[Politics] Keir Starmer getting constantly heckled in his keynote conference speech

[Thunder Bolt]

Thanks for pointing that out, but I think you are clever enough to understand my point.

Damned by faint praise.

 

[maltaseagull]

the PM should "either get a grip or get out of the way and let us clear up this mess".

Best one liner so far

It would be great to see an opposition that doesn’t just knock the Government but has real ideas to improve things and most importantly, how to pay for it.

The biggest wish would be for ANY politician to answer a closed question with a simple yes or no rather than rambling on ignoring the question.

 

[Gwylan]

That people of older generations vote tribally rather than reading what the parties have to offer? Isn't that being quite disrespectful of the older generation?

It's a bit of both: they do vote tribally but they do vote for what the parties have to offer.

The Tories are much smarter than Labour. First of all, they're far more united. Yes, there are One Nation types who are very different from the near-UKIP voters but there's scarcely any dissent. But the main way in which Conservatives are smarter is that they look at who votes. The answer is that older people do ... in large numbers.

The staggering thing about the last election is that, despite the Tory landslide, Labour had a big majority in voters under 50. But voters above 60 voted in large numbers for the Tories and as something like 80/85% of them vote that's a big difference. Labour have the young - but only about 25% of them vote.

So, when there's a debate about funding social care: Tories opt to increase NI (paid by the young) rather than income tax or CGT (paid by the elderly). Or, there are measures to protect property prices.

The Corbyn Labour party's bright idea was to attract students who could counteract this - there was an increase in the student vote but not enough.

 

[Gwylan]

Taxpayers Alliance
All Tory and all publicly funded.

Taxpayers Alliance is not publicly funded. At least, we don't think so. The big problem with the Taxpayers Alliance is that they refuse to say who funds them - it could be funded by the Russian government for all we know.

 

[Uncle C]

That people of older generations vote tribally rather than reading what the parties have to offer? Isn't that being quite disrespectful of the older generation?

It is being disrespectful, but you know full well that's not what I said. But nice try at switching the argument..

 

[Bozza]

It's possible and I think it will happen.

When we get to the white heat of a campaign, enough Labour members will read between the lines of what Starmer is saying, think about the alternatives, hold their noses and go and campaign for him.

Of course many never will. But like with Blair before he won, I think perception of party progress is key. If labour members see progress in the polls and the chance to oust the hated tories enough will come into line to make the ones that don't look like an irrelevant fringe.

So it's a u-turn on unity?

"Sir Keir Starmer calls for Labour unity as he launches leadership bid" - https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/s...ur-unity-as-he-launches-leadership-bid-381694

Perhaps he was too ambitious back then, believing unity was possible, but now recognising it probably isn't.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Taxpayers Alliance is not publicly funded. At least, we don't think so. The big problem with the Taxpayers Alliance is that they refuse to say who funds them - it could be funded by the Russian government for all we know.

Fair point. That's the sort of thing investigative journalism used to dig out, especially as the TPA is based at 55 Tufton Street.

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

I'd sooner die than vote Tory, but maybe the intense bitterness I hold towards them and the sense that they represent everything that I find repellent might mellow at some point. Or maybe not.

For me it's more about the policies and personnel rather than a binary choice of 'Labour or Tory'

Would you really rather vote for a Party led by say John McDonnell with Rebecca Long Bailey in the Cabinet rather than a Tory Party led by say Rory Stewart with Ken Clarke in the cabinet? (if only)

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

Embarrassing for him, but it is also boring up to now, especially the family bit, but he seems to be getting going now.
He may not have charisma, but in the same way I don't want jokes and ruffled hair, I just want results and a vast improvement from the car crash country that we live in.
Strange the way that political parties shoot themselves in the foot either in or out of Government.

I think it’s more embarrassing for the people who are doing the heckling and those they proportion to support.

 

[Swansman]

Meh. Politicians...

“The main problem in any democracy is that crowdpleasers are generally brainless swine who can go out on a stage and whup their supporters into an orgiastic frenzy – then go back to the office and sell every one of the poor ******** down the tube for a nickel apiece.”
- HST

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

Don't generalise. I am elderly and know many pensioners, who think this government are appalling.


