Off Topic Kier Starmer Labour Leader

The opposition parties might have forced Chamberlain to step down as PM but they still united in coalition behind Churchill. And Chamberlain, until his death, remained an important figure in the War Cabinet, standing in for Churchill when he was absent. It was very different to the petty sniping that has been going in this crisis. Being an effective opposition in a crisis doesn't mean continuing the unnecessary points scoring of 'peacetime'.

 

Point scoring applies to all parties, I doubt if the Tories had been in opposition that they would have backed anybody but themselves as is the modus operandi.

 

That would quite probably be the case. Doesn't mean it's the right thing to do though.

 

Neither is keeping quiet when things are not being addressed properly. 10 years of unnecessary Tory austerity, has left the Health service defenceless.

 

I would have said that the government has acted very well over the current crisis. Saying 'I told you so' doesn't contribute anything to resolving the situation. And this takes us back to the original point. Now is not the time to be scoring political points or continuing inter-party rivalries. Its time for everyone to pull together.

 

So why are the "Cobra" planning meetings not inclusive, surely they should under the current circumstances.

 

They should be! Maybe they will be now that Labour have appointed a sensible leader. I hope so at least.

 

Its not just Labour though, all parties involved should have a say, not just the Conservative elite.

 

I think you'd have to draw the line somewhere. But yes, you'd only have the elite from each of the relevant parties there. Shadow cabinet and that maybe.

 

I would prefer to include only the leaders and their deputies along with the relevant advisers and then decide after consulting with their relative Cabinets, that would be my idea. Elite was a cheap shot, call it a draw.

 

I would have thought that in a time of crisis like this, that there would be scope for input from anyone with relevant expertise or experience, regardless of political alliegance. Provided they could contribute in a constructive manner. Maybe that's naive of me though.

 

Same crackpot ideas the tory party pinched

Nationalise the railways which they've started to dee

Pity we need error

I don't think they have we've had continual mixed messages from day one owa this virus

 

Have we? Stay indoors and try not to spread it around. Seems pretty straightforward to me

 

The ones that should be culled have little to do with Labour values and if left will do anything to undermine the new leader. They have already started.

 

Seems like pretty mixed messages to me:

https://www.theguardian.com/politic...dominic-cummings-argued-to-let-old-people-die

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/boris-johnson-vows-coronavirus-not-21622835

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...pub-nonessential-social-contact-a9407181.html

 

Boris Johnson continuing to shake people's hands before the full extent of the crisis was understood hardly constitutes mixed messages.

The other two articles are irrelevant. Stanley Johnson isn't a member of the government and the Guardian article is a denial of something Cummings allegedly said. Neither of them represent official government guidance on the crisis.

 

On the contrary I'd say that plenty of their policies are about Labour values, about supporting the working classes, reducing poverty and providing public services. They just have a different opinion on how to go about it.

I understand you blaming then if they undermine the new leader, but it's also true that many labour politicians undermined the old leader even worse.

The Labour party is a broad church and always has been. But the end goals tend to be the same for everyone and that's what they all need to remember right now. A cull is not helpful, neither is divide within the party.

Angela Rayner is deputy pm which suggests that many of the party identify with more left wing politics. I'd expect Rebecca Long-Bailey to have some kind of role. I'd like Lisa Nandy to get a prominent position. Then in an ideal world, I'd want Cooper and Milliband in the most senior roles.

That to me would give a voice to all sides of the party with sensible and experienced heads in the key positions. It would be the start of the rebuild.

 

I am not too sure what you would consider mixed messages, if not our Prime Minister flying in the face of WHO advice, a 70+ year old man who happens to be the Prime Ministers father clearly not understanding the importance of government advice and a forced denial of a disgraceful comment allegedly made by Cummings. I certainly consider that mixed messaging undermining the gravity of the situation.

 

What amazes me is people are so thick now they can’t think for themselves, there’s a virus going round killing everybody and I should be ok if I stay in, do you think I should stay in f ucking idiots

 

Well, they're not messages from the government are they? They are spurious newspaper articles and therefore have an agenda and various axes to grind. The advice direct from the government has been consistent and as accurate as their knowledge of the situation has allowed.