The commentators 19-08-15...on the Labour leadershipAfter a self-imposed exile in New York, the threadbare sock puppet of Blairism, David Miliband, above, has made a pronouncement. As always, David’s linguistic stylings suggest a cybernetic prototype suffering with malfunctioning circuitry, so good luck to the boys and girls at Bletchley there. But since he finally sees fit to lob his grenade into the Labour leadership debate – and since his underlying intent is clear – courtesy demands we pay him the attention he regally assumes is his due
- Matthew Norman, The Independent Elizabeth Louise Kendall would be the Labour leader who would give Tories the biggest headache. Yet, incredibly, as voting in the leadership election takes place this week, Kendall lies in last place. She trails Burnham, the wettest Andy since Pandy, and Yvette Cooper, a human so dutifully dull she should be prescribed on the NHS as a cure for insomnia
- Allison Pearson, Daily Telegraph Jeremy Corbyn has little chance of winning the 2020 general election. But the same applies to the other three candidates. Either Labour must win back the seats it once held in Scotland (surely impossible without veering to the left) or it must beat the Conservatives by 12 points in England and Wales to form an overall majority. The impending boundary changes could mean that it has to win back 106 seats. If you think that is likely, I respectfully suggest that you are living in a dream world
- George Monbiot, The Guardian Corbyn is a monster only in his enemies’ imagination. Even those who abhor his politics concede that he is a model of courtesy compared to a hectoring hierarchy which has tried in vain to scare his disciples into submission. If the Labour leadership election resembles a Gothic horror story, that is the fault of his detractors
- Mary Riddell, Daily Telegraph Labour needs to win over more of the older generation if it is get in power again. A good start would be to implement the policies suggested by the International Longevity Centre – and deal with the crisis of adult social care
- Owen Jones, The Guardian The only reason this case from Shoeburyness reached the public consciousness was because someone mentioned age. That turns out to have been a side issue, and we shall probably never know the full story. That may be right and proper, a family's private traumas should not be aired for public entertainment.
But if women are being coerced into signing away the right to look after their children when they are not mentally fit, in order that councils can meet adoption targets - as the grandparents' lawyer and MPs suggest - then we need to know. The journalists covering this story have fallen for the clickbait angle and missed the real issue. Editor's blog: Grandparents' tale of woe Comment archive, 2015 |
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August 14
Labour leadership August 13 Politics August 12 Politics August 11 Politics August 10 Labour leadership August 7
Kids Company August 6 Kids Company August 5 Labour leadership August 4 Labour leadership August 3 Calais July 24
Labour leadership July 23 Labour leadership July 22 Labour leadership July 21 Counter-terrorism July 20 Boris Johnson, Greece If you would like
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