If labour pandered to people like you they'd have 5% of the vote and one mp.
You happen to know that Labour failed to win the seat in Croydon because their candidate Sarah Jones was too left-wing 5thElefant ? 🙂
From 1983 for nearly 10 years the Tories held Croydon North West, then in 1992 Labour won the seat. The reason Labour won the seat was to a great extent because [i]"people like me"[/i] worked tirelessly at every election to help Labour defeat the Tories.
The Labour Party has a lot less [i]"people like me"[/i] delivering leaflets, knocking on doors, stuffing envelopes, giving lifts, etc.
Perhaps if they had they might have managed to get the extra 166 votes that they needed to win. Never never underestimate the importance of canvassing and connecting with ordinary voters in marginal seats.
And as a foot note, the Tory MP I helped to defeat, Humfrey Malins, was/is one of the most decent Tories you could possibly imagine. Among other things he resigned from the Tory front bench in protest at the Tory Party's support for the Iraq War. He voted against the Iraq War obviously.
In contrast the Labour MP which I helped to get elected was an enthusiastic supporter of the Iraq War. And his unquestioning loyalty to Tony Blair guaranteed him his ministerial career.
You can imagine how I felt/feel.
Until the Labour Party have principled policies that they believe in, that they can take to the people with honesty and integrity as well as consistency...it won't matter in any way who is leader.
A bit like choosing the next manager of Newcastle Utd!
Blair was the beginning of the end for Labour in Scotland.
Really?
'87 - 50 seats
'92 - 49
'97 - 56
'01 - 56
'05 - 41
'10 - 41
David Miliband is Tony Blair in a better suit.
Tony Blair managed to impose more left wing policies than any other UK politician in the last forty odd years - how? Simple, he won elections!
Really?
Yes really, as your figures show.
While the rest of the UK embraced Thatcher and the Tories Scotland bucked the trend and went the other way, ie, support for the Tories consistently fell while support for Labour consistently rose. The Labour vote in Scotland peaked in 2001 and then after the Iraq War fell, never to recover again before eventually completely collapsing.
Blair was the beginning of the end for Labour in Scotland. The final end came long after Blair had left to pursue his self-serving quest to become a multimillionaire and special adviser to the world's despots.
George Galloway is looking for a job.....
Just for completeness....
'87 - 50 seats of 72
'92 - 49 of 72
'97 - 56 of 72
'01 - 56 of 72
'05 - 41 of 59
'10 - 41 of 59
Which of the possible candidates has actually worked for a living at some point?
Which of the possible candidates has actually worked for a living at some point?
They're all benefit scroungers eh ?
Maybe worth mentioning that Burnham waved through a shit load of PWC inspired business-ification and privation of the NHS when last in power ( Google Ken Anderson if interested). So bit of a scumbag in my eyes
Jim Murphy - and if he needs a reference I bet Nicola will be happy to oblige
[quote=ernie_lynch ]They're all benefit scroungers eh ?
I guess it makes a change from tax dodgers.
It just annoys the hell out of me that a party built on workers/unions and supposedly for the working classes chooses/has representatives that have never had the experience of earning a wage other than through politics. Yes there will be some exceptions to this, but people going from Uni straight to the corridors of power without some graft in contributing towards the GDP doesn't seem right to me somehow for the party.
but they were born into wealth and privilege and had the best education money can buy so surely they know what's best for us plebes
I guess it makes a change from tax dodgers.
Well it certainly does. And all those who were born into money who have never needed to worry about working.
Although I see what Russell actually meant was "a proper job". Presumably like making and building stuff which involves having to wash your hands afterwards, none of this sitting on your fat arse like teaching or organising projects. Or sitting behind a computer all day. Proper "graft".
Proper "graft".
Is there an approved list of proper graft? I think I can squeeze in having done a bit of farming but I'm worried that as it was a family farm that also includes subsidy scrounging range rover land owning tosser points (only been in one range rover and it was with a couple of nice motorway policemen helping me get my car out of the fast lane...)
How does proper graft and hard working families cross over?
Did doing the job involve rolling your sleeves up and washing your hands afterwards ?
Once we established that then I think we can decide whether it was proper graft.
I've worked in offices where rolling your sleeves and and washing your hands on the way out was required...
Reading up, that Dan Jarvis seems to have done some graft and had his leadership skills tested.
Where are they putting the Edstone? Is there a Labour museum? It could go next to footage of Sheffield 1992. In the "we're alright" room.
Where are they putting the Edstone? Is there a Labour museum? It could go next to footage of Sheffield 1992. In the "we're alright" room.
I think they have erected it on Brighton beach, just next to the pier.
Mandelson scathing on Andrew Marr programme right now.
Mandelson scathing on Andrew Marr programme right now.
You don't get onto the TV is you are just going to be nice
Jim Murphy - and if he needs a reference I bet Nicola will be happy to oblige
Also has the benefit of keeping a jobless person off the dole.
Chukka is on the TV now - trying to appeal to the right by the sounds of it.
