You'd have to think that Chuka might now be a decent outside bet for the leadership. He was only 25 years of age when the Iraq War kicked off in 2003, and did not come to Parliament until 2010.
Agreed, Chuka opposed the Iraq War at the time but otherwise is basically a Blairite
Not the best - but A FAR FAR better choice than Angela Eagle.
Except for the dog in a man suit business.
I hope Chuka is able to move beyond his personal issues and (re)gain the composure needed to challenge for the leadership effectively.
What are these "issues" that people mention??
Well, Chuka pulled out because of "intrusive press scrutiny" over at least two areas: (a) Being a bit of a playboy (well fine) (b) His romantic history, and most problematically his sexuality.
And thus we got tweets like:
Owen Jones@OwenJones84 I don't have Chuka's politics (at all) But really hope he hasn't been forced to withdraw for anything we shouldn't give a toss about in 2015
Ben Bradshaw was also a high profile supporter.
Now I have seen no conclusive evidence of anything. Whatever the truth, Chuka did come across as deeply unhappy when fighting off accusations, which gave the distinct impression there were issues that need to be dealt with of one sort or another.
Hunt is going to impose the contract on Junior Doctors. No choice really it has dragged on long enough and we will never see full agreement from the Junior Doctors.
Theresa May is being wise. If she is to win - and she very probably is - she needs to command not just most of the Parliamentary party but all of it, given the tiny majority that the Conservatives hold. She will not do that without a mandate from the members as well as from MPs.
She should cut out the jiggery pokery and face whoever those MPs who are unconvinced by her think she should face. She should have the easy beating of either of them.
Open and robust debate is all very well - and indeed very welcome - but there is that small concern over commitments that prejudice negotiations. A difficult circle to square during a leadership election.
Theresa May is being wise. If she is to win - and she very probably is - she needs to command not just most of the Parliamentary party but all of it, given the tiny majority that the Conservatives hold. She will not do that without a mandate from the members as well as from MPs.
She should cut out the jiggery pokery and face whoever those MPs who are unconvinced by her think she should face. She should have the easy beating of either of them.
Indeed, but trying to prevent Tory MPs engaging in jiggery-pokery in a leadership election is like trying to herd cats through Hampton Court maze.
Chuka lived the high life, so what? Everyone knows that anyway. He was a DJ in Manchester in the nineties for crying out loud. I can't understand why anyone should give a hen's toss what he does in his private life. I suspect he is over-worrying about this.
Theresa May is being wise. If she is to win - and she very probably is - she needs to command not just most of the Parliamentary party but all of it, given the tiny majority that the Conservatives hold. She will not do that without a mandate from the members as well as from MPs.
She should cut out the jiggery pokery and face whoever those MPs who are unconvinced by her think she should face. She should have the easy beating of either of them.
Presumably there's nothing to stop MPs getting together on a view without any orders from Team May. They are supposed to be a sophisticated electorate, I've read.
Theresa May is being wise. If she is to win - and she very probably is - she needs to command not just most of the Parliamentary party but all of it, given the tiny majority that the Conservatives hold. She will not do that without a mandate from the members as well as from MPs.
She should cut out the jiggery pokery and face whoever those MPs who are unconvinced by her think she should face. She should have the easy beating of either of them.
Indeed, but trying to prevent Tory MPs engaging in jiggery-pokery in a leadership election is like trying to herd cats through Hampton Court maze.
Chuka lived the high life, so what? Everyone knows that anyway. He was a DJ in Manchester in the nineties for crying out loud. I can't understand why anyone should give a hen's toss what he does in his private life. I suspect he is over-worrying about this.
My goodness. A point of agreement for us.
We don't need plaster saints running the country. I'm much more concerned with Leadsom's porkies than whether Chuka snorted something in his mis-spent youth*.
* For our OGH's sake, I'm not implying he did of course!
