Options are limited due to the massive Tory majority gained at the last election.

So we just sit and tut loudly for 4 years?

It’s not about shouty soundbites, it’s about holding them to account and exposing the lies, hypocrisy and incompetence, week in, week out. And ending each new piece of evidence with “as well as …” so that the electorate begin to make the connection between this Tory government and the deaths and economic ruin they are causing.

Which in my view is what Starmer has been doing. along with sorting out internal party stuff

Starmers new appointment as shadow education secretary, Kate Green, made Frank Spencer Gavin Williamson look like the clueless imbecile he is when he made his announcement about schools this afternoon.

So in a similar vein to Boris v Starmer at PMQ’s the shadow minister looks considerably more competent and able than the actual minister, and she’s been in the role less than a week.

It all adds to the impression of a party that looks like a potential government in the eyes of voters. Not something it has been accused of for some time

So we just sit and tut loudly for 4 years?

No, not really.

He can publicise the numerous failings of the BoCum government whilst building a case for the electorate selecting Labour at the next election.

But real significant opportunities to change the direction (and not just a few piecemeal offerings) of Government are going to be few and far between.

The worst performing Government I’ve ever known and still not 20pts ahead.

Useless. Hopeless. Clueless.

https://t.co/8WWuFRvrSZ

— Adam Marks (@apesahoy) July 10, 2020

Who are Labour – what are they? An excersise in Guardian fetishism.

Useless. Hopeless. Clueless.

Maybe. Or just a big slow ship to turn around. I don’t know which yet, personally.

The YouGov tracker on trustworthiness is interesting…

https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/trackers/is-the-labour-party-trustworthy-or-untrustworthy

Maybe. Or just a big slow ship to turn around. I don’t know which yet, personally.

With my tongue out of my cheek it’s a reasonable point.

Don’t get me wrong, I think the current front bench team are not cutting through the news to engage with voters at the moment, and that goes right to the top, but I’m not sure a big switch in voting intention is realistic right now. Getting people to trust the party, and imagine it in government and acting for them, is a big and perhaps frustratingly slow task. I still think it won’t be complete by the next election, and that the Conservatives will win again, sadly. Would love to be wrong.

The reality is massive spend is going to be the only way actually out of this economic hole.

Too many people are scared of what that means and they don’t need to be. It’s not a question of affordability. We can afford it. Real resources and employment is the only limiting factor. Inflation (currently 0.7%) is the measurement for this.

We have seen the Tories tinker with spend but quickly reign it in due to market ideology.

There was no growth in the economy before Covid-19. There is massive room for direct government spending.

The £300 Billion already on the way is completely funded. No extra tax. The BoE directly funded. Learn about what the debt actually is. And then you see it’s not really a debt in the sense of a household. Our Governerment is a currency issuer and we and everyone else currency users.

The sooner a political party accepts this the better. Neither Labour nor the Tories accept spend before tax and that is exactly what happens and needs to happen with force.

The most important economic book this year “The Deficit Myth” by Stephanie Kelton should be read by anyone who wants to understand how government spending works – with central banks in particular.

Read it now. It will change your understanding of tax before spend. And is more relevant than ever.

And to be fair even McDonald wanted to balance the books and it’s completely economically illiterate.

reasonable explanation here

The voters in Red wall seats that went to con are switching back to lab but not in enough numbers
and starmers approval rating is obviously way above johnsons
but with recession coming tories favoured on economy

sunak most popular MP right now!

Why is Labour still behind in the polls? THREAD:

Though Johnson's approval ratings have fallen since the start of lockdown (+32% in April, -1% so far in July), he still has the backing of 2019 CON voters (only 15% Disapprove). So there's not many CON to LAB switchers.

— Election Maps UK (@ElectionMapsUK) July 10, 2020

Well said Rone. We could also get smart about taxation to make it more efficient and invest in emerging technologies as well as set up UBI but no one has the balls to.

TBF Cummings is trying to push emerging tech
The problem is he thinks he’s smart enough to decide which tech to invest in rather than smart enough to let the actual smart people do it, he actually believes he is a genius

We’re stuffed

100 day…

How is Keir Starmer doing after 100 days in the job?

Much better than his predecessors. Net scores for leaders at around 100 days:

Ed Miliband -21
Jeremy Corbyn -32
Keir Starmer +24

First impressions matter in politics, and Starmer has made a good onehttps://t.co/qr8bd9Q79c pic.twitter.com/3BRjgdCiwU

— Chris Curtis (@chriscurtis94) July 13, 2020

Jumped before he was pushed?

