Labour Leadership Contest

[Chairman Meow]

If nothing else this has all highlighted what a lot of Labour politicians actually think about Democracy. They couldn't give a flying fuck what people want, it's all about their own career and chance of power and nothing to do with representing or the electorate.

 

Let's also not forget that Mandelson was forced to resign twice for being a corrupt lying toad. He's a loathsome, horrible cunt.

[Section_31]

If nothing else this has all highlighted what a lot of Labour politicians actually think about Democracy. They couldn't give a flying fuck what people want, it's all about their own career and chance of power and nothing to do with representing or the electorate.

 

Let's also not forget that Mandelson was forced to resign twice for being a corrupt lying toad. He's a loathsome, horrible cunt.

It highlights what they think of labour voters too. Mandelson is as bad as any Tory.

[Creator Supreme]

Even if Corbyn wins and sees off any coup (or assassination attempt), I'm sticking with the Greens, as Corbyn will be mostly surrounded by cunts with a few honourable exceptions!

[Sut]

Andy Burnham blasts 'Tory' labelling of anyone not backing Jeremy Corbyn

 

Labour leadership candidate calls for online abuse to stop, as Corbyn’s office asks supporters to follow his own positive, inclusive example

 

Labour leadership candidate Andy Burnham has hit out at the “outrageous” labelling of people as Tories if they do not support Jeremy Corbyn, amid concerns the contest is getting increasingly fractious online. The former favourite, who has been overtaken by Corbyn, called for the abuse to stop and for Labour to unite and “take the fight to the real enemies who are the Conservative party”.

 

“[Calling candidates Tory] – that is just outrageous. Every person in this race is Labour through and through. Let’s have some respect to us all as we go into the final stages,” Burnham told Sky News.

 

Corbyn has calmly refused to rise to some of the criticism levelled at him by senior Labour figures. But other camps have complained about the aggressive behaviour of some people online who purport to support him.

 

A statement from Corbyn’s office on Saturday also called on his supporters to follow his example of being “inclusive, positive and based around issues, not personalities”.

 

It said: “We want – and expect – Jeremy’s attitude to filter throughout the campaign, to our supporters on social media and beyond. People must exercise individual responsibility, but we all need to understand that the key to winning this election is to focus on the issues and to engage in the debate in a civil, comradely manner.

 

“We don’t accept or tolerate abusive, racist, homophobic or sexist language or behaviour. That’s our tradition, and it’s one we’re proud of.”

Rival candidate Liz Kendall said over the weekend she has suffered “vitriolic” bullying and that those who had been engaging in the “horrible” attacks while criticising the Tories for “divisive rhetoric” should be called out.

 

Rowenna Davis, a Labour candidate at the general election, has also highlighted some of the abuse against Kendall, including people calling her a “red Tory cow” and “Tony Blair with breasts”.

 

Mike Gapes, a Labour MP who is supporting Kendall and was one of those who has been abused on Twitter, said there were parallels with some of the online aggression during the Scottish referendum campaign.

 

He said: “I’ve been a member of the Labour party since 1968. There are people who have been in the party five minutes who seem to think that I can be abused because I happen to be supporting Liz Kendall. Because I think Jeremy Corbyn would be a disaster, I’m told I’m a Tory. I’m a Tory, then Harold Wilson’s a Tory, Clement Attlee’s a Tory, Neil Kinnock is a Tory, Michael Foot’s a Tory, Tony Blair’s a Tory, Gordon Brown’s a Tory. Ed Miliband’s a Tory. This is just mad.

 

“I actually during the Scottish referendum was called a red Tory by so-called cybernats in Scotland because I deigned to get involved in the debate. Any Labour people in Scotland were called red Tories. Now it seems the Corbyn people are saying we’re effing Tories or Tory scum or variations on that. It is similar.”

 

Labour MP John Mann has also complained about some of the abuse he has been getting online. He told the Sunday Express: “I have very serious concerns about ­Jeremy Corbyn’s supporters. I’ve received some vicious antisemitic abuse and I’m expecting the Labour party to take action against this.”

 

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/aug/16/andy-burnham-blasts-tory-labelling-not-backing-jeremy-corbyn-labour-leadership

 

 

Not too hard to address Burnham's concerns. Stop having more in common with the Tories than the people you represent and you'll avoid the hurtful name calling.

[Scooby Dudek]

Playing the victim card. You can call "left wing" people all sorts of dinosaurs or need heart transplant or annihilate the party, no problem. However call someone a Tory and it is going too far and bullying.

 

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

 

 

[Babb'sBurstNad]

The phrase "Tony Blair with breasts" is both funny and horrifying.

