"Fabricator and a fraud" is an extraordinary claim, and requires extraordinary evidence.
The paragraphs handwaving the EHRC report in to antisemitism - which did absolutely find the party as an organisation to have failed to tackle antisemitism under Corbyn's leadership, as well as former leaders Miliband, Brown, Blair, etc - and trying to argue that Starmer describing as such was fabricated and/or fraudulent is false.
This is the problem with these sorts of things. Oborne isn't wrong when he says that Starmer failed to meet the expectations that he himself set, but fraud requires purpose and intent, neither of which are clear.
And let's be honest, the idea that Starmer and his team ran a competent conspiracy, whilst clearly demonstrating incompetence basically everywhere else, is a tad silly.
He was far from perfect - or, frankly, what I had hoped for - but this is such an over the top characterisation as to undermine any actual criticism in the piece.
Remember that Josh Simons was the leader of Labour Together that commissioned the attacks on journalists, who was fired from cabinet when that came out, and just coincidentally steps down after his best mate McSweeney was fired, and Streeting bottled it.
I never like to push grand conspiracies because they involve too many moving parts, but Simons, McSweeney, and Streeting go waaaaay back, and they all have it out for Starmer.
Cmon Manny, I'm obviously not suggesting he can't win elections - see the multiple times to both parliament and mayoralty - but that he has historally done very poorly when it comes to the leadership.
And given this byelection is being tret as a proxy leadership election, how the seat is very brexity, how the electorate typically don't like feeling that their vote is inevitable and being taken for granted, how stopping him is a massive scalp for reform greens and lib dems, and how we could well see someone win with less than 30%, I think it's fair to suggest that he wouldn't have stood if he didn't have it in the bag is a tad hubristic.
As reform accept more and more tories, especially high profile ones from the previous government, it makes it much easier for other parties to campaign on them being the same. Given the historical relationship between the working class and the tory party, this has the potential to be extremely damaging.
Cards on the table, I'm a labour member who voted for Corbyn as leader twice and then Starmer in 2020.
Solely attributed, no. A factor, sure.
But the fact of the matter is that the left are playing on a rigged pitch. It isn't fair, it isn't balanced, the media are hypocrites and will invent controvosies out of thin air. Plus our electoral system is fundamentally broken.
A perfect example is that Boris Johnson was known the ride a bicycle as Mayor of London. Nothing was made of it. When Corbyn became labour leader, suddenly he had a MAOIST BICYCLE.
So while Corbyn's labour did get more votes cast in 2017 and 2019 than Starmer's labour did in 2024, it was too concentrated in cities. More people also turned out to vote against him because he was easier to characture as a 1970s throwback.
Again, none of this is fair, or right. But it is the state of play, and you have to be able to overcome it. We rarely manage it, which is why the Tories have been in charge for over 2/3rds of the last 100 years.
As always, simple answers to complex questions are lies.
"Fabricator and a fraud" is an extraordinary claim, and requires extraordinary evidence.
The paragraphs handwaving the EHRC report in to antisemitism - which did absolutely find the party as an organisation to have failed to tackle antisemitism under Corbyn's leadership, as well as former leaders Miliband, Brown, Blair, etc - and trying to argue that Starmer describing as such was fabricated and/or fraudulent is false.
This is the problem with these sorts of things. Oborne isn't wrong when he says that Starmer failed to meet the expectations that he himself set, but fraud requires purpose and intent, neither of which are clear.
And let's be honest, the idea that Starmer and his team ran a competent conspiracy, whilst clearly demonstrating incompetence basically everywhere else, is a tad silly.
Absolute nonsense.
He was far from perfect - or, frankly, what I had hoped for - but this is such an over the top characterisation as to undermine any actual criticism in the piece.
Ahhhh, glassholes.
And this is why I don't like pugs.
Again, Burnham does not - and has never - spoken for the left of the party. And I don't mean the SCG, I mean any non-Blairite.
He's a snake and always has been. If people think Starmer is bad, you're gonna be spitting blood by Christmas.
Cunts who purchase cunt cars don't care about others. More at 11.
Better headline: "Life long benefit claimant hides off the book income"
Yeah, it's gonna be interesting.
Remember that Josh Simons was the leader of Labour Together that commissioned the attacks on journalists, who was fired from cabinet when that came out, and just coincidentally steps down after his best mate McSweeney was fired, and Streeting bottled it.
I never like to push grand conspiracies because they involve too many moving parts, but Simons, McSweeney, and Streeting go waaaaay back, and they all have it out for Starmer.
So yes, incredibly spicy, haha.
Cmon Manny, I'm obviously not suggesting he can't win elections - see the multiple times to both parliament and mayoralty - but that he has historally done very poorly when it comes to the leadership.
And given this byelection is being tret as a proxy leadership election, how the seat is very brexity, how the electorate typically don't like feeling that their vote is inevitable and being taken for granted, how stopping him is a massive scalp for reform greens and lib dems, and how we could well see someone win with less than 30%, I think it's fair to suggest that he wouldn't have stood if he didn't have it in the bag is a tad hubristic.
Which tbh has always been his biggest weakness.
Like the last two times he tried for leader?
I do think him failing to get elected would be the funniest possible outcome, especially if the Greens win the seat.
Ikr, it's like -22 at McMurdo station, people complaining about the weather are dumb bitches.
I think you either put the wrong link or the wrong title chap.
Thanks for the thoughtful response.
As reform accept more and more tories, especially high profile ones from the previous government, it makes it much easier for other parties to campaign on them being the same. Given the historical relationship between the working class and the tory party, this has the potential to be extremely damaging.
Two questions
This is very good news, Best and McAteer have been liabilities for years.
Amazes me that his wife supposedly had no idea this was going on.
Warmer, yes, but not over 30, especially in May where that is literally double the mean high temp.
Cards on the table, I'm a labour member who voted for Corbyn as leader twice and then Starmer in 2020.
Solely attributed, no. A factor, sure.
But the fact of the matter is that the left are playing on a rigged pitch. It isn't fair, it isn't balanced, the media are hypocrites and will invent controvosies out of thin air. Plus our electoral system is fundamentally broken.
A perfect example is that Boris Johnson was known the ride a bicycle as Mayor of London. Nothing was made of it. When Corbyn became labour leader, suddenly he had a MAOIST BICYCLE.
So while Corbyn's labour did get more votes cast in 2017 and 2019 than Starmer's labour did in 2024, it was too concentrated in cities. More people also turned out to vote against him because he was easier to characture as a 1970s throwback.
Again, none of this is fair, or right. But it is the state of play, and you have to be able to overcome it. We rarely manage it, which is why the Tories have been in charge for over 2/3rds of the last 100 years.
As always, simple answers to complex questions are lies.