I met this guy in Wales who said Jeremy was weird. And let me tell you, comrades, a landslide 60% majority in a one member, one vote election is AS NOTHING compared to one random bloke in Wales who thinks our leader is weird.
It's been said that Jeremy won last year with the "biggest majority ever", but in fact I defeated Tony Benn in 1988 by 89% to 11%. OK, you and I know that's not directly comparable, because that was a challenge to an incumbent leader rather than an open contest like the one Jeremy won, but let's pretend it's directly comparable because I'm on a roll here. One thing about winning by a larger majority than Jeremy managed is that I outrank him for the rest of time, and he doesn't get to demand loyalty and unity ten months after his victory in the way that I did.
You know what? There were constituency parties which voted for Tony Benn in the deputy leadership election in 1981 but which then voted for me by 82% to 18% in 1988. They changed their minds, and they were right to do so. They then changed their minds back again and voted for Jeremy in 2015. They were wrong to do that. Let me explain to you how this works - when the members get it right, we applaud their decision, and when they get it wrong, we overrule them. This is a democratic party.
Actually, the leader used to be chosen by the parliamentary party alone. We changed that system to give members and trade unionists a say. We were incredibly generous. But unfortunately the members and trade unionists abused our generosity by voting the wrong way. So I'm afraid Jeremy can't continue without the support of the parliamentary party, because he wouldn't have been able to do that before we changed the rules. What the rules were in 1976 is obviously far more important than what the rules are now. This is a democratic party.
One hundred years ago, our party's founding fathers used the word "parliamentary" in a pamphlet. What they really meant by that was "MPs should set aside the party rules and depose their democratically elected leader if they ever encounter a random bloke in Wales who thinks he's a bit weird".
We're not leaving this party - this party belongs to US, not the bloody members.
We're alright! We're alright! We're alright!
Hey, we'd better get some plotting done here...
Kinnock is just another britnat totally out of touch with people.
ReplyDeleteTo be fair to him, when you've been an MP, Commissioner and are now a noble Lord, and your Mrs has been an MEP and is also now a noble Lord, and your son is an MP, it's maybe a little difficult to see things from the perspective of the average 9-5 bloke or 'blokess' struggling with the minimum...sorry "living" wage.
DeleteYou Nat sis like Kinnock were out of touch with the people. You lost. The sensibles spoke.
DeleteGo away Nazi girl I see you are still a cowardly Arsehole.
DeleteLabour Lord, says it all, really.
DeleteJust another symptom of the current disconnect between the ruling elite and the plebs in England.
ReplyDeleteThis,of course is as a direct consequence of the constitutional arrangements in England's parliament where entitlement and unaccountability prevail.
Maybe at some point they will decide to join 21st Century democracy but I suspect that is going to be a very very long time.
Rule Britannia!
The Kinnock's have made Millions out of the E.U. and it was that clown who pushed the Labour party to the right paving the way for Mandelson and co.
DeleteJust another Little Englander Nationalist is Kinnock.
ReplyDeleteI wonder who pays the bills? Obviously it can't be the trade unions or the membership.
ReplyDeleteOf course, if they could get Ecclestone and Mittal back, they wouldn't need those guys.
DeleteThis is Kinnock the EU Commisioner, who wanted the UK out of Europe in the 80s.
ReplyDeleteCorbyn should stay on and let the Blairites join the Tories where they belong.
Can someone explain to me how so many politicians from Scotland end up hating Scotland or at least acting really British? I mean , from a % perspective, a lot of leaders have been Scots or part scots, and from an outside Scotland perpective, we get little or no negative attitude. Just another question...
ReplyDeleteCan someone explain to me how so many politicians from Scotland end up hating Scotland or at least acting really British? I mean , from a % perspective, a lot of leaders have been Scots or part scots, and from an outside Scotland perpective, we get little or no negative attitude. Just another question...
ReplyDelete@Bill Palmer
DeleteUnionist politicians here know that to be British means that they have to kneel at the feet of the British establishment, and carry out said establishment's bidding. Therefore they have no choice but to belittle and run down Scotland, the people who live here, and its ability to run its own affairs as well as anyone else.
Thanks.
DeleteHe does have a point in so far Labour has a question to ask itself.
ReplyDeleteIt's one of pragmatism over conviction.
How many of your principles are you willing to give up,
in order to make changes to effect the ones you have left?
In the highly unlikely event that the British people take either Angela Eagle or Owen Smith seriously as a potential Prime Minister, he might then be in a position to talk about pragmatism with more credibility.
DeleteExactly James both have the personalities of G.W.Arse.
DeleteLabour have principles left?
DeleteNews to me.
You jock Nat Sis just don't get it, do you? You are lesser beings than us. You are to be ruled, so know your place.
ReplyDeleteMask's slipping, dearie.
DeleteErrmmm... "You Nat sis like Kinnock"... Exactly what kind of 'Nat sis' is Kinnock and how is he 'like us'? He's a Labour Lord, not much like me, that's for sure, you numpty.
ReplyDeleteHi Nadine. Lunch and shopping later? Maybe some cocktails at Chez Maurice?
ReplyDeleteI love Andrea Leadsom. This is really a golden age for British comedy.
ReplyDelete'Lord' Neil Kinnock and his rant at the PLP really does personify the failure of the British road to socialism.
ReplyDelete