[Politics] Keir Starmer

[Gwylan]

The only person suitable to take over from Boris is Rishi Sunak, but despite his qualities I fancy for such an inexperienced top line politician leading the UK out of the mess Boris has created will be too much for him.

If Brexit really is a complete disaster, they may not want a Brexiteer anywhere near it. Hunt is still an MP and has been highly vocal during the Covid crisis - I wouldn't rule him out. Nor would I rule Stewart finding a seat and coming back - although that's more of a long shot.

 

[Recidivist]

Coronavirus will still be with us for a while, and the government will have to accept an independent inquiry into their handling at some point - that's not going to be pretty for them.

Brexit has only happened in name so far. The reality won't kick in until next year, and I fully expect it to be a rude awakening for many when the economic impact does kick in.

I’m not so sure that any Brexit “awakening” will have much impact on the government.

It’s not as if those voting for Brexit weren’t warned many times about its potential economic impact and the government have now got an “oven ready” excuse in the form of the pandemic!

Kier’s made a solid start but it’s all pretty irrelevant this early in the electoral cycle.

At least he comes across as an intelligent and credible leader, unlike Corbyn, but it will take time to rid the party of its loony left though sacking Long-Bailey is a good start.

His best bet, in my view, is to keep a lowish profile and hope that Bojo stays in power, as he can be relied upon to demonstrate his incompetence at regular intervals.....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Pavilionaire]

I think what Starmer needs is a bye-election in a constituency that Labour has a chance of winning. If he can achieve a good result then that would be something of substance on which to continue to build.

Ultimately though, it is still all about Brexit. Only having completed the transition period and cut our ties with the EU will the country be able to see whether Boris has led us to a Brave New World or duped us with the biggest political con in British history. Starmer has to adopt a policy or 'wait and see' and let it play out.

 

[highflyer]

Well put, it's going to take years to dismantle the rightwing established media circus that tears the left to pieces at every opportunity. We may never have a fair centre media in our life time which is a scandal as many left politicians are good people and have people rights and welfare at the top of their agenda.

We won't dismantle it, at least not without being in power, and even then it would be very difficult. So Labour needs a strategy to work around it.

Personally I think that means it needs to stop being what it became under Blair, a centralised unit, in thrall to the lure of the media and the focus group, assured of it's own brilliance and ability to run the country on behalf of working people. Try to play them at their own game will drag everyone down to the same level and then we will lose anyway. The billionaires will not give up their wealth and power without a fight.

Instead become a presence in the community again. When the union movement was strong, and played a vital role in people's lves, then 'labour' meant people like you, people you knew, representing your interests in the workplace and in government. You could see the benefit it brought and you were a 'member' in a very real way.

How do we reproduce that now? It can't be the same as it was (despite the wet dreams of some of the old male dinosaur trade unionists). But I think there are ways to better engage again at a local level. Becoming a visible presence, not just campaigning (although winning and working at local government level is part of it - eg the Preston model). Actively working with and for the people you seek to represent. Different forms of organization will be needed, organizing in the gig economy, renters unions etc are showing the way and there is a lot more that can be done and lessons emerging from all over the world. When people are part of it, when they can see who you are, and what you are doing to help them in your everyday lives, then it will be much harder to get them to believe the lies.

We've got four years...and the process has started at least, but it will take much more than a leader with nice hair who is quite good at PMQs.

 

[nwgull]

Really?

He's still quite a long way behind. Behind despite the utter utter shambles of this government, Boris, Jenrick, Cummings debacle and all.

And despite having been handed a set of almost universally popular policies (many now being taken up by this government, having branded them previously as extremist and marxist) without the personal damage inflicted by being the one to moot them in the first place. Despite taking the first possible opportunity to distance himself from Corbyn by dumping on LRB.

We were told by the anti-Corbyn brigade that Starmer would be 20 points ahead by now, and he's done everything the centrists would have wanted but still he is not beating Boris and Cummings in the polls. BORIS and CUMMINGS. Ffs. He is behind them in popularity.

I was/am a Corbyn supporter, although if you can be bothered to check my posting history, you will see not an uncritical one. I actually voted for Starmer (though not without some thought). But I was never under any illusions that the problem was just Corbyn or that Starmer would waltz to an easy lead in the polls.

