Feels utterly bizarre that the most powerful Green Party advocacy of the night came from the UKIP MP. I would probably settle for PR if it meant UKIP voices as well as Green. For a start, watch the Green vote fly through the roof as people no longer vote tactically
I can see this as well, but it still may not translate into seats for the Greens. If it is true that 35% of the electorate have not voted, I wonder if a proportional system could be justified on the basis that many many of those 35% would then participate.
I'm not Labour but if I were I'd want Alan Johnson as leader.
I am a labour voter and he would be my first choice. He's knocked it back before though. I'm not hopeful.
Alan Johnson has been an excellent politician. But he's 65 very, very soon, and would be 70 by the time of the next election and 75 by the end of that term. So unless Labour wanted a Chinese or Vatican style leadership it would be a strange choice.
Saw Johnson for the first time in ages on the box last night. The kind of person more people would warm to imo. Did he choose to stay away or did Miliband freeze him out because he was too New Labour?
I'm not Labour but if I were I'd want Alan Johnson as leader.
I am a labour voter and he would be my first choice. He's knocked it back before though. I'm not hopeful.
Alan Johnson has been an excellent politician. But he's 65 very, very soon, and would be 70 by the time of the next election and 75 by the end of that term. So unless Labour wanted a Chinese or Vatican style leadership it would be a strange choice.
All this moaning about the voting system and low turnout smacks of more sour grapes
Highest turnout since 1997
In 2001 there was only a 59% turnout In 2005 labour only had under 800,000 more votes than conservative yet still romped the election in terms of seat numbers
All this moaning about the voting system and low turnout smacks of more sour grapes
Highest turnout since 1997
In 2001 there was only a 59% turnout In 2005 labour only had under 800,000 more votes than conservative yet still romped the election in terms of seat numbers
I think that's unfair. It's parties like UKIP whom I detest but think have a point. SNP pulled in around 1.5 million votes and get 56 seats in Westminster. UKIP poll 4 million votes and get one MP.
I'm not Labour but if I were I'd want Alan Johnson as leader.
I am a labour voter and he would be my first choice. He's knocked it back before though. I'm not hopeful.
Alan Johnson has been an excellent politician. But he's 65 very, very soon, and would be 70 by the time of the next election and 75 by the end of that term. So unless Labour wanted a Chinese or Vatican style leadership it would be a strange choice.
I'm not Labour but if I were I'd want Alan Johnson as leader.
I am a labour voter and he would be my first choice. He's knocked it back before though. I'm not hopeful.
Alan Johnson has been an excellent politician. But he's 65 very, very soon, and would be 70 by the time of the next election and 75 by the end of that term. So unless Labour wanted a Chinese or Vatican style leadership it would be a strange choice.
All this moaning about the voting system and low turnout smacks of more sour grapes
Highest turnout since 1997
In 2001 there was only a 59% turnout In 2005 labour only had under 800,000 more votes than conservative yet still romped the election in terms of seat numbers
Very unfair comment. It has nothing to do with the turnout.
I'm not Labour but if I were I'd want Alan Johnson as leader.
I am a labour voter and he would be my first choice. He's knocked it back before though. I'm not hopeful.
Alan Johnson has been an excellent politician. But he's 65 very, very soon, and would be 70 by the time of the next election and 75 by the end of that term. So unless Labour wanted a Chinese or Vatican style leadership it would be a strange choice.
Agree. Dan Jarvis is a very good shout btw.
What about Diane Abbott ?
No. She's just good at shouting.
Slightly better than looking like a complete twat which Ed seemed to pull off
I'm not Labour but if I were I'd want Alan Johnson as leader.
I am a labour voter and he would be my first choice. He's knocked it back before though. I'm not hopeful.
Alan Johnson has been an excellent politician. But he's 65 very, very soon, and would be 70 by the time of the next election and 75 by the end of that term. So unless Labour wanted a Chinese or Vatican style leadership it would be a strange choice.
Agree. Dan Jarvis is a very good shout btw.
What about Diane Abbott ?
No. She's just good at shouting.
Slightly better than looking like a complete twat which Ed seemed to pull off
All this moaning about the voting system and low turnout smacks of more sour grapes
Highest turnout since 1997
In 2001 there was only a 59% turnout In 2005 labour only had under 800,000 more votes than conservative yet still romped the election in terms of seat numbers
It is valid to have the discussion don't you think, if only on a philosophical level? I can see some virtue in FPTP, indeed if it was only about the person representing the constituency there is a lot of virtue. But I also see virtue in a world of party politics, where the voter chooses the party not the individual, for a better reflection of those wishes at Westminster through some kind of proportional representation. There was discussion of this issue before the result as well as afterwards, and in my view does not qualify as sour grapes.
Not sure how much say the Unions will have in choosing the new leader. Not too much I hope. (I'm a TU member) but I would have thought Jarvis or Burnham would be their man. I can't see Umunna floating their boat as much.
I'm not Labour but if I were I'd want Alan Johnson as leader.
I am a labour voter and he would be my first choice. He's knocked it back before though. I'm not hopeful.
Alan Johnson has been an excellent politician. But he's 65 very, very soon, and would be 70 by the time of the next election and 75 by the end of that term. So unless Labour wanted a Chinese or Vatican style leadership it would be a strange choice.
