2020 Labour Leadership Election

[Blair]

We've still got austerity; Boris just likes big infrastructure projects but the stuff that actually damages families is still very much in place.

[EastAnglianLefty]

I think the fact that this 'endorsement' only came after the polls had closed shows that Osborne knows this will go down very badly indeed with most Labour voters, which also suggests that he's not necessarily doing this with Starmer's best interests in mind.

He may not be Johnson's biggest fan (although he's not a particularly outspoken opponent either), but fundamentally he's a very partisan Tory and the most generous interpretation you can put on this is that he'd be quite happy for everybody to lose the next election.

[Blair]

Covid induced boredom lead me to try and remember my thoughts on the race at the start- as some on twitter are already doing a post-mortem of RLB.

The "fundamentalist" wing of Corbynism certainly don't see Rayner as "hard left" FWIW - those comparisons with Neil Kinnock aren't just because they are both redheads you know.

I still think it's a huge mistake not pushing Angela for leader; of course it might be a case of her not wanting it but she would easily beat Keir, and would actually be quite good as Leader.

But picking RLB (a former corporate lawyer, who joined the party in 2010!) over Rayner (an ex-trade union official) really does reveal a lot about parts of the left.

Of course this is no different to boosting Pidcock for leader purely because she talked about despising tories & representing her class (despite being as middle class as I am!)

I mean the three priorities for their project should be 1.) Someone who will beat Keir 2.) Someone who is strong enough to face 4 years of crap from the PLP. 3.) Someone who won't ditch the 2017 manifesto.

I know I've ranted about it before; but I feel they've put so much energy into someone with no real charisma, no real strength in the party & no obvious political skills.

[brucejoel99]

I think the fact that this 'endorsement' only came after the polls had closed shows that Osborne knows this will go down very badly indeed with most Labour voters, which also suggests that he's not necessarily doing this with Starmer's best interests in mind.

He may not be Johnson's biggest fan (although he's not a particularly outspoken opponent either), but fundamentally he's a very partisan Tory and the most generous interpretation you can put on this is that he'd be quite happy for everybody to lose the next election.

This really understates just how much Osborne greatly dislikes the current Tory leadership. Osborne & Cameron had it all stitched up: take over the party, privatize this, do dodgy dealings with that, & make loads of money for 'OUR' friends. Then there's a massive coup against them over the EU, the party leadership changes hands, & suddenly, the once cool in-crowd, who used to strut around No. 10 acting all busy & important are out in the cold while the new in-crowd are partying it up in your old house & making money for 'THEIR' friends.

He used to be the big man, & now he's (along with Cameron) been totally shunned. This is why he wants Starmer: because seems the most likely candidate to offer a credible opposition &, as such, to cause BoJo trouble.

[CumbrianLefty]

Osborne is s***-stirring, its what he does. Wouldn't read much more into it than that.

[Blair]

It might just be because it feels like years & years but I feel that George Osborne the Chancellor & Political fixer is different to George Osborne the Editor. The standard likes to think of itself as some sort of mainstream political heavyweight & it's pretty obvious they'd go for the former DPP over RLB & Nandy.

It also made me realise that unless I missed it the New Statesmen hasn't endorsed anyone- I'm not at all aware of past practice (having only subscribed this year) but it seems strange.

[CumbrianLefty]

Not having anything to do with that publication until the disgraceful Cowley goes.

[EastAnglianLefty]

I think the fact that this 'endorsement' only came after the polls had closed shows that Osborne knows this will go down very badly indeed with most Labour voters, which also suggests that he's not necessarily doing this with Starmer's best interests in mind.

He may not be Johnson's biggest fan (although he's not a particularly outspoken opponent either), but fundamentally he's a very partisan Tory and the most generous interpretation you can put on this is that he'd be quite happy for everybody to lose the next election.

This really understates just how much Osborne greatly dislikes the current Tory leadership. Osborne & Cameron had it all stitched up: take over the party, privatize this, do dodgy dealings with that, & make loads of money for 'OUR' friends. Then there's a massive coup against them over the EU, the party leadership changes hands, & suddenly, the once cool in-crowd, who used to strut around No. 10 acting all busy & important are out in the cold while the new in-crowd are partying it up in your old house & making money for 'THEIR' friends.

He used to be the big man, & now he's (along with Cameron) been totally shunned. This is why he wants Starmer: because seems the most likely candidate to offer a credible opposition &, as such, to cause BoJo trouble.

Sorry, but this is flat-out wrong. That was his attitude to May, it's not his attitude to Johnson, who is fundamentally part of the same crowd as Osborne and Cameron, just much less loyal to it.

[Blair]

Not having anything to do with that publication until the disgraceful Cowley goes.

what's your beef with him? I remember reading a quote from a piece of him and going 'oh christ that's bad' but of course can't actually remember it.

