Meanwhile in the Labour Party...

[Sheilbh]

Rebecca Long Bailey - the Corbyn camp's candidate - has launched her campaign with this piece in Tribune:

To Win We Must Unite All of Labour's Heartlands
By
    Rebecca Long-Bailey

The election result was devastating. But with the climate crisis spiralling and the far-right on the march, we must regroup for the struggles ahead. Our task is to build a winning vision of a socialist future, and this task has never been more urgent.

Many candidates in the leadership election say they will not return to the triangulation and Tory-lite policies that held our party back before Jeremy. But we need a leader that can be trusted with our socialist agenda. A leader who is totally committed to the policies and has the political backbone to defend them. We need a proud socialist to lead the Labour Party, driven by their principles and an unwavering determination to see democratic socialism in our lifetime.

For all of these reasons and more, I have decided to stand for election to become the next leader of our Party. I don't just agree with the policies, I've spent the last four years writing them. Labour's Green New Deal, our plans to radically democratise the economy and to renew the high streets of towns across the country are the foundations for an economic transformation that will combat the climate crisis and hand back wealth and power to ordinary people.

It is true that one reason we lost the election was that Labour's campaign lacked a coherent narrative. But this was a failure of campaign strategy, not of our socialist programme. Labour's Green New Deal is the most ambitious agenda for tackling climate change of any major political party. And throughout the election it was tragically undersold.

Not only did it provide a compelling frame for our entire economic programme, it was most popular in those deindustrialised regions where we suffered our most devastating losses: the North West, the West Midlands and the North East. The popularity of our Green New Deal bridges the divides in our electoral coalition, with huge support in the cities and marginals in the South East too. It should have been a core part of our offer: this is how Labour will help you take back control.

I developed these policies with every part of our movement, working with trade unions, grassroots campaigners, school climate strikers, and countless party members. I've held meetings around the country, ensuring that the Green New Deal and our agenda for a democratic economy has the interests of communities at its heart. This is how policy should be made – by our movement and from the bottom up – and as leader you can trust me to open up Labour's policy process to the movement at every level.

There is nothing our movement cannot achieve. I truly believe that. Already we've demonstrated determination and resilience the political establishment did not expect. And while it's easy to become disheartened seeing images of Australia burning and Jakarta flooded, remember that you're part of a courageous movement of millions of people who are ready to stake everything for a better world.

Under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn we've drawn upon the collective knowledge and experience of that movement to develop a radical, ambitious socialist vision for the future. This is our greatest strength, and we need a leader who comes from and will stay true to that movement.

But an ambitious socialist vision is only the first step. We also need to rebuild our electoral coalition and implement our vision. Labour's path to victory lies in reuniting all our heartlands, from the communities that voted to leave in the North and Midlands, to those in Scotland who abandoned Labour in 2015 and our growing young, diverse strongholds in cities. 

For some, there will be a temptation to compromise on our anti-racist and internationalist principles. Let me be clear: as leader I will never throw migrants or BAME communities under the bus. Never again will our party put 'controls on immigration' on a mug. It would be a betrayal of our principles, and of our core supporters and activists. We must defeat Johnson and the nationalist right, never pander to them.

While our heartlands are diverse, there is a common cause that underlies the rejection of our party from Durham to Dundee: people across these islands are sick of the British state's distant and undemocratic institutions. They have no trust in politicians to deliver, and have a deep desire for political as well as economic transformation.

Time and again this showed on the doorstep. We struggled to marry our ambitious programme with voters' fundamental lack of trust in politicians. We had no plan to overhaul a broken political system and voters came to see Labour as part of the problem, another bunch of politicians making promises we couldn't keep. We've also, at times, been too close to the establishment we are meant to be taking on – whether cosying up to Rupert Murdoch, joining forces with David Cameron in the Better Together campaign in 2014 or turning our focus inwards on parliamentary manoeuvring for the last year.

To win, we need to rebuild Labour as an insurgent force and offer a vision for a new democracy. We must go to war with the political establishment, pledging a constitutional revolution that sweeps away the House of Lords, takes big money out of politics and radically shifts power away from Westminster. My vision of a democratic, decarbonised economy alongside a new democracy that hands power and wealth back to ordinary people is one that can win. It can unite all of Labour's heartlands, from our young, diverse strongholds in English cities to Scotland, Wales, and de-industrialised areas in the Midlands and North.

I haven't rushed to announce my candidacy because I wanted to take time to reflect following the devastating results in December. I didn't emerge from the election with a ready-made leadership campaign because my every effort during the election went into campaigning for a Labour victory. I'm not driven by personal ambition, but by my principles and an unwavering desire to change our country and our world for the better.

And those principles have led me here. I'm not your typical politician. I'm not a millionaire or a landlord, and I didn't go to a posh school. Instead I'm a lifelong socialist, dedicated to our movement and determined to do my bit. You're as likely to see me on a picket line as you are at the dispatch box, and you can trust me to fight the establishment tooth and nail.

We can't wait five years to effect change in people's lives. We must begin organising in communities now, and resist the Tories every step of the way — in parliament, on the streets, and in our workplaces. As leader, I will stand shoulder to shoulder with you – in every campaign against Tory cuts, with every minority community and all migrants against Johnson's hateful agenda, and with trade unions in every struggle to protect workers' rights.

We have a mountain to climb, comrades, and the crises we face are stark. But we have our socialist vision, a path to victory and most importantly, we have each other. More than ever, Nye Bevan's words ring true: "There is only one hope for humanity, and that is democratic socialism." Our strength, determination and resilience will prevail. Together, we can do this.

