KEIR STARMER'S LEADERSHIP OF THE LABOUR PARTY - DID 56 PER CENT OF THE MEMBERSHIP GET IT RIGHT?

Earlier this year, Keir Starmer trounced the other two candidates in the Labour leadership election. He secured 225,135 votes, 56% of the electorate. Rebecca Long Bailey, the runner-up - my socialist choice - only got 117,598 votes, 28% of the electorate. Did the nearly quarter-million Labour members who voted for him get it right?  How many are having second thoughts?

Lisa Nandy, Rebecca Long Bailey, Keir Starmer - the final three candidates in the Labour leadership election

Here's a link to a blogpost from me last month. I was reacting to what Keir Starmer had said and done. See what you make of it: 

 http://robdonovan.blogspot.com/2020/08/staying-in-labour-party-so-i-can-vote.html

SKWAWKBOX gives good leads. Here is a most interesting list they published on Sunday, 13 September:

Labour leader's 'achievements' in his first 162 days 'Keir Starmer's record so far makes grim reading. So far, the Labour leader has: • opposed Black Lives Matter protests • opposed wealth taxes • sacked Rebecca Long-Bailey on a pretext • sent a letter 'in confidence and in private' promising to support Boris Johnson on schools • opposed teaching unions trying to protect children and their members • supported tougher treatment of benefit claimants • rebuked two black women MPs for being on a zoom call and not spotting that another black person on a call of hundreds of people was considered undesirable by the Labour right, but: • defended a right-wing MP who called for a statue for a notorious antisemite • spent a six-figure sum on forensic computer specialists to hunt the leakers of a Labour report on racism and sabotage • set up a 'diversity' review panel consisting entirely of white staff • appointed the least diverse LOTO team in a decade • sidelined Labour's most senior ethnic-minority staff member • three times failed to discipline right-wing MPs for actual antisemitic tweets shortly after sacking Long-Bailey for sharing an accurate article • refused to defend asylum seekers • supported Johnson's haste to lift lockdown that has driven an early second wave • forced general secretary Jennie Formby out after she kept working for the party while battling cancer • sacked left-wingers from the Shadow Cabinet after campaigning for election on a promise of unity • promoted racists and bullies • run 'entirely factional' meetings of Labour's National Executive All these are on top of a general failure to oppose Boris Johnson, instead resorting to telling him to do what he's doing but more efficiently, while Johnson condemns tens of thousands to death and tanks the UK economy. There must be change.'

And here is a comic delight from the Gogglebox crew that does rather nail Sir Keir:

Here is today's SKWAWKBOX take on the Labour leader:

'Keir Starmer's approach to 'opposition' has been shredded by members of the Gogglebox programme who watched his evasive performance on last weekend's Marr show.

The show's armchair viewers gave an object lesson in what ordinary people think of Starmer's contortions to avoid taking a position on any issue - and his unconditional support for a PM who has refused even to express regret for the needless sacrifice of tens of thousands of UK lives. It was a brutal verdict.

Everyone, from the working-class to the upper middle, reacted with derision, with one woman saying Starmer had her confused because she thought he was Labour - and another comparing him to 'pasander', the blandest of bland curries.

If Starmer wants to get anywhere near Downing Street, he needs to start actually opposing - and actually standing for something. His centrist allies in the media can fawn dishonestly over him as much as they want, but acting like vapour at best - and worse, enabling a hard-right Tory - has just been shown to be as unpalatable as the SKWAWKBOX has always said it is.'

       ROLL ON NEXT YEAR'S VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE IN THE LABOUR LEADERSHIP