Professor Moriarty wrote: » Looks like Lord Javid has abandoned austerity and will be borrowing heavily.
Joe_ Public wrote: » Sure. I would be long time labour leaning but blair and Campbell would have driven me reluctantly away. I dont believe corbyn is beyond criticism in any way, but the idea of a genuinely socialist gov that would tackle the gross wealth inequality in society as well as climate change holds appeal for me. Same with bernie sanders. Ive no huge faith either will ever happen though. Least in my lifetime anyway.
Deleted User wrote: » The hogwash we hear about Palestinian plight is a convenient cover to verbally smash the state of Israel on anti-Semitic grounds. I think if Israel were an Islamic country and the "Palestinian people" were treated in the same way, I don't believe you would see the same type of reaction and level of indignation from the Left that you do with the Jewish State. It's not a coincidence. Far from it. For these reasons, I sincerely hope that the anti-Semitism scandal engulfed within the Labour Party becomes a significant talking point in this election.
Enzokk wrote: » Some more fact checking of Johnson's spending pledges,
Letwin_Larry wrote: » you must have missed comrade McDonnell then.
Letwin_Larry wrote: » looks like Comrade McDonnell is going to borrow his way to bankruptcy then. they'll make the winter of discontent look like a picnic in Richmond Pk. anybody with anything, a house, an investment, a business, a pension, a few shares will be horrified by the thoughts of this guy as Chancellor. the stuff of nightmares for middle class voters.
Professor Moriarty wrote: » Maybe. It's a matter of perspective. Personally, I would find it difficult to vote for Labour given it's current economic policies but would have had no problem under previous leaders.
Joe_ Public wrote: » I agree with that. But compared to blairism is the apposite phrase, how much to the right do you have to swing to earn the endorsement of rupert murdoch? The party is to the left which is what a lot of people in the uk want. A lot of people in Scandinavian countries probably wouldnt see labour policies as all that left wing at all, certainly nowhere near extreme anyway. The lurch to the right on the tory side is much more pronounced imo.
Professor Moriarty wrote: » No more than the Tories have swung to the right (compared to Cameron's Tory party), Labour has swung to the left (compared to Blair's Labour party). I wouldn't describe their current policies as extremist but I wouldn't describe them as centrist either.
josip wrote: » I think the French as a nation and a mindset are much more open to change. In the past they've had no problems with lopping off the heads of the elite or students/farmers getting out on the streets.
Joe_ Public wrote: » That is true. One of the labour defectors was on newsnight last night claiming watsons resignation was the ultimate defeat of the moderate wing of the party. I dont like those labels as i refuse to accept the media spin that there is anything extremist about the current labour left. That's just my position but cannot disagree that the party remains divided. Probably always will too.
Professor Moriarty wrote: » Apparently he was very much on the right of the Labour party, which would make sense of his attacks on Corbyn. No more than the Tories, Labour is a very divided party and this is a prime example of that division.
Professor Moriarty wrote: » Indeed, but antisemitism in Labour was the primary reason he left Labour. I don't think he was ever truly comfortable in Labour once Corbyn took over.
Former Commons speaker John Bercow has called Brexit "the biggest foreign policy mistake in the post-war period". A recording of Mr Bercow has emerged when he was speaking at the Foreign Press Association in London. He told journalists that while he was impartial when in the post, he could now tell all on his own opinion. In the recording from the Turkish Anadolu Agency, Mr Bercow said: "I'm no longer the Speaker. I don't have to remain impartial now. "And, if you asked me honestly, do I think that Brexit is good for our global standing? The honest answer is no, I don't. "I think that Brexit is the biggest foreign policy mistake in the post-war period, and that is my honest view."
‘Many will remember financial crash of 2008 when arrogant Labour Govt allowed us to come to the edge of catastrophe’ -Sajid Javid -So it wasn’t the banks then? -Reminder: Sajid Javid was a banker, director of Deutsche, at the time
Joe_ Public wrote: » I remember a couple of weeks back he stood up in the house - still sitting on the labour bench - and called for corbyn to go. The anger and disgust from mps around him told me all i needed to know about how he was regarded in the party. I suspect he hates corbyn for a lot more reasons than perceived AS, but that is just the most convenient stick to beat him with.
Professor Moriarty wrote: » I couldn't agree more. To ask the Labour people who supported him to now vote for a right wing Tory party, with a right wing liar as its leader, is a betrayal.
quokula wrote: » If you want to know what kind of Labour MP Ian Austin was, here's some snippets:Attacking Corbyn for criticising the Iraq invasionMaking false claims about Palestinians and the holocaustDemonising ImmigrantsCalling on Labour to support an EU In-Out referendum, back in 2013
Joe_ Public wrote: » I understand that. The whole point of his intervention was to cash in on tom watsons resignation and enhance the perception that this was some sort of move developing against corbyn. From what i can tell watson has gone for mostly personal reasons, maybe time will tell otherwise, but i doubt it. I've no doubt labour has an issue with AS and it will hurt it, but austin was being cynically opportunistic this morning and likely hamming it up for all he was worth on the kay burley show. Imo anyway.
Professor Moriarty wrote: » On Austin, his family has a Jewish background and much of his anger towards Corbyn was Corbyn's (real or perceived) antisemitism and (real or perceived) watery reaction to antisemitism within Labour.
Enzokk wrote: » That could be, but he seems to have always been outspoken against the leaders of the Labour party and he was outspoken against Miliband and his policies as well.
CelticRambler wrote: » This is very reminiscent of Macron's strategy. His party deliberately fielded a team of "nobodies" with no skeletons in cupboards as part of his promise to give the Assemblée a good clearing out. Even though Swinson lacks Macron's polished diplomacy, I think she (or someone behind the scenes) is hoping to emulate his success. Now while I don't think the British electorate is sufficiently fed up of either of the two main parties to make that work like it did in France, Brexit just might be the once-in-a-lifetime (ish) chance the Lib Dems need - on the back of Revoke message - to make the gains needed to have sufficient influence in the next parliament to be able to demand a move to proportional representation in future elections.
Deleted User wrote: » Despite following UK politics for years having lived there I can't name any of the other Lib Dem front bench. I looked them up and the only ones that were familiar were the former leaders and three rebels elected as other party members. It looks a bit off but if she is the only name in the news it makes sense to link to her directly. 650 nobodies standing all over the country aren't going to have the same recognition.