Daine Abbot supports John McDonell's nomination for leader

[tbaldwin]

Unfortunately for Balders, the truth is that if the Labour Party had selected her for her constituency on grounds of colour or race, then any other candidate on the selection list could have taken her constituency party to court and had her selection revoked, simple as that.

Yet again Mr Baldwin is allowing the fantasy scenarios in his head free rein at the expense of accuracy.

And you wonder why i call you a conformist...Shockingly nieve or something else?

 

[tbaldwin]

Ah, so you did mean it in a racist way

It depends what you mean by racist?

I think racism is about power more than language. It suits some people to pretend that it is the other way round.

 

[Megaton]

It depends what you mean by racist?

I think racism is about power more than language. It suits some people to pretend that it is the other way round.

Diane Abbott may be a NuLab lackey, but no-one deserves to be called a "coconut". She was'nt a tokenistic candidate, she was chosen on merit.

Shameful!

 

[disownedspirit]

black white or polka dotted
shes still rubbish and unprincipled

 

[ViolentPanda]

And you wonder why i call you a conformist...Shockingly nieve or something else?

Do you actually remember what happened to the Labour Party Black Sections when they tried to push for a percentage of race-based candidates?

Well?

 

[ViolentPanda]

Diane Abbott may be a NuLab lackey, but no-one deserves to be called a "coconut". She was'nt a tokenistic candidate, she was chosen on merit.

Shameful!

You think Baldwin gives a fuck?

All he do now is turn his attention to attempting to validate his claim that Abbott is a "coconut", regardless of the reality of the situation.

 

[nino_savatte]

No...I am not against positive discrimination.
But out of the Black people they could have chosen they chose her........And i do think that shows a degree of racism.

If you had a brain, you'd be dangerous. Explain how this shows a "degree of racism".

Triche pas, s'il vous plait.

 

[JoePolitix]

Diane Abbott

Diane Abbott may be a NuLab lackey, but no-one deserves to be called a "coconut". She was'nt a tokenistic candidate, she was chosen on merit.

Shameful!

I don't think its even fair to describe her as a "NuLab lackey" to be honest:

http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/mp.php?mpc=Hackney+North+&+Stoke+Newington

I like Diane Abbott.

 

[ViolentPanda]

No...I am not against positive discrimination.
But out of the Black people they could have chosen they chose her........And i do think that shows a degree of racism.

Right, so let's ponder on which black pols were doing the rounds of the constituencies at that time looking to get on the selection list (the comments after the names are my own opinions, mostly drawn from experience):

Rudy Narayan (a good lawyer but more interested in getting in the papers than in national politics).

Paul Boateng (worked for Narayan, played the "leftwing firebrand" card).

Diane Abbott (leftwing in the traditional "social justice" sense, has managed to be re-elected 4 times since her first win)

Linda Bellos (hard left, hard worker, not as doctrinaire as many people in the circles she moved in, would have made a VERY good MP IMO)

Bernie Grant (Bernie was Bernie, spoke from the heart more often than the head, had a good line in winding up the Labour right and the tories)

Keith Vaz (Anodyne and a chameleon, adapts his political personality to fit with what is required of him)

There are more if Balders wants them.

* * * * *​

I think that Balders' thesis is shoddy and self-justifying. If the constituency had been looking for a "coconut", there were people they could have chosen who'd have fitted the role better (and who'd have probably pissed off the constituents and got booted out at the next election.

 

[audiotech]

I don't think its even fair to describe her as a "NuLab lackey" to be honest:

http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/mp.php?mpc=Hackney+North+&+Stoke+Newington

I like Diane Abbott.

FWIW, one of the few Labour MP's I respect. The 'coconut' jibe is pathetically typical of an ill-thought out, ultra-leftist, simpleton.

 

[Diana]

On this week ages ago she said she was backing Brown.

 

[chilango]

FWIW, one of the few Labour MP's I respect. The 'coconut' jibe is pathetically typical of an ill-thought out, ultra-leftist, simpleton.

Balders isn`t an "ultra-leftist".

 

[audiotech]

Balders isn`t an "ultra-leftist".

Sounds like one sometimes.

 

[guinnessdrinker]

No...I am not against positive discrimination.
But out of the Black people they could have chosen they chose her........And i do think that shows a degree of racism.

can you explain (and I don't think you can) how choosing Diane Abbott shows a degree of racism

 

[shagnasty]

i am not saying jm can win or gordon brown won't win but history shows that there could be surprises.the best laid plans of mice and men etc.its like man utd playing blackburn its what happens on the day

 

[Groucho]

Sounds like one sometimes.

I thought he was an ultra-rightist

 

[nightbreed]

John McD is apparently 5 noms away according to here...

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/labourleadership/story/0,,2062309,00.html

 

[mk12]

The overwhelmingly positive response from MPs suggests Mr Brown is on the verge of obliterating any opposition.

Game over for the McDonnell campaign?

