Just been chatting with John McDonnell.

You’re right, anyone who wants this Tory government needs their heads checking. You’re also right that labour isn’t the answer. If they were even 25% credible they’d easily walk into power. They’re not, so they won’t.

 

I don't know if its true or not, but a similar tradition allegedly exists in the White House. In late 2000 when George W Bush took over, there was a rumour that the outgoing democrats removed all the W keys from the keyboards in the offices...

 

Absolutely spot on - everyone has their own opinion but I despair that working class people think Labour is “more dangerous” that this Tory govt! 8 years have taught some people nothing!

 

And yet Gordon Brown gets vilified! By the tax avoiding press!

 

What would a credible government offer in your opinion?

I believe Labour are more than credible.... Yes they will have to spend more initially to kick start the economy but in the longer term surely people having more money in their pocket to spend is better than billions being hidden abroad by a few people pulling this government's strings?

The top 5% having to pay a bit more to help fund the pledges Labour have put forward seems fair enough to me after 8 years of the lowest paid in society baring the brunt of austerity and cuts to services.

I don't want my kids to grow up in a world where food banks and rising homelessness is seen as the norm and a necessary part of our country so the elite can prosper while people get left behind because of their upbringing or where they are from.

 

A sobering piece from across t'pond....

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/26/world/europe/uk-austerity-child-poverty.html

 

Did you live through the Tony Blair / Gordon Brown Govt's ? They were no better than this lot . Wars ,high taxes , high unemployment , the welfare state imploding and unfulfilled promises , yeah what a great era that was , I look back with much fondness . Labour have had a fair few cracks in power and basically made a balls of it every time .Talk about short memories .

 

An impressive amount of idiocy in one over long posting from the doyen of racism. Hats off sir. Still from a migrant that hates migrants unsurprising.

 

There was a note left in the early 60’s for Wilson that basically in fancy language said we are ******. It’s hard to believe that people swallow an economic joke as reason to attack the poor.

 

Wow. Short memories... while some have completely false ones.

The Blair/Brown years... that period of a record period of 13 years of growth, breaking the 3-4 year boom bust cycle? I look at those as the best years we've had as an economy in my lifetime, but hey, feel free to distort history to fit a preset agenda

 

Come on Plobby, Tory Blair, was more Conservative than this Maybot is now.

The Labour party today is what Labour should stand for namely the poor, the underprivileged and the working class if you think your above that criteria then vote Tory by all means.

 

I'd have Tony Blair back in a heartbeat, him leading a centrist party is something I'd happily get behind.

 

Corbyn is not Blair! Surely you’re not suggesting we stick with the right wingers such as May, Gove, Johnson, Davies, Fox & the wonderful Rees-Mogg?

 

Not sure where you are getting your figures from....both the Mirror and the Telegraph agree on £3.5 billion, which is less than a quarter of the figure you have quoted.

 

Yeah, but John McDonnell! On a train like a normal bloke!!

 

I agree that Labour should stand up for its fundamental values of being a left wing socialist party and have certainly got the right man in for the job . Problem is it makes them un-electable for me . The thought of Corbyn and Diane Abbott leading our country especially when they have to make serious decisions on security and the economy scares me to death . Imagine sending Emily Thornberry to negotiate our foreign affairs with Trump or Putin .

 

Far better her than Hunt or that dopey f**ker they had previously.

 

I'd say 1945-1951 was successful (NHS, Welfare State), and certainly better than what followed (concentration camps in Kenya, Suez Crisis, etc).
Can't comment on 1964-70 (was before my time) and 74-79 was better for the people around here than what followed (pit strike and closures, selling off national industries, etc)
Blair/Brown made mistakes but were better than what they followed (Major) and what came after...

Although to be fair, Larry is probably the most capable member of the government at this time (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_(cat)).

 

A life a lot longer than that has given me the opinion that the current Labour set up would be an utter disaster, DA for chancellor eh ?

 

Corbyn should ditch DA - she is a walking disaster for labour. May & her cronies are the worst since Thatcher (Thatcher Mark 2) - their promises are lies - I don’t see how Corbyn can be worse