[Tubby Isaacs]

Starmer always has state craft but his 'on the other hand this' moribund Atlanticism lacks clarity, direction or inspiration. Better hope Zack doesn't put a tie on and fancy himself as Carney as well as an English Mamdani.

The EU wouldn't fancy Zack, with his absurd position on Defence and the European economy. You think they want to listen to him tell them they should drop the nukes and tell the markets to fuck off? They'll stick with Starmer, who is with them on most stuff.

[davidjay]

I usually set quite some store by the wisdom of Mr. Phil Moorhouse. I’m a big fan, of, and even an advocate for Keir Starmer and the argument for sticking with him, but something he has just said has struck something of a chord with me. It’s this : Stuff like the winter fuel allowance, PIP, inheritance taxes on farms, the Mandelson scandal, and such like are a bit more serious than just honest mistakes that can be recovered from, but very specifically so in the leader’s case.

Phil thinks that Starmer has, importantly, lost the trust of voters, and that is something that is effectively irrecoverable. If and when things do start to get tangibly better, it will be seen as being in spite of Keir Starmer, not because of him.

As such, it may be time for the party to think aboutreplacing Starmer as leader and PM. I’m still not entirely convinced that Phil is right about this, but I’m beginning to wonder whether he is.

Who would you replace him with? Specifically: 1. who do you think would attract fewer lies from the right-wing press and our various opponents. 2. who do you think would be more popular with the electorate?

1) Nobody.
2) See 1).

[Abernathy]

@Oboogie : I don’t have answers to both your questions, which is mostly why I said that I was only slightly in agreement with Mr. Moorhouse.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Bridget Philipson seems to have done well with special needs. She might be one to watch. I wish she were a bit better on universities, mind.

But I suppose we'll be hearing all about how it's the worst thing ever before too long, so that will probably rule her out.

[Andy McDandy]

Women will all be labelled harridans, slags or dopey birds. Men will be Red Ed the net zero freak who can't eat a bacon sandwich, David "something not quite right, can't quite put my finger on it" Lammy, or Who?

[Tubby Isaacs]

From the other angle, anybody who doesn't immediately do a Liz Truss will be "an apologist for neoliberalism" and all the rest of it. And anyone who doesn't joint the EU by tmrw teatime will be a "hard Brexiter". And they'll be "complicit in genocide" too.