For those who are claiming this is about sour grapes, a switch to this system would hurt both the Tories and Labour. It would encourage them both to stop trying to appeal to centrist voters and start standing for what they believe in once again.
Not sure how much say the Unions will have in choosing the new leader. Not too much I hope. (I'm a TU member) but I would have thought Jarvis or Burnham would be their man. I can't see Umunna floating their boat as much.
Far less, rules where changed post Unite stitching it up in 2010.
My point is that there are some labour supporting posters saying that tories dont deserve to get in as they only got 35% of 66% of the people eligible to vote
But in 2001/5 it was a similar story and I bet it wasnt an issue then.
its just gota be Umunna please plzzzzzzzzzzzzz the guy that posted to himself (under another name) that Chuka was going places and a highly intelligent man who should one day lead the party---ho ho ho till it was shown he had posted the message himself---sounds just about right for the new leader of Labour.
said above before they pick a leader decide which direction they are going---left (that works so well) or centre. If its centre let the marxists and socialists form their own party--they keep promising to do it.
Saw Johnson for the first time in ages on the box last night. The kind of person more people would warm to imo. Did he choose to stay away or did Miliband freeze him out because he was too New Labour?
I think he supported The Other Miliband Boy (with apologies to Philippa Gregory) for the role Ed's just vacated - so I don't suppose he was popular.
John Mann made the case for Jarvis rather well on the BBC. He is right - the country won't warm to yet another career politician with no experience of the real world and the relatively unknown Jarvis has the right back story having served in the armed forces.
But Labour's problem is that his kind may not appeal to the union paymasters in the way Ed Mil obviously did.
Key question is can he eat a bacon sandwich without looking like a complete knob?
Labour does need to sort out its identity if it wants to reconnect with its supporter base. I wonder if I will end up thinking the same about Charlton?
My point is that there are some labour supporting posters saying that tories dont deserve to get in as they only got 35% of 66% of the people eligible to vote
But in 2001/5 it was a similar story and I bet it wasnt an issue then.
I agree on the UKIP/SNP argument
The Conservatives have proposed Trade Union Laws where action needs the support of 40% of those entitled to vote. Not looking as if they would propose such a system for themselves though.
My point is that there are some labour supporting posters saying that tories dont deserve to get in as they only got 35% of 66% of the people eligible to vote
But in 2001/5 it was a similar story and I bet it wasnt an issue then.
I agree on the UKIP/SNP argument
The Conservatives have proposed Trade Union Laws where action needs the support of 40% of those entitled to vote. Not looking as if they would propose such a system for themselves though.
its just gota be Umunna please plzzzzzzzzzzzzz the guy that posted to himself (under another name) that Chuka was going places and a highly intelligent man who should one day lead the party---ho ho ho till it was shown he had posted the message himself---sounds just about right for the new leader of Labour.
said above before they pick a leader decide which direction they are going---left (that works so well) or centre. If its centre let the marxists and socialists form their own party--they keep promising to do it.
Is that it? You're ruling the bloke out because someone in his office (probably him but not proven btw) changed his wiki page to reference a favourable newspaper article suggesting he could be the UK equivalent of Obama? If that article was about me I'd be handing out laminated copies on the high street and taking out billboard adverts drawing attention to it. As most of us would.
Compare this bit of egotism to the current Tory party chairman's "over denying" of him continuing to run his get rich quick scheme under a false name.
Comments
If it is true that 35% of the electorate have not voted, I wonder if a proportional system could be justified on the basis that many many of those 35% would then participate.
http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2015/03/war-westminster-labours-dan-jarvis-future-prime-minister
Did he choose to stay away or did Miliband freeze him out because he was too New Labour?
Highest turnout since 1997
In 2001 there was only a 59% turnout
In 2005 labour only had under 800,000 more votes than conservative yet still romped the election in terms of seat numbers
Fair ?
I'm worry about someone like Chuka Ummana is he'll be seen as a London elitist, Dan Jarvis will go down well all over the country.
I can see some virtue in FPTP, indeed if it was only about the person representing the constituency there is a lot of virtue.
But I also see virtue in a world of party politics, where the voter chooses the party not the individual, for a better reflection of those wishes at Westminster through some kind of proportional representation.
There was discussion of this issue before the result as well as afterwards, and in my view does not qualify as sour grapes.
http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/politics/fpp-to-mmp
For those who are claiming this is about sour grapes, a switch to this system would hurt both the Tories and Labour. It would encourage them both to stop trying to appeal to centrist voters and start standing for what they believe in once again.
He is pushing the Westminster paedophilia inquiry and also had said "Ed Milliband is a fucking knob who costs Labour votes"
He's not on the long list of runners though
But in 2001/5 it was a similar story and I bet it wasnt an issue then.
I agree on the UKIP/SNP argument
said above before they pick a leader decide which direction they are going---left (that works so well) or centre. If its centre let the marxists and socialists form their own party--they keep promising to do it.
But Labour's problem is that his kind may not appeal to the union paymasters in the way Ed Mil obviously did.
Key question is can he eat a bacon sandwich without looking like a complete knob?
Labour does need to sort out its identity if it wants to reconnect with its supporter base. I wonder if I will end up thinking the same about Charlton?
Compare this bit of egotism to the current Tory party chairman's "over denying" of him continuing to run his get rich quick scheme under a false name.