Labour Deselection Policy?

[mushroom25]

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/sep/09/jeremy-corbyn-in-party-row-purging-labour-mps-who-criticise-leadership

some labour MPs are getting the wind-up, it seems. the labour party has changed direction in the last 3 years, and some MPs no longer represent the view of the current leadership. why shouldn't the labour leadership strengthen and protect its position by eliminating dissent? if the MPs don't want to be purged, support JC - simples, eh?

[Zacs-Master]

‘some MPs no longer represent the view of the current leadership’

Shouldn’t that be ‘the leadership no longer reflects the views of the majority of its MPs’?

[mushroom25]

you could indeed say that either way. but it's not the majority of the MPs that has the support of Momentum, or the grassroots party membership, and it's not the leadership that's about to be purged.

[ToraToraTora]

I agree they have a right to strengthen their position. I just wish their supporters would wake up and realise what a bigoted hard left, anti semitic, racist, douche de merde they support. Chakka Khant is bang on, Labour is no longer the centre left party he would feee at home in. They would appear a lot more honest to the voters if the moderates split and form their own party.

[New Judge]

"...it seems. the labour party has changed direction in the last 3 years,"

As I said in a thread last week, all it's done is to revert to the type of policies it pursued pre-Blair. The current MPs will have to decide if they are Labourites or "Noo" Labourites.

[TheChair]

Labour MPs are not selected/deselected by the leadership, but democratically, by the party members. Some MPs are under the impression that they are in place for their own benefit, rather than to represent the views of their members.

[ToraToraTora]

that is true, technically, thechair but in reality the leadership of Labour or indeed the tories have sufficient carrots and sticks to get their own way locally.

[New Judge]

"Some MPs are under the impression that they are in place for their own benefit, rather than to represent the views of their members."

"Constituents", surely?

Of course, had they been listening to Mr Blair shortly after his triumphant march into No 10, they would have heard that he believed that MPs were in post to convince their constituents that the government knows what's best for them. They were not there to represent their views and wishes at Westminster.

[Spungle]

It all depends on whether they want to win a general election or not. You can have all the principles, ideals, ideas and policies you wish, but if you don't appeal to the "middle ground" and get Tory and Lib Dem voters to vote for you once, you won't win an election, simple as that. The Labour party has changed direction, and headed left, left and left again. Most Labour MP's now do not agree with Corbyn's personal views, that's clear. That's because a lot of them have their head screwed on, and recognise that however much Blair is hated and despised by Corbyn and his clan, he was the most successful Labour PM and won 3 elections for Labour. What's the point of having all the lefty ideas only to sit in permanent opposition and never get a chance to change anything?
Take Blair out of the equation, and we're back to 1974 when "Old" Labour last won a General Election. The truth is that Corbyn is much more comfortable in opposition, he's great at protesting, but would crap himself if he actually had power handed to him. Best thing to happen is for him to continue his bullying and purging, and keep the Labour party split up the middle, and well away from power.

[Zacs-Master]

I agree with everything you’ve said there, spungle. Labour are a lost cause. An anachronism.

[Spungle]

Yes, if Corbyn is going to bunker down with his head in the sand, Labour MP's who actually want to be in power need to make a choice- back Corbyn to stay in opposition permanently, or start another party which actually represents a credible alternative to the Tories, without all the whackos and Momentum thugs.

[ToraToraTora]

BA for spungle at 19:08

[New Judge]

"Labour are a lost cause. An anachronism."

Beware!

There are lots of people who would vote for a tub of lard if it was on the ballot paper with "Labour" against its name. There are people who would like to desert Labour but cannot bring themselves to vote for the Tories. And (most important of all) there are lots of "newcomers" who see JC not as Jeremy Corbyn but as the returning Messiah, put on this Earth to give them free bus and train travel, £10k to buy a house and to write off their student debt. It doesn't matter that he won't be able to do any of those things (and will screw up the country in the process of trying). Nobody much under 50 has lived as an adult under a "proper" Labour administration so they don't know what it's like. And there are an awful lot of people under 50.

[Zacs-Master]

They’re a dying breed, NJ. Corbyn’s ‘jam tomorrow’ policies have been seen through by the phalanx of young voters. I’ve seen very little evidence of under 50s being enamoured with Labour.

[New Judge]

I hope you're right.

[Zacs-Master]

Me too ;-)

[cassa333]

They should deselect the lot and make them all reapply. Including the shodow cabinet and their hangers on.

Due regard should be made within the selection process to those that have serves the party though.

[ludwig]

Labour is clearly two parties now, but neither of them wants to split off and go the way of the SDP (remember them?).

What we're witnessing is the moderates and the extremists fighting over who gets to keep the Labour brand in the event of a divorce. The Corbynites would say they're just claiming it back having had it stolen from them by Blair in the 90s.

It's probably time for the moderates to concede defeat and form their own party.

[youngmafbog]

I'd argue the same for the Tories.The Conservative Party has been infiltrated by the liberal elite and in fact is lead by one.

We need a 3rd option for all us disenfranchised voters.