AND WITH AN INCREASED MAJORITY...
SO NOW WHERE TO?
And for us in Scotland, perhaps more importantly, where does that leave Kezia?
Will the rebels accept the 'settled will' of the membership, or what's left of it now it has been purged? Or will there be another rebellion next year?
And will they, this time, find someone a little more credible to put up as leader? (With respect neither Eagle nor Smith seemed to me to be remotely likely to win a general election. Both were decidedly third rate.)
But there are potential leaders on the right of Labour, not least Hilary Benn or the guy that lost to Ed Miliband, his brother, David. Will someone like Benn be prepared to put himself forward, for possible humiliation, against a man who has twice won with massive majorities, in a party that seems to be set on returning to a left of centre politics? And would Miliband give up his massive salary in New York to possibly be humiliated again and be left as a mere MP on a fraction of what he now earns?
Or will the right wingers leave Labour and elect their own leader as New Labour, or even New Improved Labour? (Now don't laugh. Persil has been doing it for years.) Possibly leaving the current Labour party as a rump, while New Sparkling Labour forms the official opposition, but with few members and no money.
Will Kezia be saved by the apparent fact that Scotland was the only "region" to vote for Smith? Or by the fact that in an amazing volte-face, she now thinks he's the man to lead Labour to a UK election win?
And what will happen to the ex-Shadow Secretary of State? Will he, like his boss, (*is she his boss or is Jeremy his boss?) suck up to the man they think is a disaster, or will he remain a rebel and maybe even stand himself next year? (Well we all need a laugh!)
* Quick question to Niko: If Labour in Scotland has autonomy, and they disagree about something, what does the ex-SoS do as Scotland's only Labour MP? Is he whipped with English and Welsh MPs or as a Scottish MP of Kezia?
Kez's speech put a brave face on it, but clearly, as the pictures show, her heart isn't in it.
How long will all this mess last and what will be the outcome?
Over to the brilliance of Munguin's readership...
tris
ReplyDeleteWith autonomy comes freedom to do as the Scottish labour decide regardless of
The other Labour Party affiliates otherwise that's not autonomy.
Although in pursuit of policy one imagines much would unite all of the Labour Party
Within the UK .
Against the conservatives and of course the right wing snp party now far right of
The new left Labour Party .
We now live in interesting times and the snap can only talk of Torylite
In the past tense.
Well, Niko. It will be interesting to see if it works out that way. Who knows, maybe it will. But I've heard that there are rumblings of discontent from the Blairites.
DeleteBut does anyone know if Kezia supports him or doesn't support him. She's kinda flip flopped a bit on the subject.
The freedom to do as you're told, by the masters in London, labour leftwing, pull the other one.
DeleteThe branch managers of the London based parties don't need to have any policies as their sole purpose is to oppose independence.
ReplyDeleteSo,they can have as many U turns as they like and no one will care or notice.
The Blairites are not going anywhere because they can't so I expect the current open warfare to continue until the next Westminster election.
We are about to see something very similar happening in the Tory party,all of which leaves the SNP in a very interesting position at Westminster.
I still think the Tory party may split over Europe. The business branch are keen to access the single market; the City must access Europe and they also want to be able to access good labour.
DeleteLabour, it seems to me, will lose some people, both supporters and MPs, whether to the Tories or to UKIP or to a new (or New) Labour party, who knows.
It's not just the Chinese who live in interesting times.
Nico, a massive operation involving two JCB and a tug-of-war team is underway to extract Fifi's foot from her mouth. "Corbyn cannot unite the party and win an election" to "Corbyn can unite the party and win an election". Her spokesperson, "Lord of the Dance" claimed "It was the SNP's script-writers who were responsible for her statements! Who am I? Where did these pink elephants come from?"
ReplyDeleteLOL... can't really add to that!
DeleteIf, as you (Mr Tris) say, the Scottish Branch of Labour voted for Smith, does that mean they have given up their real Socialist principles and are in fact Blairites. Does that give the opportunity for real Socialists to start a new Party in Scotland or should these people just move over to SNP until after Independence?
ReplyDeleteIf they did indeed vote Smith, then I assume it was in the knowledge that "we" would all laugh at them. They are kind of supporting Kez's position. She would have really had to go if her "branch" did not at least support her losing opinion.
DeleteShe is really good for us. I hope they keep her. She's kind of the gift that keeps on giving. Buttons. Ha ha ha. That'll run and run this coming festive season.
S.A.
"That'll run and run this coming festive season."
DeleteNo it won't.
Yes it will.
No it...........