The problem that needs to be overcome is not within Labour. It is the tactics of their opposition. The willingness to lie, to unleash the right wing media and on-line dark arts in ways we have not seen before. The willingness to do whatever it takes to stay in power no matter what damage that may cause to our country or our democracy. Without a strategy to expose and counter this, I fear the indivdual 'leadership' is an irrelevance. And so far as I see little sign of that strategy. Winning debates at PMQs may make a few people on NSC political threads purr, but it won't win an election.

Anyway, four years to go. Where we are now and where we will be in a couple of years are worlds apart.

The average voter will not pay any attention to PMQs, you're correct. So how do you expect Starmer to have overturned the massive lead in the polls within just 3 months?

Give it a couple of years of the public getting to recognise Starmer as a credible leader, a few by-elections and ultimately the start of campaigning for the May 2024 election, then see where we are. Labour's reputation was severely damaged by 5 years of Corbyn and that's not going to be rebuilt overnight.

 

[sydney]

corona virus has saved govts world wide .....with the possible exception of trump , this virus will be played like a shining carp across our tv screens for the next 3 or 4 years , whilst we are watching this dastardly bug ,by the time it is "dealt with " most of the western world will be one party states ....you heard it here first ....nighty night.

 

[beorhthelm]

Well put, it's going to take years to dismantle the rightwing established media circus that tears the left to pieces at every opportunity. We may never have a fair centre media in our life time which is a scandal as many left politicians are good people and have people rights and welfare at the top of their agenda.

why does the right wing media need to be dismantled, cant the left wing media build themselves up?

 

[Simster]

We won't dismantle it, at least not without being in power, and even then it would be very difficult. So Labour needs a strategy to work around it.

Personally I think that means it needs to stop being what it became under Blair, a centralised unit, in thrall to the lure of the media and the focus group, assured of it's own brilliance and ability to run the country on behalf of working people. Try to play them at their own game will drag everyone down to the same level and then we will lose anyway. The billionaires will not give up their wealth and power without a fight.

Instead become a presence in the community again. When the union movement was strong, and played a vital role in people's lves, then 'labour' meant people like you, people you knew, representing your interests in the workplace and in government. You could see the benefit it brought and you were a 'member' in a very real way.

How do we reproduce that now? It can't be the same as it was (despite the wet dreams of some of the old male dinosaur trade unionists). But I think there are ways to better engage again at a local level. Becoming a visible presence, not just campaigning (although winning and working at local government level is part of it - eg the Preston model). Actively working with and for the people you seek to represent. Different forms of organization will be needed, organizing in the gig economy, renters unions etc are showing the way and there is a lot more that can be done and lessons emerging from all over the world. When people are part of it, when they can see who you are, and what you are doing to help them in your everyday lives, then it will be much harder to get them to believe the lies.

We've got four years...and the process has started at least, but it will take much more than a leader with nice hair who is quite good at PMQs.

Your admiration for the previous socialist leader blinds you to the obvious requirement for pragmatism. It is quite simple - you cannot beat the system, and the system we have at the moment is one where the "free press" is nothing of the sort. It is 71% owned by 5 self-interested billionaires capable and happy to manipulate the masses. We've seen it with Brexit where the rump of support (not necessarily people on here) has come from people who have been drip-fed nothing but negativity with regard to the EU. We also see nothing but negativity towards Labour, and the further left they are perceived, the worse it is.

That is just the way it is for now, and I expect our anti-Tory parties to work with that situation for the good of the nation. That means installing a smart, considered, intelligent man with nice hair who has made a real success of himself, but also happens to be more centre-left than left. Then when the Daily Mail publishes stories like the one about how his field might sell for £10m so he can't be a man of the people, they can be exposed for the shocking self-interested bullshit that they are.

I happen to be more centre-left than hard left of course, but I'd say exactly the same thing if the lurch needed to be towards a media-savvy left-winger. I'd happily give socialism a chance to see where it took the nation. Anything but this populist, incompetent, utterly wànk government led by an absolute cretinous liar - comfortably the worst we've ever had, IMO.

 

[*Gullsworth*]

why does the right wing media need to be dismantled, cant the left wing media build themselves up?

