2020 Labour Leadership Election

[Blair]

No more stitch ups, please.

Well we still have the joy of seeing who UNISON & GMB support... in all fairness Rayner was the person most likely to get the nomination stitched up really quickly but yeah this could easily be filed under 'factional plot' gone awry part 100 in Labour History.

[Kingpoleon]

What if someone from outside England runs for leader, like Ian Murray, Stephen Kinnock, or someone similar? Do they have a shot at the leadership?

[Donerail]

What if someone from outside England runs for leader, like Ian Murray, Stephen Kinnock, or someone similar? Do they have a shot at the leadership?

"Ian Murray: Scottish Labour's Success, Nationally"

Kinnock has endorsed Nandy, fwiw

[Simfan34]

If Corbyn were to decide to run again, do you think he'd be able to win the Labour members' vote?

[Paleobrazilian]

If Corbyn were to decide to run again, do you think he'd be able to win the Labour members' vote?

Of course.

[Babeuf]

If Corbyn were to decide to run again, do you think he'd be able to win the Labour members' vote?

Of course.

I actually think he would lose. The membership was pro-Corbyn but the size of the election disaster will likely have shaken everything up imo. The situation is drastically different to what it was on December 11th.  

To clarify, I do think another left figure (RLB or otherwise) could win the membership vote, but I think Corbyn himself is now inescapably associated with the election results.

[Antonio the Sixth]

The dirty deal between Angela and Long-Bailey has been done according to the infamously reliable twitter journos.

It's the wrong way round with Angela set to run for Deputy.

Wew that's awful

Yeah, it really should have been the other way around.

[brucejoel99]

The dirty deal between Angela and Long-Bailey has been done according to the infamously reliable twitter journos.

It's the wrong way round with Angela set to run for Deputy.

Wew that's awful

Yeah, it really should have been the other way around.

Yeah, I can't help but think that RLB will just be painted as Corbyn/McDonnell 2.0; not to mention, Rayner is definitely the more impressive public speaker.

[urutzizu]

Hmm. I would very much caution against writing off Rebecca Long-Bailey as unelectable. It is not really arguable that the Leadership played a significant part in the defeat, and Polls do confirm that. The Question really is whether it was Corbyn himself or the Ideas behind him turned people off most. And it seems, from what people like Caroline Flint and other (former) Northern Labour MPs have been saying, that it was mostly the former. The victory of Boris was in many ways a cultural one, rather than one of economic ideology.

Long-Baily does not have the Baggage that the Inner Circle Corbynites have, people like Burgon, Abbott, McDonnell. There is no question about whether she may be an antisemite or not. She has not praised most of the worlds left-wing autocrats. People do not have to seriously ask themselves, whether there is an enemy of Britain she has not supported. And there is no question about her patriotism and whether she will stand up for the UKs interests and not some foreign power because of a romantic obsession with third-worldism.

This sort of tankieist student politics that Corbyn et al. have practiced their entire political lives is very much seen with distaste among many working class voters. Not only do many of them have families in the Armed Forces for instance, it is also seen as something completely champagne-socialistic, London-centric, it actually feeds into that perception, that was already building with the Labour decision to support a second referendum.

Long-Bailey does not have that. Being a woman from a working-class northern background, she cares about economic issues. The fact that she is not a highly outspoken and charismatic person is to her great credit. There is a reason why she is deployed as a safe pair of hands and deployed to PMQs and Interviews after the latest leaked Video of Jeremy Corbyn speaking at some "anti-imperialist" rally: There is not much that she can be attacked for personally.

It works both ways, of course. I have never heared Long-Bailey speak without glazing over after 5 seconds. And it may seem to many that her elevation is down to total loyalty to the regime that just collapsed. But Starmer and Thornberry are also too obviously citizens of nowhere, just like Corbyn, despite their seemingly different Ideologies.  

Lisa Nandy's the best one there. She was on the right side of the Brexit debate, Her disagreements with Corbynism are cultural and with Blairism ideological. And she speaks eloquently and seriously about the Labour Leavers in the north. I'd also like to see Rayner, Philips and Lewis on the top team.

No rush either. With the size of the Tory majority, Labour could comfortably take a year off to decide.

[brucejoel99]

Long-Baily does not have the Baggage that the Inner Circle Corbynites have, people like Burgon, Abbott, McDonnell.

Her colleagues in her office reportedly call her "Rebecca Wrong Daily." Make of that what you will.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Long-Baily does not have the Baggage that the Inner Circle Corbynites have, people like Burgon, Abbott, McDonnell.

