I see Rebecca Long-Bailey's name is being touted by "senior Labour figures" (so they say and I'm relying on the accuracy of press gossip which is probably wrong). I think she would be a mistake for purely practical reasons. The sad truth is that we live in an age where competence and "strength" are disproportionately linked to performance in front of a camera, or at least in front of a reporter and RL-B comes across as a bit charisma-free and easily flustered. I'm not picking on her in particular. The Labour ranks are packed with people seriously in need of coaching in interview and presentation skills. They probably won't bother though, which is sad, because there seems to be a prevailing myth that somehow their essential goodness will shine though when all that shines through is bewilderment and lack of preparation.
As for and brexit mess: I agree. The Tory party will simply blame everybody except themselves. It's a manoeuvre that comes naturally to them. I also believe that Johnson will move to entrench the Tory position with boundary changes, voter ID, possibly crippling the BBC and removing Channel 4's charter, changes to the law so that Government legislation and decisions cannot be challenged as they have been over the last year or two.
PR? Absolutely, but I don't see it happening. In fact, as an alternative, I would vote for a formal and permanent coalition between all the parties to the left of* the Tories, but since tactical voting has been a bit of a non-starter and the left and right of the Labour party hate each other more than than the Tories, that's a non-starter too.
*although the left/centre/right metaphor shouldn't do too much worknever trust a man in a blue trench coat, never drive a car when you're dead |
