Labour party problems.

He allowed a free vote because it was clear he had not got the clout to have a whipped one and not be embarrassed by the outcome.

You seem to have an amazing capacity for revisionism and self delusion.

He didn't have to allow a vote. He did. These are facts. The horrible problem for Corbyn's critics, and you illustrate it here, is that he is one of those rare things - a politician with principles. You may or may not like them, but insulting me doesn't change that.
 
But that's the thing. Corbyn, despite very aggressive attempts to portray him as otherwise, is pretty popular. He has unseated the Blair-ite right that held a lock on the Labour Party since Blair swept to power. There's a strong chance that Corbyn could be elected which is why we're seeing such aggressive and low tactics to make him look weak.

Popular with who? The 60% that voted for him?
 
But that's the thing. Corbyn, despite very aggressive attempts to portray him as otherwise, is pretty popular. He has unseated the Blair-ite right that held a lock on the Labour Party since Blair swept to power. There's a strong chance that Corbyn could be elected which is why we're seeing such aggressive and low tactics to make him look weak.

Popular with the party members and popular with the wider electorate are not in any way the same thing.
 
They have just had the odious Diane Abbott trying to defend Corbyn on Andrew Marr, as usual she managed to make things worse.

I can think of almost no situation in which the addition of Diane Abbot to the scenario makes things better.

Except possibly being chased by bears.
 
He didn't have to allow a vote. He did. These are facts. The horrible problem for Corbyn's critics, and you illustrate it here, is that he is one of those rare things - a politician with principles. You may or may not like them, but insulting me doesn't change that.

He didn't have to allow it, but it wasn't his principles that made him allow it, it was the prospect that a significant amount of his shadow cabinet and party would have voted against him regardless and he would have been weakened.

I am not sure if you didn't inform yourself about what happens, or if you are wilfully ignoring it. One I can help you with, but if it is the latter, I doubt I can reason you out of it as the position is unreasonable in the face of the facts in the first place.
 
Fundamentally, the problems in the Labour Party represent a split between those who strive for ideological purity (Corbyn, livingstone, momentum et al) and those who want to actually get elected and make some changes.

The hard left authoritarianism that corbyn represents has never been popular in the UK, every time labour have headed down that path it ends in disaster. The problem is corbyn and his supporters don't care about that.

The question is whether the parliamentary labour party can pull off a coup before the corbyn gets the rules changed to lock labour into this position or not.

Exactly, and the Tories have little to worry about while Labour carries on as it is.
 
Popular with who? The 60% that voted for him?

I have never voted for Labour, and the last two general elections I voted Lib-dem (yes, even the last one)

But Corbyn is a complete breath of fresh air as far as I'm concerned and I would vote Labour with him at the helm.

However, it's pretty clear to me that this frenzy has been whipped up by the media and he is not being helped by people in his own party that want him out.

Remember that the Naz Shah thing was first reported by Guido Fawkes, who is a right-wing conservative blogger.
 
Are you saying ken should have kept his antisemitic views hidden from the public?

I would much rather know the actual views of those who represent us...

Ken Livingstone hasn't said anything anti-semitic. What he has foolishly done is come out defending Naz Shah and then made the silly mistake of talking about the taboos of Zionism, Hitler and the Holocaust. Then, instead of just shutting up until it all blows over, he's attempted to defend himself to people who aren't interested in listening.

Sometimes it's safer to just shut up.
 
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Ken Livingstone hasn't said anything anti-semitic. What he has foolishly done is come out defending Naz Shah and then made the silly mistake of talking about the taboos of Zionism, Hitler and the Holocaust. Then, instead of just shutting up until it all blows over, he's attempted to defend himself to people who aren't interested in listening.

Sometimes it's safer to just shut up.

Sums it up in my book.
 
Ken Livingstone hasn't said anything anti-semitic. What he has foolishly done is come out defending Naz Shah and then made the silly mistake of talking about the taboos of Zionism, Hitler and the Holocaust. Then, instead of just shutting up until it all blows over, he's attempted to defend himself to people who aren't interested in listening.

Sometimes it's safer to just shut up.

No, Ken is specifically referencing an antisemitic Marxist historian, Lenni Brenner, who is widely denounced by mainstream historians for his antisemitism.

But let's not turn this thread into another "I'm not antisemitic but..." thread like the one about the suspension of the MP. Let's keep the thinly veiled racist apologism over in that thread and discuss the labour party in this one.
 
No, Ken is specifically referencing an antisemitic Marxist historian, Lenni Brenner, who is widely denounced by mainstream historians for his antisemitism.

If it's a known historical fact and Ken Livingstone didn't actually provide a citation or anything, how do you know he's referencing a specific anti-Semitic historian. And indeed, what is wrong with Livingstone saying a known historical fact? I mean it might not be welcomed by Zionists that Hitler actually agreed with them at one point, but it's not a problem just because you're Jewish. I mean there was that very influential Zionist who said he'd rather Jews went to Israel and half of them died than they all moved into another country (Britain) and all of them lived. Zionism itself is somewhat anti-Semitic in that it singles out Jewish people and tries to separate them from the nations they live in.

But let's not turn this thread into another "I'm not antisemitic but..." thread

I don't think this has happened. It's you who is conflating Zionism with Jewish which is most of the problem.
 
If it's a known historical fact and Ken Livingstone didn't actually provide a citation or anything, how do you know he's referencing a specific anti-Semitic historian. And indeed, what is wrong with Livingstone saying a known historical fact? I mean it might not be welcomed by Zionists that Hitler actually agreed with them at one point, but it's not a problem just because you're Jewish. I mean there was that very influential Zionist who said he'd rather Jews went to Israel and half of them died than they all moved into another country (Britain) and all of them lived. Zionism itself is somewhat anti-Semitic in that it singles out Jewish people and tries to separate them from the nations they live in.

One attempt to educate before I just categorise you instead.

Ken Livingstone muddies history to support claims on Hitler and Zionism

http://gu.com/p/4tnva?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Copy_to_clipboard

I don't think this has happened. It's you who is conflating Zionism with Jewish which is most of the problem.

And there is the I'm not racist but equivalent. Zionism is part of the Jewish identity to such an extent that they are very hard to separate, and most attempts to do so are a diversionary tactic to pretend the view just expressed is not antisemitic.
 
Perhaps, but he is entitled to his opinion.

I do not like the way the Israeli government treats and pens in the Palestinias. Does that make me an anti-Semite ?

Criticism of Israeli policies or practices, not antisemitic.

Criticism of Israel's right to exist, or holding them to different standards to other countries usually is however.

Talking about 'our friends in hamas and hezbolla' is probably a bad road too.
 
Is this a Zionism or a Labour thread? I'm getting confused between the two that are open atm.

Anyway, I'm more concerned by Labour's media strategy, or rather the lack of it: Jezza is fleeing from reporters, Ken hid in a toilet for some reason, unguided Dianne Abbot missile. Who's their PR guy/girl? This is disastrously bad, especially with the locals and London election imminent.
 
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