pretty much, I expect.

 

given his criticism of the invasion of Iraq and the UK's role in it, and sympathies for Palestine, has he actually expressed a practical view on what the UK (under him) would do about the current situation, or is he hoping he can avoid commenting until it's over and not his problem? As a potential leader of the country the country has a right to know what he would do in any given situation, and that includes IS, refugees and the future consequences of non-action and actions. That of course, to be fair, applies to all the candidates.

Private Eye has a lovely article on jeremy's latest pronouncement to the Glasgow Herald about introducing a maximum national wage (to cure the pay inequalities), with absolutely no details of course. They point out the living wage is £7.20 an hour, and then sadly note that Mr Corbyn has been on the lecture circuit in 2015 with outsourced civil servants (working for Capita) at a rate of £150 an hour. I expect this was before he entered the race as he's been too busy of late inventing policies. I think we can assume the max national wage will be higher than 150 quid an hour, unless one-offs get special exemption.

 

Capita, of course, carries out the disability assessments for benefits, they point out. Good to see he's a man of principle, or else just a bit misinformed about things.

 

Private Eye also, to be fair, do a good article on how the rags take his maybe/might be/perhaps waffle (nothing seems certain) and convert it into ludicrous statements. I like to think it's even-handed...sort of.

Coverage on BBC2 next Saturday morning from 11am of Labour's Special Conference with the announcement of the new leader and deputy leader expected around 11.30am. The news channels will be covering it of course but nothing scheduled on Ch.4 as yet.

Could Yvette Cooper steal this from Corbyn at the last minute, maybe on second vote preferences if Corbyn doesn't get it on first votes? Some political analysts suggesting that there's a chance as she's been speaking well this week and there seems to have been a flurry of bets on her in the past few days. I wish she could as to me she seems the most Prime Ministerial of the four and it's time Labour had an elected woman leader. They've had two acting leaders, Beckett and Harman.

Edited September 6, 20159 yr by Common Sense

Could Yvette Cooper steal this from Corbyn at the last minute, maybe on second vote preferences if Corbyn doesn't get it on first votes? Some political analysts suggesting that there's a chance as she's been speaking well this week and there seems to have been a flurry of bets on her in the past few days. I wish she could as to me she seems the most Prime Ministerial of the four and it's time Labour had an elected woman leader. They've had two acting leaders, Beckett and Harman.

Unlikely as she'd need to be very close after the second round. Enough Burnham supporters are putting Corbyn second above Cooper that he'd still probably win if Burnham came 3rd. Which the Burnham team, perversely, is using as a stick to beat Cooper with.

I would love it if Yvette won, but let's be real - the party's website didn't crash on registration deadline day under the weight of a surge of people signing up on the off-chance Yvette would start being terrific the day after.

Genuine question - if/when Corbyn does win - what is it expected that the more liberal/right party members do? I would imagine there would be great optimism for the next 6 months with Corbyn's supporters, but after the hype and media frenzy dies down what next? Is it likely Labour will stick by him publicly, but look for an opportunity to get rid?

Genuine question - if/when Corbyn does win - what is it expected that the more liberal/right party members do? I would imagine there would be great optimism for the next 6 months with Corbyn's supporters, but after the hype and media frenzy dies down what next? Is it likely Labour will stick by him publicly, but look for an opportunity to get rid?

We don't know yet. It'll certainly be far easier to keep them on board and active if Tessa Jowell wins the mayoral nomination in London though.

We don't know yet. It'll certainly be far easier to keep them on board and active if Tessa Jowell wins the mayoral nomination in London though.

 

Does this mean you're a Corbyn convert now?

God no. I already decided I couldn't in all fairness leave the party for various reasons. I still haven't decided what my level of involvement will be - but more importantly, I can't really talk for anyone else on my wing because it's tremendously personal for so many of them.

God no. I already decided I couldn't in all fairness leave the party for various reasons. I still haven't decided what my level of involvement will be - but more importantly, I can't really talk for anyone else on my wing because it's tremendously personal for so many of them.