Chuka lived the high life, so what? Everyone knows that anyway. He was a DJ in Manchester in the nineties for crying out loud. I can't understand why anyone should give a hen's toss what he does in his private life. I suspect he is over-worrying about this.
Well, Chuka pulled out because of "intrusive press scrutiny" over at least two areas: (a) Being a bit of a playboy (well fine) (b) His romantic history, and most problematically his sexuality.
Its 2016. Surely there isn't still Shock and indeed Horror about those of us who don't orient as 0 on the Kinsey scale?
I don't agree with all of Chukka's politics. But I recognised someone who was saleable and was advocating radical reform in 2015. I was very disappointed that he withdrew after 3 days - but for him now to demand leadership from others having (a) bottled it and (b) been awol ever since seems a bit rich. Even for someone as flamboyant as Chukka.
She's seen her country pull out of the EU (after her very subtle interventions on the behalf of the LEAVE campaign) and now her tenth (and one suspects least liked) Prime Minister is publicly shredded!
Chuka lived the high life, so what? Everyone knows that anyway. He was a DJ in Manchester in the nineties for crying out loud. I can't understand why anyone should give a hen's toss what he does in his private life. I suspect he is over-worrying about this.
Chuka lived the high life, so what? Everyone knows that anyway. He was a DJ in Manchester in the nineties for crying out loud. I can't understand why anyone should give a hen's toss what he does in his private life. I suspect he is over-worrying about this.
Chuka lived the high life, so what? Everyone knows that anyway. He was a DJ in Manchester in the nineties for crying out loud. I can't understand why anyone should give a hen's toss what he does in his private life. I suspect he is over-worrying about this.
My goodness. A point of agreement for us.
We don't need plaster saints running the country. I'm much more concerned with Leadsom's porkies than whether Chuka snorted something in his mis-spent youth*.
* For our OGH's sake, I'm not implying he did of course!
I've agreed with you about plenty of stuff John. Not least your sensible approach to post-Brexit EEA.
But quite. Those who moralise about such matters should ask themselves whether they would disqualify from a political career anyone who has ever broken the speed limit.
I'm hearing that Blair has been going on so long, Charlie Falconer has resigned in protest.
The straw that broke the camel's back Sean.
Tear up your next Labour leader betslips,
Simba has confirmed he will run for leadership of the Labour party. He didn't vote for the Iraq war and reckons his chances are "better than 50-50" against Eagle.
Chuka lived the high life, so what? Everyone knows that anyway. He was a DJ in Manchester in the nineties for crying out loud. I can't understand why anyone should give a hen's toss what he does in his private life. I suspect he is over-worrying about this.
Depends if what he did was legal.
Why? I'd hazard a guess that most MPs have broken the law at some stage in their lives.
(b) His romantic history, and most problematically his sexuality.
As I understand it - via third-hand Chinese whispers from Streatham Labour people admittedly - there are some things that Chukka would like to keep from some of his older relatives who have rather less liberal views. Might be that he just doesn't want to cause them upset or shock, but could also be a legitimate fear of being disowned or disinherited?
Either way, it wouldn't surprise me at all if he made another bid for leader once said individuals have passed on and nobody bats an eyelid.
Chuka lived the high life, so what? Everyone knows that anyway. He was a DJ in Manchester in the nineties for crying out loud. I can't understand why anyone should give a hen's toss what he does in his private life. I suspect he is over-worrying about this.
Not unless there are photos
There were photos of Ozzy, but they didn't stop him being Chancellor.
Chuka lived the high life, so what? Everyone knows that anyway. He was a DJ in Manchester in the nineties for crying out loud. I can't understand why anyone should give a hen's toss what he does in his private life. I suspect he is over-worrying about this.
Depends if what he did was legal.
Perhaps it involved goats?
Can't be worse than pigs. And other substances? Isn't there a certain very senior member of the front bench whose eyes are regularly glazed and pointing in different directions?
(b) His romantic history, and most problematically his sexuality.