The prince of darkness was at his best/worst. A charming opening to how to stab someone right in the chest. Spoke quite a lot of sense though.
Chukka is on the TV now - trying to appeal to the [s]right[/s] [b]his wiki page[/b] by the sounds of it.
According to the BBC these are the ones that are shortlisted for the party of good life:
[url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-32654262 ]BBC link here[/url]
Andy Burnham (Ya, the champagne is good, more please!)
[img] 
[/img]
Liz Kendall(I know better than you! This is good for you!)
[img] 
[/img]
Tristram Hunt (Baron von commy, you peasant class people bow to me!)
[img] 
[/img]
Chuka Umunna (Make no mistake! I shall rule you!)
[img] 
[/img]
Yvette Cooper (The other Balls is driving)
[img] 
[/img]
Dan Jarvis (AWOL time!)
[img] 
[/img]
Rachel Reeves (Free money to all!)
[img] 
[/img]
Stella Creasy (Let's make this world beautiful again!)
[img] 
[/img]
David Lammy (is that you Magic Johnson? Is that you?)
[img] 
[/img]
Ya, I would go for Chuka and Tristram as they will provide more entertainment.
Which one of the above would you trust your life with?
Do they have the leadership look?
😆
Why not Yvette Cooper?
Good bet until the superior Miliband gets back shirley?
[quote=teamhurtmore opined]Where are they putting the Edstone? Is there a Labour museum? It could go next to footage of Sheffield 1992. In the "we're alright" room.
Another post free from your political bias eh 😀
Hmm, having reviewed the list above, and knowing the Labour Party...
Jack Dromey!
Hmm, having reviewed the list above, and knowing the Labour Party...Jack Dromey!
Is it an all female shortlist?
I'm sure you understood the joke Flashheart but any chance you could explain it to those who didn't ?
The Edstone should be put into Labour Party HQ as a constant reminder of the monumental F-up they made of the last few years and of the campaign in particular. Who those get it was a god idea and did they not imagine it would look like a tombstone ?
The Labour Party needs to decide who it wants to appeal to because at the moment it's stuck. It cannot accept that Blair got it right and brought them 13 years in Government. Hunt, Umana etc will have a broad national appeal but will they get the sport of the Labour heartlands.
Really it's the Ed vs David choice all over again. They (the Unions) got the wrong Miliband last time what will they do now ?
What is so good about David Miliband ?
@cheeky he was the more proven politician, had a higher profile and had shown he had the leadership qualities/media presence . Ed grew into it but too late. David was also ore centerist which is where IMO Labour need to be to win an election, the further left they go the more they will end in the wilderness.
What is so good about David Miliband ?
Well as a committed Tory jambalaya clearly thinks that David Miliband would have made a far better leader who would have won the general election for Labour.
I can only assume that he is bitterly disappointed that the Tories won.
And obviously Labour wouldn't have been reduced to just one MP in Scotland, like the Tories, if they had been led by a more right-wing leader.
Dan Jarvis just for calling his campaign "Operation honey badger".
EDIT:
Also, he fights muggers, wins sexiest MP competitions, and served in the army. I don't think the tories or right wing press would know what to do...
Lets hope they all have different names, it seemed to confuse them last time. They managed to select neither the right Milliband nor the right Ed.
What is so good about David Miliband ?
Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
It's like wheeling out the oldies - major, Pantsdown and Mandleson - did we forget their times on office or the scandels?
chambord - MemberDan Jarvis just for calling his campaign "Operation honey badger".
EDIT:
Also, he fights muggers, wins sexiest MP competitions, and served in the army. I don't think the tories or right wing press would know what to do...
he won't run as he will alienate the muslim vote which Labour relies on so heavily
http://order-order.com/2015/05/07/birmingham-muslims-ordered-to-vote-labour/#_@/o8ZLAd4yu1j8lQ
[quote=cheekyboy ]What is so good about David Miliband ?
Apart from appearing to be prime minister material to the large proportion of floating voters who care mostly about image? Whatever his political position and policies might be, surely that would be worth a few percentage points? I'm not particularly a fan, but he does appear to be electable in a way the other Milliband wasn't (and in a very similar way to TB, which you can take however you like).
Given one of the issues which played out in this election and possibly led to the Tory majority (and I speak as a possible Labour voter, for whom this issue might have affected my vote had I been in a constituency where my vote mattered), I reckon I might trust him to do a better job of putting NS in her place if Labour needed the support of the SNP to govern.
Well as a committed Tory jambalaya clearly thinks that David Miliband would have made a far better leader
The election proved that the more left leaning Ed was the wrong choice.
chambord - Member
Dan Jarvis just for calling his campaign "Operation honey badger".EDIT:
Also, he [s]fights muggers, wins sexiest MP competitions, and served in the army. I don't think the tories or right wing press would know what to do...[/s] isn't running.
Nothing to do with which way he was leaning. They lost because people still blame them for the crisis- and in the last 5 tears Labour did nowt to refute this.
IMO Labour needs a clean break not the next cab in the rank.
Also, he isn't running
The bloke even puts his family before his political ambition, what a man.
