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Barry Gardiner is a very interesting character. Voted for the the Iraq war, nominated David Miliband for the leadership, once told Gordon Brown to resign because he wasn’t enough of a blairite, and has close ties to the Modi regime. He should stick to being the shadow minister for going on question time.
I assumed it was just the Chinese having a tilt at the leadership.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/china-cash-link-to-top-labour-mp-65d3c92j8
They backed the wrong horse if so!
Do I have my own thoughts? You know the answer to that, surely?
Everyone who doesn’t think Jeremy is wonderful and his socialist vision is the only future, is obviously an unthinking drone, a gullible slave to the neoliberal military-industrial complex, totally incapable of independent thought, who eagerly awaits Rupert Murdoch spoon-feeding them their opinions every day.
That’s the narrative, isn’t it?
Oh...and SK I’m not answering your question or engaging with you in any way as you’re not even aware of what’s clearly stated on page 66 of your union rule book
Come on... this is schoolboy stuff...
Oh…and SK I’m not answering your question or engaging with you in any way as you’re not even aware of what’s clearly stated on page 66 of your union rule book
Come on… this is schoolboy stuff…
Interesting how a post advising a member on how to use his union subscription is hijacked by you and your petty animosities. When I say interesting, I mean entirely predictable.
Then, comrade, I suggest that you take a look at page 73, subsection 2, paragraph 3, appendage 7, which clearly proves you wrong
Binners, going back to comrade len...as you stated turnover in last Unite election was 12.2%.
His 45.5% share means that 5.6% of the union membership voted for him.
I wouldn't call that a democratic result.
It's even worse than the farce which masquerades as PCC elections.
Unfortunately, McCluskey and his mates control the rule book.
How will he connive at the next union election?
The whole way Unite functions under McClusky is completely dysfunctional and corrupt.
Unfortunately his entryist agenda, initially trialled by Militant in the 80’s was used as a template to deliver Corbynism, where he revelled in the totally out of kilter amount of power he wielded
The man is a real piece of work. A narcissistic, power-crazed bully of the worst sort. A supposed Marxist conducting ‘socialist’ operations from his table in The Ivy (all on expenses, paid for by subs from union members, obviously)
This sums up Len McClusky..
Ex-labour MP awarded £75,000 in Libel damages after Union story
Anna Turkey was bang on with her description of McClusky. He’s a vile human being
Then, comrade, I suggest that you take a look at page 73, subsection 2, paragraph 3, appendage 7, which clearly proves you wrong
That almost passes for originality in your world.
Binners - you're getting over-excited in your trying; it's Anna Turley, not Turkey.
The damages award is being appealed by Unite and the costs award, if the appeal is unsuccessful, is closer to £2million than £1mill.
There are 4 other cases against Labour and/or Corbynistas which are in the public domain and, in each, the solicitor's are Lab's favourites Howe & Co (who acted against Turley) with barrister Anthony Hudson expected to make an appearance - as he did against Turley.
The judge in Turley's case, after Hudson stated she '...was not fit to be an MP', increased the damages award and said '...the defendants' conduct during the trial has seriously aggravated the harm to (Turley's) reputation and her distress'.
Details courtesy of Private Eye.
McCluskey - unaffected.
Members subs - being wasted big style.
My learned friends - laughing all the way.
Sickening really.
I left school at 16 and worked on the heavily unionised chemical plants on Merseyside in the 1980’s.
I’ve had plenty of first hand experience of the Len McCluskey’s and Derek Hatton of this world*. Utter *’s, the lot of them
They were pathetic, Marxist dinosaurs in 1986 - totally self-serving- I’m gobsmacked that anyone is naive enough to buy their bullshit in the 21st century. That takes a special kind of stupid
The likes of McClusky are about as concerned for the rights of workers as Jacob Rees Mogg. They’re entirely in it for themselves, which in my eyes makes them even worse than the Tory’s
At least they make no pretence to not being utter *s
* not the Jeremy Corbyns, obviously, as there’s no chance on earth they’d be anywhere near an actual workplace like a chemical plant, particularly in the north
That takes a special kind of stupid
Always the best way of convincing people of your point of view.
There’s little point in trying to convince cult members that they’re wrong
This is just me howling through a load-hailer into a shipping container as I watch the Corbynite lefty morons deliver us 20+ years of Tory rule
Maybe if you lot had learnt anything at all in the last 4 years I might make some effort to mask my total and utter contempt...
