A “forensic lawyer” btw is generally one with expertise in forensic science.

And yet Keir Starmer proudly flaunts his alleged forensic skills on his own website

You’re going to be shocked when you learn how criminal lawyers earn their money 🙂

Probably not as much as you were when you realised that it was Starmer himself who boasted of his forensic skills.

Let the Tories in please.

More crossing the floor please. And more importantly, more Tory voters swapping their vote to Labour. As many as possible.

Many people on left were hugely satisfied by what Starmer said in his 10 socialist pledges.

Yep. And voted accordingly.

More crossing the floor please.

If Wakeford had voted in the interests of his constituents and not supported every reactionary right wing cause pursued by the tories then I could accept his conversion. He hasn’t though has he? He’s only interested in one thing, himself. He stood as a tory, he voted as a tory, he is a tory. Starmer should have told him to do one. How this utter scumbag can be a labour MP but not Corbyn tells you all you need to know about Starmer’s ‘labour’ party.

More crossing the floor please. And more importantly, more Tory voters swapping their vote to Labour. As many as possible.

This is the polling he was looking at. I wonder how many other Tory MPs are looking at something similar

Bury South currently projected to go Labour by 24.1% if an election were held today. pic.twitter.com/kdWMfwHH1Y

— Election Maps UK (@ElectionMapsUK) January 19, 2022

Vox populi, vox dei.

Eh binners?

Eh binners?

He doesn’t post on this thread anymore apparently

More crossing the floor please. And more importantly, more Tory voters swapping their vote to Labour. As many as possible.

I’m sorry this is absurd.

You want treacherous members of the Tory party (with questionable values – in the Labour party?

If Wakeford had voted in the interests of his constituents and not supported every reactionary right wing cause pursued by the tories then I could accept his conversion. He hasn’t though has he? He’s only interested in one thing, himself. He stood as a tory, he voted as a tory, he is a tory. Starmer should have told him to do one. How this utter scumbag can be a labour MP but not Corbyn tells you all you need to know about Starmer’s ‘labour’ party.

Because any sense of decency is being drowned in the interest of trying to win an election.

Apparently ideology doesn’t matter.

You want treacherous members of the Tory party (with questionable values – in the Labour party?

You want Labour sealed off from people deserting the Conservative Party? There is no better signal to people who have voted Tory that they can now reconsider voting Labour than MPs crossing the floor.

he stood as a tory, he voted as a tory, he is a tory.

Once a Tory, always a Tory? Please don’t tell people who vote Tory that if you want them to reconsider their vote in future.

Where have you been the last few years?

But point taken. The symbolism however is huuuuge, the impact of this singular defection is enough, For those who stopped voting Labour under Corbyn this could be very influential and have more effect than any move the Labour strategy team could come up with.

The weird thing about some of the red wall intake is that they are neither as privileged or corrupt as your average Tory. As excited as they are about Brexit being delivered it has now been done and they can see that their own party leaders are completely incompetent of dealing with the consequences / fallout from Brexit (YMMV).

Starmers’ dullness is now an asset, the whole nation is now looking for competence over charisma.

For those who stopped voting Labour under Corbyn this could be very influential

Let’s hope. Johnson loyalists are saying it makes them cleave harder to him – which is what we want: the idealogues to seal themselves into their bunkers.

Though personally I’m disconcerted by such big shifts – tory to libdem I can get, or lib to lab – but if you’re an MP you’ve some roots in a party and its way of thinking. And I’m about to be told it’s not a big shift, I don’t doubt. But it is.

(Oh and Starmer has forensic skills; is not a forensic lawyer. Neither very relevant to his leadership of labour. And criminal lawyers don’t necessarily have criminal skills, though I guess they might. That’s the life kicked out of that one and I promise to score no further points.)

You want Labour sealed off from people deserting the Conservative Party? There is no better signal to people who have voted Tory that they can now reconsider voting Labour than MPs crossing the floor.

The Tory party are sinking in the polls and you want to attract Tories to get more voters?

Call me old fashioned but maybe Labour could party could have decent ethical MPs and maybe just sell that to the public?

Once a Tory, always a Tory? Please don’t tell people who vote Tory that if you want them to reconsider their vote in future.

Don’t be daft. There’s an enormous difference between voting for a party/candidate and standing as one. Those who put themselves forward for office are subject to a much higher standard of consistency and probity than those voting for them.

Call me old fashioned but maybe Labour could party could have decent ethical MPs and maybe just sell that to the public?

You missed my late edit. I agree really. But I really want to see labour in power and a bit of teeth gritting may be required.

Yep, you’re old fashioned rone.

I suppose the Labour Party could have rejected his application? I wonder what Jeremy would have done? Though that’s a very hypothetical question.

Though personally I’m disconcerted by such big shifts – tory to libdem I can get, or lib to lab – but if you’re an MP you’ve some roots in a party and its way of thinking. And I’m about to be told it’s not a big shift, I don’t doubt. But it is.

Most people think this. And it’s what Labour need to change. They need more than for people to abandon the Conservatives and look to vote elsewhere, or not to vote at all… they need to normalise switching your vote from Tory to Labour. I can think of no better tool to help voters to begin to think that way then to have a MP visibly make that shift themselves. I genuinely hope there are more crossing the floor in future.

