welshbairn Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 A Blairite party would actually stand for something definable. Tory Lite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SodjesSixteenIncher Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 People who still like Tony Blair Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H_B Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 People who still like Tony Blair A Blair-led Labour Party (impossible as this is now) would win the next election for Labour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyle Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 A Blair-led Labour Party (impossible as this is now) would win the next election for Labour. Comfortably. Tough choice for the Scottish labour party now. Do they go SNP-lite, or become like their Tory-like Westminster colleagues? Truly a party without an identity, made even worse by a feckless leader like Ed Milliband. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Parr Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 A Blair-led Labour Party (impossible as this is now) would win the next election for Labour. This says more about Ed's feebleness than anything else. It's astonishing that Labour have managed to manoeuvre into a position where they might not win the GE comfortably. What a monumental fuckastrophe. Hell mend them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renton Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Socially democratic yes, socialist, no. Jim Murphy comes from the same 'wing' of the party that I do, so I'm always going to favour him, but even stepping back I think he is the best candidate. People actually know who he is, and he is a good orator. The fact he is a Blairite is a good thing as Tony Blair and New Labour did very well in Scotland. A Blairite Labour party would be better than the pathetic 'we would do basically what the SNP are doing, so vote for us in Holyrood instead of them' Scottish Labour party we have now. Why would anyone vote for a shadow SNP when they can vote for the actual thing? A Blairite party would actually stand for something definable. Except that on a whole range of social issues, the SNP is doing what the Labour party should be doing. The point is that the SNP took up that progressive mantle but looke competent doing it, are you seriously suggesting that Labour policy should be to abandon the things it apparently fought for, for years and veer wildy to the right in order not to look like the SNP? Newsflash, they've already been doing that for years, and all it's got them is a reduced share of the Holyrood vote. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmothecat Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Except that on a whole range of social issues, the SNP is doing what the Labour party should be doing. The point is that the SNP took up that progressive mantle but looke competent doing it, are you seriously suggesting that Labour policy should be to abandon the things it apparently fought for, for years and veer wildy to the right in order not to look like the SNP? Newsflash, they've already been doing that for years, and all it's got them is a reduced share of the Holyrood vote. I don't think Labour should veer to the right or abandon anything that they currently believe in. I simply think that the current Scottish Labour Party look directionless and a bit like an SNP tribute act. Despite silly policies like the freezing of energy bills and the mansion tax, the UK Labour Party are party which clearly have a philosophy and a direction. Scottish Labour don't seem to stand for very much. Under Blair Labour did well in Scotland and it is a philosophy which resonates with the electorate. I think Murphy can recapture that. Give the middle classes a reason to vote Labour again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renton Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 I don't think Labour should veer to the right or abandon anything that they currently believe in. I simply think that the current Scottish Labour Party look directionless and a bit like an SNP tribute act. Despite silly policies like the freezing of energy bills and the mansion tax, the UK Labour Party are party which clearly have a philosophy and a direction. Scottish Labour don't seem to stand for very much. Under Blair Labour did well in Scotland and it is a philosophy which resonates with the electorate. I think Murphy can recapture that. Give the middle classes a reason to vote Labour again. The current Scottish party looks like idiots not becuase they ape the SNP or try and be an SNP tribute act but becuase their mindless, miserablist opposition to anything and everything the SNP proposes usually means Labour landing itself on the wrong side of the argument and makes it look reactionary, right wing and narrow minded. In other words, it makes them look like Tories - all the more insulting when they try and couch it in progressive terms like equality and fairness. I really don't think there was a Blairite 'philiosophy' by the way. I think there was a general sense that the 'third way' pioneered by Clinton could be used in Britain where market forces could be used to generate money to be spent on public services. I think this metamorphosised over time into a very different, authoritarian, pure market driven ideology with a very fundamentalist, binary outlook on life. I think it is laughable to suggest that the latter dya Blairism of which murphy is a proponent would get any kind of traction in Scotland 2014. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkoRaj Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 the UK Labour Party are party which clearly have a philosophy and a direction. Mental Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reynard Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 I don't think Labour should veer to the right or abandon anything that they currently believe in. I simply think that the current Scottish Labour Party look directionless and a bit like an SNP tribute act. Despite silly policies like the freezing of energy bills and the mansion tax, the UK Labour Party are party which clearly have a philosophy and a direction. Scottish Labour don't seem to stand for very much. Under Blair Labour did well in Scotland and it is a philosophy which resonates with the electorate. I think Murphy can recapture that. Give the middle classes a reason to vote Labour again. Centralising authoritarian c***s? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renton Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Centralising authoritarian c***s? The tories? Seriously, which party isn't authoritarian and prone to centralising everything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reynard Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 The tories? Seriously, which party isn't authoritarian and prone to centralising everything. One that appoints state guardians for all weans and arms its centralised police force while disarming the citizens while it wants to bin corroboration? Some are certainly a lot worse than others and the instinct of the left is big state therefore I despise them the most. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jester Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 One that appoints state guardians for all weans and arms its centralised police force while disarming the citizens while it wants to bin corroboration? Some are certainly a lot worse than others and the instinct of the left is big state therefore I despise them the most. Banning air rifles is disarming the citizens? Don't clutch those straws too tightly now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jester Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC92 Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Seems as though Jim Murphy is going to try to convince Ken Macintosh to swap seats with him. It would be funny as f**k if he didn't get elected but, unfortunately, it's one of the few seats in Scotland left in which the SNP are nowhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarkston5 Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 She'll need to use that teacher technique of nodding in an apparently interested way when buttonholed by one of the clowns about this. Mmmm, yes, good point... we gave it careful consideration... uh huh...yep... definitely given me food for thought... that's right... yep... maybe next election... for sure..possibly will fall to be considered again... at some point in the future... prhaps.. Then....with due respect.......I know what you're saying but with due respect....I am not a.....with due respect... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reynard Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 Then....with due respect.......I know what you're saying but with due respect....I am not a.....with due respect... Doing that bobble head thing that she learned from the fat failed f**k with the penchant for secretaries and ginger half wit MSPs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunning1874 Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 Seems as though Jim Murphy is going to try to convince Ken Macintosh to swap seats with him. It would be funny as f**k if he didn't get elected but, unfortunately, it's one of the few seats in Scotland left in which the SNP are nowhere. Yeah, fate is kind to Murphy there if that is the route they go down: the Scottish Parliament equivalent of his Westminster constituency is the only safe Labour seat left at Holyrood. It would be just about the funniest thing in the history of politics if he didn't win, but there's no chance really: the Tories are the only credible threat to Labour in Eastwood and enough of them would go Labour just to make entirely sure the SNP can't pull off a shock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarkston5 Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 Doing that bobble head thing that she learned from the fat failed f**k with the penchant for secretaries and ginger half wit MSPs Remember Rosie Cunningham's "debate" about the anti sectarian bill; "blessing themselves in an aggressive manner". The SNP are a bunch of f**king lunatics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hampden Diehard Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 The UK government is a much bigger gig for obvious reasons. The FM post is the equivalent of a minor cabinet level position in Westminster. Minister for Sport and Opera or something. I think if you have the right person, the job is a much bigger one than you're suggesting. Like him or loathe him, I think most people would say that Salmond did a good job of leading Scotland, and Scotland was seen abroad as a separate country, partly due to him. Whether Sturgeon is up to it remains to be seen. Some of the minor cabinet ministers are half-wits or party placements ("The Thick of It" springs to mind) and Salmond is certainly not in that category. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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