****ing clowns
This is just me howling through a load-hailer into a shipping container as I watch the Corbynite lefty morons deliver us 20+ years of Tory rule
No. Just popped back on this thread to have a look and its depressing. I find myself completely in agreement with everything you have said.
Im not inspired by any of the candidates to be honest.
Ransos - what has McCluskey delivered for members of the union he leads?
What has he done to help make labour party electable?
By any metric, can you show how he is he 'value for money'?
He has been hugely successful in extracting money from the membership - salary, expenses and lifestyle - but doing little of value for the members who fund the extravagance.
How about compare and contrast - McCluskey v Mick Cash (or his pre-decessor Bob Crow), for example.
The former abuses the privilege of leadership in so many ways; Cash and, before him, Crow were there for the working man - militant, yes, but/and very successful.
The sooner McCluskey clears his desk, Milne and Lansman walk - a general cleansing of the Augean stables - the better labour will be.
They have played at being politicians for a few years but are woefully inept.
Time for the grown-ups to run the show again.
Does anyone know binners in real life? I'm starting to worry about him - it might be time for an intervention.
Don't worry about me. Arguing with deluded Corbynites on here is a form of therapy
It stops me kicking kittens
And you can’t voice opinions like mine about Corbyn, McClusky and the Marxist Mafia on social media because you’d end up with death threats.
But that’s the kinder, gentler politics for you
Does anyone know binners in real life? I’m starting to worry about him – it might be time for an intervention.
It's OK, Gregg's spotted their biggest fan and put an outlet <1 mile from his house.
Mmmmmmmmm.... steak bakes
If you’re watching QT at the moment then people are repeatedly pointing out the obvious
The Labour Party had an unelectable leader, a front bench that wasn’t up to the job and a fantasy manifesto.
Clive Lewis is actually coming across really well, but I still don’t think he quite gets it. The scale of the Labour trouncing
Maybe if you lot had learnt anything at all in the last 4 years I might make some effort to mask my total and utter contempt…
What "lot" is that?
Ransos – what has McCluskey delivered for members of the union he leads?
No idea - why don't you ask one of his supporters? If you can avoid calling them names that'd be great.
What ‘lot’ is that?
...
As for Len, Like politicians maybe he should publish his expenses? I don’t know about you but I didn’t expect my employer to buy me a luxury apartment in central London then pick up my bar tab at the Ivy
Man of the people though, eh?
Socialism in action
What ‘lot’ is that?
Shame you chose to hide behind another silly picture. Coward.
This is just me howling through a load-hailer into a shipping container as I watch the Corbynite lefty morons deliver us 20+ years of Tory rule
Also agree but I'd prefer to shout at clouds.
Awwww.... bless
You struggling with the total ineptitude of it all? The utter shambles?
Maybe I could post up a picture of the board of British Leyland?
easily
Member
Does anyone know binners in real life? I’m starting to worry about him – it might be time for an intervention.
Yes.
He's a genuinely lovely little sausage, who has made a success of his life through hard work, genuine talent and absolute decency.
It's only politics. Meh.
ransos - get a couple of things straight:
- I have not called anyone names in my posts on this subject; referring to McCluskey as comrade len is not name calling
- your posts suggest you have some comradely love for len; if not then be clear about what you are saying; is McCluskey a waste of space? If not, in your opinion, explain why.
He’s a genuinely lovely little sausage, who has made a success of his life through hard work, genuine talent and absolute decency.
Are there two binners? This sounds nothing like the one I’ve met.
ransos - have just done a quick review of your posts on this topic, you have said nothing of interest or relevance.
Can you up your posting game?
He bought me a pint once.
Just the once, to be fair.
I'd be willing to slag him off for cash my way?
Does anyone know binners in real life?
Yup. Been out riding with him loads. Last time was on Monday. Try not to worry, no intervention necessary, this is the internet, not real life 😉
Back on topic though, being pro-left shouldn’t be confused with being pro-McCluskey or any of the other personalities. There are narcissists and incompetents across the political spectrum. Doesn’t change the arguments on policy or ideology though. The problem is that we focus on the personalities not the policies. I’m interested in the latter not the former.
You do. See page 66 of your rulebook.
