A TV debate on the leadership?

[uncon]

Apparently David Milliband has called for a TV debate by prospective labour party leaders.

Why?

Show boating a bunch of people denying they ever really supported the policies of the last 13 years to an audience of people of whom only a minority have the ability to vote?

Sounds incredibly self-serving and stupid to me...bit like when mandy pushed through all that tax payers money to be invested in marginal labour seats just before an election against the advice of the civil servants, who demanded he put it in writing before they got blamed for it!

Can we stop playing pussyfooting with pseudo-Cams and Cleggs and get on with the business of taking the labour party by the scruff of the neck and making it a force for itself?

[Midas]

Apparently David Milliband has called for a TV debate by prospective labour party leaders.

Why?

Because, as you say, it's self-serving and he wants to draw attention back to him to say "look at me, I'm not really like those others". Me, cynical.....?

[Opinionated]

I'd agree it's egotistical and he probably has an eye on future General Elections and the free publicity. I may also be cynical but it's also a way for him to get control of debate rules etc. away from an NEC who are rather fond of non-smarmy, earnest, serious types with gravitas (ie old school Labour).

[Major Sinic]

Perhaps he thinks 'Labour's got Talent' might result in a political equivalent of the Susan Boyle story. The reality is that he knows that he is probably the most photogenic and articulate of the candidates, and it is a 'no financial cost' option to present himself in his new cloths to the Labour great unwashed.

Of course the ideal candidate would really be at least one of the following black, female, homosexual or disabled or all four. Diane Abbott qualifies on two counts, outwardly at least.

[uncon]

I'd agree it's egotistical and he probably has an eye on future General Elections and the free publicity. I may also be cynical but it's also a way for him to get control of debate rules etc. away from an NEC who are rather fond of non-smarmy, earnest, serious types with gravitas (ie old school Labour).

That reply interests me.

Is it also a way to gain union support who may feel they are mentioned?

[Expounder]

That reply interests me.

Is it also a way to gain union support who may feel they are mentioned?

Using the TV media is the way to go, at least when it comes to an election the electorate can put a face to a name. If it happens it's a win win situation and free publicity for Labour. That's unless Cameron and Murdoch try to put the ki-bosh on it.

[uncon]

Using the TV media is the way to go, at least when it comes to an election the electorate can put a face to a name. If it happens it's a win win situation and free publicity for Labour. That's unless Cameron and Murdoch try to put the ki-bosh on it.

Are you saying that your guys are so completely faceless (nick Cleggs prior to the election) that you feel that it is acceptable to parade the party as an X factor contest that we can't vote in?

Nobody except political animals are going to look and most of those who do have no say. This is a Bully's 'Look what you could have won' and assumes that every viewer is an idiot. I thought Labour would ditch the meaningless spin, but they promote it yet again.

[Expounder]

Are you saying that your guys are so completely faceless (nick Cleggs prior to the election) that you feel that it is acceptable to parade the party as an X factor contest that we can't vote in?

Nobody except political animals are going to look and most of those who do have no say. This is a Bully's 'Look what you could have won' and assumes that every viewer is an idiot. I thought Labour would ditch the meaningless spin, but they promote it yet again.

Any publicity must be good publicity, it keeps the party and it's internal debates in the open, or would you rather have them behind closed doors? It appears that Labour could do no right for you in any circumstances, so opinions like yours are somewhat personal and irrelevant, when it comes to the broader electorate.

Sorry uncon for your own reasons you have a somewhat totally anti Labour
attitude maybe it's due to your general outlook on life, or your just a constant anti Labour carper.

When you consider that 99% of the media is Tory or Murdoch controlled, Labour would be mad to forgo an opportunity to get some exposure and their message across. Or, would it please you in our so called democracy to see Labour deprived of all media communication with the public?

[uncon]

Any publicity must be good publicity,

Is it? I'm thinking Lansleys Biography of Brown, his comments caught on Sky news in Rochester? All good was it?

it keeps the party and it's internal debates in the open, or would you rather have them behind closed doors?

I have no say in it! Lets not confuse this with the leaders debates in which the people had a vote. This is a vanity exercise only.

It appears that Labour could do no right for you in any circumstances, so opinions like yours are somewhat personal and irrelevant, when it comes to the broader electorate.

Sorry uncon for your own reasons you have a somewhat totally anti Labour
attitude maybe it's due to your general outlook on life, or your just a constant anti Labour carper.

That would be me who started a thread here lauding Livingstons speech to the unions and admitting there was much to look up. I was genuinely impressed with what he had to say and if it checked out I would be delighted to support his view.

When you consider that 99% of the media is Tory or Murdoch controlled, Labour would be mad to forgo an opportunity to get the exposure and their message across. Or, would it please you in our so called democracy to see Labour deprived of all media communication with the public?

