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Johnson replaced by Balls

I don't like the bloke can't help feel he could be exactly what Labour need right now, a bit of an attack dog so to speak. Carries some baggage though.
 
He's not very likeable (Although I'm sure he is a nice chap), but he is clearly very intelligent and more suited to this role anyone else (Other than maybe his wife).

None of this changes that fact that Labour is an ideological mess at the moment. The colossal strategic error of Miliband saying that Labour are to now start from a 'blank sheet of paper' made Labour seem like, well, a blank sheet of paper. I know he was trying to convey the impression that New Labour was dead, but it just reinforced the impression that he has no vision for the party. Months go by, the criticisms mount, and there is still no alternative economic vision. It's opposition for opposition sake. It may win momentary votes to oppose the VAT hike, but sooner or later, after they have got used to it, people are going to ask what the hell you would do instead. Important to look with purpose into the future, not just gaze wistfully. I'm still holding out hope David Miliband will return, as I've always thought he was more Labour than people give him credit for, with genuinely progressive ideas.

Labour have a golden opportunity to be the party that defends the state, being confronted by this Frankenstein party united by its determination to undermine it. A party that is willing to get rid of vital public services at the same time as pouring money into Toby Young's vanity project.

Power, Wealth and Opportunity, in the hands of the many not the few.
Great words. Time to put a plan in place to achieve it.
 
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Rumours are that the Alan Johnson story (affair, possible pregnancy, wife leaving him) was leaked to the press by a source close to Balls. If that gets substantiated, he could have a short reign as shadow chancellor.

Brownite takeover of Labour party complete? Two Ed's & Yvette in key positions.
 
Good for the labour party. Johnson was always too blairite. Labour need to stop standing 2 inches to the left of the tories to try to pick up "lesser of three evils" votes, and start taking a firm stance to the left that will actually inspire hope in the unions and activists opposing the cuts.

I agree in part with undesired walrus' analysis. Seems to me that Labour have got plenty of ideas, but in the words of aneurin bevan, "no bloody vision".
 
stokes234 said:
Good for the labour party. Johnson was always too blairite. Labour need to stop standing 2 inches to the left of the tories to try to pick up "lesser of three evils" votes, and start taking a firm stance to the left that will actually inspire hope in the unions and activists opposing the cuts.

I agree in part with undesired walrus' analysis. Seems to me that Labour have got plenty of ideas, but in the words of aneurin bevan, "no bloody vision".
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That's an interesting spin to put on it. A bit like claiming the departure of Coulsen is good news for the Tories.

It is hard to see it as good news for Miliband - he clearly didn't want Balls as chancellor. Either his judgement was wrong previously, when he preferred Johnson for the job, or he has ended up in a worse position now that Balls has the job.

Labour won elections with Blair (like him or not) and lost the only one when Brown was in charge. The takeover by the party by Brown's supporters may not translate into popularity with the voters.
 
Undesired Walrus said:
He's not very likeable (Although I'm sure he is a nice chap), but he is clearly very intelligent and more suited to this role anyone else (Other than maybe his wife).

None of this changes that fact that Labour is an ideological mess at the moment. The colossal strategic error of Miliband saying that Labour are to now start from a 'blank sheet of paper' made Labour seem like, well, a blank sheet of paper.
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Thats not a problem. When you are in oposition being a blank sheet of paper is good because the governing party won't have much to attack you with. Sure the media don't like it and voters claim they don't like it but in reality it doesn't seem to be much of a handicap.
 
Jaggy Bunnet said:
That's an interesting spin to put on it. A bit like claiming the departure of Coulsen is good news for the Tories.

It is hard to see it as good news for Miliband - he clearly didn't want Balls as chancellor. Either his judgement was wrong previously, when he preferred Johnson for the job, or he has ended up in a worse position now that Balls has the job.