As I understand it - via third-hand Chinese whispers from Streatham Labour people admittedly - there are some things that Chukka would like to keep from some of his older relatives who have rather less liberal views. Might be that he just doesn't want to cause them upset or shock, but could also be a legitimate fear of being disowned or disinherited?
Either way, it wouldn't surprise me at all if he made another bid for leader once said individuals have passed on and nobody bats an eyelid.
I know it was a sorry mess for him, but I don't know enough to say what sort of sorry mess.
Chuka lived the high life, so what? Everyone knows that anyway. He was a DJ in Manchester in the nineties for crying out loud. I can't understand why anyone should give a hen's toss what he does in his private life. I suspect he is over-worrying about this.
Not unless there are photos
There were photos of Ozzy, but they didn't stop him being Chancellor.
Blair's entire argument that the situation in Syria somehow justifies intervening in Iraq is based on absolutely tortured logic, not to mention 'lies'.
I'm hearing that Blair has been going on so long, Charlie Falconer has resigned in protest.
The straw that broke the camel's back Sean.
Tear up your next Labour leader betslips,
Simba has confirmed he will run for leadership of the Labour party. He didn't vote for the Iraq war and reckons his chances are "better than 50-50" against Eagle.
The prescient among us backed him when he was a 100-1 longshot. I'd assumed PBers had been keeping up?
Chuka lived the high life, so what? Everyone knows that anyway. He was a DJ in Manchester in the nineties for crying out loud. I can't understand why anyone should give a hen's toss what he does in his private life. I suspect he is over-worrying about this.
Not unless there are photos
There were photos of Ozzy, but they didn't stop him being Chancellor.
Probably stopped Boris from being PM though.
Fair point but funnily enough I think cheating on your wife when you are a family man is seen as rather worse than living the high life, these days.
The one person who has hardly been mentioned today is Goldsmith, his Masters Voice. From a January legal opinion which said a second resolution was needed, to early March where he indicated that the situation had changed but a second resolution was still needed. Then miraculously, he changed his mind in mid-March after flying to Washington.
The point is regardless of the fact the Americans would have gone ahead anyway, a legal opinion that in international law a second resolution is needed does not change just because one was not forthcoming.
Another was the JIC Chairman. A year or so later he was actually promoted to Chief of MI5 despite it becoming clear by this time taht they had sold a pup.
I do think the Doctors have overplayed their hand on this one. If they don't like it we'll just get more in from Euro... oh wait !
Their bargaining position is alot stronger post Brexit !
We won't be leaving for a few years and even if we do a points based system will easily allow in many highly skilled junior doctors. Junior doctors have overplayed their hand.
Like most people I've got a fairly tortuous and inconsistent view of what I'd consider a bar to a political career. I could handle youthful excess with drink, drugs, sexual partners, daft political views, offensive fancy dress, the odd bit of brawling.
Blair's entire argument that the situation in Syria somehow justifies intervening in Iraq is based on absolutely tortured logic, not to mention 'lies'.
The situation in the ME is complex. 'Mistakes' like that show he should be nowhere near the ME's problems.
I disagree with Sean T and others at the end of the last thread. Blair is not broken by Chilcott. He's handling himself well. I'm not commenting on the arguments or the report but Blair's response.
May needs to come clean on her health issues or apologise to the families of our fallen for her disrespect in nodding off during Cameron's statement.Either way she is clearly unfit to be PM.
Chuka lived the high life, so what? Everyone knows that anyway. He was a DJ in Manchester in the nineties for crying out loud. I can't understand why anyone should give a hen's toss what he does in his private life. I suspect he is over-worrying about this.
Not unless there are photos
There were photos of Ozzy, but they didn't stop him being Chancellor.
Probably stopped Boris from being PM though.
Fair point but funnily enough I think cheating on your wife when you are a family man is seen as rather worse than living the high life, these days.
Unless it was just that Cameron was fortunate in which end of the pig he got?
