The Labour Leadership Campaign

[shackbleep 0]

Rightly or wrongly David Miliband was considered to be much like Tony Blair and it's not surprising that he wasn't the choice of the unions.

 

Read a political commentator earlier who felt Ed would lead Labour through the wilderness years much like Hague and IDS did with the Tories and that he'll be replaced before Labour win another election.

[Rob W 0]

David had the charisma.....Ed looks like he might eat crayons.

 

 

one of them spooky neighbours that turns up in slasher movies.................

[AgentAxeman 82]

so, i take it the black lesbian didnt win?

[Billy Castell 0]

I think Diane Abbott is a black divorcee and single parent Agent. All she could ever say was 'vote for me, so you don't seem sexist/racist'.

 

Already we're seeing the media trying to make Ed seem like a young Michael Foot/Tony Benn, who'll give the unions the power to set wages, conditions etc. Ed may be the more left wing, between the two brothers, but that's all reative.

[Christmas Tree 3997]

I think Diane Abbott is a black divorcee and single parent Agent. All she could ever say was 'vote for me, so you don't seem sexist/racist'.

 

Already we're seeing the media trying to make Ed seem like a young Michael Foot/Tony Benn, who'll give the unions the power to set wages, conditions etc. Ed may be the more left wing, between the two brothers, but that's all reative.

 

 

Not only have Labour just lost power, they have just elected a leader who the majority of the electorate find weird.

 

Wilderness years beckon.

[NJS 3981]

Not only have Labour just lost power, they have just elected a leader who the majority of the electorate find weird.

 

Wilderness years beckon.

 

Not exactly known though is he? (which imo contributed to his victory as I said)

 

He has plenty time to make an impression good or bad - I think writing him off is a bit daft.

[shackbleep 0]

I think Diane Abbott is a black divorcee and single parent Agent. All she could ever say was 'vote for me, so you don't seem sexist/racist'.

 

Already we're seeing the media trying to make Ed seem like a young Michael Foot/Tony Benn, who'll give the unions the power to set wages, conditions etc. Ed may be the more left wing, between the two brothers, but that's all reative.

 

 

Not only have Labour just lost power, they have just elected a leader who the majority of the electorate find weird.

 

Wilderness years beckon.

 

IIRC David Davis was strongly expected to win the Tory leadership vote - much more than that young whippersnapper Cameron who nobody knew anything about and were a bit wary of.

[shackbleep 0]

Must say reading some of the responses on the BBC (political version of 606 I'm guessing) is fucking hilarious.

 

There's one bloke on there suggesting that David Miliband should turn his back on front-line politics in an act of defiance towards Ed who he claims has been 'utterly devious'

 

I guess some people think politics IS about the person and not the party or policies. If David does walk away then it'll only serve to prove the unions were right in backing Ed.

 

I'm amazed some are livid at the thought that Ed dared to run against his brother. It's not like the chance to run for leader comes around every couple of years - he may not get another chance. Lets not forget it's been 16 years since the last contest.

[Rob W 0]

I think Diane Abbott is a black divorcee and single parent Agent. All she could ever say was 'vote for me, so you don't seem sexist/racist'.

 

Already we're seeing the media trying to make Ed seem like a young Michael Foot/Tony Benn, who'll give the unions the power to set wages, conditions etc. Ed may be the more left wing, between the two brothers, but that's all reative.

 

 

Not only have Labour just lost power, they have just elected a leader who the majority of the electorate find weird.

 

Wilderness years beckon.

 

 

something very odd about him I think - looks and sounds a bit weird

[Renton 17797]

Bridget was listed as number 4 in the new Labour MPs to watch out for under EM in the Independant on Sunday yesterday. Needs to do something with her hair still though.

[Guest alex]

In any case I think the old adage that governments lose elections rather than oppositions winning them is largely true. I think the Tories'll probably win the next one anyway though.

[manc-mag 1]

Bridget was listed as number 4 in the new Labour MPs to watch out for under EM in the Independant on Sunday yesterday. Needs to do something with her hair still though.

 

Can only see the standard of haircuts getting worse under Miliband Ed tbh. A sobering thought.

[Renton 17797]

Bridget was listed as number 4 in the new Labour MPs to watch out for under EM in the Independant on Sunday yesterday. Needs to do something with her hair still though.

 

Can only see the standard of haircuts getting worse under Miliband Ed tbh. A sobering thought.

 

Pity they've clamped down on [hairdressing] expenses tbh.

[shackbleep 0]

Bridget was listed as number 4 in the new Labour MPs to watch out for under EM in the Independant on Sunday yesterday. Needs to do something with her hair still though.

 

Can only see the standard of haircuts getting worse under Miliband Ed tbh. A sobering thought.

 

Pity they've clamped down on [hairdressing] expenses tbh.

 

They've surely allocated her plenty of expenses for parking damage, no?

