This Once Great Movement Of Ours

[Blair]

I often joke that virtually everyone in the Labour Party is a Brownite politically now, but it’s worth remembering that a lot of the factional beef goes back to 2010 and whether you backed Ed Miliband or Ed Balls. There’s only ideologically about 15-20 Blairites in the PLP.

It’s such a psychodrama that people were briefing against Ed last year and saying ‘well Gordon hates him you know’ because that actually does convince a large number of MPs.

I did a post previously saying Starmer was one of the few Milibandites and well that descended from being a Brownite didn’t it…

It’s getting the carriage ahead of the course but I struggle to see his role- the economics brief is very Rachel Reeves domain, Home Office is well Yvette and Ed doesn’t have any experience in foreign affairs.

I guess he could have one of the attacking briefs but well it’s easy to see how it all ends up like Portillo as Al said.

[Blair]

I often joke that virtually everyone in the Labour Party is a Brownite politically now, but it’s worth remembering that a lot of the factional beef goes back to 2010 and whether you backed Ed Miliband or Ed Balls. There’s only ideologically about 15-20 Blairites in the PLP.

It’s such a psychodrama that people were briefing against Ed last year and saying ‘well Gordon hates him you know’ because that actually does convince a large number of MPs.

I did a post previously saying Starmer was one of the few Milibandites and well that descended from being a Brownite didn’t it…

It’s getting the carriage ahead of the course but I struggle to see his role- the economics brief is very Rachel Reeves domain, Home Office is well Yvette and Ed doesn’t have any experience in foreign affairs.

I guess he could have one of the attacking briefs but well it’s easy to see how it all ends up like Portillo as Al said.

Old habits die hard- Ed Balls said he isn’t running and hadn’t actually discussed it with anyone so I wonder who was doing the briefing about what Gordon really wanted.

The Times had an awful piece yesterday from ‘Labour sources’ saying that Ed would struggle because he’d be a better Shadow Chancellor than Rachel Reeves and would cause friction- which ignores that 1.)  RR actually has a good relationship with her boss- something the two Ed’s never had 2.) She has a lead in the opinion polls on economic issues 3.) She is actually doing a good job.

If they want Ed Balls in Government then put him in the Lords! But saner heads prevail and there’s been suggestions that Keir’s team don’t actually want him.

[CumbrianLefty]

Reeves actually tied with Sunak in a recent "who would make the best Chancellor" poll - the built in advantage for the incumbent there is even bigger than it is with the similar PM question.

[Torrain]

If they want Ed Balls in Government then put him in the Lords!

If that happens - I wager no less than three UK newspapers just run “Lord Balls” as their headline that day.

[Blair]

In light of the above the Times have a story saying Mr Tony thinks Keir is rubbish, along with most of his frontbench.

This is not new news, and it goes on to say they don’t like trust each other- why would they?

Both this and the balls Story shows a lot about how a very small group of people think in this party. It’s all very sins of our fathers.

[Torrain]

As much as I think Blair typically has strong political instincts (most of the time - there are some glaring exceptions that come to mind), I’m not sure Starmer’s team will be too fussed about this.

Pretty sure the phrase “I’ve got serious disagreements with Tony Blair” still polls pretty darn well.

[Blair]

As much as I think Blair typically has strong political instincts (most of the time - there are some glaring exceptions that come to mind), I’m not sure Starmer’s team will be too fussed about this.

Pretty sure the phrase “I’ve got serious disagreements with Tony Blair” still polls pretty darn well.

Article went onto to say he’s setting up another political group made up of *drum roll* Alastair Campbell, Rory Stewart and Trevor Phillips. Which does make me question his judgement!

[CumbrianLefty]

Phillips is easily the most right wing of those three.

[JimJamUK]

Phillips is easily the most right wing of those three.

Yet hilariously, the only one who is actually a member of the Labour Party!

[Secretary of State Liberal Hack]

Phillips is easily the most right wing of those three.

Yet hilariously, the only one who is actually a member of the Labour Party!

Pretty sure Blair is still a member.

[CumbrianLefty]

The three others named, I think they meant. But hasn't Campbell re-joined yet?

[Blair]

First bit of anti LOTO briefing I’ve seen for a while; it’s significant that Nandy is local Gov Shadow and is saying this only two weeks before the result.

The tone suggests where it was briefed from but the bitchy quote against her (accusing her of being a no-show) makes it seem a bit strange. It was suggested she fell out with Keir and was going to be sacked last May over it.

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/lisa-nandy-keir-starmer-partygate-row_uk_626667b5e4b0197ae3f868e2

[CumbrianLefty]

Well apparently Starmer spent a lot of his Sunday morning BBC interview trying to turn discussions to the current cost of living crisis.

But guess what Sophie Raworth (the interviewer) wanted to talk about instead?

[JimJamUK]

Well apparently Starmer spent a lot of his Sunday morning BBC interview trying to turn discussions to the current cost of living crisis.

But guess what Sophie Raworth (the interviewer) wanted to talk about instead?

I haven’t seen anything from interview so I may be completely wrong, but I’m going to guess ‘do women have penis’?

[CumbrianLefty]

Well apparently Starmer spent a lot of his Sunday morning BBC interview trying to turn discussions to the current cost of living crisis.

But guess what Sophie Raworth (the interviewer) wanted to talk about instead?

I haven’t seen anything from interview so I may be completely wrong, but I’m going to guess ‘do women have penis’?

Thankfully they seem to have got a bit tired of that one now.

No, she went on and on about the thing Starmer has been accused of spending too much time on.

[Secretary of State Liberal Hack]

Isn't running this kind of ad a bit pointless right now ?

[Blair]

Yes it’s rather stupid but I’d guess it was done to test the message.

[Blair]

Parties often run small Facebook ads to see how they perform.

There has been a rather muscular effort on ‘law and order’ which even I’ve found a bit too far.

Very hangem and Burnham!

[CumbrianLefty]

These ads were presumably targeted at a select group (ie socially conservative voters in Northern and Midlands battlegrounds between Labour and LibDems) Its the sort of segmentation the Tories have been doing rather successfully for a while now.

[Secretary of State Liberal Hack]

These ads were presumably targeted at a select group (ie socially conservative voters in Northern and Midlands battlegrounds between Labour and LibDems) Its the sort of segmentation the Tories have been doing rather successfully for a while now.

How exactly is nuclear policy going to become a relevant issue for a local election ?

[CumbrianLefty]

These ads were presumably targeted at a select group (ie socially conservative voters in Northern and Midlands battlegrounds between Labour and LibDems) Its the sort of segmentation the Tories have been doing rather successfully for a while now.

How exactly is nuclear policy going to become a relevant issue for a local election ?

Shockingly, its not.

Along with a zillion other things that actually get mentioned in "local" election campaigns

[MABA 2020]

"legalise drugs and soften punishments" almost makes me wanna vote for the Lib Dems

[Blair]

Well this hasn’t been done before…. Last few lines are very telling.

https://mobile.twitter.com/UKLabour/status/1520659285163794432?ref_src=twsrc%5Eg...

[Torrain]

"legalise drugs and soften punishments" almost makes me wanna vote for the Lib Dems

“Smoke weed, do crimes” - the Rt Hon Sir Edward Davy

[CumbrianLefty]

Well this hasn’t been done before…. Last few lines are very telling.

https://mobile.twitter.com/UKLabour/status/1520659285163794432?ref_src=twsrc%5Eg...

I am in favour of people being reminded that the last Labour government did good things. It remains the case that Mr Tony is a very problematic messenger, though.