I was not aware of that, thanks for pointing that out.
ransos – get a couple of things straight:
– I have not called anyone names in my posts on this subject; referring to McCluskey as comrade len is not name calling
– your posts suggest you have some comradely love for len; if not then be clear about what you are saying; is McCluskey a waste of space? If not, in your opinion, explain why.
1. I never said you called anyone names. I'd just prefer it if you didn't follow binners' tedious example, is all.
2. I don't believe I've ever expressed any admiration for McCluskey. If not, perhaps you could quote the relevant posts.
3. It seems that you are keen to ascribe views and positions to me that I do not hold. If you want to know something, ask, rather than making stuff up. In other words, up your game.
I was not aware of that, thanks for pointing that out.
No worries. I'm pretty sure it's a legal requirement.
Binners - continuing to add to the rejection of the left. There is no distinction between the right-wing tabloid press and his verbiage. The right love Jess too.
Tories managed to elect a useless leader. It doesn't matter when you have the weight of opinion in your favour.
At the end of the next five years people will be ready for some form of socialism.
Disaster socialism?
Brilliant!
The right love Jess too.
Who do you mean as “the right”?
I still don’t think she’s the right leader… but then I have only voted for Labour with Corbyn as leader. The challenge is to keep me and others who might consider themselves “left”, yet win over voters who you might consider “right”, and voted for another party at the last 2 general elections. If Jess can win enough of those people over to Labour, while keeping half of the left wing policies Labour have been offering in the last few years to keep those enthused by that direction on side as well… then perhaps she is the right choice.
At the end of the next five years people will be ready for some form of socialism.
We already have “some form of socialism”… (ask an American if you think we don’t)… and, yes, I think the public will want to build on that, rather than continue to edge away from it, in five years… but they will not get behind a jump to the left anything like the current Labour team have been offering… even if we support it. To get into government, Labour can’t just carry on pretending that they can get 40% of voters singing the red flag… they have to be offering a fresh alternative that isn’t full of too much socialist and nationalising rhetoric and policy.
We already have “some form of socialism”…
We really don't. Just because we're not as bad as the US doesn't make us socialist. We live in a lightly regulated free market economy. The only socialism that exists here is in the form of the state propping up the interests of billionaires and corporations through tax breaks, subsidies and bailouts when they're required.
I think the public will want to build on that
No they won't. We're firmly on the path to US-style beggar-thy-neighbour cut-throat capitalism. The destruction of industry in the 80s and the communities and support networks it created has resulted in people not caring about anyone outside their own social bubble. Combine that with the availability of cheap credit and asset price inflation most people in this country think they're on the right side of the rich vs poor divide. The result is no one gives a sh*t about the poor enough to vote in their interests. Things will get a lot worse before they get better. It's probably going to need another debt crisis to burst the bubble.
challenge is to keep me and others who might consider themselves “left”
Things will get a lot worse before they get better.
^^^
In a PR system these sorts of folks would vote for a well to the left socialist party which would see some power in coalition with social democrats, get some of its policies implemented and have some bearing on debate. But they can't quite bring themselves in our first past the post system to support the kind of labour party that most of the country will vote for. Hence hopes that disaster will make people open their eyes and vote for socialism (not what usually happens).
The destruction of industry in the 80s... support networks
Agreed- whenever car factories, mine closures etc were referenced with X thousand job losses, they never mentioned the wider effect on the businesses supplying them and even shops that their wages were spent in.
If you want to get an idea of what the public want look back over the last 40 years. Not very socialist is it...
Hence hopes that disaster will make people open their eyes and vote for socialism
No one's hoping for disaster, it's just the (almost) inevitable reality. Much like climate change, we can see it coming, but we can't stop it because we don't have the collective power to force the tiny few people who profit from it to change.
Disaster socialism is load of rubbish. If a collapse happens, whether it's economic, environmental, political or all three (climate change will see to that), people will be too busy trying to survive to organise themselves into any sort of movement, and a new generation of oligarchs will sieze power in the vacuum.
Things will only change when the people at the top fear their power is under threat. That's only going to happen if people act now when they can, in whatever form they can, rather than waiting for some disaster or leftwing messiah to appear in the future.
right. Look at the US - I'd call it a disaster if we became even more like them. That's what's happening. People are not going to vote for full-blooded socialism so perhaps get labour back sufficiently centre-ground to be able to stop this happening.