The Labour Party Thread.

[iank]

Oh Darling.

[Deleted]

Nov 30, 2023 20:38:33 GMT iank said:

Oh Darling.

[zarius]

Nov 30, 2023 20:38:33 GMT iank said:

Oh Darling.

Made a note in my diary the other day, simply says 'bugger'

[Bernard Marx]

Galloway annihilates Labour at the Rochdale by-election, amidst Starmer's duplicitous sophistry on Gaza and witch-hunting of MPs and councillors pleading for a ceasefire.




From the Guardian:

 At the end of the interview (Labour's deputy campaign coordinator) (Ellie) Reeves was asked if she would like to offer her congratulations to George Galloway. She replied: “I think we’ll leave it there.”

www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2024/mar/01/rochdale-byelection-live-george-galloway-declares-a-shifting-of-the-tectonic-plates-after-landslide-win

Someone’s piss is clearly boiling at optimum temperature here...

What's noteworthy about these results is that, despite unassailable Labour polling, the Tories still performed more competently in this by-election. Likewise, Reform UK comprehensively came last, suggestive that- contrary to perceived pundit opinion- the working classes are not naturally aligned to the far-right unless they have no other viable options.

[burrunjor]

Great result. I'm not overly keen on George Galloway to be clear. He has done some really dodgy shit in the past, but ultimately this not only shows that the working class are not perhaps as slavish to the right as we are led to believe, it also represents a major blow to the two party system as well. If only we can build momentum from here. Maybe people won't settle for Kodos or Kang.

[Bernard Marx]

Mar 1, 2024 9:23:36 GMT burrunjor said:

Great result. I'm not overly keen on George Galloway to be clear. He has done some really dodgy shit in the past, but ultimately this not only shows that the working class are not perhaps as slavish to the right as we are led to believe, it also represents a major blow to the two party system as well. If only we can build momentum from here. Maybe people won't settle for Kodos or Kang.

Galloway's politics are all over the map, ranging from commendable denunciations of the Gaza genocide and support for Assange to completely reactionary endorsements of Farage and a more recent anti-trans streak. However, he campaigned on a pro-ceasefire ticket, and thus represented a clear rejection of the two-party orthodoxy. Galloway might be awful on specific issues, but Sunak and Starmer are awful on practically all of them.

[ClockworkOcean]

I would agree that Galloway's victory was the least-worst option in this instance. British politics has become so stagnant and farcical that it's difficult not to view any deviation from the LibLabCon orthodoxy as progress.

Mar 1, 2024 9:17:47 GMT Bernard Marx said:

What's noteworthy about these results is that, despite unassailable Labour polling, the Tories still performed more competently in this by-election. Likewise, Reform UK comprehensively came last, suggestive that- contrary to perceived pundit opinion- the working classes are not naturally aligned to the far-right unless they have no other viable options.

I'm not sure how useful this result is in terms of predicting Reform's performance in a general election. It's worth bearing in mind what a breathtakingly idiotic choice of candidate Simon Danczuk was. Why any fledgling party seeking to make a good first impression would attempt to foist a disgraced former MP forced out for being a nonce on his old constituency, let alone target the socially conservative, traditionalist, pro-Brexit vote with someone who was a proud Blairite Remainer until the aforementioned sex scandal derailed his career, is incomprehensible. Probably the most baffling political own goal I've ever seen.

[Bernard Marx]

Bugger. The media onslaught has already started. 

Again, the Guardian live feed reads:

Ellie Reeves, Labour’s deputy national campaign coordinator, was interviewed immediately after (Chris) Williamson. She said:

Can I just start by saying that I’m utterly appalled by Chris Williamson’s failure to condemn Hamas attacks on 7 October, and likewise his failure to distance his party from the endorsement of Nick Griffin.

While Galloway has certainly participated in right-wing flirtation in the past, using one incidental endorsement as a pretext to turn ex-Labour MPs into (even bigger!) political pariahs is deeply mendacious. Griffin's reasoning for endorsing Galloway is almost certainly different to much of the Rochdale electorate- this tactic used by Labour figures tacitly depicts pro-ceasefire sentiments among the working-class as "problematic" by drawing a tenuous connection with the far-right.

Besides, Starmer certainly isn't above being a nationalist prick with his patronising "flag-waving" gestures, many of which have received support from the far-right. The World Socialist Website commented:

 So right-wing is Labour’s pitch that fascist Britain First leader Paul Golding yesterday praised the party’s new membership cards that feature the slogan “Putting the country first”, a Union Jack emblazoned on the reverse side. “Labour Party membership cards are looking very ‘Britain First’” Golding tweeted, with a laughing emoji. Labour party members have expressed their utter dismay and anger, with one Twitter user commenting, “Wish this was satire, but it seems to be real. Yes, this is the new Labour membership card. COUNTRY FIRST. What hope have we got when the supposedly left wing option is aping fascism?”

