Next leader of the Labour Party should be.....

[drat01]

He did put his foot down with the Unions though which was nice to see. But, partially because he isn't a great speaker, I forget a great deal of it already.

its easy saying that though, lets see when they start their un-necessary strikes what ed's take on it will be. the unions got him in so they wont be pleased if he opposes them and i doubt he will.wait and see

Dem a couple of points.

You seem to have been suckered into this Right Media bollox about the Unions. As was said today across Europe

"We didn't cause this crisis. The bill has to be paid by banks, not by workers," ~ European Trades Union Conference

You say un-necessary strikes, but how can you make that statement now? How do you know what will be the reasoning behind any strike action or protest that the Unions ask for? The cuts are far too regressive and are attacking pay and conditions of people who can ill afford them. It's right that Unions and all workers are able to protest against them where they feel they have to do so. People do NOT go on strike just because they fancy a picnic

The Union bashing is like a re-run of Thatcher's days and for those that say Cameron is nothing like Thatcher they are probably right, he is a lot worse!

[Jon]

Sad loss for Labour that. Top politician. Looks like he's going to walk away.

I would have agreed with that before the speech yesterday, despite David being tainted (imo) by British complicity in torture while he was Foreign Secretary. Miliband Jnr deserves credit for some of the things he said, wrong on Iraq, wrong on immigration, wrong on the economy. Mea Culpa for thier previous cock ups that was necessary in order to move on.

This in particular was a great line: "We must always remember that British liberties were hard fought and hard won over hundreds of years... too often we seemed casual about them." Agreed, Ed.

Also said the right things about union strike action, but the proof of the pudding will be in the eating there. If he's serious then again he deserves credit.

He needs to work on his presentation of ideas (not spin but developing his ability to articulate them in a less nasal, dry manner) but overall a 7/10 performance imo, which is far better than I was expecting.

Be interesting to see what unfolds now.

Jon

Happy to give credit where it is due, fair comments from you there sir.

Me, or the absent without leave version? :winkold:

Yeah, good post that AWOL.

[snowychap]

He did put his foot down with the Unions though which was nice to see. But, partially because he isn't a great speaker, I forget a great deal of it already.

its easy saying that though, lets see when they start their un-necessary strikes what ed's take on it will be. the unions got him in so they wont be pleased if he opposes them and i doubt he will.wait and see

I didn't hear anything that he said that would suggest he would oppose legal strike action.

What he said was that he had 'no truck with overblown rhetoric about waves of irresponsible strikes'.

I suppose one of the first tests might come in London with the fire brigade.

[Awol]

I suppose one of the first tests might come in London with the fire brigade.

Particularly as the Armed Forces are now out of the business of providing strike cover. The Green Goddesses have been sold and local authorities know they are on their own.

[Jon]

I suppose one of the first tests might come in London with the fire brigade.

Particularly as the Armed Forces are now out of the business of providing strike cover. The Green Goddesses have been sold and local authorities know they are on their own.

How much did we get for her?

[dundeevilla]

I see the Daily Mail is now giving Ed a hard time for saying he's atheist.

"Save us from the godless communist!. Won't someone think of the children!!"

[CarewsEyebrowDesigner]

I'm all for Free Speech, but the Daily Mail are just trolls.

[Demitri_C]

You say un-necessary strikes, but how can you make that statement now? How do you know what will be the reasoning behind any strike action or protest that the Unions ask for? The cuts are far too regressive and are attacking pay and conditions of people who can ill afford them. It's right that Unions and all workers are able to protest against them where they feel they have to do so. People do NOT go on strike just because they fancy a picnic

ian even you have to admit some of these strikes are pointless. making demands for pay increases when they should be greatful they have a job whilst a whole load of people are struggling to find work.

i think its a disgrace they hold the country to randsom

[peterms]

... Ed was asked a few questions which he ducke quite well in true politician fashion .. The question on Palestine was ducked like a pro...