May needs to come clean on her health issues or apologise to the families of our fallen for her disrespect in nodding off during Cameron's statement.Either way she is clearly unfit to be PM.
I disagree with Sean T and others at the end of the last thread. Blair is not broken by Chilcott. He's handling himself well. I'm not commenting on the arguments or the report but Blair's response.
Yes, it's a masterful response (didn't see the start of it).
Chuka lived the high life, so what? Everyone knows that anyway. He was a DJ in Manchester in the nineties for crying out loud. I can't understand why anyone should give a hen's toss what he does in his private life. I suspect he is over-worrying about this.
Depends if what he did was legal.
Why? I'd hazard a guess that most MPs have broken the law at some stage in their lives.
"186 Indian Members of Parliament Have Criminal Cases Including Murder and Rape"
May needs to come clean on her health issues or apologise to the families of our fallen for her disrespect in nodding off during Cameron's statement.Either way she is clearly unfit to be PM.
Chuka lived the high life, so what? Everyone knows that anyway. He was a DJ in Manchester in the nineties for crying out loud. I can't understand why anyone should give a hen's toss what he does in his private life. I suspect he is over-worrying about this.
Depends if what he did was legal.
Why? I'd hazard a guess that most MPs have broken the law at some stage in their lives.
"186 Indian Members of Parliament Have Criminal Cases Including Murder and Rape"
I disagree with Sean T and others at the end of the last thread. Blair is not broken by Chilcott. He's handling himself well. I'm not commenting on the arguments or the report but Blair's response.
Are politicians in this country just judged by how well they can talk bollocks these days ?
May needs to come clean on her health issues or apologise to the families of our fallen for her disrespect in nodding off during Cameron's statement.Either way she is clearly unfit to be PM.
That's a pretty low comment.
Driven by the same ideological purity as those who harass Labour women MPs that oppose Corbyn. The similarities between Leadsom and Corbyn are becoming more and more difficult to ignore.
The one person who has hardly been mentioned today is Goldsmith, his Masters Voice. From a January legal opinion which said a second resolution was needed, to early March where he indicated that the situation had changed but a second resolution was still needed. Then miraculously, he changed his mind in mid-March after flying to Washington.
The point is regardless of the fact the Americans would have gone ahead anyway, a legal opinion that in international law a second resolution is needed does not change just because one was not forthcoming.
Another was the JIC Chairman. A year or so later he was actually promoted to Chief of MI5 despite it becoming clear by this time taht they had sold a pup.
Are you suggesting that there was corruption at the highest levels, Mr Surbiton?
Surely not. Ths is the Labour Party that we are talking about.
May needs to come clean on her health issues or apologise to the families of our fallen for her disrespect in nodding off during Cameron's statement.Either way she is clearly unfit to be PM.
That's a pretty low comment.
Driven by the same ideological purity as those who harass Labour women MPs that oppose Corbyn. The similarities between Leadsom and Corbyn are becoming more and more difficult to ignore.
May needs to come clean on her health issues or apologise to the families of our fallen for her disrespect in nodding off during Cameron's statement.Either way she is clearly unfit to be PM.
That's a pretty low comment.
Driven by the same ideological purity as those who harass Labour women MPs that oppose Corbyn. The similarities between Leadsom and Corbyn are becoming more and more difficult to ignore.
I think each represents self-indulgence on the part of members.
I disagree with Sean T and others at the end of the last thread. Blair is not broken by Chilcott. He's handling himself well. I'm not commenting on the arguments or the report but Blair's response.
Yes, it's a masterful response (didn't see the start of it).
ABC are now calling 72 Coalition MPs to 66 Labour and 5 Others.
Of the remaining 7 seats, Labour lead in 5 and the Coalition in 2. But, the leads are tiny, and the Coalition is gaining ground as postal votes are counted.
May needs to come clean on her health issues or apologise to the families of our fallen for her disrespect in nodding off during Cameron's statement.Either way she is clearly unfit to be PM.