Of course, Paul Golding's endorsement of Starmer offered no such "guilt by association" treatment. As the establishment's current golden boy, he warrants no such criticism. Absolute hypocrites.

[Bernard Marx]

Mar 1, 2024 11:00:02 GMT ClockworkOcean said:

I'm not sure how useful this result is in terms of predicting Reform's performance in a general election. It's worth bearing in mind what a breathtakingly idiotic choice of candidate Simon Danczuk was. Why any fledgling party seeking to make a good first impression would attempt to foist a disgraced former MP forced out for being a nonce on his old constituency, let alone target the socially conservative, traditionalist, pro-Brexit vote with someone who was a proud Blairite Remainer until the aforementioned sex scandal derailed his career, is incomprehensible. Probably the most baffling political own goal I've ever seen.

Ah, thank you. I wasn't aware of the candidate's scandalous history and incongruous political positions. However, I maintain that Reform's political chances aren't too impressive. As far as I can ascertain, they aren't operating under the same Brexit tidal wave as UKIP or Farage in the 2010s. Likewise, The Labour Party had already dug themselves into a quagmire courtesy of disowning their candidate and effectively telling swathes of Rochdale's electorate to sod off, yet they still maintained a marginally higher vote. 

What's most amusing is that the Tory candidate- who sat on his arse and didn't campaign- still achieved a higher raw vote than Labour. This by-election effectively served to illustrate the dysfunctional and frankly depraved nature of modern party politics insofar as all key parties are evidently widely despised. 

[burrunjor]

Mar 1, 2024 11:09:09 GMT Bernard Marx said:

Bugger. The media onslaught has already started. 

Again, the Guardian live feed reads:

Ellie Reeves, Labour’s deputy national campaign coordinator, was interviewed immediately after (Chris) Williamson. She said:

Can I just start by saying that I’m utterly appalled by Chris Williamson’s failure to condemn Hamas attacks on 7 October, and likewise his failure to distance his party from the endorsement of Nick Griffin.

While Galloway has certainly participated in right-wing flirtation in the past, using one incidental endorsement as a pretext to turn ex-Labour MPs into (even bigger!) political pariahs is deeply mendacious. Griffin's reasoning for endorsing Galloway is almost certainly different to much of the Rochdale electorate- this tactic used by Labour figures tacitly depicts pro-ceasefire sentiments among the working-class as "problematic" by drawing a tenuous connection with the far-right.

Besides, Starmer certainly isn't above being a nationalist prick with his patronising "flag-waving" gestures, many of which have received support from the far-right. The World Socialist Website commented:

 So right-wing is Labour’s pitch that fascist Britain First leader Paul Golding yesterday praised the party’s new membership cards that feature the slogan “Putting the country first”, a Union Jack emblazoned on the reverse side. “Labour Party membership cards are looking very ‘Britain First’” Golding tweeted, with a laughing emoji. Labour party members have expressed their utter dismay and anger, with one Twitter user commenting, “Wish this was satire, but it seems to be real. Yes, this is the new Labour membership card. COUNTRY FIRST. What hope have we got when the supposedly left wing option is aping fascism?”

Of course, Paul Golding's endorsement of Starmer offered no such "guilt by association" treatment. As the establishment's current golden boy, he warrants no such criticism. Absolute hypocrites.

James O'Brien's meltdown over this has been hilarious. 

Meanwhile if f*cking Nick Griffin of all people is willing to support a guy whose platforming against the genocide of a Muslim country, and James O'Brien is losing his head over it, well I think that says everything we need to know about O'Brien. You are officially to the right of Nick Griffin. He has more laxed views on Muslims than you do. 

[Bernard Marx]

(I've inserted an inadvertently tiny Imgur edit at the top, in case the huge image above disappears)

[Bernard Marx]

Sunak attempts to shit-stir:

 Now, our democracy itself is a target. Council meetings and local events have been stormed. MPs do not feel safe in their homes. Longstanding parliamentary conventions have been upended because of safety concerns.

And it’s beyond alarming that last night, the Rochdale byelection returned a candidate that dismisses the horror of what happened on 7 October, who glorifies Hezbollah and is endorsed by Nick Griffin

Bollocks. How is a candidate standing for a party called the "Workers' Party of Britain" representative of a threat to democracy? This is yet another example of the two-party establishment whipping up reactionary hatred for Muslims and dressing it up in socially liberal language. Where is the evidence of these "safety concerns" he speaks of?