It can only be dismantled by the systematic erosion of right wing supporing owners of the media outlets funding their own polictocal agenda. How else can the electorate be influenced by central, forward thinking, dare i say trueful, moderate news,views and imformafion. We will be forever, as a nation swerve to right wing politicians all the while left & left of centre media owners are in the minority. Would a Labour government have survived the political slanted media maelstrom our right wing media machine would have whipped up if they had produced the same outcome as our current government?, no because the electorate would have swallowed the information they read in The Express, Mail, Sun ect ect.instead of complacently accepting what has happened as is the case today.
Its not a level playing field and everyone knows it, if the media were more impartial our political landscape would be a whole lot healthier.

 

[JC Footy Genius]

It can only be dismantled by the systematic erosion of right wing supporing owners of the media outlets funding their own polictocal agenda. How else can the electorate be influenced by central, forward thinking, dare i say trueful, moderate news,views and imformafion. We will be forever, as a nation swerve to right wing politicians all the while left & left of centre media owners are in the minority. Would a Labour government have survived the political slanted media maelstrom our right wing media machine would have whipped up if they had produced the same outcome as our current government?, no because the electorate would have swallowed the information they read in The Express, Mail, Sun ect ect.instead of complacently accepting what has happened as is the case today.
Its not a level playing field and everyone knows it, if the media were more impartial our political landscape would be a whole lot healthier.

The day you finally get over blaming the 'media' or anyone else for the ongoing failings of politicians and arguments from the left will be the day when you can expect to have a realistic chance of winning .... 2050?

 

[Falmer Wizard]

Not worried about Labour being elected now !![/QUOT
Pleased that Starmer has been voted in as leader however speaking to local members i am told that the far left brigade are waiting time to change the leadership following the next election so we are left with the Tories or Labour in name only, a worrying situation.

 

[Lever]

This government is failing badly and some tory voters cannot bring themselves to publicly recognise it- but I gather 'trust in Johnston' has dropped by 60% so people are beginning to see the clown for what he is......

 

[rogersix]

Not worried about Labour being elected now !![/QUOT
Pleased that Starmer has been voted in as leader however speaking to local members i am told that the far left brigade are waiting time to change the leadership following the next election so we are left with the Tories or Labour in name only, a worrying situation.

palace?

 

[zefarelly]

The day you finally get over blaming the 'media' or anyone else for the ongoing failings of politicians and arguments from the left will be the day when you can expect to have a realistic chance of winning .... 2050?

You clearly enjoyed your brain wash

 

[Is it PotG?]

Let's just hope everyone is OK.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/13029176/labour-leader-keir-starmer-probed-by-cops/

 

[Deleted member 2719]

Let's just hope everyone is OK.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/13029176/labour-leader-keir-starmer-probed-by-cops/

View attachment 129807

I assume he was breathalysed? With a nose like his, who knows where this could lead.

I would be happy to act for him.

Funny how the lefties don't have an opinion on this?

Can you imagine if it was Boris?

 

[ozzygull]

I assume he was breathalysed? With a nose like his, who knows where this could lead.

I would be happy to act for him.

Funny how the lefties don't have an opinion on this?

Can you imagine if it was Boris?

What sort of opinion would you like me to have? From what I have read there was an accident, the driver stopped stayed with the cyclist as he should, reported to the police as he should. So I asume it is being delt with. If Boris had done this I would think the same. I don't have any other information about the accident to form any other opinion.

 

[Get It Forward Stephens]

I assume he was breathalysed? With a nose like his, who knows where this could lead.

I would be happy to act for him.

Funny how the lefties don't have an opinion on this?

Can you imagine if it was Boris?

Keir Starmer behind the wheel pursuing a Lycra-clad Boris Johnson through the streets of North London?

Now that is something I’d pay a £14.95 PPV fee for!

 

[zefarelly]

Keir Starmer behind the wheel pursuing a Lycra-clad Boris Johnson through the streets of North London?

Now that is something I’d pay a £14.95 PPV fee for!

Only if they sped it up a bit with the Benny Hill music.

 

[zefarelly]

Keir Starmer behind the wheel pursuing a Lycra-clad Boris Johnson through the streets of North London?

Now that is something I’d pay a £14.95 PPV fee for!

Only if they sped it up a bit with the Benny Hill music.