Members of the House falling asleep after luncheon is not exactly unknown, so hardly a dreadful offence. Besides, Theresa May is not exactly in the first bloom of youth and many of us richer in years rather like a little nap in the early afternoon.
Actually, are we sure she was asleep. She may have closed her eyes so as to be better able to concentrate on what was being said - another habit of older people, I do it frequently at concerts, the theatre, on trains and so forth.
May needs to come clean on her health issues or apologise to the families of our fallen for her disrespect in nodding off during Cameron's statement.Either way she is clearly unfit to be PM.
That's a pretty low comment.
Driven by the same ideological purity as those who harass Labour women MPs that oppose Corbyn. The similarities between Leadsom and Corbyn are becoming more and more difficult to ignore.
I think each represents self-indulgence on the part of members.
Hopefully the polls and all of the anecdotes are right about the race and May will walk it.
I disagree with Sean T and others at the end of the last thread. Blair is not broken by Chilcott. He's handling himself well. I'm not commenting on the arguments or the report but Blair's response.
Yes, it's a masterful response (didn't see the start of it).
He was very shaky at the start but now he is dealing with questions he is in his stride
Since, given the candidates that both the Democrats and the Republicans are serving up, 70 is apparently not too old to be President of the USA, I can't see why 60 would be too old to be Prime Minister.
I disagree with Sean T and others at the end of the last thread. Blair is not broken by Chilcott. He's handling himself well. I'm not commenting on the arguments or the report but Blair's response.
Yes, it's a masterful response (didn't see the start of it).
He was very shaky at the start but now he is dealing with questions he is in his stride
He's had several months to prepare his defence.
Journalists have only had a few hours to read the report.
Good tactical move by Blair to have his press conference while he is at an advantage.
I disagree with Sean T and others at the end of the last thread. Blair is not broken by Chilcott. He's handling himself well. I'm not commenting on the arguments or the report but Blair's response.
Yes, it's a masterful response (didn't see the start of it).
Blair is a first class actor.
Would that he had gone on the stage. He would have made far more money and been respected. We would have been spared his debasement of cabinet government, the constitution as well as a lot of lives would not have been lost or ruined.
The one person who has hardly been mentioned today is Goldsmith, his Masters Voice. From a January legal opinion which said a second resolution was needed, to early March where he indicated that the situation had changed but a second resolution was still needed. Then miraculously, he changed his mind in mid-March after flying to Washington.
The point is regardless of the fact the Americans would have gone ahead anyway, a legal opinion that in international law a second resolution is needed does not change just because one was not forthcoming.
Another was the JIC Chairman. A year or so later he was actually promoted to Chief of MI5 despite it becoming clear by this time taht they had sold a pup.
Are you suggesting that there was corruption at the highest levels, Mr Surbiton?
Surely not. Ths is the Labour Party that we are talking about.
This was the Labour party I resigned from in March 2003. Were the decision makers corrupt ? Yes, they were.
One more point: So many Labour MPs from the time and virtually the entire Tory party [ brave exceptions: Clarke, Heseltine etc. ] says today that they took the decisions they took given what was shown to them.
How come Robin Cook came to a different and correct decision ? In his speech [ perhaps the greatest speech in Parliament in recent years ], he mentions absolutely clear that Iraq did not possess WMD as it was understood by most people.
Comments
Good afternoon, everybody.
Third like LeadsomFourth like Crabb
(a) Being a bit of a playboy (well fine)
(b) His romantic history, and most problematically his sexuality.
And thus we got tweets like:
Owen Jones@OwenJones84
I don't have Chuka's politics (at all) But really hope he hasn't been forced to withdraw for anything we shouldn't give a toss about in 2015
Ben Bradshaw was also a high profile supporter.
Now I have seen no conclusive evidence of anything. Whatever the truth, Chuka did come across as deeply unhappy when fighting off accusations, which gave the distinct impression there were issues that need to be dealt with of one sort or another.
