dAVe80

Can't profess to knowing anything about the sport, but my mate is a big Melbourne fan, so "Go Ds!"

I've got it on yeah, swinging like a rusty gate in a gale.

Let's see what happens. My record of picking days to go and watch England at Headingley is awful. Last time I chose to get tickets the day's play, before the Stokes Ashes day.

Yeah I think if they can bat through the first hour, and as close to lunch as possible, I should see some cricket on Saturday.

If the other ginger was fit, I don't think he would have been picked. Seems white ball is his thing now, and he's bloody brilliant at that.

I don't want to speak for him, and I may be wrong, but I think the point Darren was making is, that was the accusation labeled at the previous leader when he actually was ahead in the polls. I'd think Darren is saying it to point out how wrong that statement was, and how Labour missed an opportunity.

Former England cricket captain, Ted Dexter passed away at the age of 86.

Hmm, that's an interesting way of coming at it. Personally I'd say Graham was is much nearer to Turner than Coyne. The way I look at it is the membership that bothered to vote wanted to move away from the establishment as is in Unite, so rejected Turner, but didn't want to lurch to the right and rejected the Murdoch backed candidate. My biggest worry from this is the possibility of more petty squabbles on the left, as there are now two left factions organising in the union. She'll need to squash that ASAP I think.

Well it depends how you define centrist, but pretty much.

Yep

Guess who decided to get day 4 tickets instead of day 3?

Absolutely. When Howard Beckett dropped out and backed Turner, there was massive pressure on her to do the same. The relationship between her and Beckett is going to be interesting now. My mate who is a Unite Community rep reckons the Labour left wanted Turner, and the ex Labour left, SP, SWP, Judean People's Front, People's Front of Judea etc favoured Graham. Also interesting, or I guess not that there was only a 10% turn out for the ballot. Which I guess goes to show the majority of union members aren't that fussed about the political side of the union.

Sharon Graham has been officially confirmed the new GS of Unite. Got to say that's a massive result for her, I don't think many gave her a chance, and suspected her standing would split the left vote enough to see Coyne elected. Will be interesting to see where Unite go from here, and what their future relationship with the LP will look like.

On a lighter note.

Being reported and I've heard from a few people I'd trust on the matter, that Sharon Graham has won the Unite GS ballot.

BFAWU now seriously talking about disaffiliating from the Labour Party, following them threatening to auto expel their president. Ffs.

Yeah I was thinking, JC, Abbott and maybe Johnny Mac. I don't think any of them would stand down to do that though. Although I guess JC might end up having his hand forced.

As was also the case for the Change UK lot. There are a couple of them who I think could win their seats not using the Labour name, but it certainly helps for the vast majority of them.

For me there are a few reasons. The main one is there isn't an alternative at the moment. The Labour Party still represents the best chance of outing the Tories, and bringing about socialism (although that all looks a long way off at the moment granted). As well as that it's kind of part of my role in my union at the moment. If there was scenario that saw my union disaffiliates, and becomes part of a new movement or party that can genuinely challenge the status quo, then I'd reconsider sticking around. Also at the moment I've got to say I enjoy pitching up and being a pain in the arse at CLP meetings. I don't want to give them the satisfaction of going. I won't let Keir Starmer and his ilk force me out of my party.

If at the point of talking to them it wasn't against the rules at the time to be a member of Socialist Appeal, and in the Labour Party, would it not have been the same as talking to Momentum or Progress?

Didn't say it was, I asked if Labour should talk to group like this? In the same way I talk to Socialist Party or SWP members when with my local trades council. We may fundamentally disagree on a lot of things, but there are still similar, universal aims and ideals that most on the left hold. Stop talking to them, and you get them standing against you, and taking your vote away more than they already do. I don't see how talking to them to encourage them to vote Labour is any different to talking to Murdoch press, aside from them being more willing to vote Labour, if you gave them hope of living up to socialist part of the being a democratic socialist party.

In the same way as some Labour front benchers say you have to talk to Sun readers to win over non Labour voters, is it not the the same thing to talk to these sorts of groups? I know which of the two I'd say were more in line with Labour values. Also how can you be excluded for talking to a proscribed group, prior to them being proscribed?

Another day, another spurious attempt to purge the left.

Summer of Soul (...or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) is streaming on Star, on Disney + at the moment. Found footage of a cultural festival in Harlem in 1969. Fried gold.

Ah excellent news. The managers are back.