 

[nightbreed]

Game over for the McDonnell campaign?

possibly?

 

[Guineveretoo]

He won't give up that easily!

As I keep saying, the nominations are not even open yet. All McDonnell is doing is trying to get pledges, so he can tell others that he has got enough pledges and try to get them away from Brown.

He is not a serious contender, and will only get the necessary minimum if there is no-one else standing against Brown.

IMO, of course

 

[ViolentPanda]

Game over for the McDonnell campaign?

For the campaign, maybe, for McDonnell?
I''m thinking that Johnny McD (and his blocs' aims) might come out of this well, not as a winner, but as a representative of a power bloc Brown won't be able to afford to ignore, probably a better situation really, given that if he'd won the leadership he'd have been neutered by the responsibilities of the office (not to mention by the mandarins)..

 

[tim]

I wonder why Diane Abbot is 'burning her boats' like this. Her statement now means that she will not be able to expect any patronage from Brown when he inevitably wins the unannounced election, and so she will remain a back-bencher when she might have got her career re-launched by doing some fawning.

Is it that she expects to lose at the next General Election? Or is her only chance of being re-elected and so keep her current income, to position herself as a lefty? I remember when she seemed to be really a lefty but she has strayed far from that path over the years.

The boats were burnt years ago.

 

[nightbreed]

For the campaign, maybe, for McDonnell?
I''m thinking that Johnny McD (and his blocs' aims) might come out of this well, not as a winner, but as a representative of a power bloc Brown won't be able to afford to ignore, probably a better situation really, given that if he'd won the leadership he'd have been neutered by the responsibilities of the office (not to mention by the mandarins)..

I agree with this.

Also,I dont think anyone on the labour left, whats left of it, can seriously consider the possibility of J McD winning. But if he got on the ballot paper that would be a different issue. It would give the Lab-left the oppurtunity to ressurect itself and most importantly go around the membership of the affiliated unions to secure votes.

As long as something is built from the campaign, especially the link between organised workers and political representation around socialist ideas.

I think its important not to knock it until we have experienced it.

 

[Guineveretoo]

I agree with this.

Also,I dont think anyone on the labour left, whats left of it, can seriously consider the possibility of J McD winning. But if he got on the ballot paper that would be a different issue. It would give the Lab-left the oppurtunity to ressurect itself and most importantly go around the membership of the affiliated unions to secure votes.

As long as something is built from the campaign, especially the link between organised workers and political representation around socialist ideas.

I think its important not to knock it until we have experienced it.

I agree.

It will be a good result if, when Brown becomes PM, it is with the knowledge that there IS still a left within the Labour party to which he needs to listen!

 

[nino_savatte]

I agree.

It will be a good result if, when Brown becomes PM, it is with the knowledge that there IS still a left within the Labour party to which he needs to listen!

One would hope so, but Brown seems to be more interested in targets, benchmarks and growth to be concerned with any issues the left might have.

 

[Guineveretoo]

One would hope so, but Brown seems to be more interested in targets, benchmarks and growth to be concerned with any issues the left might have.

Indeed, which is exactly why it would be good if a consequence of the McDonnell campaign is to give a voice to people on the left of Blair/Brown. Maybe it will actually give some of the union voices a bit of relevance, too?

Alternatively, it might just scare Brown, and cause him to stamp down on the lefties, like Kinnock and others did

 

[nightbreed]

One would hope so, but Brown seems to be more interested in targets, benchmarks and growth to be concerned with any issues the left might have.

We cant rely on Brown listening.
He wont because he is a neo liberal 'social democrat'.There is no difference between him and Blair.
The McDonnell campaign , if successful, would be the focus for opposition, something that is needed in the LP.His campaign should be followed with interest by all on the left. We want this guy to be a big irritation to Brown.

 

[Guineveretoo]

We cant rely on Brown listening.
He wont because he is a neo liberal 'social democrat'.There is no difference between him and Blair.
The McDonnell campaign , if successful, would be the focus for opposition, something that is needed in the LP.His campaign should be followed with interest by all on the left. We want this guy to be a big irritation to Brown.

I don't want him to be a "big irritation to Brown", because I don't think that helps the cause.

If he gets supporters who are articulate, and reflect the views of union members or other workers, Brown may realise that it is worth listening. He is certainly not a natural listener, and he is not a natural trade unionist!

 

[nino_savatte]

Alternatively, it might just scare Brown, and cause him to stamp down on the lefties, like Kinnock and others did

This is what concerns me. I don't see Brown taking anything lying down from members of the Labour left.

 

[nino_savatte]

We cant rely on Brown listening.
He wont because he is a neo liberal 'social democrat'.There is no difference between him and Blair.
The McDonnell campaign , if successful, would be the focus for opposition, something that is needed in the LP.His campaign should be followed with interest by all on the left. We want this guy to be a big irritation to Brown.

In an ideal world, McDonnell would be a real contender but he'll end up as nothing more than an irritant.