Brexit and Chilcot, painful and jarring as they are, will allow us to finally move on from the 1994-2016 era.
Hopefully, from the ruins, will emerge a new, vibrant, kinder (and hopefully far less cynical) politics.
If May in her first cabinet were to give Crabb the Education brief say, would it be a sideways move?
...
I'll get my coat
And then disappeared from public life.
She should cut out the jiggery pokery and face whoever those MPs who are unconvinced by her think she should face. She should have the easy beating of either of them.
a) make robots feel empathy
b) get them to ask questions rather than answer them
We have a long, long way to go before they catch up with human beings.
We don't need plaster saints running the country. I'm much more concerned with Leadsom's porkies than whether Chuka snorted something in his mis-spent youth*.
* For our OGH's sake, I'm not implying he did of course!
You know, become a bit of a hermit?
Good job he was clean on his expenses...
https://twitter.com/SkyNewsBreak/status/750688219264606208
I don't agree with all of Chukka's politics. But I recognised someone who was saleable and was advocating radical reform in 2015. I was very disappointed that he withdrew after 3 days - but for him now to demand leadership from others having (a) bottled it and (b) been awol ever since seems a bit rich. Even for someone as flamboyant as Chukka.
Their bargaining position is alot stronger post Brexit !
She's seen her country pull out of the EU (after her very subtle interventions on the behalf of the LEAVE campaign) and now her tenth (and one suspects least liked) Prime Minister is publicly shredded!
FIFY.
But quite. Those who moralise about such matters should ask themselves whether they would disqualify from a political career anyone who has ever broken the speed limit.
I asked the Dundonian bloke beside me what was up with the kid.
"Scott Crabbe's" he replied.
Odd how he hasn't had anything to say to the world on that war in Iraq.
Simba has confirmed he will run for leadership of the Labour party. He didn't vote for the Iraq war and reckons his chances are "better than 50-50" against Eagle.
Why? I'd hazard a guess that most MPs have broken the law at some stage in their lives.
As I understand it - via third-hand Chinese whispers from Streatham Labour people admittedly - there are some things that Chukka would like to keep from some of his older relatives who have rather less liberal views. Might be that he just doesn't want to cause them upset or shock, but could also be a legitimate fear of being disowned or disinherited?
Either way, it wouldn't surprise me at all if he made another bid for leader once said individuals have passed on and nobody bats an eyelid.
There were photos of Ozzy, but they didn't stop him being Chancellor.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_State_of_Iraq
The point is regardless of the fact the Americans would have gone ahead anyway, a legal opinion that in international law a second resolution is needed does not change just because one was not forthcoming.
Another was the JIC Chairman. A year or so later he was actually promoted to Chief of MI5 despite it becoming clear by this time taht they had sold a pup.
http://www.ibtimes.co.in/186-indian-members-parliament-have-criminal-cases-including-murder-rape-600584
Surely not. Ths is the Labour Party that we are talking about.
One talks the pure unvarnished truth, but their delivery is stunted, stilted, poor.
The other talks utter crap, but in a rousing, excellent manner and gets everyone else to agree with them.
Who is right ?
Of the remaining 7 seats, Labour lead in 5 and the Coalition in 2. But, the leads are tiny, and the Coalition is gaining ground as postal votes are counted.
Actually, are we sure she was asleep. She may have closed her eyes so as to be better able to concentrate on what was being said - another habit of older people, I do it frequently at concerts, the theatre, on trains and so forth.
Is sixty too old to be PM nowadays?
Journalists have only had a few hours to read the report.
Good tactical move by Blair to have his press conference while he is at an advantage.
One more point: So many Labour MPs from the time and virtually the entire Tory party [ brave exceptions: Clarke, Heseltine etc. ] says today that they took the decisions they took given what was shown to them.
How come Robin Cook came to a different and correct decision ?
In his speech [ perhaps the greatest speech in Parliament in recent years ], he mentions absolutely clear that Iraq did not possess WMD as it was understood by most people.