Labour front-bencher Barry Gardiner – the party’s star media performer who has won the hearts of many on the left with his take-no-prisoners interview style and his staunch loyalty to the party’s leadership and policies – is considering a bid for the leadership of the party.
Gardiner, a London-based Scot who has consistently argued against and warned of the dangers of reneging on Labour’s commitment to enact Brexit, is currently trending on social media and has stirred huge excitement among the party’s grassroots.
He has indicated he will finalise his decision in the next 24 hours. Tell him what you think below:
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Take a look at Len McCluskey tweets you will find out when you see.
It may well be pertinent to remember that to the best of my knowledge Barry is a member of LFOI !!
That disqualifies him imo
After Ian Lavery you are my candidate of choice. Please stand Barry.
Yes PLEASE Barry – you have my vote.
Come on Baaarrry ! Screaming .
Go for it. As someone who has seen many leaders and known a few since I joined in 1944 you will walk it. More important you will enjoy putting Boris in his place below the sewer. Go for it and good luck from a member in his 90’s
Now that Ian Lavery isn’t standing you have my vote. My second vote will go to Clive Lewis to hedge my bets. We need a strong leader that isn’t going to take BS from the PLP. Unfortunately, Rebecca Long-Bailey isn’t the ticket, she hasn’t been elected leader yet and she is already attempting to triangulate with her “progressive patriotism” abstraction.
Hysteria rules OK. 🙂
Barry you are what we need. I can’t vote for RLB. Please stand.
Jon Lansman is now officially Long-Bailey’s campaign director.
Are you serious
Yes
https://labourlist.org/2020/01/leadership-frontrunners-both-appoint-pro-corbyn-figures-to-campaign-teams/
That’s enough for me
Dont trust JL at all, appalling mistake to even entertain the AS smears, never mind support culprits like the Pantomime Dame
Brought party, members and supporters into disrepute
Would that be the Lansman who threw Chris Williamson under the bus along with Jackie Walker etc and STILL will not put himself forward to Momentum membership for democratic election .
I won’t even mention the sabotaging of the Mandatory Selection vote at party Conf ooops … OH YES I BLOODY WILL !
This man is a liability and until he subjects himself to democratic accountability should be treated with suspicion and avoided imo
Rob
The very same
And if you get chance read his attacks on JVL, they are on their website,
With friends like him we are like the one legged man in an arse kicking contest
Steve H…well she would have had to change her religion anyhow to be PM maybe this is a shortcut.But is fiefdom owner and Zionist compatable with socialism..Well I suppose as much as being a knight or a Lord is ?
Kiss of death.
Basically – a confirmation of a non-starter.
RH 09/01/2020 at 12:22 am.
“Kiss of death.”
My thoughts exactly.
I have been reviewing in my own mind the impact we have had on the NEC and the party’s democratisation by consistently voting for the ‘left’ slate and I’m slowly coming to the conclusion that we’ve achieved only very minor progress and the only stand out change that I can see is an increase in the Lansman/McClusky power-base.
Steve H you are saying that consistently voting for the left slate doesn’t democratize the Labour party.Well depending on your objectives and your voting you are saying the left wing have let you down.Well other than Corbyn give an example of this PLP who are socialist and I cant see the lodjic of your complaint.We have had 1 socialist leader in 60 years corbyn and few genuine socialists to vote for including the candidates now.So basically cut out the moderate propoganda and vote for Sir keir starmer your favourite blast from the past and enjoy your objectives which are clear and present danger for socialism surviving in the Labour party.
Joseph – I am simply pointing out that the democratisation that we were promised just hasn’t happened and that any progress in that direction has been blocked by the likes of McCloskey and Lansman. Voting for the candidates recommended by Unite and Momentum doesn’t appear to have advanced the democratisation of the party very much. Do you have any evidence to the contrary?
I’m getting desperate now who to vote for????
Wanted Ian Lavery that’s a non starter now,
then considered RLB but with the Lansman connection & her saying in her pitch and I Quote “We weren’t strong enough on Antisemitism and I’ve been quite clear about that before” I will not vote for her.
I always liked Barry Gardner but after seeing leftpoliticstoday post I don’t feel I can vote for him either.
Starmer,Phillips,Nandy & Thornberry are a definite no no for me.
Will have to research Clive Lewis further but the only thing I can find against him is he was vocal for remain but I don’t know if he was one of the instigators that forced JC to adopt the second referendum stance.
I do know I will not vote for someone I can’t believe in just for the sake of voting. JC stuck to his principles and so will I.
It should not be this hard to find a true socialist for leader.