A "campaign by the right wing media" is a pretty funny way to say "I repeatedly said and did some pretty stupid things that were then reported accurately" https://t.co/xvosLHw3F0

— Jimmy (@JimmySecUK) July 16, 2020

What’s this about? Not the JK Rowling stuff?

Unfortunately spending won’t sort this out. It’s a problem of supply not lack of demand, caused by the destruction of firms and low rates of profit (ie throw money at firms who are not confident/prepared to invest and the multiplier and accelerator effect stops there, they pocket it). Massive investment in capital is required on the scale of the New Deal, but it ain’t gong to happen.

Get the popcorn out

According to a few Labour sources this morning, it's "very possible" and "highly likely" that Jeremy Corbyn will have the whip removed very soon, as a result of some of the recommendations in the EHRC report.#LabourAntisemitism

— Adam Cailler (@acailler) July 22, 2020

BREAKING: Labour party "unreservedly withdraws those allegations and is profoundly sorrow for the distress" caused to whistleblowers on anti-semitism.

Labour party agrees to "substantial damages" to the seven who appeared in BBC's Panorama.

— lisa o'carroll (@lisaocarroll) July 22, 2020

The dumping of the failed Corbynite experiment into the dustbin of history, where it belongs, and the Party’s reconnection with actual reality, continues apace. Jolly good.

I don’t even need to look on Twitter to know that it’ll have gone into meltdown as the tinfoil helmet revolutionaries get their knickers unfeasibly twisted, as everyone else gives a collective shrug.

It was good to see that Ivy Club Communist ‘Red Len’ has also seen the writing on the wall and decided to jump ship

Don’t let the door hit your arse on the way out. The Tory party will be the only ones sorry to see you go

Not a single question from Sir at PMQs on protecting the NHS from a trade deal.

Not a single question from Sir at PMQs on protecting the NHS from a trade deal.

But I noticed Johnson’s preferred line of attack now it to try and tie Kier Starmer to Jeremy Corbyn, which indicates the PM is struggling to get things to stick to the current leader of the opposition.

BillMC
Subscriber
Not a single question from Sir at PMQs on protecting the NHS from a trade deal.

Posted 4 hours ago

I was disappointed about this as well

The dumping of the failed Corbynite experiment into the dustbin of history, where it belongs, and the Party’s reconnection with actual reality, continues apace. Jolly good.

Then in that case what are you expecting to replace it? More neoliberalalism sir? Ah. Dying on its arse; in fact propped up by a large dose of Socialism – during the pandemic. So not really confined to a bin, very much keeping the economy propped up as we speak.

The Labour party currently however is not connecting to anything. There is no vision, no opposition to anything significant that will benefit the electorate – especially in the current circumstances. Can’t quite work out what is jolly good about this.

The polls are starting to reflect this.

As you’ve been told several times centrism is going nowhere. It isn’t substantially different from current the administration – without the electoral benefit of drawing in the Brexiteer.

Basically success for you appears to be Starmer having a good sesh in PMQs – which doesn’t really amount to much.

As you’ve been told several times centrism is going nowhere.

Agreed. The UK is moving further right at an increasing pace. The question is how to arrest that, and get Labour into government.

The Labour party currently however is not connecting to anything. There is no vision, no opposition to anything significant that will benefit the electorate – especially in the current circumstances. Can’t quite work out what is jolly good about this.

The polls are starting to reflect this.

Eh? What, now? The Labour Party is presently polling 20 points higher than when grandad finally (3yesrs too late) shuffled off to the allotment. I’d be more than happy for Starmer To carry on with that lack of connection and direction. That would be terrible, wouldn’t it? That betrayal of all that idealogical purity that was such a winner with the electorate?

You never know… If he carries on like this it might even deliver a *whisper it* Labour government

And who would want that? WHO?!

That would really restrict the opportunities to endlessly Tweet ‘JEREMY WAS RIGHT!!’ Which is pretty much all that those on the left seem to do nowadays, so I understand your lack of enthusiasm. You ‘won the argument’ after all. 😂

If Keir was a Tory candidate, Labour wouldn’t stand a chance for a good decade. Yet you still find complaining points for what is esentially a dream candidate.