 

Well it's a great big mess. Even though right now I'm a Tory, I wold happily vote Labour, just a Labour that wasn't going to bankrupt my country. The country is always better when there are two/three strong parties, the Tory grasp will only get weaker when Dave goes, so it's kinda sad that the challenger will be a man with little leadership qualities and reading off a script from the 1980s. Moving so far to the left is never ever going to work again in this country.

Well it's a great big mess. Even though right now I'm a Tory, I wold happily vote Labour, just a Labour that wasn't going to bankrupt my country. The country is always better when there are two/three strong parties, the Tory grasp will only get weaker when Dave goes, so it's kinda sad that the challenger will be a man with little leadership qualities and reading off a script from the 1980s. Moving so far to the left is never ever going to work again in this country.

Oh, come on. Don't tell me you've fallen for that Tory lie. Do you really believe that it was just one massive coincidence that the slump in the UK economy happened to occur at the same time as the slumps in the USA, France, Italy, Spain, Greece, Ireland, Portugal,.....?

I mean let's be real, a Corbyn government would bankrupt the country, if only because a stable currency is actually a capitalist conspiracy not worth caring about and you're a Tory pig if you think printing money for the sake of paying for all of your policies may not be the best idea in the world. Apparently.

 

Ugh why is this happening.

Oh, come on. Don't tell me you've fallen for that Tory lie. Do you really believe that it was just one massive coincidence that the slump in the UK economy happened to occur at the same time as the slumps in the USA, France, Italy, Spain, Greece, Ireland, Portugal,.....?

 

I'm not on about 2007/2008 here, that was a world wide economic crisis. Of course Labour over-spent massively and made many mistakes, but any government would have done.

 

Labour under most politicians would not bankrupt our country - however a Labour led government by Corbyn would. Wealth would probably be distributed evenly, but we would be bankrupt. The mind just boggles - the Labour party shifts slightly more to the left and gets beaten comprehensively in the election, so of course the logical thing is for the party to move even further towards socialism.

 

 

I'm not on about 2007/2008 here, that was a world wide economic crisis. Of course Labour over-spent massively and made many mistakes, but any government would have done.

No they didn't. They spent massive sums of money bailing out the banks, but they didn't really have much choice.

 

Don't forget that, before the crash, the Tories pledged to continue with Labour's spending plans. Perhaps they could tell us what made them change their minds and decide that those plans were irresponsible.

Yes the Tories agreed with New Labour policies and are hypocrites. No Labour is not innocent of any blame in its spending during the boom years and it's national balance sheet and it's abject failure to ensure British banks didn't bankrupt the nation. Pleading innocence on the basis other nations let their banks do the same is like being one person in a gang rape saying it's not their fault cos everyone else was doing it.

 

Corbyn has provided no costings for any of his Xmas wish list and we have no way to judge how sensible his economic policies might be. However he has zero experience of government. That's nit a promising start.

Genuine question - if/when Corbyn does win - what is it expected that the more liberal/right party members do? I would imagine there would be great optimism for the next 6 months with Corbyn's supporters, but after the hype and media frenzy dies down what next? Is it likely Labour will stick by him publicly, but look for an opportunity to get rid?

 

In my experience, very few of these people exist. Hardly anyone in the party actually likes the Blair formula with their hearts, there were just pragmatists who were willing to tolerate the Blair formula while it was a) winning elections, and b ) atleast had some sense of rock-solid principles which they would never betray no matter how unpopular they were. Since the Blairites now have lost two general elections in a row, and they now support the kind of austerity that the real Blair never did, that number of pragmatists is obviously smaller than ever.

In my experience, very few of these people exist. Hardly anyone in the party actually likes the Blair formula with their hearts, there were just pragmatists who were willing to tolerate the Blair formula while it was a) winning elections, and b ) atleast had some sense of rock-solid principles which they would never betray no matter how unpopular they were. Since the Blairites now have lost two general elections in a row, and they now support the kind of austerity that the real Blair never did, that number of pragmatists is obviously smaller than ever.

Gordon Brown and Ed Miliband would probably have something to say about being described as Blairites.

Haha indeed!

Polls closed. I daren't start hoping (as I've said - I can deal with failure, it's hope that hurts), but a friend of mine who was going Corbyn bottled it at the last minute.