Labour leadership 'contest'

[trousers]

Diane Abbot confirmed as a Labour leadership candidate courtesy of a nomination by, amongst others, one Edward Milliband

 

And there was me thinking that Labour had scoffed at the 'marriage of convenience' between Cameron and Clegg.

 

Ok, both Labour party members but, in principle, a similar 'stitch up'....

[trousers]

p.s. Abbot for leader!! Come on Abbot!

[bungle]

I don't think you understand what has happened.

[bridge too far]

I think you'll find that Dianne Abbott was actually nominated (by DAVID Miliband) in order to offer a wider choice to those who can participate in the election.

 

There had been some disquiet that, prior to her nomination, the candidates were all white, middle class and Oxbridge educated.

 

Her nomination goes a little way to redress the balance, although I think she, too, was Oxford educated.

 

I'm sad that John McDonnell has withdrawn his candidature.

[trousers]

I don't think you understand what has happened.

 

Most likely

[Thedelldays]

I think you'll find that Dianne Abbott was actually nominated (by DAVID Miliband) in order to offer a wider choice to those who can participate in the election.

 

There had been some disquiet that, prior to her nomination, the candidates were all white, middle class and Oxbridge educated.

 

Her nomination goes a little way to redress the balance, although I think she, too, was Oxford educated.

 

I'm sad that John McDonnell has withdrawn his candidature.

good...someone with BNP thoughts like wanting to murder someone has no place in such a position

[trousers]

I think you'll find that Dianne Abbott was actually nominated (by DAVID Miliband)

 

Sorry.....Easy mistake....

[Joensuu]

good...someone with BNP thoughts like wanting to murder someone has no place in such a position

 

Does Thatcher count as human though?

[Thedelldays]

Does Thatcher count as human though?

haha

 

but I could imagine BTF outrage if griffin wished he could go back in time and assasinate mandela or obama or something..

[AndyNorthernSaints]

Does Thatcher count as human though?

 

No.

[trousers]

Does Thatcher count as human though?

 

No, humans are error prone. HTH ;)

[bridge too far]

Sorry.....Easy mistake....

 

Why?

 

Surely your intelligence is able to cope with brothers having different first names!!

[buctootim]

Its great Abbot is standing. There is now a much wider range of middle class, Oxbridge educated career politicans to choose from.

[bridge too far]

Its great Abbot is standing. There is now a much wider range of middle class, Oxbridge educated career politicans to choose from.

 

But not so many females, sadly.

[trousers]

Why?

 

Surely your intelligence is able to cope with brothers having different first names!!

 

Flattery will get you nowhere.....

 

No, if truth be known I'm as thick as mince. (True story)

[belgrave]

Christ, she's not much of an advert for an oxford education.

 

Regularly run rings around by Portillo on the TV....

[buctootim]

Christ, she's not much of an advert for an oxford education.

 

Regularly run rings around by Portillo on the TV....

 

Thats because Portillo got a first from Cambridge - a better degree from a better university!

[bridge too far]

Thats because Portillo got a first from Cambridge - a better degree from a better university!

 

They were at school together, did you know that?

[buctootim]

They were at school together, did you know that?

 

No. but I see from Wiki he used to work for Ocean Trading, a company supplying ships with provisions, as did I. They had a base in West Quay road. Oh how our careers have diverged!

[John B]

Diane Abbot confirmed as a Labour leadership candidate courtesy of a nomination by, amongst others, one Edward Milliband

 

And there was me thinking that Labour had scoffed at the 'marriage of convenience' between Cameron and Clegg.

 

Ok, both Labour party members but, in principle, a similar 'stitch up'....

 

I think it was David Miliband and Abbott went to Cambridge

Edited 9 June, 2010 by John B

[trousers]

 

I think it was David Milliband

....

[Saintandy666]

The whole oxbridge thing depends on what you want.

 

Do you want a parliament in which you have the smartest people possible in(i.e those who managed to get into Oxbridge)?

 

or...

 

Do you want a parliament that is truly representative and reflective of the people?

 

The best result is probably is probably a mix between the two...

[TopGun]

Diane Abbot confirmed as a Labour leadership candidate courtesy of a nomination by, amongst others, one Edward Milliband

 

And there was me thinking that Labour had scoffed at the 'marriage of convenience' between Cameron and Clegg.

 

Ok, both Labour party members but, in principle, a similar 'stitch up'....

 

FFS if you are going to criticise Labour spell Miliband right.