Her colleagues in her office reportedly call her "Rebecca Wrong Daily." Make of that what you will.

tbf, that's a pretty low-hanging (but genuinely funny!) pun.

[Dr Oz Lost Party!]

RLB is favored? Have they learned NOTHING?

[DaWN]

RLB is favored? Have they learned NOTHING?

They were never going to learn anything.

[Paleobrazilian]

This Wrong-Daily shadow cabinet is going to be fun. I'm guessing Burgon will be her Shadow Chancellor. Now that would be a blast.



Seriously, she can't lose this membership election with Momentum, McCluskey and the machine working for her. It's Christmas already at 10 Downing Steet.

[CumbrianLefty]

Hmm. I would very much caution against writing off Rebecca Long-Bailey as unelectable. It is not really arguable that the Leadership played a significant part in the defeat, and Polls do confirm that. The Question really is whether it was Corbyn himself or the Ideas behind him turned people off most. And it seems, from what people like Caroline Flint and other (former) Northern Labour MPs have been saying, that it was mostly the former. The victory of Boris was in many ways a cultural one, rather than one of economic ideology.

Long-Baily does not have the Baggage that the Inner Circle Corbynites have, people like Burgon, Abbott, McDonnell. There is no question about whether she may be an antisemite or not. She has not praised most of the worlds left-wing autocrats. People do not have to seriously ask themselves, whether there is an enemy of Britain she has not supported. And there is no question about her patriotism and whether she will stand up for the UKs interests and not some foreign power because of a romantic obsession with third-worldism.

This sort of tankieist student politics that Corbyn et al. have practiced their entire political lives is very much seen with distaste among many working class voters. Not only do many of them have families in the Armed Forces for instance, it is also seen as something completely champagne-socialistic, London-centric, it actually feeds into that perception, that was already building with the Labour decision to support a second referendum.

Long-Bailey does not have that. Being a woman from a working-class northern background, she cares about economic issues. The fact that she is not a highly outspoken and charismatic person is to her great credit. There is a reason why she is deployed as a safe pair of hands and deployed to PMQs and Interviews after the latest leaked Video of Jeremy Corbyn speaking at some "anti-imperialist" rally: There is not much that she can be attacked for personally.

It works both ways, of course. I have never heared Long-Bailey speak without glazing over after 5 seconds. And it may seem to many that her elevation is down to total loyalty to the regime that just collapsed. But Starmer and Thornberry are also too obviously citizens of nowhere, just like Corbyn, despite their seemingly different Ideologies.  

Lisa Nandy's the best one there. She was on the right side of the Brexit debate, Her disagreements with Corbynism are cultural and with Blairism ideological. And she speaks eloquently and seriously about the Labour Leavers in the north. I'd also like to see Rayner, Philips and Lewis on the top team.

No rush either. With the size of the Tory majority, Labour could comfortably take a year off to decide.

A good summary.

I said before the election that RLB had improved greatly as a front-bencher - she appeared genuinely out of her depth when first appointed, not recently. She is one of those who, when faced with having to sink or swim following the mass walkout of frontbenchers in mid-2016, ended up swimming.

Still not convinced by her as leader right now, but she has the chance to win me and others over.

A year is too long, though; there are likely to be major happenings in 2020 - and important elections - and Labour can't be hobbled with a caretaker leadership widely seen (fairly or otherwise) as discredited for that long a period. A handover in late March sounds about right.

I so wish Nandy had returned to the front bench when Corbyn won his second leadership election (as she reportedly seriously considered doing) Her time on the backbenches has seen a bit too much pandering to the worst instincts of Blue Labour tbh - but again, she has the chance to put that right now.

It will be a great shame if Rayner doesn't stand for leader, though - she would be my first choice tbh. And not sure about having her as deputy if her mate does get the top job - not only do you want people a *bit* different in the two posts (even if a pairing as incompatible as Corbyn/Watson was always ultimately doomed to fail) but it would enable our terrible gossip addicted media (one of the tragedies of the election result is that they have survived totally unscathed) to rehash the mindblowingly tedious "Blair/Brown wars" days again. I am surprised more haven't suggested Clive Lewis in that role tbh - not only ticks numerous boxes (non-white, ex-military) but his strongly pro-remain instincts might be a good foil to a RLB leadership (given her - and Rayner/Nandy's, for that matter - more sceptical and pragmatic instincts there) and help Labour hold onto those voters even if we, in all probability, aren't re-entering the EU any time soon. His mental health experiences are something that could be a positive used in the right way, too - it is something modern capitalist society badly needs to be more open about.