Labour won elections with Blair (like him or not) and lost the only one when Brown was in charge. The takeover by the party by Brown's supporters may not translate into popularity with the voters.
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You may be right - though I would point out that the disagreements between milliband and johnson on 50p tax and graduate taxes weren't exactly stellar for PR.

However, I don't see popularity with the voters as the only positive trait in a political party. Blair was popular with the voters, but his position at head of the labour party prevented the existence of a left-wing alternative. With blair in power, you were basically voting right wing, or centre-right. I wanted to vote left wing, and for me the shift from johnson to balls is a step in the right direction towards someday achieving that.
 
Jaggy Bunnet said:
Labour won elections with Blair (like him or not) and lost the only one when Brown was in charge. The takeover by the party by Brown's supporters may not translate into popularity with the voters.
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Attlee (Arguably the most left-wing Prime Minister the UK has ever had) won more votes in the 1951 election than Labour ever did under Blair. Sure, Britain was different then, but it's different now to how it was under Blair.
 
In related news, Ed Balls' chances of being the next Labour leader have jumped, as have David Miliband's:

Somewhat inexplicably, James Purnell is in there, despite not even being an MP anymore.

Next Permanent Labour Party Leader
David Miliband
6.00
Yvette Cooper
6.00
Ed Balls
9.00
Chuka Umanna
11.00
Andy Burnham
15.00
James Purnell
17.00
Lisa Nandy
17.00
Rachel Reeves
21.00
Harriet Harman
26.00
Rushanara Ali
26.00

Wait, wait, Chuka Umunna at 11.00? Given he only became an MP last May that's a fast rise to prominence.
 
Professor Yaffle said:
Brown's unpopularity was more down to his personality and image than anything to do with his policies.
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Partly down to the recurring case of governments becoming less popular over time, as well, along with blairs hugely unpopular iraq war decisions which brown did nothing to oppose. Though neither did miliband or balls.

I would have liked to have seen jon cruddas at least run for the spot. Dianne abbot - who sends her kids to private school - being the only "left-wing" candidate was a massive shame.
 
stokes234 said:
Partly down to the recurring case of governments becoming less popular over time, as well, along with blairs hugely unpopular iraq war decisions which brown did nothing to oppose. Though neither did miliband or balls.
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Although I disagree with Miliband Snr on his support for Iraq, I at least respect him for getting fed up of his brother's sudden realisation that the war was wrong:



I would have liked to have seen jon cruddas at least run for the spot. Dianne abbot - who sends her kids to private school - being the only "left-wing" candidate was a massive shame.
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She's not that left wing. Sure, she belongs to the tax the rich side of the Labour party, but that doesn't make her any more than a strong social democrat, using the continuation of excessive capital to fund public services.
 
Undesired Walrus said:
She's not that left wing. Sure, she belongs to the tax the rich side of the Labour party, but that doesn't make her any more than a strong social democrat, using the continuation of excessive capital to fund public services.
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In my dictionary, that is left-wing these days in britain. It's what I support, and it's certainly far to the left of the coalition government's policies.

She doesn't support nationalising the countries industry, or removing the legal right to private property, but the idea that the left-wing of britain actually support those measures in any sort of significant number is a myth.
 
Balls was always closer to Brown than Johnson, but usually only by a hair's breadth. Right now, none of them should be any stranger to the sack.
The fact that Johnson made a stand and went off has really messed up the body politic, but there was a lot of friction caused by Johnson's many attempts to rub off on various members in the party, leaving Balls feeling drained and Brown rather twitchy.
 
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plumjam said:
Balls was always closer to Brown than Johnson, but usually only by a hair's breadth.
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Not really.

Balls was economic adviser to Brown from 94-97. Boss = Brown

From 99-04 he was chief economic adviser to the Treasury. Boss = Brown

In 2006, having got elected he became economic secretary to the Treasury. Boss = Brown

Once Brown became PM, Balls got a promotion to Secretary of State. Boss = Brown
 
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