One person I have seen a lot of on twitter is Richard Burgon and I quite like him, without checking his background appears to be sincere & was always supportive of JC & his policies but he is standing for deputy..
I am in one hell of a quandary and there are three votes waiting to find a candidate, just wish JC was staying on sigh!
My thoughts precisely – thanks Hilary
” the only thing I can find against him is he was vocal for remain”
Being in tune with the majority of the membership and not backing Tory policy is hardly a disqualification.
RH You missed the point.. I like RIchard Burgon but he’s standing for deputy not leader. He is very good & I follow him on Twitter.
RH oops should be Clive Lewis in my reply not RIchard Burgon, I hadn’t disqualified CL as I said I hadn’t researched him properly.
WTF ?
He can do an interveiw without dropping a clanger…..great another leader.in the pot.All fantastic candidates and ever so honest.!Back to deep reflection and thinking how a knight of the realm gets backing from thel countrys biggest union unite.Even the Torys might have a good laugh at the hypocrisy of a democratic socialist Labour party leader standing up at question time,arise Sir knightly starmer….the jokes on the Labour party membership that such a class traitor should have the backing overwhelmingly by our PLP and NEC..and of course the unite union representing all of the NHS workers .Back to the past ?
It’s Unison so far, Joseph.
Carlene Edwards Stand corrected on the union,but the point is what has four years of a socialist revival done for the Labour party and socialism…..looks like nothing.
yes, go for it, Barry Gardiner!
Labour Friends Of Israel signatory.Being a good performer on tv is not much of a qualification for leader.A useful member of the shadow cabinet but please don’t get carried away.I suspect he is being put forward because they think Starmer will not make it.!
Keir Starmer has already got 42 PLP nominations which is way more than he needs.
JC struggled right up to the very last minute to get the nominations required in 2015 and he wiped out the other contenders in the final omov results – I so wanna see Phillips get Kendalled !
A completely irrelevant reply.If you support Starmer just come out and say so.
john thatcher 09/01/2020 at 9:52 am · ·
“A completely irrelevant reply.If you support Starmer just come out and say so.
How is it irrelevant to point out that Starmer has already made it onto the ballot paper in response to your daft statement of “I suspect he is being put forward because they think Starmer will not make it.!”
Actually I am currently leaning towards Clive Lewis primarily because he is putting the democratisation of the party front and centre of his campaign and he is very strongly advocating GND.
He’s a supporter of LFI, the “Labour” cheerleaders for the racist Apartheid state in the Middle East. He will not be getting my vote.
Membership of LFI and/or the JLM definitely raises questions.
… which raises unfortunately questions about the greater part of the PLP!
I’d certainly look more favourably on candidates who are open and proud supporters of the PSC.
Now im just Confused.com that would put me off BG
Wheres Clive Lewis on AS smears,
Methinks he should be tough on MSM and toilet papers considering previous experience
I also think he never directly attacked JC
Doug every single candidate has backed the AS scam to make the membership look like a bunch of fascists,because if theyre all saying what I believe to be a untruth then either way we or them should be suspended from the Labour party for smearing the membership .King with no cloths and not a single socialist amongst them…….
Please examine his wider politics beyond the obssession with Brexit BBC at:
theyworkforyou.com
While his voting record is fine on some questions, it is not on others. Especially on predatory wars, neoliberalism and the balance between civil rights vs national security.
* He is a member of Labour Friends of Israel.
* He supported the 2003 Iraq war.
* He opposed a subsequent investigation into the Iraq war.
* More recently, he opposed war on Libya and Syria, which is to his credit.
* He abstained on the 2015 Tory welfare bill. That is a big red flag.
* Gardiner claimed for a second home despite his constituency being near Westminster and his wife working for him as an Office.
* He nominated Blairite DAVID Miliband for the leadership in 2010.
* Generally voted for replacing Trident with a new nuclear weapons system
* voted to allow university tuition fees to increase from £1125 per year to up to £3000 per year in 2004.
* Generally voted for a stricter asylum system.
* Almost always voted for introducing ID cards.
* Generally voted for requiring the mass retention of information about communication.
* Has never voted on mass surveillance of people’s communications and activities. Why not?
* Consistently voted for Labour’s anti-terrorism laws.
* voted against giving a greater role to the courts in relation to the imposition of control orders.
* voted yes on Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 — RENEWAL OF INDEFINITE DETENTION.
That is invaluable and goes a long way to helping us decide what is beginning to look like the least worst option
Can you do it for Clive Lewis
Does someone need to have a word with Richard Burgon
I was wondering why Gardiner was so silent. He would be excellent in the leadership race either as leader or deputy. He really knows how to handle the media.
