General Election 2015

[Louisa]

Blah don't get me wrong, unions can and do perform a crucial role in getting a fair deal for employees. I just don't get the relevance of a tie between a political party and a union. Whether we like it or not, perception leads many to not vote a certain way because all those stereotypes that are peddled in the media about socialism and being held to ransom etc stick in people's minds.

Louisa.

[El Pibe]

miga Wrote:

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> Blah Blah Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Miga's failure was to fight Cameron on the

> economy from the off.

>

> I'll do it next time I promise. Greco-Roman

> wrestling should be appropriate.

sometimes i wish there was an upvote function on this forum!!!!

[david_carnell]

Louisa

Unless we agree to state funding of all political parties and ban donations it would be manifestly unworkable for the unions to stop supporting business.

And I don't think it is any less detrimental than the Conservatives being funded by big business. Simply self preservation by both groups.

[JohnL]

Blah Blah Wrote:

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> I belong to a union Louisa, and it's affiliation

> with the Labour party is nothing to fear, really

> it isn't. Unions perform a very important role in

> making sure employees aren't totally screwed over.

> And as someone pointed out above, most of them are

> not run by firebrands. The work they do is

> important, most of which is amicable negotiation

> between employer and union. We don't have to go

> far back to see what a non unionised country was

> like. DO you really want a country where all

> parties are funded by corporations and bankers?

I'm a lapsed member - but after leaving jobs the company

I now work for (no unions) obviously aren't paying subs.

I still get cards and voting forms though - but if I made

it known where I am - they would not like it.

[JohnL]

Louisa Wrote:

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> Blah don't get me wrong, unions can and do perform

> a crucial role in getting a fair deal for

> employees. I just don't get the relevance of a tie

> between a political party and a union. Whether we

> like it or not, perception leads many to not vote

> a certain way because all those stereotypes that

> are peddled in the media about socialism and being

> held to ransom etc stick in people's minds.

>

> Louisa.

I always think beyond the soundbite and the frontman

when I vote - we're not a presidential system yet.

I like to look at the local candidate too.

Hope Nicola gives it to Cameron today mind - SNP seem

to be the main opposition at the moment.

[Otta]

rahrahrah Wrote:

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> Cheers Otta (I'm a 'he' by the way)

Only just seen this.

Apologies, totally got you wrong.

[david_carnell]

Interesting, accurate and depressing analysis by John Harris:

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/may/15/labour-history-leadership

[JohnL]

I'd say, watch Salmond, Sturgeon and the SNP attack the Tories for a while.

And see how it goes down with the general public.

Labour don't need to hurry, just get it right - maybe winning the Mayoralty would

be a start.

[david_carnell]

A comment in a blog about the decline of the left-wing Social Democratic parties in Scandanavia and Austria caught my eye. It could easily apply to the Labour party here:

Even though the Austrian Social Democratic leadership understands all of this, they haven't been able to figure a way out of their dire situation. They have to triangulate between their immigrant base, their anti-immigrant working class base (including working class pensioners) and the left-liberal middle class base. Whatever they do, a majority of their own voters will be pissed off

[david_carnell]

Chuka withdraws.

Bizarre.

[Otta]

From the second he threw his hat in there were plenty of people saying he's too london, and plenty pointing out that he went to (a really mediocre) Private school and is a millionaire.

Just don't think he'd have stood a chance.

Even though I'd have liked to have seen him do well.

I shall vote for a female leader I think.

I do like Andy Burnham, but think he might come across too old skool for many.

[robbin]

David, there's NOTHING bizarre about it!

See my earlier link posted about Chukka's problems...

From SKY News just now -

"A source close to Mr Umunna told Sky News the suggestion that his decision to withdraw was due to forthcoming negative stories in the press was "utter nonsense"."

Oh yeah, we'll see...

[robbin]

For ease of reference here it is...

Posted by robbin May 13, 10:51AM

Come back 'Ed, all is forgiven!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2308381/Voters-dismissed-trash-1m-Ibiza-villa-called-White-House-credibility-crisis-threatening-Labours-Obama-Chuka-Umunna.html

[miga]

.

[david_carnell]

Robbin - your earlier link was from 2013.

What was that meant to prove exactly?

[Otta]

miga Wrote:

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> Otta Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > (a really mediocre) Private school

>

> St Dunstan's isn't Eton, but it's not mediocre...

You're right of course, it's a good school, but my point was basically when compared to Eton and the like it's not the same league.

I used to hang around with a few St Dunstan's lads, that speaks volumes.

[robbin]

"He was forced to apologise two years ago after it was revealed that he had once commented on a website that London?s nightclubs were ?full of trash and C-list wannabes?.

And he lives in a ?1million home reportedly funded from a family trust located in the tax haven of Jersey ? despite his party?s stance against tax avoidance.

Simon Danczuk, the outspoken Labour MP for Rochdale, had questioned Mr Umunna?s suitability for the role.

?Is he the sort of person who could win seats in Bolton West, in Bury North, in Glasgow?? he said on LBC Radio. ?Labour does need to move away from this metropolitan comfort zone. The party has been too London-centric.?

Two years ago Mr Umunna attracted ridicule when it emerged his Wikipedia entry had been altered to refer to him as ?the UK?s Barack Obama?. The change had come from a computer registered at his old law firm."

Personally, I would have thought that's enough embarrassing strikes against him before he even threw his hat into the ring.

I reckon Ed Ball's missus is the most likely winner - but there's so long to go to September, anything could happen.

[robbin]

Sorry David - just saw your post.

My point was that it's not bizarre that he should feel the pressure and stand down because of the new level of scrutiny. Given the aggro you get for allegedly calling someone a pleb, he was always going to come under some renewed level of fire for his alleged remarks made as "Harrison". Then there's the Jersey family trust etc. Arguably it might seem a bit difficult to lay into non-doms when there's a Jersey trust hanging about in the background.

Unless, you were referring to him standing in the first place knowing there would be such scrutiny, in which case I see your point completely and I agree.

[david_carnell]

It's just that none of that stuff is new.

He knows the media knows etc etc.

[robbin]

No, I agree. It's just that if someone is capable of such gaffs/conduct, who knows what else is out there? There are other issues too. Maybe there is nothing, I suppose we may see on Sunday if there was anything imminent such as is being suggested by one reporter from the Times.

[robbin]

Coincidence this happened on a Friday?

[Louisa]

I felt Chukka was the best candidate the party had - especially to tap into middle England voters. What a shame.

Louisa.

[Otta]

Here's a better piece on him from 2013.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/b2e9e3a6-ef46-11e2-bb27-00144feabdc0.html

And it includes this gem

"he became a chorister at Southwark Cathedral (I knew that bit already) ? his voice can be heard on the theme tune of Mr Bean. (That's the gold)

And so what if he said there was nowhere decent to go out at the weekend in central London. Everyone knows that.

[robbin]

I think it was more about his references to people as "trash" (I guess that's his version of "pleb") that was seen as the problem!

[Otta]

I don't think it's his version of pleb, I think it's more like his version of "chav".

I am not defending his comment, it was arrogant and unwise (although it was made before he entered politics). But I know the sort of person I think he's talking about, and I wouldn't want to share a club / bar on a Saturday night with them either.