[CumbrianLefty]

Never really liked him, and my beef actually pre-dates Corbyn - there was a disgusting anti-EM editorial in late 2014 (which may have been connected with the half-assed coup attempt against him at that time) The editorial before the last GE was also a pile of self-serving, myopic hogwash.

His constant droning on about "patriotism" and genuine chumminess with the likes of the late unlamented Scruton show him as totally unsuitable to edit Britain's longest running left wing title.

[EastAnglianLefty]

Cowley is clearly unsuited to his job, but I don't think you can lay the 2019 editorial entirely at his door - I get the definite sense that several of their politics team (including some who probably did end up voting Labour) were decidedly uncomfortable with calling for positive support of Corbyn, and for better reasons than Cowley would usually come out with.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I get the definite sense that several of their politics team (including some who probably did end up voting Labour) were decidedly uncomfortable with calling for positive support of Corbyn, and for better reasons than Cowley would usually come out with.

Yes, we know that Stephen Bush (who is Jewish and has confirmed that he did not vote Labour for that reason) was strongly against an endorsement, and it's pretty clear that his position had a lot of support from others even though, as you say, a lot probably wore the old nosepeg in the privacy of the polling booth.

[CumbrianLefty]

Actually did not know that about Bush - either the not voting Labour last year, or his Jewishness.

Though it is worth noting that despite that (and his differences with Corbynism more generally) he has managed to write about the party in the last few years with a reasonable amount of objectivity, nonetheless. Its a great shame that more of the punditocracy couldn't follow his example there.

[brucejoel99]

I think the fact that this 'endorsement' only came after the polls had closed shows that Osborne knows this will go down very badly indeed with most Labour voters, which also suggests that he's not necessarily doing this with Starmer's best interests in mind.

He may not be Johnson's biggest fan (although he's not a particularly outspoken opponent either), but fundamentally he's a very partisan Tory and the most generous interpretation you can put on this is that he'd be quite happy for everybody to lose the next election.

This really understates just how much Osborne greatly dislikes the current Tory leadership. Osborne & Cameron had it all stitched up: take over the party, privatize this, do dodgy dealings with that, & make loads of money for 'OUR' friends. Then there's a massive coup against them over the EU, the party leadership changes hands, & suddenly, the once cool in-crowd, who used to strut around No. 10 acting all busy & important are out in the cold while the new in-crowd are partying it up in your old house & making money for 'THEIR' friends.

He used to be the big man, & now he's (along with Cameron) been totally shunned. This is why he wants Starmer: because seems the most likely candidate to offer a credible opposition &, as such, to cause BoJo trouble.

Sorry, but this is flat-out wrong. That was his attitude to May, it's not his attitude to Johnson, who is fundamentally part of the same crowd as Osborne and Cameron, just much less loyal to it.

May didn't screw them over on the EU just to further her political standing. He did. Pretty clear as to why (as it is with Cameron, whose current disgust for BoJo is the worst-kept secret in Britain) he hates BoJo.

[EastAnglianLefty]

No, May ended Osborne's career and publicised her snide remarks as she sacked him. Osborne really, really hates her - to the extent that he said he "would not rest until she is chopped up in bags in my freezer"!

He doesn't like Johnson, and no doubt he does resent the betrayal, but he was quite happy to carry water for him in the last election and he'll do it again in every future election - particularly since he's not going to be as frozen out of influence as he was under May.

[DistingFlyer]

Well, the day has come, with no surprise: Starmer has won. No details on the exact figures yet.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

https://mobile.twitter.com/paulmasonnews/status/1246376056807972864

[MABA 2020]

56%! Thats higher than I expected

[Pericles]

Great that he's won by such a big margin. Him just winning isn't enough, a huge mandate like this gives him the best possible chance to change Labour and get it back into government.

[CumbrianLefty]

Great that he's won by such a big margin. Him just winning isn't enough, a huge mandate like this gives him the best possible chance to change Labour and get it back into government.

Almost everybody agrees change is needed. However, its the idea said change has to be "purge the left in its entirety and return to the glory days of summer 2015" that is widely disputed.

Starmer isn't going to be hobbled with the equivocal mandate that Ed M had, that at least is good.

(or should be)

[EastAnglianLefty]

I don't think a purge is helpful. That said, it's quite possible Long Bailey will be the only survivor from the SCG, simply because unity is going to be Starmer's aim and the others can't be trusted not to piss inside the team. It's quite possible that this could still happen with the Shadow Cabinet being to the left of the median Labour MP.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

And breathe.

[MABA 2020]

Rayner won as well (no surprise) on the third round.

[DaWN]

See, I told you all Starmer would win

[Blair]

And in an almost as important result the corbynsceptics have won all three NEC seats in the by-election.

Starter is close to or has a majority on the NEC; with that he has the power to really change labour in the boring but much needed way.