Has to be Angela Rayner for me. I think it has to be somebody who can bridge the gap between the two "wings" of the Party (although she's been loyal and been out to bat for the Corbyn leadership, she isn't really what you'd call an out and out Corbynite) and is somebody whose backstory of growing up in poverty and working shit jobs for crap pay but whose life was improved by the things a Labour government put in place would be easy to sell to voters, especially in the north. My only worry is that she won't want to run against Rebecca Long-Bailey and that she'll end up running for the Deputy rather than the Leader which would be completely the wrong way round.

 

Keir Starmer would be my second choice as a solid, dependable, keep the ship steady and do the necessary work to purge the party of antisemitism and the cranks for five years Kinnock style choice before passing the torch on to a new generation in 2024. Of the other candidates, Emily Thornberry would be fabulous from a Gay Icon perspective but I think she gives off too much of a "Posh woman sneering" vibe, Jess Phillips I wouldn't trust not to do something lowkey racist or transphobic and end up being "cancelled" by the Twitterati plus I don't think she'd have support in the membership and Lisa Nandy is all "we have to listen to the concerns of small towns" and then no policy suggestions and just gets on my tits!

 

This is all assuming that there isn't another candidate waiting in the wings that nobody's heard of yet but is worth taking a chance on. Frankly after the last nine years I think it might be worth taking a punt on a relative unknown?

 

Pretty much agree with all of this. I don't think Long-Bailey has the right look and a double-barrel name will work against her in a lot of quarters. Same could be said for (Sir) Keir Starmer I think. Rayner would be my pick purely for the fire she delivered on the debate as well as hitting a number of things I'd prefer in a leader - younger than Corbyn but not so young as to be taken for a ride, more life experience than the likes of a Jo Swinson, and Northern.

I just hope against hope that what I'm reading around the Net isn't true that Momentum want to tick the female and ethnic boxes at once and elect Abbott as leader. I actually wouldn't put it past them.... :o

 

Still as caretaker leader for 5 years don't suppose it really matters much.

Edited December 15, 20195 yr by Crazy Chris-tmas

Angela Rayner is the one guys - it has to be - can't wait to see the new shadow cabinet going forward. Surely this cannot take as long as late March to sort out.

 

Not looking forward to seeing Jezza having to stand at PMQs after last week - the arrogance will be startling.

My very, very premature hunch:

 

I think Labour are going to select Angela Rayner due to hearing constantly that 'Labour doesn't represent white working class voters anymore' line, only I have so little faith in the English electorate that I think we're going to find out the problem is rather social conservatism from all classes, and that snobbery against her background and education history will hurt Labour more than what working class credentials are supposed to bring. Sweden can elect a former welder as their PM because they have a functional society but I don't think Britain has the maturity to elect someone who left school pregnant aged 16.

 

This is a country where 50% of C2 voters were happy going for Boris Johnson this week. I'm not sure if a progressive working class woman is really what they're crying out for.

Edited December 16, 20195 yr by Harve

Angela Rayner is the one guys - it has to be - can't wait to see the new shadow cabinet going forward. Surely this cannot take as long as late March to sort out.

 

Not looking forward to seeing Jezza having to stand at PMQs after last week - the arrogance will be startling.

 

100% this to everything.

 

We won't watch. We won't watch it, we won't see it, and that way Corbyn won't be humiliated and Bojo and co will be screaming arrogance in an echo chamber.

On the other hand, actually having the child could be spun as family values rather than having an adoption or an abortion.

 

I do believe sexism is alive and well in British society though and a large reason why (especially older) people resisted both May and Swinson.

 

To be honest, as long as Labour can nail down a certain proportion of voters though, they can discard certain others instead of needing to try and be everything to everybody at once. I actually feel like that was one of the failings of the Corbyn campaign in retrospect. Rayner may well have left school and had a child at a young age - but so what? She's not the first person in the country to have done so. It's not like the Prime Minister - with multiple children out of wedlock, multiple marriages, allegations of cheating and a girlfriend the same age as one of his daughters - is some shining beacon of sexual conservatism in the other corner.

Rebecca Long-Bailey energes as early bookies favourite to succeed Corbyn after McDonnell endorsed her earlier today on Marr and Union leaders seem to back her too. Seems she's the chosen one folks.