I can think of no better tool to help voters think that way then to have a MP visibly make that shift themselves.

‘Here are my principles. If you don’t like them, I have others.’

This is what we need more of in politics?

I wonder what Jeremy would have done? Though that’s a very hypothetical question.

Not that hypothetical. Corbyn would have told him that if he wanted to be a labour MP he should resign his seat and tory membership, join the labour party, and go through the same selection processes that other prospective candidates do. Why should Wakeford be given a free pass to be a labour MP ahead of all those who have served the party for years who have similar ambitions?

How this utter scumbag

Why is he a scumbag?

Call me old fashioned but maybe Labour could party could have decent ethical MPs and maybe just sell that to the public?

Good luck with that

https://order-order.com/people/keith-vaz/

Why is he a scumbag?

Sorry if it offends but anyone who stands as a tory MP, votes for the things he has, and then cynically jumps ship as soon as he thinks his job is under threat is by definition a scumbag. I can think of much worse names to call him TBH.

Sorry if it offends but anyone who stands as a tory MP, votes for the things he has, and then cynically jumps ship as soon as he thinks his job is under threat is by definition a scumbag. I can think of much worse names to call him TBH.

What specific things did he vote for that make him a scumbag (or worse)?

Or is this just generalised because you need to hate people

What specific things did he vote for that make him a scumbag (or worse)?

Take your pick..

Sorry if it offends but anyone who stands as a tory MP, votes for the things he has, and then cynically jumps ship as soon as he thinks his job is under threat is by definition a scumbag. I can think of much worse names to call him TBH.

Is it not a win for a liberal democracy and the system that someone agrees to work with other parties they once stood against, not just for the day, but pragmatically for the long term?

Why is politics meant to be some kind of binary, fixed for life opinion, bear pit of death or glory? Politics elsewhere, in the UK and Europe as examples, is much more about collaboration and negotiation – it is our Westminster that seems full of rats.

I have more understanding and respect for someone who decides not to align themselves with the current Governing party of disingenuous, self-serving and immoral members than I do with someone who changes their mind.

Is it not a win for a liberal democracy and the system

Nope. I would say it more makes a mockery of the the system and allows people to say they’re all the same or it’s all just a game to them.

Changing your mind is fine but he’s spent the last few years slagging off everything about Labour and voting for the meanest reactionary crap the government has been doing.

Unless he’s had some kind of road to Damascus moment and wants to show ultimate contrition he can get in the sea.

Take your pick..

Without seeing the specifics your source is just for virtue signalling. For example he votes with the whip to oppose a opposition amendment as the bill is going to be amended anyway taking into account the main thrust if the amendment.

I imagine a lot of opposition amendments (of whatever colour) are to help generate clickbait like this

Apart from anything else people voted him in as a Tory why should he get a free pass to represent a different party? Would we be happy if it was the other way round?

But hey he’s drunk the yummy anti-Semitism flavoured Kool Aid

Wakeford said Starmer had “shown that integrity in the way he has led his party on issues that matter to me, not least the vital challenge of combatting antisemitism”

Looks like he’s going to fit right in as a member of CFI (presumably there’s a nice easy process to switch to LFI).

Mr Wakeford said he “never listened to the left wing tropes” about Israel as an apartheid state

https://www.thejc.com/news/uk/new-bury-south-mp-talks-of-massive-learning-curve-during-trip-to-israel-1.497359

Surely the obvious strategy is to accept them as they cross the floor and then deselect and replace with a genuine Labour candidate at the GE?
Put the defected Tory MPs up in safe Tory seats to see what they can achieve if they still intend to stand?

But hey he’s drunk the yummy anti-Semitism flavoured Kool Aid

Arguably a comment beneath you. He represents a constituency with a large Jewish community, as well as large Muslim communities. Getting his head around the issue will help understand the local tensions.

Or…. (Insert some remarks alleging he’s been bought or something)

I think this guy called Labour a bunch of ****!

Love it.

Starmer’s party of ragtags and chancers.

I think this guy called Labour a bunch of ****!

The dangers of OTT use of social media, also not very professional in any walk of life

Would we be happy

I don’t think that’s ever going to happen.

Happiness is a bourgeois concept. A capitalist myth created to oppress the working classes

“Not that hypothetical. Corbyn would have told him that if he wanted to be a labour MP he should resign his seat and tory membership, join the labour party, and go through the same selection processes that other prospective candidates do.”

Wouldn’t he just……

He never missed an opportunity to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Insert some remarks alleging he’s been bought or something

By the Labour Party, or a Chinese spy?

Forensic does not mean “forensic science”   Perfectly reasonable desciption of Starmer.

<li class=”module–definitions__definition”>Relating to, used in, or appropriate for courts of law or for public discussion or argumentation.
<li class=”module–definitions__definition”>Relating to the use of science or technology in the investigation and establishment of facts or evidence in a court of law.
<li class=”module–definitions__definition”>Belonging to courts of judicature or to public discussion and debate; used in legal proceedings, or in public discussions; argumentative; rhetorical.

I have worked as a forensic nurse – because i worked alongside the police triaging detainees.  We have forensic wards in psychiatric hospitals

I’d rathered the lad resigned than swopped sides. It would be fairer to the locals and a by-election now would be fun.