[Renton 17797]

Bridget was listed as number 4 in the new Labour MPs to watch out for under EM in the Independant on Sunday yesterday. Needs to do something with her hair still though.

 

Can only see the standard of haircuts getting worse under Miliband Ed tbh. A sobering thought.

 

Pity they've clamped down on [hairdressing] expenses tbh.

 

They've surely allocated her plenty of expenses for parking damage, no?

 

It might not be politically correct but wouldn't it be more cost effective to allocate female MPs' with disabled bays?

[shackbleep 0]

Bridget was listed as number 4 in the new Labour MPs to watch out for under EM in the Independant on Sunday yesterday. Needs to do something with her hair still though.

 

Can only see the standard of haircuts getting worse under Miliband Ed tbh. A sobering thought.

 

Pity they've clamped down on [hairdressing] expenses tbh.

 

They've surely allocated her plenty of expenses for parking damage, no?

 

It might not be politically correct but wouldn't it be more cost effective to allocate female MPs' with disabled bays?

 

 

They're trying to implement a scheme at work whereby everyone reverse parks because 1. They consider it safer and 2. They think it's more aesthetically pleasing....

 

God only knows how much they're putting aside to repair all the company cars that'll get damaged as a result.

[khay 8]

in other politics.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11419212

 

Not quite what I expected when I read the headline.

[Rob W 0]

good to see the supportive press - he's already "Red Ed" in the Mail etc

[shackbleep 0]

Makes perfect sense IMO. If he remained, the press would constantly compare the two and 'how it might have been had David won'. Needs to be about the Labour Party, not the Miliband brothers....

 

David Miliband says he won't join brother Ed's team

 

David Miliband has announced he needs to "recharge his batteries" away from frontline politics and will not serve in his brother Ed's shadow cabinet.

 

Mr Miliband, who lost the Labour leadership election by just over 1%, told the BBC the decision was the right one for him, his family and for Labour.

 

But he said he would continue to "serve" the party and did not rule out a return at some stage.

 

Speculation has surrounded the former foreign secretary's future intentions since Saturday's leadership election result - which came as a shock to the long time favourite to succeed Gordon Brown.

 

He had to decide before 1700 BST whether to put his name forward for elections to the shadow cabinet, which will decide his brother's top team as Labour regroups after losing power in May.

 

 

In an interview with the BBC's Political Editor Nick Robinson, Mr Miliband said he was "absolutely certain" that the decision not to stand was the correct one.

 

He said it had been his instinct to make the move immediately after Saturday's defeat but wanted three or four days to dwell on the decision and talk it through with his family.

Continue reading the main story

 

"It is the right thing for now and certainly for the forseeable future to support Ed from the backbenches," he said.

 

By stepping back from frontline politics, Mr Miliband said he would be able to spend more time with his family - a "nice bonus" of losing the leadership contest - and think about his future direction.

 

But he said he was absolutely determined to remain "engaged with the big issues" facing the party and the country.

 

In a letter to his constituency party chairman, Mr Miliband said if he remained part of his brother's shadow ministerial team, he feared "perpetual, distracting and destructive attempts to find division where there is none and splits where they don't exist".

 

He said media coverage of his reaction to Ed Miliband's conference speech - in which he appeared angered by his brother's criticism of Labour's support for the Iraq war - showed the intense level of scrutiny he would be under if he stayed in Labour's top team.

 

Mr Miliband told the BBC that he would not be involved in "any public spats" with his brother from the backbenches.

 

"If I have anything to say to Ed, I will be saying it privately," he said.

 

David Miliband would not be drawn on whether his brother urged him to stay in the shadow cabinet.

 

Ed Miliband has insisted David needed space to make a decision about his future and that whatever he decided Britain "hasn't heard the last" of his brother.

 

Speaking before David made his decision, Ed said: "I know he will make a big contribution to politics in the future and he will have different ways of doing it either inside the shadow cabinet or outside the shadow cabinet, but I think that that's his decision."

 

Colleagues of David Miliband's urged him to stay in the shadow cabinet and help Labour take the fight to the coalition government.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11432762

[Tooj 17]

The Top Club in South Shields. Haven't been in there for ages.

[Christmas Tree 3997]

The Top Club in South Shields. Haven't been in there for ages.

 

 

Its a cruel job. One minute your hob nobbin it all over the world and dining with the president of the USA, the next your back to South Shields and dealing with Mrs Cannybottoms leaking council taps.

[Gemmill 34504]

David Milliband's wife!? I thought she was his mam.

[Renton 17797]

David Milliband's wife!? I thought she was his mam.

 

Exactly what I said.

[ewerk 26391]

Alan Johnson - Shadow Chancellor

Ed Balls - Shadow Home Secretary

[Renton 17797]

Alan Johnson - Shadow Chancellor

Ed Balls - Shadow Home Secretary

 

Cooper is shadow foreign secretary.

 

Happy with Johnson as shadow chancellor mind.