The Talented Mr. Miliband

[South Bank Hank]

...is leaving British politics to take up his 'dream job'.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2013/mar/26/david-miliband-step-down-mp

One friend said: "We are facing an election that Labour can win. We need to remove anything that can get in the way of that."

While the departure of a Miliband would be a great step towards that, you have to make sure it's the right one. It's like Long John Silver chopping off the effective leg to 'help him move forwards'.

:winking:

 

[superblue24]

Yep, agreed.

I wouldn't trust the current "Rogues Gallery" that make up the Labour Party to look after my cat for the weekend, let alone my Country.

 

[Mad Cyril]

I can't be the captain so I am not going to play any more.

It just goes to show he was never interested in serving his constituents and was only interested in power and status.

I wonder if any dirt is about to surface?

 

[Mad Cyril]

...is leaving British politics to take up his 'dream job'.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2013/mar/26/david-miliband-step-down-mp

One friend said: "We are facing an election that Labour can win. We need to remove anything that can get in the way of that."

While the departure of a Miliband would be a great step towards that, you have to make sure it's the right one. It's like Long John Silver chopping off the effective leg to 'help him move forwards'.

:winking:

For Labour to win they need to get rid of any of the Millibands, Ed Balls, in fact anyone that has already had their chance to help run a country and failed.

 

[South Bank Hank]

Pretty obvious that Miliband fella doesn't stick around long when he sees the wrong bloke steering the ship, does he!? That's the second sinking ship he's deserted in two weeks!

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Pretty obvious that Miliband fella doesn't stick around long when he sees the wrong bloke steering the ship, does he!? That's the second sinking ship he's deserted in two weeks!

This would be the "sinking ship" that's consistently had a 10% lead over the Tories in all major opinion polls for the last few months now?:unsure:

As for David Miliband, he should have had the guts to challenge Gordon Brown for the leadership when he had the chance.

 

[South Bank Hank]

This would be the "sinking ship" that's consistently had a 10% lead over the Tories in all major opinion polls for the last few months now?:unsure:

As for David Miliband, he should have had the guts to challenge Gordon Brown for the leadership when he had the chance.

Mid-term and under the cloud of austerity measures, it would be nearer 20% but for the unelectability of the wrong Miliband. Anyway, glad you're biting. These random links are so tiresome!

:winking:

As for the second point, I make you right on that one. What a weasel!

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Mid-term and under the cloud of austerity measures, it would be nearer 20% but for the unelectability of the wrong Miliband. Anyway, glad you're biting. These random links are so tiresome!

:winking:

As for the second point, I make you right on that one. What a weasel!

A 10% lead would be more than enough to ensure that Labour win the next election,as the largest single party,but not necessarily with an absolute majority,if that lead crumbles a little by 2015.
That's unlikely ,IMO,given that the raft of benefit cuts which came into force from yesterday, will give Labour plenty of ammunition in the months ahead.
I grant you that it would be better (from a Labour perspective) if that lead in the polls were greater.The reason that it's not can be put down to two factors(IMO).First, there's no doubt, that Labour has been harmed by their perceived incompetence over the economy before the 2010 GE.Second,undoubtedly (as you suggest),there are some unresolved issues over Ed Miliband's leadership of Labour.
I'm hopeful that both these problems will be addressed (and hopefully resolved) over the next two years and certainly in the run up to the 2015 GE.I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

 

[shrimpled]

No opposition has ever won the general election with an absolute majority leading by less than 18% at the mid term.

Labour to win, just. Hardly a vote of confidence in any of the main parties. Coalitions for the the forseeable future IMHO, and theres nothing wrong with that.

 

[Neil_F]

That's unlikely ,IMO,given that the raft of benefit cuts which came into force from yesterday, will give Labour plenty of ammunition in the months ahead.

Welfare reforms are the most popular thing this government has done. The most recent poll found that 74% of people agreed with the action taken and nearly 50% want to cut welfare further. The most interesting result was that the strongest positive views were from the poorest two income deciles.

