Starmer's vision quest

[briantrumpet]

Can't decide if Rayner is running or just telling Streeting to sit back down

How about she replaces Mahmood?

 

[midlandsgrimpeur]

0% chance Milliband will stand. I think Rayner would be a disaster. She's too vulnerable to the press and could never that battle. Streeting I know little about, which is his problem. It reminds me a little of the early stages of Thatcher's demise, in that the first attempt will probably fail but it will inform the likelihood of Burnham winning in a year or so from now.

Listening to Lewis Goodall on 'The Newsagents' (who is a self declared Labour supporter and does know a lot of people in the PLP I gather), his view was that Miliband would stand if Streeting did, primarily to block Streeting. Goodall's view is that Streeting is unpopular within Labour and there would be a concerted effort to keep him out.

 

[Pross]

It also suggests that he is anxious to be out of Manchester, is there some REAL shoot coming there?

Not convinced of that, for anyone with a political ego being PM will be more attractive than being a city mayor. Especially if they have a saviour complex. That said, I think there's too much risk in actually getting voted in - I don't think any seat is worth the gamble either for him or for Labour potentially freeing up a seat to lose to Reform. Unless a seat becomes vacant naturally then he'd be stupid to push the point.

 

[TailWindHome]

Listening to Lewis Goodall on 'The Newsagents' (who is a self declared Labour supporter and does know a lot of people in the PLP I gather), his view was that Miliband would stand if Streeting did, primarily to block Streeting. Goodall's view is that Streeting is unpopular within Labour and there would be a concerted effort to keep him out.

Goodall's interview on the Matt Forde podcast is an interesting listen

He has a theory if it's Starmer v Streeting then Starmer wins by pointing at Streeting and saying 'he's a Blairite'

 

[midlandsgrimpeur]

Goodall's interview on the Matt Forde podcast is an interesting listen

He has a theory if it's Starmer v Streeting then Starmer wins by pointing at Streeting and saying 'he's a Blairite'

I will have a listen to that.

 

[PurplePenguin]

I don't understand Labour's current implosion. They have a massive majority and plenty of time to deliver results. Any new PM will face all the same questions about legitimacy that previous PMs have faced and is likely to do worse overall as a result.

 

[briantrumpet]

Feeling a bit more confident this morning about my prediction that Starmer will weather this storm, at least for now. Newbie outside Al Carns is doing a bit of a pitch via allies, but it's half-hearted... "We don't need slogans" followed by the vacuous slogan "We need action".

Nobody has got a credible alternative 'vision' to counter boring Starmerism, though, as I say, a pledge to ditch Blue Labour might get some attention in the PLP and further afield, but it would then create quite a bit of a storm for a new leader who needs to get on with being PM, not being a civil war general.

 

[briantrumpet]

I don't understand Labour's current implosion. They have a massive majority and plenty of time to deliver results. Any new PM will face all the same questions about legitimacy that previous PMs have faced and is likely to do worse overall as a result.

I've rather just cross-posted the same thing. Little to gain, and a lot to lose. Which is why I think a challenger would have to actively oust Starmer, as he also recognises that, and the pitfalls of doing so.

 

[Pblakeney]

I don't understand Labour's current implosion. They have a massive majority and plenty of time to deliver results. Any new PM will face all the same questions about legitimacy that previous PMs have faced and is likely to do worse overall as a result.

Exactly.
I have asked the question before, what is the point?

 

[icowden]

Rayner's back. It turns out that she didn't pay the incorrect amount of Stamp Duty.

Former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner says she has been cleared by HMRC of wrongdoing over her tax affairs.

She stood down in September 2025 after admitting she underpaid stamp duty on a flat in Hove.

In a statement on Thursday morning, the MP for Ashton-under-Lyne says she "welcomes" the conclusions from HMRC "which has cleared me of any wrongdoing," and says she has been exonerated "of the accusation that I deliberately sought to avoid tax".

She goes on: “When purchasing a home of my own with a mortgage, I did not own any other property and had no personal financial interest in the court-instructed trust set up to manage my son’s financial award. I was advised by experts that I should pay stamp duty at the standard rate.

“I set out to pay the correct amount of tax. I took reasonable care and acted in good faith, based on the expert advice I received, and HMRC has accepted this."

She adds that she "wanted to ensure that I paid every penny that I owed, and have done so".

Can't wait for the results of the investigation into Tice's avoidance of £100k tax and Farage's avoidance of stamp duty by using his spouse, oh and the investigation in to his £5m bribe gift.

 

[midlandsgrimpeur]

I don't understand Labour's current implosion. They have a massive majority and plenty of time to deliver results. Any new PM will face all the same questions about legitimacy that previous PMs have faced and is likely to do worse overall as a result.

Ego, people see an opportunity to assume power and think they can do better. The way modern media operates also means outlets have to endlessly create a story which is partly what is happening too.

 

[Pross]

I don't understand Labour's current implosion. They have a massive majority and plenty of time to deliver results. Any new PM will face all the same questions about legitimacy that previous PMs have faced and is likely to do worse overall as a result.

They've panicked about opinion polls since more or less day 1 instead of getting on and delivering the policies that won them the massive majority in the first place. It's bizarre but I guess is symptomatic of a political party being run by special advisers instead of the Cabinet.

 

[Psamathe]

Streeting I know little about, which is his problem.

My understanding is the Streeting is to the right within the party yet a lot of MPs/membership are reported s wanting a return to Labour beliefs and that it's moved too far right. Thus I can't see Streeting as PM bringing peace and facing Rayner of Burnham (apparently more left leaning) he's probably lose.

 

[PurplePenguin]

Rayner's back. It turns out that she didn't pay the incorrect amount of Stamp Duty.



Can't wait for the results of the investigation into Tice's avoidance of £100k tax and Farage's avoidance of stamp duty by using his spouse, oh and the investigation in to his £5m bribe gift.

She did pay the incorrect amount. She has now corrected this, but has not been fined.

 

[icowden]

She did pay the incorrect amount. She has now corrected this, but has not been fined.

I sit corrected. I misread the way that the article was reported. It was agreed by HMRC that it was a genuine error however based on incorrect advice at the time.