 

Dianne Abbott has ruled herself out. So there is a God after all folks. :lol:

 

 

 

Edited December 16, 20195 yr by Crazy Chris-tmas

My very, very premature hunch:

 

I think Labour are going to select Angela Rayner due to hearing constantly that 'Labour doesn't represent white working class voters anymore' line, only I have so little faith in the English electorate that I think we're going to find out the problem is rather social conservatism from all classes, and that snobbery against her background and education history will hurt Labour more than what working class credentials are supposed to bring. Sweden can elect a former welder as their PM because they have a functional society but I don't think Britain has the maturity to elect someone who left school pregnant aged 16.

 

This is a country where 50% of C2 voters were happy going for Boris Johnson this week. I'm not sure if a progressive working class woman is really what they're crying out for.

 

There's a few working class examples in history though is there not - Jim Callaghan, Ramsay McDonald come to mind?

This!

 

Corbyn mlced the Overton Window. She can get Labour in and Bojo out.

 

Usually I can work these things out, but 'mlced'?

 

I just hope against hope that what I'm reading around the Net isn't true that Momentum want to tick the female and ethnic boxes at once and elect Abbott as leader. I actually wouldn't put it past them.... :o

 

I thought it was Xmas coming up, not Apr 1st. :w00t:

 

She's ruled herself out!

I do believe sexism is alive and well in British society though and a large reason why (especially older) people resisted both May and Swinson.

 

To be honest, as long as Labour can nail down a certain proportion of voters though, they can discard certain others instead of needing to try and be everything to everybody at once. I actually feel like that was one of the failings of the Corbyn campaign in retrospect. Rayner may well have left school and had a child at a young age - but so what? She's not the first person in the country to have done so. It's not like the Prime Minister - with multiple children out of wedlock, multiple marriages, allegations of cheating and a girlfriend the same age as one of his daughters - is some shining beacon of sexual conservatism in the other corner.

 

Margaret Thatcher won 3 elections during a period that one could argue was even more sexist, and Theresa May's Conservatives actually increased their vote in 2017. I've theorised before that people are happy to have a female leader as long as she's more conservative-leaning (which is why I believe the first female President of the US is going to be a Republican).

 

And "social conservatives" are under no illusions surrounding Boris Johnson and the Conservative Party as a whole. They do not consider any of the actions of the Tory Party over the last 9 years to show anything even remotely socially conservative, and I think you know exactly the reason why I dislike Boris Johnson.

I agree with your points but let's hope it doesn't turn out that way.

Margaret Thatcher won 3 elections during a period that one could argue was even more sexist, and Theresa May's Conservatives actually increased their vote in 2017. I've theorised before that people are happy to have a female leader as long as she's more conservative-leaning (which is why I believe the first female President of the US is going to be a Republican).

 

And "social conservatives" are under no illusions surrounding Boris Johnson and the Conservative Party as a whole. They do not consider any of the actions of the Tory Party over the last 9 years to show anything even remotely socially conservative, and I think you know exactly the reason why I dislike Boris Johnson.

Both Thatcher (to a large extent) and May (to a lesser extent) downplayed their femininity. Swinson didn’t, and suffered as a result.

 

Incidentally., half of the Lib Dem MPs (five out of eleven) and more than half of Labour MPs are women.

Looks like it'll be between Long Bailey and Nandy, with Starmer always in with a shout - I just don't think he'll be the type they'll go for.

Rayner apparently only running to be Long-Bailey's deputee leader, aw.

Rayner apparently only running to be Long-Bailey's deputee leader, aw.

 

I'm still praying this doesn't end up being true, it'd be such a MAMMOTH mistake if it is. It should be the other way around!

 

Isn't Long-Bailey essentially Coybyn mk II anyway? (but with the charisma of a wooden spoon)

Edited December 17, 20195 yr by Tawdry Hepburn

The dream ticket, supposedly, is LB as leader and Rayner as her deputy.

It should really be the other way round :(

It should really be the other way round :(

 

 

Yes I agree. Having seen Rayner on TV a few times she seems okay. RLB is a bit shouty.

If they pick Long-Bailey, they don’t even deserve my vote.