It always amazes me that comfortable middle class people are the ones that lead the, frequently hysterical, charge against any welfare changes yet the people who are trapped by welfare hate the system and want to change it. I read recently a fascinating article from a researcher at the Joseph Rowntree foundation. Being a good lefty she loved the welfare state and everything it stood for, but when she interviewed welfare recipients she found they hated the system and welcomed the changes and the impact they would have on other people. This particular lefty went dangerously close to saying that these people were too stupid to understand that people like her were trying to help them and they had been duped by an evil government and their media allies.

It really does amze me when middle class lefties talk about the poor with thinly veiled contempt as this article does. It makes me wonder whether such people think as they do because of the emotional satisfaction they derive from it rather than out of any genuine compassion.

First, there's no doubt, that Labour has been harmed by their perceived incompetence over the economy before the 2010 GE.

I do like the use of "perceived". I infer that you don't think Labour were at all incompetent in their handling of the economy?

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Welfare reforms are the most popular thing this government has done. The most recent poll found that 74% of people agreed with the action taken and nearly 50% want to cut welfare further. The most interesting result was that the strongest positive views were from the poorest two income deciles.

It always amazes me that comfortable middle class people are the ones that lead the, frequently hysterical, charge against any welfare changes yet the people who are trapped by welfare hate the system and want to change it. I read recently a fascinating article from a researcher at the Joseph Rowntree foundation. Being a good lefty she loved the welfare state and everything it stood for, but when she interviewed welfare recipients she found they hated the system and welcomed the changes and the impact they would have on other people. This particular lefty went dangerously close to saying that these people were too stupid to understand that people like her were trying to help them and they had been duped by an evil government and their media allies.

It really does amze me when middle class lefties talk about the poor with thinly veiled contempt as this article does. It makes me wonder whether such people think as they do because of the emotional satisfaction they derive from it rather than out of any genuine compassion.

Any chance of a link to this particular article?

I guess I qualify as a middle class lefty.

However, I have also had first hand experience of the benefits system both in Spain and the UK.They're there for a purpose IMO.

This Tory led goverment is obviously hell bent on dismantling the welfare state.This policy is driven by narrow party politics and not by any realistic chance of making significant saving in the welfare budget.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2013/apr/02/osborne-thatcher-legacy-disability-benefits

Frankly,I question the veracity of the figures regarding the popularity of the cuts, which you so glibly refer to.How about a link for them too?

I do like the use of "perceived". I infer that you don't think Labour were at all incompetent in their handling of the economy?

I certainly think Labour made mistakes, which they should admit to, rather than blaming everything on the 2007/8 world wide crash.
If a balance of payments surplus had been built up beforehand, for example, then the need to cut the deficit so savagely, would have been much less pressing.However, it's always easy to be wise(r)after the event.

 

[Neil_F]

Barna,

Here are the links to two surveys.

http://www.comres.co.uk/polls/BBC_Welfare_Poll_November2012.pdf

http://www.ipsos-mori.com/DownloadPublication/1520_sri-21st-century-welfare-dec2012.pdf [page 13]

I think the relevant questions and results are:

1. 64% think the current welfare system is broken. For DE social grades that rises to 69%.
2. 32% think that more than half of welfare claimants are "scroungers" who are fraudulently claiming.
3. 84% want stricter tests for incapacity claims.
4. 78% think benefits should be withdrawn if claimants turn down any work.
5. 62% think benefits should be capped even if claimants continue to have more children.
6. 57% think that those in receipt of housing benefit in expensive areas should be forced to move to a cheaper area - note that this is not just above the cap the government imposes, this is any "high" level of housing benefit.

Here is the Rowntree researcher:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/feb/12/anti-welfare-rhetoric-families

There is also an interesting poll on the benefit cap. It is about a year old but the only one I can find of this type. Only 9% think that there shouldn't be a benefit cap. Only 7% think the cap should be higher than the £26k set. 36% think the cap should be less than £20k.

http://cdn.yougov.com/cumulus_uploads/document/hh5s3uvxu7/YG-Archives-MaxBenefits-200112.pdf

Another that finds 74% think welfare is too high and overall levels should be reduced:

http://cdn.yougov.com/cumulus_uploa...ves-Prospect-Results-welfareReform-120130.pdf

Lastly, this poll has a few relevant questions. The most interesting being 51% supporting the 1% benefit increase with 34% opposing.

http://d25d2506sfb94s.cloudfront.ne...rchive-Pol-Sunday-Times-results-04-060113.pdf