The establishment parties are shitting themselves. The population doesn't like the fact that their government is actively funding a regime guilty of genocide, hence the polls indicating that the vast majority of Britons back a ceasefire. In turn, they're transmitting this drivel to manufacture support. 

There is no context in which it can be acceptable to beam antisemitic tropes on to Big Ben

So wanting an end to men, women and children being senselessly murdered and torn to shreds is antisemitic? Wanting the Gaza population to be free is a harmful "trope", is it?

War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.

On that note, here's another very pertinent quote from 1984 (1948):

The war is not meant to be won, it is meant to be continuous. Hierarchical society is only possible on the basis of poverty and ignorance. This new version is the past and no different past can ever have existed. In principle the war effort is always planned to keep society on the brink of starvation. The war is waged by the ruling group against its own subjects and its object is not the victory over either Eurasia or East Asia, but to keep the very structure of society intact.

[cyberhat]

Give me Galloway over Owen Jones or Novara any day. I see they've already started their acceptable left tone-policing of the man. I'd have a bit more humility if I was them, with their non-glorious history of smearing Assange and cheering on every faked up expulsion for non-existent anti-semitism by Labour Party members.The one thing that destroyed the left over the last few years is kow-towing wimps like them and Corbyn, hoping that if you give in to bullies they'll leave you alone. Doesn't work. Whatever you think of Galloway, that is not the way he operates.

And with this Rochdale victory, we get the to enjoy the glory of MSM scumbags having their arse handed to them

ENJOY

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[burrunjor]

Mar 2, 2024 10:43:26 GMT cyberhat said:

Give me Galloway over Owen Jones or Novara any day. I see they've already started their acceptable left tone-policing of the man. I'd have a bit more humility if I was them, with their non-glorious history of smearing Assange and cheering on every faked up expulsion for non-existent anti-semitism by Labour Party members.The one thing that destroyed the left over the last few years is kow-towing wimps like them and Corbyn, hoping that if you give in to bullies they'll leave you alone. Doesn't work. Whatever you think of Galloway, that is not the way he operates.

And with this Rochdale victory, we get the to enjoy the glory of MSM scumbags having their arse handed to them

ENJOY

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v

I definitely prefer him to Owen Jones, and yeah my desire to marry Ash Sarkar aside LOL, he's probably been right about more than Novara Media too. He doesn't buy into the insane anti Russian crap that they do for instance. 

However I think that is a bit of an unfair assessment of Jeremy Corbyn. I mean I get where you're coming from. Corbyn absolutely one hundred percent should have purged the Labour party of the Blairite, new labour scum. His mistake was in being too reasonable and thinking he could argue with and get through to them. The Blairite mob  have 0 principles and only go where their career will take them and are happy to sacrifice anything for that. They are the British version of Neocons in America. I remember Jimmy Dore saying that a Neocon would happily let a child die in front of him if he thought it would get him an extra penny. The same is true of your average Blairite. 

Still whilst that was a mistake of Corbyn I don't think he can be called a wimp, or even someone who let the left down completely as he was a man of principle and has stuck to his guns. (Unlike that absolute weasel Bernie Sanders, or sadly Tulsi who ended up supporting a genocide!) 

Galloway meanwhile has definitely got a dodgy track record for some domestic issues and has been guilt of whipping up some religious tensions, but overall he's right about Palestine and international issues and as you say this is a major f*ck you to the media and the two party system. Watching James O'Brien go insane to the point where steam is literally coming out of his ears has been an absolute joy to behold. 

[Bernard Marx]

Mar 2, 2024 10:43:26 GMT cyberhat said:

Give me Galloway over Owen Jones or Novara any day. I see they've already started their acceptable left tone-policing of the man. I'd have a bit more humility if I was them, with their non-glorious history of smearing Assange and cheering on every faked up expulsion for non-existent anti-semitism by Labour Party members.The one thing that destroyed the left over the last few years is kow-towing wimps like them and Corbyn, hoping that if you give in to bullies they'll leave you alone. Doesn't work. Whatever you think of Galloway, that is not the way he operates.

And with this Rochdale victory, we get the to enjoy the glory of MSM scumbags having their arse handed to them

ENJOY

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v

I’m fairly certain David Davis was originally going to introduce him to the house, only to backtrack after claiming that Chris Williamson had “gone too far”…

Corbyn oddly didn’t turn up either, despite being scheduled to.