Who to listen to?

[billybutcher]

@Russellgww

Starmer is weak as a leader of the opposition,

My problem with Labour is not that Starmer is weak - the massive Tory majority means he can do very little anyway but that Labour at present offer little more than a likely to be somewhat less corrupt version of the Tories.

He has ruled out rejoining the EU - fair enough, I think that the EU is better off with us gone but he has also ruled out rejoining the SM or CU as well, even as a long term goal - I understand there are reasons for his decision but he could have avoided limiting his future policy options to a very sub-optimal future for the UK.

Similarly his plans for the economy are barely any different to the present government, his plans for renewables seem a fraction better but there needs to be more detail and defined commitments.

Sadly FPTP means only the two main parties stand a snowball-in-hell’s chance of forming a government. Much as I would like to see a LD win I am not clear they have much more clue than Starmer. Maybe the Greens would be best but they are significantly left of most of Labour and are terribly unlikely to get more than a couple of MPs, if even that.

[Geof_Cox]

Labour’s current huge lead in the polls hasn’t really changed my view that Starmer can only win ‘by default’ - ie. if the Tories implode. I see no genuine widespread support for Labour beyond the general feeling that the Tories have messed up so we’d better give the other lot a go.

Indeed, in the unlikely event that Sunak can hold his party together, avoid more scandals, and not add to the economic mess, I can see much of Labour’s current lead evaporating.
On the other hand, the author of ‘eat out to help out’ is obviously perfectly capable of making the mess much worse!

[Gareth]

@Geof_Cox

Labour’s current huge lead in the polls hasn’t really changed my view that Starmer can only win ‘by default’ - ie. if the Tories implode

I have mixed feelings about Starmer, but your point could be said about most leaders of the opposition. As the saying goes, “Opposition parties don’t win elections, governments lose them”

[GusMorris]

On BBC Sounds I listen to the News Quiz or Dead Ringers when they are on. Watch HIGNFY.

[billybutcher]

@Geof_Cox

Labour’s current huge lead in the polls hasn’t really changed my view that Starmer can only win ‘by default’ - ie. if the Tories implode. I see no genuine widespread support for Labour beyond the general feeling that the Tories have messed up so we’d better give the other lot a go.

Sadly I agree.

At the moment just about the only advantage that I can see is that at least Labour will not be overtly corrupt.