I'm not overwhelmed. Basically we don't need to change anything about policies or approach, it's just an issue of media management and strategy. I also think given that all other candidates have addressed the anti-semitism issue that it's telling that the candidate closest to the leadership has nothing to say about it. I can't think I've ever seen a more "maintain the course/keep the status quo" pitch in my life, which is astonishing after the biggest defeat since the 30s.

It's also so much weaker than Angela Rayner's campaign launch for deputy leader. RLB also did her first media including a couple of interview which went badly - she gave Corbyn 10 out of 10 for leader (as a reminder: he lost almost a quarter of Labour seats; when he took over the Tories had about 50 seats more than Labour, they now have 160) and blamed the media for savaging him and Labour for not having a good enough "rebuttal unit". Again - no actual failure of the leadership, just a bad media strategy and campaign. Apparently her slow start is causing a little bit of concern for her supporters.

Tellingly not only did the Corbyn camp back RLB over Rayner, some of the leadership such as John McDonnell are even backing Richard Burgon () for deputy leader which is striking because he is a far worse politician. But I think he is part of their faction, as is RLB, whereas Rayner's always been a little bit independent/soft left.

First hustings in front of the Parliamentary Labour Party was this evening. General view is that Emily Thornberry and Clive Lewis may not have enough MP support to get on the ballot. Most did okay though, to quote the New Statesman: "most MPs present agreed that all were at least varying degrees of passable, and that none irredeemably humiliated themselves."

But by all accounts Lisa Nandy had a breakout night and was very, very impressive. I think from what I've seen her analysis of what went wrong and how to improve is the most developed and interesting. Still feels like it'll be Starmer/Rayner, but it's worth remembering that Corbyn wasn't winning (because most people didn't know who he was, and the people who did didn't like him) until two things happened: Labour whipped an abstention on the benefits bill (a Tory trap) except for Corbyn who voted against and the first leadership debate. If Nandy does as well in the debate she could win (?!? ).

[Hamilcar]

One can only conclude that the Labour Party is not interested in governing ever again.

[Josquius]

I can see a few glimmers there, some small cracks.
Its definitely true that Corbyn and the media aside, the reason Labour lost was less about individual policies and more about a lack of focus and strategy. Instead of concentrating on some core election winning policies they just kept throwing out new ones. Which, nice as they were, just distracted and made others less believable.

But moaning about Tory lite. You can really see the appeal to the idiots on the far left there. And have to love the sly dig that the centre left aren't real socialists.
Labour has to stop doing this. Corbynites have entirely swallowed the Tory narrative that everything that is wrong is because of Labour, they happily go along with saying Blair was absolutely awful and then saying "Yeah but he wasn't real Labour!".
They have to stop letting Tories write the narrative.
Was Blair perfect? No. Should he have accomplished more? Yes. Was he a million times better than anyone since? God yes.


Nandy- what I've seen of her I'm not a fan. Whether surrendering on brexit would have won the last election is a question that will forever go unanswered, now isn't the time to do that
Though wouldn't it be fun if Varadakar keeps his job and she becomes PM? Half-Indians FTW.

Starmer remains my first choice. The only real point against him is that he's a man... Which...Well I'm all for equality and it would be great to one day see a female PM who isn't utterly horrid, but excluding the best candidate just because they have the wrong bits isn't right.

[Tamas]

It is really annoying how blatantly obvious the far-left's interest in tackling climate change is. They have just realised they can attach their social engineering projects on this topic.

[Admiral Yi]

What would constitute "democratic socialism in our lifetime," and when that's reached would the Labour Party say I guess we've achieved all we need to?

[garbon]

What would constitute "democratic socialism in our lifetime," and when that's reached would the Labour Party say I guess we've achieved all we need to?

I fail to see how that snarky comment I've noted in bold is warranted.

[Admiral Yi]

I fail to see how you fail to see.

[Eddie Teach]

What would constitute "democratic socialism in our lifetime," and when that's reached would the Labour Party say I guess we've achieved all we need to?

Then they become the Champions of the status quo.

[garbon]

I fail to see how you fail to see.

Because they've actually said nothing that suggests their work would be done if they achieve such a goal.

[Admiral Yi]

Because they've actually said nothing that suggests their work would be done if they achieve such a goal.

Of course.  As Eddie said they can work to maintain the status quo.

[garbon]

Seen on ITV's twitter account:

How does Rebecca Long-Bailey have fun?

'My favourite hobby is having a Chinese takeaway and probably watching a Netflix box set on a Friday night with my husband.'

[Eddie Teach]

Sounds perfectly normal.

[Josquius]

It is really annoying how blatantly obvious the far-left's interest in tackling climate change is. They have just realised they can attach their social engineering projects on this topic.

And what's wrong with that?
A lot of green policies also come under criticism as just being ways to make money.
There are a lot of people making a decent amount from green business.
Saving the planet is important. That people from  both the left and right are trying to promote ways to do this is a good thing.

[mongers]

J. Philips leader and Starmer or Raynor for deputy, my recipe for a Labour return to sanity.

Oh and a Kinnock style attack on momentum (militant)

[Tamas]

Seen on ITV's twitter account:

How does Rebecca Long-Bailey have fun?

'My favourite hobby is having a Chinese takeaway and probably watching a Netflix box set on a Friday night with my husband.'

Exploiting victims of zero hour contracts on a weekly basis I see.