Hmmm. I suspect Ian, that many of the potential Corbyn voters... left of centre, more working person oriented, may have worked out that that's never gonna happen in Scotland as long as we are part of the UK. Corbyn attracted a lot of young people in England, maybe they are more likely to be SNP in Scotland. Just a guess. Could be well wide of the mark.
DeleteYes, it will indeed, SA and barpe49...
DeleteBut I hope you're not suggesting that Labour is some sort of pantomime... are you?
Corbyn (the acceptable face of British Nationalism) is the boss - Murray's boss, Kezia's and all the rest. If they don't like it they should quit. Or will they keep fighting with each other like rats in a sack?
ReplyDeleteThat's my guess. Folk like Benn and Kendall, and the rest of the Blairites are never going to accept Corbyn.
DeleteThere seems to me to be a genuine distinction to be made between the majority of Labour MP's - who are not Labour - or at least not 40's / 50's Labour, and who have joined a game where socialism loses in favour of capitalism. But they are red in tooth and claw.
ReplyDeleteHow does that work exactly?
Not at all.
Just because 'surrender' is their ultimate policy it does not need to be ours.
Well, of course I accept that the world has changed since the 40s and 50s and the kind of Labour that once changed Britain for the better with the health service and a proper welfare state.
DeleteBut the principles of these things, even if they have changed, should still be at the heart of Labour's philosophy, and for so many they are not.
We're not the party of the unemployed said Harris (who then lost his seat). Because Labour should be the party of the unemployed, among others. Trying to get them employment. They should be the party of the old and the sick and the battered and the sad.
That's what they are there for.
If they are not...then they aren't LABOUR.
You did need to mention Tom Harris, who used to be my MP?
DeleteOuch!
The man had nothing to say to the poor, his entire Blairite persona meant that he was better than thee. He wasn't, and he crashed and burned.
Harris wanted to move a socialist party to the right of the Republicans. He was an entryist to Labour from the right, when they worried about entryism from the left. Labour should shred every advice it receives about their 'new' members. They have a complete Tory in their ranks and his name is Harris.
The Ayn Rand branch.....
Happily, deselected as a clown.
He treated his defeat with his customary charm and good manners, I recall.
DeleteAnd, like his friend McTeacake, he writes for the ultra Tory Daily Telegraph.
UK Labour are in a right mess, as are 'Scottish Labour' - although for different reasons.
ReplyDelete'Scottish labour' are in a mess because they are helplessly unrelentingly crap at being (part of) a political party. While UK Labour is tearing itself apart with Blairites locking horns with Corbynites.
I don't think the latter point is solvable, I think there will be a rift. But I also think there is a way Corbyn could make good ground in England. Bear with me...
So, English voters are fed a steady diet of lies about Scots being subsidy junkies and Corbyn (presumably) is fed a steady diet of bull from his Scottish branch office about the state of play in Scotland.
I don't know if Corbyn has some intractable attachment to Scotland, but, imagine if he stopped listening to the arse gravy coming from Dugdale etc and just let us go. If he adopted the policy of accepting a mutually agreeable parting of the ways - everyone stays pals and Scotland gets Indy, an equitable mutually agreeable split is in everyone's interest, or will appear to be.
He's not going to get any more MP's out of Scotland, he needs to make headway in England - so - he might make that headway by seeming to lose the perceived ball and chain that is Scotland and appearing to be quite the statesman in the process.
Meanwhile, 'Scottish' Labour might actually become Scottish Labour and the Tories... Well they can get stuffed, lets be honest... ALso, Dugdale who has been something of a Judas also gets the heave-ho...
Is what I think.
I suppose it might be to Corbyn's advantage to get rid of Scotland, electorally I mean.
DeleteBut to be honest I think they will split.
I doubt they can hold it together.
Rachel Reeves talking about riots over racism. Jeremy perfectly happy to have immigration.
The Blairites aren't going to lie down. I reckon there will be another challenge next year after they have bad results in the council elections. They have to get rid of him before 2020, so they can install another Blair clone.
God knows who they will get, but the deadly dull Eagle was a mistake, even they could see that. And Smith was no better. Charisma free zone or what, and not too bright either.
As for Scottish labour...well, how many leaders in 17 years? Can they afford another one?
Is Findlay setting his cap at it by latching on to stories in the Daily Bloody Diana; stories so full of holes we could recycle them and use them as sieves?
Or would it be Anas, so roundly rejected at the English elections and then at the Scottish elections?
Sounds like the kinda looser they would pick. Another charisma-free zone if ever I saw one.
How are you anyway matey? I miss your blog!