[belgrave]

I don't think going to Oxbridge infers smartness on anybody. Portillo and the Millibands come across as sharp. Abbott does not.

 

The thing that annoys me the most about the majority of our politicians - all parties - is how thick and incompetent they all are (with a few exceptions).

 

The majority remind me of a bunch of middle management Accenture / DC types.

 

Intellectually impressive MP's are becoming thinner and thinner on the ground.

[TopGun]

good...someone with BNP thoughts like wanting to murder someone has no place in such a position

 

TDD on his usual Dune type intelligence and understanding. Bomb Iran and keep subs though!

[bridge too far]

FFS if you are going to criticise Labour spell Miliband right.

 

And Abbott

 

FFS x 2

[TopGun]

I don't think going to Oxbridge infers smartness on anybody. Portillo and the Millibands come across as sharp. Abbott does not.

 

The thing that annoys me the most about the majority of our politicians - all parties - is how thick and incompetent they all are (with a few exceptions).

 

The majority remind me of a bunch of middle management Accenture / DC types.

 

Intellectually impressive MP's are becoming thinner and thinner on the ground.

 

Crap. Just because the holier than thou Enoch, Benn, Foot and Heseltine have retired or died does not make it a place for less clever people.

[belgrave]

LOL... look at the calibre of all of the parties current leadership then think again.

 

Full of mediocre careerists

[bridge too far]

I don't think going to Oxbridge infers smartness on anybody. Portillo and the Millibands come across as sharp. Abbott does not.

 

The thing that annoys me the most about the majority of our politicians - all parties - is how thick and incompetent they all are (with a few exceptions).

 

The majority remind me of a bunch of middle management Accenture / DC types.

 

Intellectually impressive MP's are becoming thinner and thinner on the ground.

 

Although she won major accolades for her speech in the Commons about the 42 day detention bill from the opposition (David Davies) ["one of the finest speeches I have heard since being elected to the House of Commons"] and won the Spectator (a right wing magazine) Parliamentary Speech of the Year.

[Saintandy666]

I don't think going to Oxbridge infers smartness on anybody. Portillo and the Millibands come across as sharp. Abbott does not.

 

The thing that annoys me the most about the majority of our politicians - all parties - is how thick and incompetent they all are (with a few exceptions).

 

The majority remind me of a bunch of middle management Accenture / DC types.

 

Intellectually impressive MP's are becoming thinner and thinner on the ground.

 

Mmmmmm, but people who manage to get into Oxbridge generally have very good brains. You need some of that in the government, but you also need people who know what it is like to actually live the life that many people live. Diane Abbott was hardly born to a privileged background, her mum and dad were a nurse and a welder respectively and her parents were immigrants which I'm sure in the 1950's wasn't that easy.

 

Anyway, the point is you need many types of people in government running the country, and Oxbridge types should be a part of this, but not ALL of it.

[TopGun]

LOL... look at the calibre of all of the parties current leadership then think again.

 

Full of mediocre careerists

 

Preserved in aspic...with rose tinted specs... quite excellent! I applaud you

[Joensuu]

Mmmmmm, but people who manage to get into Oxbridge generally have very good brains. You need some of that in the government, but you also need people who know what it is like to actually live the life that many people live. Diane Abbott was hardly born to a privileged background, her mum and dad were a nurse and a welder respectively and her parents were immigrants which I'm sure in the 1950's wasn't that easy.

 

Anyway, the point is you need many types of people in government running the country, and Oxbridge types should be a part of this, but not ALL of it.

 

Personally I think Parliament should be filled with bearded folk in cardigans, elbow patches and sandals. Let the elite from the academy govern for a change.

[Thorpe-le-Saint]

This is a non-story. Abbot hasn't a hope in hell of winning.

[buctootim]

This is a non-story. Abbot hasn't a hope in hell of winning.

 

True. But it gives the party a chance to show how open, inclusive and representative the race was before the white middle class oxbridge guy wins.

[bridge too far]

True. But it gives the party a chance to show how open, inclusive and representative the race was before the white middle class oxbridge guy wins.

 

And it does deny the opportunity to say that there was no real choice.

 

She might not get many votes from the PLP but I bet she picks up quite a few union and constituency votes.

[GenevaSaint]

Christ, she's not much of an advert for an oxford education.

 

Regularly run rings around by Portillo on the TV....

 

She actually went to Cambridge!

[derry]

Milleband snr only sorted her shortfall in nominations so that she would screw up the balance of voting for the other candidates, as he obviously considers she won't take votes from him.