 

It's all getting a bit desperate now though. It's the final line of defence to attack the supporters and somehow try to indicate that the lowest example of which may in fact be indicative of the candidate they support. It happened in the Scottish referendum too. 

[Jairzinho]

Playing the victim card. You can call "left wing" people all sorts of dinosaurs or need heart transplant or annihilate the party, no problem. However call someone a Tory and it is going too far and bullying.

 

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

 

It must be fucking annoying for these frauds that people can have a look through their voting records for themselves.

 

Oh, abstained on the welfare bill, voted for the Iraq war, voted for tuition fees...etc, etc. 

[Tyler Durden]

The more this contest goes on the more I'm left open mouthed by the carry on from some of the so called 'Labour' people, so it's ok for Corbyns name to be dragged through the mud daily in the media by all major news outlets but the minute some faceless supporter gives Burnham grief he starts trying to take the moral high ground. There just is no way this Corbyn win won't split the party and I've no fucking idea what all those 'right of the centre' are going to do, they won't represent anyone.

[Dr Nowt]

I think it's fair enough to have a pop at Corbyn - a man who has steadfastly refused to get involved in the usual childish insults and namecalling despite being trashed by politicians and media on all sides - for this.

 

Just have to feel sorry for the other three candidates. I don't know how they've held up their dignity while he's had such an easy ride. Best thing they can all do is refuse to serve under him and continue to show their enormous respect for both democracy and the party.

[Stu Monty]

It's depressing watching the Blairite Labour MPs not seeing the fact that what they are actually saying is: "Corbyn will not be electable as my total lack of discipline will ensure it's so".

[Anubis]

Burnham Campaign Strategy:

 

1. Turn up - it's in the bag;

2. Austerity is necessary;

3. Meaningless soundbotes;

4. Mum and dad love me;

5. Criticise JC's policies but offer nothing;

6. Adopt some of JC's policies;

7. My family love me;

8. Criticise JC;

9. Criticise JC's supporters;

10. JC can be in my shadow cabinet.

[Red Phoenix]

...

 

Labour MP John Mann has also complained about some of the abuse he has been getting online. He told the Sunday Express: “I have very serious concerns about ­Jeremy Corbyn’s supporters. I’ve received some vicious antisemitic abuse and I’m expecting the Labour party to take action against this.”

 

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/aug/16/andy-burnham-blasts-tory-labelling-not-backing-jeremy-corbyn-labour-leadership

 

 

 

What is it with bringing up anti-semitism in relation to Corbyn or his supporters in the last sentence of articles? That was also done in this that was linked recently. I wonder if it's some type of psychological thing where people are more likely to remember what they read last about someone, or a group of people, and it's more likely to have an influence. Am wondering how many other articles finish like that from other outlets now.

[Red Phoenix]

From The Independent :

 

Fling mud if you must, but don’t call Jeremy Corbyn an anti-Semite

 

Is Jeremy Corbyn the enemy of Israel and British Jews? That is what the The Jewish Chronicle, some MPs and various sections of the media would have us believe. It is an accusation that is both absurd and menacing. The right, Blairites and hard Zionists have formed the most unholy of alliances to slay the reputation of the next likely leader of the Labour Party. They thought he was a bit-part player, but he has unexpectedly became the front-runner; now every political trick in the book is being used in an attempt bring him down. I hope honest democrats see through the contemptible tactics. If Corbyn is an anti-Semite, I am a white supremacist.

As it happens, I do not think the  left-wing MP can lead Labour to victory in 2020, despite agreeing wholly with his anti-austerity drive, his position on the Iraq war, and his social democratic vision. But cumulative decades of Thatcherism and Blairism have turned millions of Brits into self-serving individuals – more like middle-class Americans than egalitarian Scandinavians. Corbyn doesn’t get that, and he would not receive my leadership vote if I were part of that process. But I will defend the man forcefully against the calumny and defamation now being heaped upon him.

What evidence have his detractors produced to “prove” that he is anti-Semitic? That he has appeared on Press TV, the Iranian-funded station? Well, until late 2009, the Telegraph journalist Andrew Gilligan presented a fortnightly programme on that channel. Is Gilligan therefore also a Jew-hater? Of course not. Next: Corbyn shared a platform with Carlos Latuff, the Brazilian-Arab cartoonist who condemned Israel’s oppressive policies in Palestine.

The Simon Wiesenthal Centre has declared Latuff anti-Semitic but the Jewish daily Forward claims he is a “furious” critic of the state of Israel, not an anti-Semite. So no consensus there. As for sharing spaces: many of us speak at conferences where some speakers turn out to have nasty views about various ethnic and religious groups. That is the complex and argumentative world we live in. To talk to those we violently disagree with is surely an obligation.

