Thatcher's Labour

[Paigntonian]

Extraordinary to see Kier (I used to be DPP) Starmer fire one of his shadow front bench team for briefly attending a picket line. How times have changed. The Blessed Margaret is alive and well within the soul of the Labour leadership.

[Gromit]

Labour hard left under Wilson?
Don’t think so.

NJ, The RMT ballot of underground drivers voted over 90% for a strike. The picket line is not to deter the handful of drivers who did not want to strike, it is a public show of their grievance.

[douglas9401]

Gromit, the true blue idea of the hard left on here is someone who moves from room to room without goose-stepping.

It's kinda pathetic.

[ToraToraTora]

gromit: "Labour hard left under Wilson?
Don’t think so. " - My dear dear Gromit you do stretch credulity some times! "Not hard left" PMSL!

[Gromit]

Tora
Wilson won 3 General elections for Labour.
You saying the British public voted hard left 3 times?
Perhaps you should stop wetting your trousers, it is affecting your thinking.

[ToraToraTora]

Well at that time the public were more ready to accept the unions running the county for their own ends. By the mid 70s they'd just about had enough. If Wilson wasn't collaborating with the unions he'd have clipped their wings long before TGL did and St Tony didn't undo.

[douglas9401]

And now we've come full circle by your twisted logic with a right-wing blond sucking up to fascists and their offspring for a couple of glasses of the good stuff then calling it international politics and diplomacy.

[Gromit]

It is all very queer on planet Tora.

Wilson and Callaghan were not collaborating with the unions, quite the opposite. The winter of discontent was the unions trying to bring the Labour Government down (like they had with Heath). They got Thatcher elected.

[ichkeria]

I am still scratching my head that people have trouble with the man's name. It can't be the length.

Auto-correct?
Deliberate insult?

Bizarre.

[ToraToraTora]

gromit: "Wilson and Callaghan were not collaborating with the unions, quite the opposite. The winter of discontent was the unions trying to bring the Labour Government down (like they had with Heath). They got Thatcher elected. " - yes and I thank them but the Labour leadership were tacitly collaborating by not clipping their wings with legislation.

[Gromit]

// the Labour leadership were tacitly collaborating by not clipping their wings with legislation. //

Labour had no majority and were holding on with the help of the Liberals. Thatcher had a huge majority and a mandate to sort out the unions.

[ToraToraTora]

Wilson had plenty enough majority any time between 1964 and 1970. He should have done it then. I know it was difficult because Labour are funded by and were largely created by the unions but that is collaboration none the less.

[Gromit]

McDonnell,
// Just at a time when the Tories are tearing themselves apart, and we’ve got the maximum opportunity, I think, to gain an advantage in the polls that will build the support to take us into a government, we’re having this completely unnecessary row.

The Tory leadership election is demonstrating how the Tories are ripping themselves apart. This is the time where we should have maximum unity… //

Exactly.

[Gromit]

// How did they manage that? Is a seat was vacant a year before Boris stood down as Mayor there must have been a by-election to fill that seat. It couldn't have remained empty. //

The General election was in 2015, and Boris was major until 2016. The sitting MP in Uxbridge and South Ruislip, John Randall was persuaded to step down at the GE for Johnson. He was duly rewarded with a peerage in 2018, and a Government advisor job in the meantime.
Labour should pension off Stringer and do the same.

[youngmafbog]

So you really are a labour supporter Gromit. I had always suspected such, your posts of late confirm it.

Sir Kier recognises (like Bliar) that Middle England giveth and Middle England taketh. The Party faithful (on all sides of the house) are pretty much incidental in an election, it's Mondeo Man or White van man they need to attracted. But we saw from Lady Nugee the contempt labour have for them and that is why they will not see the inside of No10 for some time.

One of labours biggest problems is of course it has been too successful. The so called 'working man' often owns their own home has multiple cars and holidays abroad - and they want to keep it that way not pay tax for the workshy or endless illegal immigrants. I personally think Labour are finished and need a new direction like, well 'New Labour'.

[Gromit]

Ymb,
You make no sense, but that is nothing new.

I have admitted I once voted Labour in a General election sometime in the 1980s (so long ago, I can’t actually remember which one).

Burnham would be a huge improvement on Starmer, who is failing badly despite the Government falling apart.

[ToraToraTora]

YMB: "One of labours biggest problems is of course it has been too successful. The so called 'working man' often owns their own home has multiple cars and holidays abroad" - Yes but that's despite Labour. Labour have been in power for less than 20% of their existence, I'd say it's the Tories (56% in the same period) that have improved the lot of Labour supporters. With TGL the one who did the most.

[ToraToraTora]

gromit 13:14, 1987, you voted for Kinnochio.

[Gromit]

Tora,
I voted for my local candidate who happened to be a right ***, but I had had enough of Thatcher by then. And the Conservative Party agreed with me 3 years later.

[ichkeria]

The RMT is not affiliated to Labour?

Don’t believe it is

[Gromit]

Parry worked for the TAAS rail trade union and is probably still a member. Rail unions tend to stick together.
If Starmer wants to be the new Thatcher, he should join the Conservative Party.