Psychoactive Substances: Rolling UK Politics in The Neo-Con Era

I love Abby! This is undimmed after finding out that her endorsing of Andy Burnham might have something to do with Andy Burnham's brother being her headmaster, but nm - we commissioned her to write for edgystylemag.com this summer, would commission again.

Burnham has actually done ok as a memeber of Corbyn's shadow cab so no biggie.

And she has done v well in coping with the harrassment from the press dogs.

If Jeremy Corbyn were as mean as I am, he'd be sending Tena products as secret Santa packages to leakier members of the front bench.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/dec/22/labour-people-optimists-see-no-hope-jeremy-corbyn

*bye bye emoji* @ "Labour People"

Lib Dem People

Mrs Jellyby People

Does "Burnham has done ok" mean anything beyond "Burnham hasn't been actively mean about Corbyn in public"?

Judging by this thread of late you'd be forgiven for thinking that nothing noteworthy happens in British politics other than people being mean about Corbyn.

Guilty as charged. Although I wanted to talk about the 'bad news' buried in the last day of parliament but it was probably better as a poll that I was never going to put up.

Does "Burnham has done ok" mean anything beyond "Burnham hasn't been actively mean about Corbyn in public"?

Given the state of things...but he has focused a bit more on opposing the government re: remarks on police cuts.

Bad news for Corbyn supporters, Brendan O'Neill is on your side.

Every single one of those points is OTM though.

That's the worrying part.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/press/the-sun-told-to-put-apology-to-jeremy-corbyn-on-front-page-a6782181.html

The standard line of the complacent Corbynite appears to be that his job is more about "realigning" the Labour Party than winning the next election. I somehow doubt that Corbyn himself sees it that way - why on earth would you settle for realigning the party when you have the opportunity to realign the country?

In any case, Corbyn only needs to do one thing to realign the Labour Party, which is to remove the closed-shop system of PLP-nominated candidates. Create a process where any sitting MP who stands can win, with a genuine one-member-one-vote system. Otherwise, all that will happen is that what remained of the PLP will block out any left-wing candidate next time round. Deselection isn't the answer either, and Corbyn doesn't seem to favour that anyway. Leave everything else to the members, and not self-proclaimed interest groups like Momentum or Progress. Personally I think he should bin the 'registered supporters' system as well, which could serve to undermine the credibility of any future winner.

A lot of Corbyn's supporter base seems to be a coalition of younger, more idealistic voters and bitter old giffers with a score to settle from 20+ years ago. There's a whole spectrum in between but these two broad blocs are already very apparent. They don't necessarily want the same things and that tension will become more visible over time. I know which lot I trust more. The younger group is only going to grow in number, while the other group is only going to shrink. They also have no particular attachment to Labour in and of itself and could easily take their votes elsewhere if an option presented itself.

The Labour right is extremely complacent about the prospect of an English Syriza or Podemos (or even SNP) appearing and they have no earthly reason to be. It's unlikely to be big or well-funded enough to win an election, but could easily be enough to sap a large number of votes from a party led by Tristram or Chuka or whoever. Corbyn's leadership is a product of historical forces that would have put someone like him in charge regardless. He could be the only thing preventing that eventuality from occurring.

(xpost - well that's going to be a sincere and gracious apology).

Awful Brendan doesn't talk about why they are doing this. For all the noise the poll ratings for everybody haven't really moved (including in Scotland which shows how deep Labour's problems are). If shit really starts happening on the economy, housing, and if the cuts to local government are ever linked to Gideon's assault on their budgets Labour (even in their current state) are positioned to make things difficult, to say the least. And I'm not just talking about an uncomfortable session at PMQs (Look at the way Polly presents Europe as a point-scoring exercise at the end of her piece).

But to talk about why would mean talking about things the Labour right and The Spectator are aligned with. xps

xp Extensive too (doesn't even mention the Sun on the front page bit)
http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/dec/22/sun-forced-to-print-front-page-correction-over-corbyn-claim

Its not just an apology but a front-page correction. xp

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/Jeremy_Corbyn/12064987/Jeremy-Corbyn-ruined-Christmas-with-purge-threat-shadow-minister-says.html

He's only gone and ruined Christmas. The bastard.

and New year

(now that the floods are 'done')

Corbyn, a terrible man, how unlike his biggest critics.

Was just going to post that but was ooking for the right celebratory gif.

