I was referring more to his time as Home Secretary. The New Labour government were having a review of recreational drugs, let by Professor David Nutt. Alan Johnson sacked Nutt and buried the conclusions of the report.
That’s a huge lever that he didn’t pull an inch. Since then, we’ve seen parts of the USA completely legalise marijuana for recreational purposes. In 2009, it was estimated that we were spending 16 billion a year on enforcement in the UK. I would argue that since the Tories got elected in 2010 and introduced democratically elected Police & Crime Commissioners, we’re spending even more. It’s low hanging fruit. The Liverpool Echo constantly runs lurid weed bust stories.
Didn’t have the balls to make the big calls, and whenever he did, he tended to fuck up. Dodges every position of leadership, be it leader or mayor of London. Completely messed up his Shadow Chancellor brief; was caught out on camera not knowing the employer NI rate. Beaten by Harriet Harman when he went for Deputy Leadership.
Not sure he “completely messed up” his brief - he was only in the job 3 month
The issue re Nutt is a policy one - Labour policy was not to legalise drugs and he felt Nutt was causig confusion / undermining the message. What ever the rights and wrongs of that, I don’t see the benefit of discussing a load of drug addled scousers, the drug debate has been done to death on anthoer thread.
it may be that he is done with front line politics, hence “dodging” the mayor election etc. However it is more about the type of person that I think Labour should have. I think Alan johnson has broad appeal and would give Labour a much better chance of power than Corbyn. If not his, then some one similar ’
Seriously, check his record. For all those reasons and more, he’s unsuitable.
Can you substantiate why Alan Johnson is so broadly appealing? As I said, I just don’t get it, and see nothing of any note in his political history that’d qualify him.
Andy Burnham has achieved more outside of government.
the times I have seen him speak, I always get the impression that he has a sensible, balanced, pragmatic view of the world. He also comes across as much more of a straight talking politician, which I like.
With regards to polical history that would qualify him, well he has has more Front bench experience that the majority of Corbyn front bench put together.
Andy Burnham has been a special advisor / Mp for pretty much his entire career. At least Johnson has worked outside Parliament - a postie for 20 years, union rep for 10yr before becoming an MP.
Anyhoo, I am not going to try to persuade you that Corbyn doesn’t walk on water so I shall retire to the virtual pub.
I bet they were. Here’s the reason he quit Corbyn’s team.
A senior Labour source said the final straw for Coleman was Corbyn’s announcement last weekend that companies should be barred from distributing dividends unless they paid the living wage.
Aye, I saw the odds this morning. If the split follows the general level of competence that the rest of the coup has (basically, Smith’s poll ratings plummet whenever he speaks, and he’s their “best”), then I honestly don’t think it’ll be more than 80 MPs that leave.
Possibly not even that. George Eaton of the New Statesman reckons a lot of the resignees would return to the Shadow Cabinet if Corbyn wins.
Another birfucation* of Labour’s fanbase would be pretty terminal tho, don’t you think? It was bad enough when it was just the Scottish.
* I included this word purely to give beltch a Friday boner. Ur welcome.
The Scotland situation is something different. The right wing of the Party chose to stand with the Tory lies over the Independence referendum, Gordon Brown made The Vow (which hasn’t really been delivered) and they have truly fucked things up there. One thing is for certain; they won’t win it back by saying “Austerity is right”.
As much as I have moaned about FPTP in the past, it’ll work for whatever is left of Labour after any hypothetical split.
These MPs know they won’t be re-elected under whatever banner they choose to campaign under.
The danger is that they play merry hell while they still have their seats. However, they know the red-rosetta-on-a-pig phenomenon as well as amateur commentators like me. If that pig ain’t called Labour, there’s no fucking way they’re bringing home the bacon.
Probably just as well, given the problems the food has caused in the past.
Are we on same page? I’ve no doubt Corbyn Labour will do better than Split Labour, but if general election comes round and Split Labour are still going, they will take *some* percentage of core voters from Corbyn Labour, and his aspiration to become Prime Minister and conduct investigation into women’s wages, will be fucked, if it isn’t already. Tories are big winners here srs.
