not sure what went wrong in 2015. True, most sensible people wouldn't put Ed Balls in charge of a whelk stall but even so, Labour did far worse than I expected.

 

Perhaps the Conservatives did *just* well enough with the economy to seem the better choice, the Boy Cameron was *just* that little bit more credible than googly eyed Ed.

[mancmart]

In answer to the original question, I'd say Labour must swing left.

The fact that Corbyn's policies have awakened a once sleeping mass of people tells me that the masses had become complacent, but are now given hope once again.

Since blair and his illegal wars,the Labour party had become wishy-washy tory types, and how some of them are frightened that the working class are once again getting involved!

Even the daily Mirror are panicked, but what if Corbyn should succeed?

Only Burnham has offered him the olive branch, win or lose.

It's easy to say he will make labour unelectable, but will he?

For every right wing labour voter lost, some of the complacent working class may just re-awaken to replace them.

We may get socialism yet..

[newcomer01]

If Drummond is right about the Labour party being un electable since the 1970`s ,what a sad state of affairs British politics have become.Having to wait all those years just to ellect a charismatic leader such as TORY BLAIRE. Lets face it who was in opposition at this time.Michael Howard,William Hague,I.D.S. There is every possibility that even Kinnock would have stood a chance of P.M. with those three in opposition

Just look how long it took the tories to get an electable leader after Thatcher,is there any wonder that Labour was complacent.

 

It seems to me the only real panic is coming from the free loaders within the Labour party who are afraid that their job for life may coming to an end.

 

Perhaps with the help of other parties paying their £3( a very kind gesture if I may say) Corbyn may be able to eventually get people to consider policies and not charisma.Who knows we may yet see a mass exodus of Labour Lemmings( I wish to be considered as a guide for them to the nearest cliff)

[alchresearch]

??? Where does Milliband fit into this analysis?

 

A completely different direction and person to try and take the heat of Brown and Blair. Same s*it, different face. Especially if you factor in the "wrong" Miliband won.