And yes, some of those who have sat out the last four years will and should return to the front bench under any new leadership - but let it be the younger ones who look to the future please (Alison McGovern is a good example) The old guard - Benn, Cooper etc - were key parts of Labour's overall failure in 2010-15 especially and really do belong to the past. I might even say the same about Ed Miliband, much though I do love him

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I don't think it would be a good idea to pick anyone close to the present (toxic) leadership, I don't think it would be a good idea to pick anyone who was responsible for that (disastrous) leadership taking control in the first place. I don't think you can trust anyone who demonstrated such poor judgment with leadership in a situation as serious as Labour now finds itself in.

[Lord Halifax]

I don't think it would be a good idea to pick anyone close to the present (toxic) leadership, I don't think it would be a good idea to pick anyone who was responsible for that (disastrous) leadership taking control in the first place. I don't think you can trust anyone who demonstrated such poor judgment with leadership in a situation as serious as Labour now finds itself in.

Does that leave anyone with a realistic chance besides Lisa Nandy? Those that accepted seats on the front bench are also tainted by the current leadership.

[CumbrianLefty]

I don't think it would be a good idea to pick anyone close to the present (toxic) leadership, I don't think it would be a good idea to pick anyone who was responsible for that (disastrous) leadership taking control in the first place. I don't think you can trust anyone who demonstrated such poor judgment with leadership in a situation as serious as Labour now finds itself in.

If that is really true, then the party may as well disband in its present form. Seriously.

(amongst other things - that sort of "Year Zero" repudiation of *everything* that has happened since 2015 simply will not be accepted by most of the membership; rightly or wrongly they believe that the general political stance taken by the party since then has been broadly correct, even if some other things were not)

However, I'm not at all convinced that it is.

And there are always events.

[jaymichaud]

Ugh why is Emily Thornberry even being considered... nobody is interested in being led by some middle class schoolmarm.

[Paleobrazilian]

Ugh why is Emily Thornberry even being considered... nobody is interested in being led by some middle class schoolmarm.

Because she represents London-remainer tribe. The same can be said about Starmer. It would be a mistake for Labour to pander for this narrow segment of the electorate, but the media will certainly say they are the sane faction of the Labour party.

Then again, a few northerners like Caroline Flint and Gloria de Piero have already started their campaign against those two. Lots of sour grapes between those factions of the party.

[CumbrianLefty]

This Wrong-Daily shadow cabinet is going to be fun. I'm guessing Burgon will be her Shadow Chancellor. Now that would be a blast.



Seriously, she can't lose this membership election with Momentum, McCluskey and the machine working for her. It's Christmas already at 10 Downing Steet.

As was once said (or perhaps not) by Calvin Coolidge - "you lose".

Seriously, stop trolling us about Burgon.

He will have a minor front bench role, at best, with a new leader.

[parochial boy]

I mean, Sajid Javid is the current chancellor of the exchequer; so it's not like being a mentally subnormal extremist is anything of an obstacle to getting that particular job.

[Paleobrazilian]

This Wrong-Daily shadow cabinet is going to be fun. I'm guessing Burgon will be her Shadow Chancellor. Now that would be a blast.



Seriously, she can't lose this membership election with Momentum, McCluskey and the machine working for her. It's Christmas already at 10 Downing Steet.

As was once said (or perhaps not) by Calvin Coolidge - "you lose".

Seriously, stop trolling us about Burgon.

He will have a minor front bench role, at best, with a new leader.

Please don't shoot the messenger. Plus, it's not like the next leader will have a deep bench of MPs to build his/her shadow cabinet.

[Cassius]

I mean, Sajid Javid is the current chancellor of the exchequer; so it's not like being a mentally subnormal extremist is anything of an obstacle to getting that particular job.

Reported for anti-Deutsche hate speech.

[CumbrianLefty]

This Wrong-Daily shadow cabinet is going to be fun. I'm guessing Burgon will be her Shadow Chancellor. Now that would be a blast.



Seriously, she can't lose this membership election with Momentum, McCluskey and the machine working for her. It's Christmas already at 10 Downing Steet.

As was once said (or perhaps not) by Calvin Coolidge - "you lose".

Seriously, stop trolling us about Burgon.

He will have a minor front bench role, at best, with a new leader.

Please don't shoot the messenger. Plus, it's not like the next leader will have a deep bench of MPs to build his/her shadow cabinet.

By your own admission, you "guessed" it. I'm just saying that it wasn't a very good guess