I thought he gave a perfectly reasonable answer to a typically daft meeja question. "Do you support the Palestinian right to return?" "Well, it depends what borders we're talking about. I support a two-state solution."

It's not a question which admits of a yes/no answer, especially without clarifying return to what exactly. A general area of the country? The exact land borders and houses which their parents were driven from? What?

Pointing this out doesn't qualify as ducking the question. It's ludicrous to try to reduce such things to a yes/no in the first place. Well, Ed, we've got thirty seconds on an issue which has occupied half the western world for the last half century. What's your position? Come on, Ed, I must press you.

[Risso]

I see the Daily Mail is now giving Ed a hard time for saying he's atheist.

"Save us from the godless communist!. Won't someone think of the children!!"

I like him more and more all the time.

[drat01]

You say un-necessary strikes, but how can you make that statement now? How do you know what will be the reasoning behind any strike action or protest that the Unions ask for? The cuts are far too regressive and are attacking pay and conditions of people who can ill afford them. It's right that Unions and all workers are able to protest against them where they feel they have to do so. People do NOT go on strike just because they fancy a picnic

ian even you have to admit some of these strikes are pointless. making demands for pay increases when they should be greatful they have a job whilst a whole load of people are struggling to find work.

i think its a disgrace they hold the country to randsom

Dem - when I hear "you should be grateful to have a job" I really do wonder what this country has become.

Strikes have to go through a fairly long winded process before they ever take place, too long - but that is another debate.

As for "they" holding the country to ransom, they are doing no such thing. The fact that this economic mess was caused by the banking sector, a message being said by millions around the world today, shows who exactly are holding the country to ransom. Workers rights are something worth fighting for

[drat01]

I see the Daily Mail is now giving Ed a hard time for saying he's atheist.

"Save us from the godless communist!. Won't someone think of the children!!"

Yup sometimes they are below gutter press

Headline = Red Ed: I don't do God, I don't even believe in Him (but I WILL get married and I'm embarrassed my name isn't on child's birth certificate)

Sometimes you have to wonder what the hell is happening

[tonyh29]

we've got thirty seconds on an issue

maybe if he stopped talking about his brother he'd have more than 30 secs to answer an issue :winkold:

[CarewsEyebrowDesigner]

Anyone else think Dave was given a wee push by Ed?

'Don't over shadow me, brother, so bugger off to Harvard and earn a pretty penny giving lectures for a few years'

[tonyh29]

Anyone else think Dave was given a wee push by Ed?

I did wonder as they are trying to hard to praise each other at the moment , but i think that's more in an attempt to convince everyone there isn't a Brown / Blair thing going on again ..unity in the party and all that

I think David went on his own accord ... cue a David went to the West Indies joke

[tonyh29]

The fact that this economic mess was caused by the banking sector

solely ?

so the past government didn't play any part in it all ?

[Jon]

Anyone else think Dave was given a wee push by Ed?

No. Totally the opposite IMHO.

[Jon]

Sometimes you have to wonder what the heil is happening

corrected for accuracy! :winkold:

Maybe Red Ed is now going to get Mart's vote, for being an open Atheist?

[thetrees]

Anyone else think Dave was given a wee push by Ed?

I did wonder as they are trying to hard to praise each other at the moment , but i think that's more in an attempt to convince everyone there isn't a Brown / Blair thing going on again ..unity in the party and all that

I think David went on his own accord ... cue a David went to the West Indies joke

After the Campbell/Blair premiership followed by the Mandelson/Brown premiership, I suppose that a Miliband/Miliband effort might actually have confused people and make them think that Ed was in charge, at least some of the time.

So we still await the most important appointment, the person to fill that dark shadow that is the power behind every Labour leader

[drat01]

So we still await the most important appointment, the person to fill that dark shadow that is the power behind every Labour leader

No doubt the phone tappers at Tory HQ will know :-)