I think we are all supposed to gloss over these few ‘minor’ points in our headlong rush to jump onto the latest passing bandwagon.
Yes. I prefer to stand back, watch the parade and listen to the music before ticking any box on the basis of the costume.
THIS !!
I admire BG for his always loyal stance but you have to look deeper, as with all contenders. BG has never aired his political stance like JC always has ( HOC Hansard reflects JC’s morals, political views etc )
WHO contenders have nominated in previous leadership elections will give you a general nod as to their true political views & a good starting point ( 1 current exception that I’m aware of being was Madge Hodge who had to be pleaded with to lend JC her nomination in 2015 with a view as the nomination was for debate purposes ).
Leftpoliticstoday; thank you for the lengthy list with vital details. This is what we, as members, need to be doing for all left contenders so as we can make a true and thoroughly informed choice
I really didn’t know any of this. Thanks for posting, I’m assuming it’s all correct.
Look through the evidence for yourself and make your own mind up 😊
https://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/10220/barry_gardiner/brent_north/votes
Why would Gardiner vote against an investigation into the Iraq war after the revelations about the dodgy dossier, after it became clear that WMD was bollocks? After the suspicious death of Dr David Kelly? And after over a million marched against the war?
leftpoliticstoday, all of this is VERY relevant. It looks as though BG has been loyal to the whip/any leader on voting, which, for his loyalty, I somewhat admire. It does however say to me he goes with the wind.
He abstained on the welfare vote in 2015, under the unelected caretaker leader Harriet Harman. A handful of Labour MP’s rebelled and voted against it and for their unheard voices and support I was and still am grateful.
BG literally turned his back on me, part of the disabled minority, whilst Labour and the Tories were throwing me under a bus !!
ANY Labour leader contender that has done this will NOT get my vote and I know I don’t speak alone on this.
Thanx 4 this very much!
There’s few angels in this business – and this is a useful illustration of how that needs to be kept in mind.
his resumme reads like a friend of israels ,,, Angela we need you
Good analysis. He seems to come across as a ‘waffling job for life’ politician who loves himself.
Evidence, alas, that we should all wait and see who is standing before we all get excited. This is making a laughing stock of Labour.
Either he’s standing, or he isn’t.
Or is he grandstanding?
See what I mean?
Who’s next?
At close of play
I’m back to JC staying on as figurehead,
Ian Lavery and others doing the hatchet job and then handing over to next generation
And there, in a nutshell, you have expressed the problem; how do you convince JC to remain as ‘figurehead’ who doesn’t believe in tokenism? Secondly, how do you convince him to stay when HE ACCEPTS the democracy of election defeat? What I admire is the stoicism that accepts the democratic process he believes in, win. lose. or draw.
Whatever you’re ‘back to’ Doug doesn’t make the slightest bit of difference. The leadership election process has now begun, and as you are well aware, Jeremy announced in the early hours of Friday the 13th of December that he would be standing down, so why keep harping on about something that you KNOW isn’t going to happen!
It doesn’t serve any purpose whatsoever AND it’s just a complete waste of space!
Allan Howard
The definition of insanity is to do the same thing and expect a different result
Out Stables Clean
Uncle Festa now has two clear victories for his party in league with MSM and toilet papers
Racism back in football
Harry and Meghan leave the country
We should hold our hand out to both the lads and offer support
Go for it Barry. I think you should negotiate with RLB who you both think is left candidate with best chances and one of you step down so we have one left candidate to defeat Keir Starmer – one of principal architects of GE19 debacle along with psychopath Tom Watson.
“left candidate”
No such beast pure and simple. Old left? Arthritic left? Tooting left? Radical left? Posy left? Wind change left? Authoritarian left? Libertarian left? Pro-European left? Anti-European left? Etc. left …. ????
he would be a great choice unless he bows to friends of israel
Can we refer to keir starter as Sir keir .I noticed Labour list dropped the title to make him more user friendly for the membership to be duped.Sir keir starmer nailed is colours to the mast and he can sink or swim by them…Actually hes probably the worst and most dangerous of the whole bunch of mediocre moderate candidates.
When Victoria Derbyshire asked Clive Lewis this morning to mark Corbyn out of 10 he initially demurred but when she pressed him he caved in and answered “six.”
I’d have flatly refused to answer her pathetically frivolous, pointless and banal question – I suspect Barry Gardiner would have answered in similar vein but with charm and subtlety instead of a growl.
