[Dalem Lake]

Labour has several convincing candidates for the London mayoralty but have the Tories? Can't believe Susan Hall won the candidacy as the best person available for the job. But on hard right culture war gibberish.

Maybe Johnson would be up for another run. Rehabilitate his reputation and image with a dollop of selfless public service?

[mattomac]

I should imagine Deform will be eyeing a “serious” challenge in London

I guess with the changes in the system Rayner wants they will struggle. I like Khan mind, not sure if he will run again mind.

[Tubby Isaacs]

London, like the richer Home Counties, still has some non-Farage Tories in it. Reform won't challenge.

[davidjay]

Labour has several convincing candidates for the London mayoralty but have the Tories? Can't believe Susan Hall won the candidacy as the best person available for the job. But on hard right culture war gibberish.

Maybe Johnson would be up for another run. Rehabilitate his reputation and image with a dollop of selfless public service?

No chance. He might lose.

[Tubby Isaacs]

I'm sad to see that Antonia Bance, MP for Tipton and Wednesbury, has left Bluesky after a not very good comment about migrant hotels. She's an MP in Powell-Land, and I'm sure that she meets lots of local voters who say much worse stuff, but she did go too far. I'll spare her blushes here but you can look up what she said.

It's a shame because she's one MP who has properly engaged with the government's. program on industry and how it can be made to work in her constituency. I've been pretty shocked that lots of the left, who are very keen on industry in the abstract, have barely acknowledged the efforts being made. Paul Mason made a good point about James Schneider's view of the new party's target voters. It didn't sound like it was going to be pulling up too many trees in Tipton. Somebody needs to take on Reform in these constituencies, and whatever her other flaws, Antonia has sought to do that on "proper" Labour territory of jobs and skills.

In the future, I hope she concentrates on what she's good at.

[Abernathy]

So, there is to be an election to find a successor to Angie Rayner as Labour Deputy Leader.

Speculation so far is that Lou Haigh might want to have a crack, but I think she might fall short of the requirement for nominations from 20% of the PLP.

I wonder whether Jess might be interested or persuaded to run ?

[Malcolm Armsteen]

Why would she, seeing how Rayner has been treated?

[davidjay]

If Jess even stood she'd get slaughtered by the media, Corbyn's mob and the Tories. Besides which, I wouldn't be surprised if she stands down in 2029.

[Abernathy]

Yeah, fair point. I was basing my wonderings on Jess’s previous bid for the leadership in 2015, which she aborted fairly quickly. But then again, she gets industrial quantities of flak as it is, so why not ?

[The Weeping Angel]

Good Lord.

https://labourlist.org/2025/09/letters- ... mber-2025/

And finally…
It seems very strange that such an intelligent politician as Angela Rayner should make a basic mistake and fail to “meet the highest standards” in relation to her recent house purchase. Obviously knowing herself to be the focus of attention of every right wing newspaper and media outlet in the country, she has to have a cunning plan.

Hopefully it’s the one which involves her leading a mass Labour MPs’ rebellion, probably post-budget, and forming the Green Labour party. This will grow in weeks, joined by the Sultana/Corbyn group and the Greens, filling the ideological vacuum created when Starmer reneged on his 10 Pledges. John McDonnell will be the chancellor in waiting, Corbyn will take a back seat, and the party will challenge the racist bigotry of Farage.
I can dream, can’t I?
Bernie Evans
Liverpool

[Abernathy]

Sounds like Bernie has been consuming dodgy mushrooms.