Labour’S 'politburo Politics'

naomi24 | 08:07 Wed 02nd May 2018 | News

35 Answers

//Labour chiefs were today accused of “Politburo Politics” after it emerged that a group dominated by Left-wingers will propose who should lead a flagship council — after voters have gone to the polls.

Haringey residents will cast their votes in Thursday’s election without knowing who Labour will choose to be their next leader. //

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/labour-chiefs-accused-of-politburo-politics-over-leftwing-move-to-chose-haringey-council-leader-a3828136.html

This sends a chill down my spine. Do Labour voters ever think about what they’re really voting for?

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youngmafbog

No, the hard core do not.

Put a red rosette on a donkey etc.

jno

not sure it matters who's leader. A couple of elections ago, people thought they'd elected Cameron; by the end of the parliament, it was May. That wasn't some kind of constitutional outrage.

Anyway, they can vote for whoever they like. If they're happy not knowing who the council leader will be, fine, that's democracy for you.

Jackdaw33

Reminds me of 1980 when Labour won the GLC. The next day the moderate Labour leader was dumped and replaced by the odious Ken Livingstone.

naomi24

Question Author

jno, //A couple of elections ago, people thought they'd elected Cameron; by the end of the parliament, it was May.//

Ah, yes, I see what you mean. Like the time Blair was elected and we ended up with Brown.

jno

yes, exactly like that, naomi. That wasn't an outrage either.

Cloverjo

//Do Labour voters ever think about what they’re really voting for?//
Yes, I do. Did Brexit voters think about what they were voting for? Do Tory voters think about what they're voting for?

naomi24

Question Author

jno, No, it wasn't outrage - rather incredulity. However, this is slightly different, isn't it, in that the electorate in this instance have no idea who the leader will be.

youngmafbog

It's not quite the same here there is not even the 'starting' leader and although I do agree we elect a party not a leader as the leader will influence the direction then they should be known at least at the outset.

In addition Cameron/May was not exactly like Bliar/Brown. May held an election soon after, Brown Bottled it.

youngmafbog

Cloverjo.

Yes and yes.

Cloverjo

And look at the mess they're in now.

youngmafbog

Who is in a mess? Do you understand 'negotiation'?

Are you a remoaner trying to turn this thread into an anti Brexit thread?

jim360

There are plenty of Tory voters* who would vote for a blue-rosetted goat, so it's not only a Labour phenomenon to turn up at the ballot box and tick the same box regardless of circumstance.

That aside, I suppose the only silver lining to all of this is that it gives me a chance to experience what the late 70s and early 80s Labour party was like first-hand...

*Citation: https://lordashcroftpolls.com/2017/06/result-happen-post-vote-survey/ , which in fact suggests that the "goat with the right rosette" phenomenon is even more pronounced in Tory voters...

Cloverjo

I am a Remainer, and I'm not trying to turn this into an anti-Brexit thread.

Thanks to Jim for the 'goat in a blue rosette' link. That's definitely true around here.

youngmafbog

jim, that shows nothing.

jim360

Look at the second graphic:

"When did you decide you were going to vote?"

Option 1: "I have always known how I am going to vote"

Labour voters: 28%
Tory Voters: 36%

jim360

The relevant graphic, for the avoidance of doubt:

https://lordashcroftpolls.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Q3.-Timeline.jpg

jno

like Thatcher/Major if you prefer, ymb. A leader standing down in mid-term is nothing remarkable - they never do it the day before an election, and nor should they. (The difference with Thatcher is that she didn't go voluntarily, unlike Blair and Cameron.)

But the matter is much less significant with councils. People may, if sufficiently fanatical, vote Tory nationally because they love Theresa May ("put a blue rosette on a donkey"); nobody votes for a council on the basis that Mr X or Mrs Y is leading their group.

naomi24

Question Author

In my experience staunch Labour voters vote Labour simply because they’re not the Conservatives, whereas, as an ex-Labour voter I, like many others, now vote Conservative because Tony Blair's Labour government taught them to. It’s what's called thinking, No blue rosettes on donkeys here.