If journalists can be humiliated into asking only pertinent questions Gardiner’s probably the man to do it – bringing the corrupt MSM to heel should be the first order of business in our preparations for the next election.
I’d still prefer to inflict honesty upon them with fear of imprisonment for past crimes, but then I’ve never believed in fighting the same people or the same battles more than once.
Take their pride away or they come back at you.
After deep contemplation I am totally underwhelmed by this group of con artists and tricksters.I am very much agreeing with a voter who’s door I knocked on in Horley in Surrey over 30years ago and told me to F…..OFF you’re all the same..Luckily I managed to get the first ever seat for Labour and not many years later our Tony comes in and I left the Labour party.I don’t think I can take any more moderates and maybe I should not wait to be tossed out…defeatist I know so I will carry on regardless and contemplate some more.
The list of candidates is not inspiring.
To be honest, it was always going to take a lot to undo the damage of the Blair years and its shaping of the PLP.
Clive Lewis, on balance has the best ideas, even given the lack of grappling with the antisemitism scam and THE Elephant – the media. Good to see the emphasis on constitutional reform.
But he looks very unlikely to get sufficient nominations.
So – Square 1 I guess.
Although depressing, I think turning away from the Party is not the thing to do. Better to stay and be a gadfly.
As a usually totally uninterested bystander who regards media obsession with the Royals as you do a documentary about some weird tribal ritual, I am wondering whether the current media ‘big’ story might indeed have some significance?
Could this be the first hint of a move over time to our flummery becoming an unexceptional Scandinavian model? I’m not holding my breath, but …..
I wish John McDonnell would throw his hat in the ring.
For me, Barry is a MUST for the leadership. He would be excellent.
I think its admirable that the royal couple want to be off benefits,and I realise just how difficult it must be living in that cold and draughty cottage Harry renovated recently.Some on here dont realise how tough it is at the top….Harry would know its a jungle out there.and might struggle to make a living out in the USA.,but at least they can fall back on the inlaws in the USA..Maybe he could run a bar or somthing like his relative on the Spanish Costa’s.
They’ve got to be doing something right to upset the bog paper press to this degree!
Joseph – According to Forbes, Princess Diana reportedly left both Prince William and Prince Harry $10 million after taxes, and they started receiving annual dividends at age 25 to the tune of $450,000 a year
Thornberry definitively rules herself out of consideration :
” I think that clearly we completely failed when it came to dealing with antisemitism in the party, and that was a failure of leadership.”
Wouldn’t it be refreshing to hear an interviewer challenge with :
‘What antisemitism? Could you be specific, quote numbers and cases and respond to the academic research that indicates that the problem is grossly exaggerated?”
Agreed but wouldn’t it be better to hear the PLP saying “what Antisemitism? & quote the actual number of cases quoting the academic research now that would be refreshing.
Agreed – the antisemitism scam has gained force from the lack of forensic opposition to the lies. But there’s no sign of it happening
Can I ask a question please:-
Is there anything in the rule book that states if a leader loses two elections then he must stand down?
No. It’s a convention to move over and let others have a go when you’re a losing leader.
If behind that is the question of whether Corbyn should stay on – on a personal level, I would guess he’s had enough. From a Party perspective, he would be constantly hounded by the accusation that the failure was down to him, and that the bog paper press was right in all that they said. In electoral terms, all the slander worked out fine for them.
RH, I know nothing of Jeremy’s health other than what I read from Googling about his spectacles. Right side lens appears to be fogged. May be nothing but changes in the eye can indicate other things.
Safe bet he’s not ignoring the issue like some of us do.
I wasn’t thinking specifically of Corbyn’s health, David – but as we old farts know, it is always a potential factor.
But I reckon he’s sustained more than his fair share of constant pressure – and, although I don’t think there’s a need to rush, the question of succession in the Party can’t be ignored indefinitely, even if the current array of contenders is pretty depressing.
RH Thanks, you guessed correctly what was behind my question.
Clive Lewis will split the vote and allow Starmer or Barry Gardiner to win. Labour Party finished. RBL is the only genuine left candidate and she is being worked upon by the Lansman anti Lanman mobs. Labour will be finished. Vote for RBL. She also attracts the ex Greens.
“RBL is the only genuine left candidate”
Nope.
Just to expand – I think RBL’s recent flakiness is a bit questionable, and I don’t think that she has any outstanding leadership qualities.
Sandra – “She also attracts the ex Greens.”
Clive Lewis is a strong advocate for GND.
Sandra – Take a look for yourself
https://labourlist.org/2020/01/leadership-candidate-clive-lewis-invites-greens-to-work-on-cross-party-project/