Some of the people Corbyn has been closest to are conscientious and ethical British Jews. The late Mike Marqusee, a Marxist, New York secular Jew who migrated to the UK, was his friend. So, too, is Ken Loach, a liberal British Jew and fierce defender of Palestinian rights. There are others, dismissed by Zionists as “self-haters” because they reject blind loyalty to Israel.

 

More here : http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/fling-mud-if-you-must-but-dont-call-jeremy-corbyn-an-antisemite-10458261.html

[Dr Nowt]

He certainly seems like the kind of man who would be prejudiced against an entire people.

 

I daresay he's a Nazi slave-trading rapist as well.

[Anny Road]

Thing that none is mentioning is that even if one of the 'safe' candidates were to win because of sniping or vote rigging they will have no credibility with the public. All the MPs can go off and pat each other on the back on a job well done but they will all be booted come 2020.

[Red Phoenix]

He certainly seems like the kind of man who would be prejudiced against an entire people.

 

I daresay he's a Nazi slave-trading rapist as well.

 

Yeah he's definitely a fascist. I don't like the look in his eyes at times either, he's probably killed a few people in the past.

[VladimirIlyich]

He certainly seems like the kind of man who would be prejudiced against an entire people.

 

I daresay he's a Nazi slave-trading rapist as well.

Only on Sundays.

[Dr Nowt]

Yeah he's definitely a fascist. I don't like the look in his eyes at times either, he's probably killed a few people in the past.

Graham Linehan

@glinner

 

As @verlaine101 says, it's really not a deterrent to know that the worst people in the UK don't like Jeremy Corbyn.

[Dr Nowt]

This may be a good time to note that I just discovered Blair hired Bobby Davro for coat-hanger mouth's 60th birthday bash.

 

Maybe he's already in hell.

[Bobby Hundreds]

If Kendall, burnham and cooper can't beat corbyn how the hell do they think they are more likely to win a general election.

[Sugar Ape]

Received my ballot papers today, haven't got the time to post too much at the minute or get into big debates but this is my stance.

 

I've always planned on voting Burnham. I respect him for his work on Hillsborough, a lot, and unlike some I don't think he's a closet Tory. I think he'd make a decent leader, albeit I don't think any of the four candidates have got much hope of winning the next election.

 

Then all the fuss over Corbyn and I've had a good think about it. He's clearly the most left wing of the candidates and that obviously appeals to me, but I don't agree with all his policies ( I don't agree with scrapping Trident for example ) and I think as someone who has defied the whip, what is it over 500 times?, then he is going to struggle to unite the party and get things done. On the other hand things like renationalising the railways reasonate strongly with me and he was the only candidate offering things like that before Burnham tried to copy him.

 

What has never been in doubt is that there is no way I'm voting for Cooper or Kendall. Cooper I just don't like and Kendall, unlike the other 3 candidates, could genuinely be a member of the Tories with her beliefs. No chance she's getting my vote.

 

So it was always going to be Burnham 1st choice and Corbyn 2nd. Then came the welfare bill where Burnham, Cooper and Kendall abstained and that changed things for me. I just can't justify to myself voting for someone who hasn't even got the balls to stand up to an atrocious bill by the Tories that demonises the poor and vulnerable. I mean, that is literally the fucking least I expect any Labour MP to do. That should be their Raison d'etre. I expected it from the other two but Burnham cost himself any chance of winning when he abstained.

 

I'm also fucked if I'm going to be told what to do in a patronising manner by Tony Blair and bellends like Mandelson. So I'm going to follow my heart and vote as below and just hope it motivates people in a similar way that the SNP have captured hearts up North.

 

[Sugar Ape]

Also on the ballot paper is the following options, you get a booklet to help you decide but it's still tough when you don't know who most of them are.

 

 

But I do admire this guy for being a treasurer of his union for 94 years. Some shift he's put in. Lorraine Beavers is getting a vote just for her name as well.

 

[Anubis]

Looking forward to getting mine. I'm still not decided on the deputy though. Head says Watson. Heart says Eagle. Cock says Creasey.

[Bobby Hundreds]

Cock also says gloria de piero. I'd smash her to smithereens, then I'd smash her smithereens to smithereens and so on an so forth until you can't tell whether she is a particle or a wave unless you observe me further smashing her to smithereens.

[Spy Bee]

I simply cannot get my head around anybody supporting Trident. Do we really need 4 warships, carrying 40 nuclear warheads, each eight times more powerful than the atomic bomb which was dropped on Hiroshima?

 

I mean under what circumstances is this weaponry useful?