Because it leads people to suppose they may have an influence as everything like it from the leaders debates to X factor and strictly come dancing says people can make a difference? I'm not saying the people are stupid, but just as we tend to be able to read a paragraph perfectly when the vowels are missing because we are conditioned to writing, then people will assume they can have a say and a vote. This is yet more spinning and deceiving and I want to see Labour leave that and become the real party who actually represents someone other than their own ego.

[Expounder]

Is it? I'm thinking Lansleys Biography of Brown, his comments caught on Sky news in Rochester? All good was it?

There is the odd exception and that was one. I should have said most publicity is good publicity.

I have no say in it! Lets not confuse this with the leaders debates in which the people had a vote. This is a vanity exercise only.

Labour party trying to get it's case across in the face of an overwhelming hostile media across is vanity?...........................................?

That would be me who started a thread here lauding Livingstons speech to the unions and admitting there was much to look up. I was genuinely impressed with what he had to say and if it checked out I would be delighted to support his view.

Unfortunately, all democratic parties are made up of people with a multitude of views on the same subject. These end up the melting pot to be applied when in power, which leaves a lot of people disappointed. However I do agree that a party should should adhere to the general theme of it's manifesto. You quote Livingstone, he has had his differences with the Labour party but hasn't left to start up an isolated faction he's still fighting his corner within the party and not whingeing outside of it.

Because it leads people to suppose they may have an influence as everything like it from the leaders debates to X factor and strictly come dancing says people can make a difference?

The alternative is rely on a rabid hostile right wing media to misinterpret Labour's policies. Its seems to me you would like Labour to go into an election with both hands tied behind it's back.

I'm not saying the people are stupid, but just as we tend to be able to read a paragraph perfectly when the vowels are missing because we are conditioned to writing, then people will assume they can have a say and a vote.

Whats that.............................................. ..............................................

This is yet more spinning and deceiving and I want to see Labour leave that and become the real party who actually represents someone other than their own ego.

Every party leader in the world has an ego some bigger than others. I suppose you would be happy with shrinking violet of a Leader who has the exact theories and policies you agree with and end up like the Lib Dems a minor party and a debating society.

In opposition policies can be neatly parceled up, only to be dismembered by the vagaries and chaos of office and "events" occurring in office dear girl . It sounds to me you will never get anything from Labour tailored to your requirements. Stick with the party you voted for last time which was certainly not Labour if your bellyaching posts are anything to go by.

[uncon]

In opposition policies can be neatly parceled up, only to be dismembered by the vagaries and chaos of office and "events" occurring in office dear girl . It sounds to me you will never get anything from Labour tailored to your requirements. Stick with the party you voted for last time which was certainly not Labour if your bellyaching posts are anything to go by.

But as you well know opposition parties when taken apart and re-packaged themselves can become governments. Labour is the classic example of that. Your attempts to support the absolute shambles that they are right now is denigrating their achievement 13 years ago.

Your assumption that I am so anti-labour seems to be the only thing sustaining you and yet...my posts are not anti-labour, more anti-spin. Are you quite sure after all these years that is what you want to defend?

[UncleVanya]

"A LABOUR Party rift over immigration was exposed last night after leadership favourite David Miliband called for Britain’s open-door border policy to stay in place.

The former Foreign Secretary – the early front-runner in the race to succeed Gordon Brown – vowed to fight Tory plans for an annual limit on immigration and scrap the measure if he ever becomes Prime Minister. And he was critical of former premier Mr Brown’s ill-fated “British jobs for British workers” ­slogan.

Mr Miliband’s remarks came at the first hustings in the leadership contest on Wednesday night. His words conflicted with rival Ed Balls, who has urged Labour to take a tougher line on immigration in an attempt to win back lost votes. "Daily Express" Friday 11th June 2010.

Oh dear me. It looks like one half of the Bros Miliband, the Labour Party 'Chuckle Bros', if he is ever elected as Party 'Dear Leader', will automatically doom Labour to repeat the mistakes of the past, over and over again. Immigration into the UK IS an election issue whether the Left like it or not. For David Miliband, as a potential candidate in the Labour leadership contest, to make such a stupid statement as 'Open the floodgates to eveyrone' as far as the immigration is concerned, is a recipe for disaster socially for the UK.

It's alright for these well paid, well healed Labour 'Champagne Socialists' to pontificate about these matters. But I bet they won't put up with large scale imigration near their 'Gated Communities' and country mansions, now will they??

Labour is setting itself up to fail spectaculalry again, and again. The lessons of the past seem are never learned.

"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel or envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery." - Winston S Churchill.

[R Burgess]

Personallly I always felt that Government assurace that immigration does not result, in higher unemployment, property rent and food prices, longer waiting lists for social housing,and treatment on the NHS and bigger classrooms in state schools, was a blue whale of a tale.

[Don]

[I]Labour is setting itself up to fail spectaculalry again, and again. The lessons of the past seem are never learned.

"...history is not one damn thing after another, it is the same damn thing over and over." ~ George Will