Who could take over from Ed Miliband?

[AM9]

If the selection of a leader is delayed, it will give the Conservatives to start on their programme. That isn't necessarily a bad thing for Labour as there are sure to be indications of bad things to come which will focus the Party's minds of what to address. This will in turn shape the future Party's policies in the context of making them electable.
Of course, large sections of the UK population will suffer from the excesses of an untrammeled right-wing government so the process delay may be critical. One thing for sure is that the 'English votes for English laws' won't affect the Labour party in this term.

 

[DownSouth]

In the Australian Labor* Party, it is well-established that a leader who takes over following a lost Federal election will lose if they are still the leader when the next election rolls around. The leader the party needs to get them through the post-election phase is usually not someone who is also the right leader for the following election.

Selecting a leader who intends on serving for only 3-4 years could be a good move, someone to get the party organised again before they retire and hand over to the right person to lead the election campaign and look a bit more Prime Ministerial than Ed Miliband. From what I read, Dan Jarvis sounds like an excellent choice who could be a viable PM (not least because he's had a real job outside of politics) but might not be the best choice for this time.



* not a misspelling, Labor is used because the ALP was born out of the US labor movement, not the Labour Party of the UK.

 

[Oswyntail]

So Liz Kendall becomes the first to throw her hat into the ring. Thoughts?.....

A dark horse, but highly talented and capable. She actually understands the Health brief and responds sensibly, unlike Andy Burnham (During the debates on the Health bill she could often be seen with her head in her hands in despair at the idiocies he was uttering). Flexible and effective in argument.
So probably has no chance:roll:

 

[St Rollox]

Apparently former British Army Officer who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

His last political visit to Scotland was during the referendum.
Going house to house in Coatbridge.
Maybe best he's not standing for the leadership considering labour completely collapsed north of the border.

 

[IanD]

Burnham will try and take labour even more left than Miliband so that will guarantee they'll be outcasts for a generation.

He gets my vote then.

 

[pemma]

Of those mentioned, Chuka Umunna is the one I've been most impressed with, but I would suspect that there are still enough people out there who are influenced by a person's name and the colour of their skin, that he would never make a PM.

A town council election was held in my town on Thursday. If I told you the 8 candidates for my ward for 6 seats were:
Yvonne Bancroft (Independent)
Peter Coan (Conservative who's been on the council quite a while)
Jonathan Farber (new Conservative - freelance photographer)
Neil Forbes (Conservative and most recent mayor)
Jane Froehlich (new Conservative who's Swiss and a language teacher)
Julian Goodrich (Conservative)
Mike Houghton (Conservative who only put himself forward for the ward because the Conservatives preferred others for his local ward)
Andrew Malloy (Independent)

Guess which two of the above eight didn't get elected if I told you there were both Conservatives.

Clue: One of them hasn't got a British surname.

 

[Jonny]

Don't see a problem with that tbh. Women and ethnic minorities are severely unrepresented in the top levels. The fact we're having a conversation about "whether his name fits" proves that something needs to be done, and that these companies are incapable of doing it themselves.

Statistical parity is not necessarily the same as true equality, and positive discrimination is still discrimination. Christopher Dawson, a 20th century historian, once said

As soon as men decide that all means are permitted to fight an evil, then their good becomes indistinguishable from the evil that they set out to destroy.

Source: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/c/christophe402604.html

and I couldn't put it any better myself.

Let's just put it this way - I would want the best person for the job to be the one driving/flying whatever train/'plane I am travelling on, irrespective of ethnicity (or gender for that matter).

 

[TheKnightWho]

Statistical parity is not necessarily the same as true equality, and positive discrimination is still discrimination. Christopher Dawson, a 20th century historian, once said



and I couldn't put it any better myself.

Let's just put it this way - I would want the best person for the job to be the one driving/flying whatever train/'plane I am travelling on, irrespective of ethnicity (or gender for that matter).

Equality vs. equity.

 

[telstarbox]

As well as a new leader, I think there are bigger question for Labour if they want to remain a force. What do they stand for? How can they appeal to better-off voters who apparently rejected them this time round? Should they set up a distinct sister party in Scotland?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

As well as a new leader, I think there are bigger question for Labour if they want to remain a force. What do they stand for? How can they appeal to better-off voters who apparently rejected them this time round? Should they set up a distinct sister party in Scotland?

Interesting that you should mention the part that I have caused to be emboldened in your quote above, as in his televised interview yesterday, as David Miliband said exactly the same thing.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Let's just put it this way - I would want the best person for the job to be the one driving/flying whatever train/'plane I am travelling on, irrespective of ethnicity (or gender for that matter).

That isn't what positive discrimination is about though. It isn't about putting any old woman in charge simply because she's a woman, regardless of qualifications, experience or competence. It's about levelling the playing field so that minorities actually have a chance of demonstrating their ability.

The issue is that, all too often, the "best person for the job" doesn't get near an interview panel because of their gender or ethnic background.

 

[Western Lord]

Mr. Umunna's problem is surely the recent poor track record of follicly challenged leaders. Hague and Duncan Smith failed to make the top job and the last bald party leader to be elected PM was in 1951!

 

[pemma]

Mr. Umunna's problem is surely the recent poor track record of follicly challenged leaders. Hague and Duncan Smith failed to make the top job and the last bald party leader to be elected PM was in 1951!

William Hague was 36 when he was made Conservative leader, while Chuka Umunna is currently 36. Iain Duncan Smith was older when he became Conservative leader - 47.