Looks like another good day for Starmer and the potential electability of the Labour Party as the successor as head of Unite favoured by Corbynite gobshite ‘Ref Len’ McClusky has been scuppered

Starmer Critic Loses Bid To Become Left’s Candidate To Succeed Unite’s Len McCluskey

It seems there really does appear to be an appetite within the whole Labour movement to get rid of all of these clowns and get back to being a serious, credible political party again. Just a pity about it took five years of Brexit-enabling, Tory government delivering buffoonery to get here

Agreed. The UK is moving further right at an increasing pace. The question is how to arrest that, and get Labour into government.

/tin foil on

Isn’t the, for want of a better description, hard left still banking on disaster socialism? Let those they can paint as right wing screw everyone over trashing millions of lives and then waltz in to save the day after it’s been lost.

\tin foil off

Just a pity about it took five years of Brexit-enabling,

All part of Corbyn’s ingenious plan. Let Tories get the Brexit that he wanted but couldn’t say it, get replaced by someone who has a clue what they are doing and getting Brexit and a Labour party back in power. And you wrote him off as clueless.

Then in that case what are you expecting to replace it?

Anyone (literally anyone) who isn’t Corbyn. I hesitate to don the “cloak of Binners” but when on the doorsteps of Durham they tell you that they won’t vote for Corbyn because they don’t trust him with the keys to No10., it doesn’t take a genius to see where the problem lay.

There’s nothing wrong with the policies (just need presenting in a coherent way) but Corbyn’s leadership was shockingly bad.

All part of Corbyn’s ingenious plan. Let Tories get the Brexit that he wanted but couldn’t say it, get replaced by someone who has a clue what they are doing and getting Brexit and a Labour party back in power. And you wrote him off as clueless.

tEh Long GAmE, cOMrADEs!

Funny how the impotent rage of the rightwingers on here always seems to lack content or statistical context but they are effusive with their insults, name-calling and KS3 English (plus bum-jokes and bum jokes).

Yep, and knock someone with an allotment and then proudly queue outside Greggs.

Morning comrades.

Funny how the impotent rage of the rightwingers on here always seems to lack content or statistical context

By ‘rightwingers’ I presume you’re referring to everyone who always knew Corbyn was hopeless? And by ‘impotent rage’, you mean the expression of relief that him and his useless, unelectable coterie are finally gone?

Good to see Jezza’s further demonstration of his fantastic judgment as he spends the next few years fighting a legal battle he can’t possibly win and probably bankrupt himself into the bargain?

Anyway…. This ‘statistical context’ of which you speak? You mean stuff like this?

Competent, likeable, decisive: Keir Starmer beating Boris Johnson on all counts

Where Starmer is polling higher than Boris in every single area? Or the one that really matters… That he’s closed the 20+ point poll lead that Grandad gifted him down to nothing?

They’re the only ones that matter really, aren’t they?

Steak bake, comrade? I’m popping in at lunchtime

There’s nothing wrong with the policies (just need presenting in a coherent way)

And how much would you bet that they will remain? I desperately want Starmer to keep the policies but I have very little faith that he will. All the signs and signals suggest they’re going to be binned in favour of more new labour inspired fiscal conservatism and pro-corporate cowardice. I really hope I’m wrong but I wouldn’t put any money on it.

What are you basing that on Daz? What signs and signals? I haven’t seen any signs of a change of policy on anything.

He seems to have spent all his time restoring an air of competence to the party that was sadly lacking before. As far as policy is concerned I’ve seen absolutely no signs at all that he plans a change of direction

My hunch is that he has enough pragmatism that some policies will be dropped to suit the reality of the electorates voting behaviour.

What signs and signals?

Not much by Starmer admittedly, but everything else is heading that way, from the things his MPs say, to the commentary and narrative which is ratcheting up in the media etc. Today it’s about detoxifying the labour brand, tomorrow it’ll be the policies. It’s as inevitable as night following day, because the people who are currently steering labour away from the Corbyn era, are the same people who steered them away from socialism back in the 90s.

The jury is out still, and like I said I’ll be very happy to be wrong, but I don’t think I will be.

I don’t think the issue was with owning an allotment, just more the fact Jezzer appeared to spend time here when needed elsewhere, similar to Boris and walk in freezers…

Good job Boris didn’t wander into a Greggs freezer otherwise there would have been a lot of spitting out of vegetarian sausage rolls 🙂

Anyway… I won’t be going to Greggs today. I’ve just had a refrigerated delivery of pies turn up, courtesy of TJ.

I can’t even remember what our last pastry-based bet was that I won? I know it was during lockdown and pie deliveries weren’t on the agenda

Thanks very much TJ!! 😀

I’ll give you a clue binners, he’s still in the job.