If only Corbyn was a 17 year old girl, amirite, Si, eh, knowhorrimean?

(Sir Lynton Crobsy btw)

Crosby, even. Either way *retch*

any rejected kbes this year

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/01/03/23/2FC464FA00000578-3383143-It_is_understood_that_the_Rochdale_MP_will_be_accused_of_breachi-a-31_1451864451419.jpg
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/01/03/15/2FA51C4D00000578-0-Miss_Hamilton_centre_who_split_with_the_controversial_MP_last_we-a-39_1451835661196.jpg

czuk smoothy

second picture is some fine work

I can assure you now, no-one will do me in, no-one will do me in

colourful personal life

He shifted from 'i was drunk and depressed' to 'bitches be crazy' with a fleet of foot I'd not previously associated with him.

Blaming women for a man's actions has worked for 5000+ years, no wonder he thinks he's on to a winner there.

Yes, I was probably naive in thinking the performative penitence would last more than sixteen hours.

It's just the new sexual politics

xpost to 'passive aggressive notes' thread

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CX9zQSPWEAQnNy7.jpg

Starting to think Corbyn's not that great at this being-Labour-leader thing

"Beatles & Curry" - wanker. Absolutely useless.

Benn should also be sacked but that might mean a few others going. Still, re-shuffle isn't quite what I wanted.

Anyway, the main issue of the day is the Housing Bill. Horrifying stuff.

it feels so hopeless :/

If these guys are so useless then perhaps Corbyn shouldn't have appointed them to the Shadow Cabinet in the first place? He must have been aware of Benn's stance on Syria before making the appointment, so either he didn't consider it an issue or he has a worrying lack of foresight. Shuffling him out of position now would make Corbyn look ridiculous and make a martyr out of Benn at the same time.

The housing bill is vindictive at best and both socially and economically disastrous at worst.

Corbyn had almost nobody else to choose from and probably didn't expect so many Shadow ministers to be out there briefing against him, at least not so quickly. But yes, it does look awful.

Corbyn apparently appointed Dugher to get Burnham in the shadow cab (?) It really is the lack of people who are on Corbyn's side - the briefing has been disgusting.

Cameron is allowing a free vote on the EU referendum, so oddly enough both leaders face similar issues..

He must have been aware of Benn's stance on Syria before making the appointment, so either he didn't consider it an issue or he has a worrying lack of foresight. Shuffling him out of position now would make Corbyn look ridiculous and make a martyr out of Benn at the same time.

He probably was aware ofBenn's stance on Syria, but who knows for sure?

At the time there was probably not going to be a vote on Syria, then Paris happened..

That interview was after Paris of course.

The chances of there being a vote on Syria, or for that matter any kind of military intervention, at some point in this Parliament were surely very high regardless. But yeah, he probably anticipated at least a pretense of front bench unity that hasn't happened. I'd be pretty surprised if Corbyn lasts two years as leader, given that most of the PLP are intent on making his position untenable, but the anger among party members could be so intense that none of their anointed successors are likely to win a subsequent ballot. Next Labour leader is likely to be someone we've barely heard of.

Cameron's EU free vote, like his decision to stand down at the end of this Parliament, is about him doing everything in his power to avoid turning into John Major. There's no way his entire Cabinet would have accepted a whipped vote and the resignations would have been extremely damaging, especially with anti-EU alternative leaders waiting in the wings. Even with a free vote he'll be made to look like a clown, given how anti-EU our press now is. Last couple of years of this Parliament could end up looking very zombified.

is david milliband still in the us?

the PLP are doing their utmost to make sure these months/years are remembered as a chaos that no one wants to return to, is what it seems like

The PLP are being super-childish and it won't be forgotten.

David Miliband is still in the US, making $600K/year (plus perks).

I think the ones with actual talent and foresight, any genuine PMs in waiting, are sitting back and keeping quiet. The people yapping and freaking out are pretty much universally mediocre and making themselves look terrible.

Totally.

For someone who is keen to flaunt his working-class roots (or happy to let others do it for him) Michael Dugher is doing a great impression of an entitled brat. Saw an Abby Milifan tweet where she said his Twitter biog is a bit 'blocked by...' and she's right.

Tha chaos is just beginning. And that's just Westminster. If the economy goes to pot and/or the housing market crashes...

Corbyn - like all politicians - needs votes. Oldham did shut people up for a month and he'll need more like it in May.