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How it could go wrong for LAB in South Shields: 1. The manner of the selection and choice of the candidate

How it could go wrong for LAB in South Shields: 1. The manner of the selection and choice of the candidate

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The race for #SouthShields. LAB needs to handle its candidate selection carefully. bit.ly/16qoZ1R . twitter.com/MSmithsonPB/st… — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) April 2, 2013 Memories of how David Miliband got it in 2001 could be revived Already there are rumblings in South Shields about who LAB should choose for the super-safe seat in the coming by-election partly because the national party has got “form” in the area. This, according to Wikipedia entry on Miliband’s predecessor in the constituency, the former cabinet minister, David…

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David Miliband’s departure leaves Blairites leaderless

David Miliband’s departure leaves Blairites leaderless

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Henry G Manson on the significance of today’s announcement It’s been said that New Labour was more of sect than a movement. Now shorn of a leader the moderate faction has no-one else to turn to. David Miliband’s defeat in the 2010 leadership election showed that New Labor could not easily endure beyond Blair. Instead David Miliband allowed himself to be presented as a continuity candidate when many in the movement and country wanted more of a change and break…

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Yes he Khan – Sadiq’s a great 33-1 bet for London Mayor

Yes he Khan – Sadiq’s a great 33-1 bet for London Mayor

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Sadiq Khan – Labour’s shadow minister for London twitter.com/MSmithsonPB/st… — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) March 22, 2013 Henry G Manson on Labour’s possible 2016 London Mayoral candidate The Labour Party has wisely learned from the previous London selection and is not racing to select a Labour mayoral candidate soon after the defeat. However the next two years will be a great chance for aspiring candidates to jockey for position and give themselves the best chance of success. Labour is currently 8/11…

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Is contribution key to making welfare work for Labour?

Is contribution key to making welfare work for Labour?

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Henry G Manson on Friday Taking Yvette Cooper’s immigration speech yesterday at face value and you simply might think the party is tacking to the right on this issue simply to shore up support it lost in the run up to the last election. There’s certainly something in that, but one reference should be seen in a different light and possibly a clue that wider changes to Labour welfare policy are brewing. Yvette Cooper argued  “one practical change within existing European…

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EdM’s & Yvette’s immigration rhetoric might be putting at risk some of LAB’s new found supporters

EdM’s & Yvette’s immigration rhetoric might be putting at risk some of LAB’s new found supporters

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A danger for LAB in upping the rhetoric on immigration? Chart showing views on issue broken down by #GE2010 vote. twitter.com/MSmithsonPB/st… — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) March 7, 2013 The current LAB panic over Ukip might be counter-productive A main reason why Labour is consistently showing poll leads over the Tories is that the party has attracted so many Lib Dem 2010 voters. If EdM & co are to win back power in 2015 then this segment of the electorate has…

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Ex-LAB MP Nick Palmer on the #Eastleigh tactical voting dilemma

Ex-LAB MP Nick Palmer on the #Eastleigh tactical voting dilemma

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The Ashcroft #Eastleigh polling data that might be worrying to the Tories – the numbers supporting tactical voting twitter.com/MSmithsonPB/st… — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) February 9, 2013 How will Labour supporters vote in the by-election? The first poll makes it pretty obvious that the Eastleigh result will hinge on whether the LibDems can squeeze the Labour vote or not. So how will a typical Labour voter think? Assume you think the Government is rubbish, you really dislike the Tories and think…

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Is LAB trying to spook Shapps with the publication of its target seat list?

Is LAB trying to spook Shapps with the publication of its target seat list?

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Are all 106 seats named really targets? The big general election news today has been the publication by LAB of the 106 marginal seats that it will try to win in 2015. The full list is here. At the launch Tom Watson MP said the aim was to achieve an overall majority of 60 – if all 106 seats were won then it would be 80. But I just wonder how serious the red team is and whether this is…

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