Duncan Smith seems to have a conflict of interest with being a practicing Catholic. Some of the Welfare reform policies he approved was opposed by the Catholic Bishops of England & Wales. (I'll ignore him voting in favour of same sex relationships because the Pope actually want to change the Catholic church's view last year but senior bishops voted against him. The Pope instructed the bishops to go out and listen to what the people want and to come back this October to decide again.)

 

[overthewater]

I've read a good number of points on this thread, but I think some people really have underestimated the problems on how Labour lost and how the Tories really won its election victory.

As I portaged in the other thread: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/ampp3d/general-election-results-just-900-5682492 If over 900 people had never voted Tory in those seats its would be different kettle of fish, and the DUP would be helping out.

To be fair Labour could have reduced the number of seats the Tories won even further, if it wasn't for two key factors:

* UKIP taking alot of labour voters, and its pretty clear this did happen in a number of seats. UKIP got 3.5 million votes, which can't be swept under the carpet.

* Collapse of the Lib dems, which only really benefited the Tories especial in the south of England

Labour was never going to win this election with the likes of two Eds.

So who should replace Ed? I don't wont Andy Burnham, Chuka Umunna or Yvette Cooper I cant see how any these people will be able to push the party forward. Personnel Ed should have went ages ago.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Can't they obtain a special dispensation....and elect Mick Cash as their new leader, as he surely ticks all the right Socialist boxes...

 

[pemma]

Can't they obtain a special dispensation....and elect Mick Cash as their new leader, as he surely ticks all the right Socialist boxes...

RMT were supporting TUSC at the last election. A leader of a party doesn't have to be a MP but they couldn't become PM if they don't have a seat in parliament.

 

[90sWereBetter]

And now there's five - Mary Creagh just announced her leadership bid, following Yvette Cooper's announcement this morning.

Liz Kendall
Chuka Umunna
Andy Burnham
Yvette Cooper
Mary Creagh

Personally, I'm sold on Liz Kendall becoming Labour leader in the autumn, with either Stella Creasy or Tom Watson as the new deputy leader.

 

[scott118]

Chuka Umunna has withdrawn

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

With all who have said that they do not want to stand for this post now grows, it appears that there is a sudden recognition of the effects to a political career of "Poisoned Chalice Syndrome"

 

[ainsworth74]

Chuka Umunna has withdrawn

Well that's my first (Dan Jarvis) and second choice out of the running.

 

[EM2]

Of the now-declared runners, I'd like to see Mary Creagh as leader, with Stella Creasy as her deputy.

 

[scott118]

Well that's my first (Dan Jarvis) and second choice out of the running.

I'd give up considering your role as Labour's new spin doctor, if i was you, lol

 

[Dave1987]

Labour are stuck between a rock and a hard place. The likes of Lord Sugar have withdrawn their support for the party due to the perceived anti business rhetoric. Yet certain aspect of the party believe they aren't leaning to the left enough. Tony Blair won an outright majority by taking the centre ground, the leadership candidates for Labour should remember that. The likes of Andy Burnham will never win a majority for Labour.

 

[Clip]

Chuka Umunna has withdrawn

Sounds a bit rude

Quite funny though with him and some others that as soon as they lost the election they bemoaned the fact that they didn't seem to support business or even 'Wealth creation'.

2 days later that was all he was on about! Why the hell didn't he mention it to his party before they got trounced?

 

[Tetchytyke]

Chuka Umunna has withdrawn

Doesn't like the "scrutiny", which can only mean one of one thing: a Sunday tabloid has a juicy story lined up.

 

[scott118]

Sounds a bit rude

Doesn't like the "scrutiny", which can only mean one of one thing: a Sunday tabloid has a juicy story lined up.

I think my signature says it all, with regards to politics..

 

[telstarbox]

Sounds a bit rude

Quite funny though with him and some others that as soon as they lost the election they bemoaned the fact that they didn't seem to support business or even 'Wealth creation'.

2 days later that was all he was on about! Why the hell didn't he mention it to his party before they got trounced?

Perhaps he did. But going into an election a party needs to agree its manifesto and key messages and then stick to them as much as possible during the campaign. It doesn't great if the leader says one thing and then the next day another senior MP says something which goes against it.

If you look back at the Conservatives' campaign it was built around a fairly narrow, consistent message about the 'long term economic plan' and their ministers repeated it to death in all interviews.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Doesn't like the "scrutiny", which can only mean one of one thing: a Sunday tabloid has a juicy story lined up.

Come what may, any candidate to be the leader of any political party should display a damn sight more backbone when dealing with the pressures of the media, rather than deciding "all was too much" after just a matter of a few days. Just imagine how such a person would react to the pressures of being a Prime Minister when dealing with Heads of State such as Putin, if ever finding themselves occupying that specific role.

 

[EM2]

Come what may, any candidate to be the leader of any political party should display a damn sight more backbone when dealing with the pressures of the media, rather than deciding "all was too much" after just a matter of a few days. Just imagine how such a person would react to the pressures of being a Prime Minister when dealing with Heads of State such as Putin, if ever finding themselves occupying that specific role.

Which is why he has withdrawn. He didn't appreciate the pressure already being put on him, his family and his girlfriend.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Which is why he has withdrawn. He didn't appreciate the pressure already being put on him, his family and his girlfriend.

Surely he must have been aware of what may have occurred, being quite intelligent. Yet he still "threw his hat into the ring" which betrays a certain naiviety of his personal knowledge of the methodology of the media.