As for Brexit, I think it will be small steps. Renegotiate the deal by rejoining the Single Market (introduced by Margaret Thatcher, so must be a good thing, eh?) and cooperate to get the best for this country.
Nobody is advocating ditching the Brexit deal, but it can be changed.

I’m with you! I’m 68 and have never voted Tory in my life and think it is highly unlikely that I ever will. That is absolutely not because I am blindly following what I have always done. It is because, with a heart for Social Justice, it is not something I have ever thought a Tory government capable of or serious about doing. Johnson does not realise the implications of “levelling up”, because he does not have the slightest idea of how bad things are for people.

Having said that, if there was a choice between a Labour Party led by Corbyn and McDonnell against a Tory Party led by Rory Stewart and Ken Clarke, I might change my mind.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I’m with you! I’m 68 and have never voted Tory in my life and think it is highly unlikely that I ever will. That is absolutely not because I am blindly following what I have always done. It is because, with a heart for Social Justice, it is not something I have ever thought a Tory government capable of or serious about doing. Johnson does not realise the implications of “levelling up”, because he does not have the slightest idea of how bad things are for people.

Having said that, if there was a choice between a Labour Party led by Corbyn and McDonnell against a Tory Party led by Rory Stewart and Ken Clarke, I might change my mind.

Like you, I am a centrist although slightly left of centre. Treat people as you would like to be treated yourself.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

Funny that elderly people who have witnessed both Labour and Conservative governments over their long lives choose unreservedly to return the Conservatives. Bit of a message there.

You are not right!!!!!!!!! See my reply to Thunder Bolt above.

And I know plenty of other pensioners, plenty of them much older than me, who would think the same.

 

[KZNSeagull]

Laura Pidcock didn't like his speech, so he's done something right.

 

[Baker lite]

Did he take the knee before his speech?..

 

[dejavuatbtn]

You have a point but we have a Government that seems to be in the pocket of billionaires, millionaires, rich company owners, tax exiles and rich friends.

I don’t disagree. Bit like the choice between hanging and the electric chair.

 

[Blue3]

As Benjamin Franklin famously said: "In this world, nothing is certain except death, taxes and the Labour Party finding new ways to implode."

At least Labours conferences people are allowed differences of opinion unlike Trump lite Conservative get together where there is no dissenting just the clatter of knitting needles

 

[Super Steve Earle]

Starmer has not got the charisma or the charm of Boris, but those are not the qualities Britain needs. I don't give a shit about presentation, it is all about substance, about the ability to understand the issues, formulating a plan for tackling those issues and then assembling a team sufficiently motivated and able to deliver.

I like that Starmer sorted the anti-Semitism and is taking on the Corbynite faction of the party. I also think he is assembling a decent Shadow Cabinet and was ruthless enough to sack those that were under-performing after the disastrous May election results. I think Rachel Reeves, Lisa Nandy, David Lammy and Jonathan Ashworth are talented and they have good people coming through like Peter Kyle and Wes Streeting.

However, they have to convince the British public that they are electable, and that is a tough job. I think what they are missing are players like Alistair Campbell and Peter Mandelson to help get their message across more effectively. The media have been hung up on Angela Rayner's "Scum" comment for days - a matter of froth, not substance, and Starmer's battles with the Corbynites and the unions. These are side issues - he WILL win those battles, but Labour cannot afford to drift while he does so.

Not only the media hung up on the Scum comment. I was disgusted to hear this from a politician and, worse still, her playground response to criticism of it. Whenever I start to drift a little towards Labour, something like that bounces me away again for another few months. Mind you, can't stand Labour's raucous squawkers like Raynor and Nandy anyway. It only showed Raynor's true self.

 

[Hamilton]

Starmer is basically the modern day Neil Kinnock, if Andy Burnham is the John Smith.

If John Smith had not died, would he have been elected? Probably.

Apart from the decision to go into Iraq without evidence, I liked Blair. He did a lot of good. And don't try and peg loose financial regulations leading to the global financial crash on him. Everyone was doing that. I'll point out that in 2007 a certain MP proposed the biggest round of public spending in UK history, and it wasn't Gordon Brown or Tony Blair. It was George Osborne in an attempt to become more popular.

 

[jcdenton08]

Labour are really, really shit. I wish they weren't. I am desperate to vote Labour, I just can't. They are unelectable.