“The online nominations ticker last night recorded the leftwingers John McDonnell and Diane Abbott with the backing of six MPs and one respectively. Even if they pool their efforts, as they certainly should, they will probably fail to reach the hurdle of 33 which must be cleared before ordinary members get a say. The pair can sound naive in characterising public opinion, but on specific issues such as ID cards, Iraq and tax their arguments do not merely resonate on Labour’s radical fringe, but across swaths of middle England.” – The Guardian
Abbott: making her case for the leadership
“Asked whether she could get sufficient support to get on the ballot paper, Abbott replied: “I want to make the very best case I can for taking part in the final debate over who will be leading the Labour Party. I think we are in a pivotal moment for the Labour Party.”” – The Voice
“This leadership election ought to be a showcase for the modern Labour Party and actually enthuse the public. And it ought to embrace all wings of the party. If the current front-runners are the only contenders, it will be a less lively debate and less true to the breadth of opinion inside the party. So that is why I am standing in this election.” – Diane Abbott, Tribune Magazine
“We’ve always known that Alastair Campbell doesn’t have a great deal of time for Ed Balls. But it’s still gratifying to have this finally confirmed.” – New Statesman blogs on Alastair Campbell’s new diaries
Milibands: the sibling rivalry debate rolls on
“[Psychologist Dr Apter’s] opinion, which won’t cheer the families of the Milibands or any other brotherly duellers, is that the rivalry doesn’t end with the contest. “No amount of public or professional success puts to rest the question of ‘how do I measure up against him?’ ” says Dr Apter.
“With the Milibands there is the added dimension that their father, a charismatic left-wing intellectual, is dead. Dr Apter says that it is not hard to imagine their thoughts: “My brother may be Prime Minister but I’m the better son. My father would have been prouder of me. I’m the real heir.” – The Times
The Issues
“Pro-immigration groups and leftwing activists have spoken out against Labour’s leadership candidates for blaming the party’s electoral defeat on lax rules allowing too many people into the UK. Hina Majid, legal policy director at the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, told The FT the group was ‘worried about the direction the party might be taking’.” – The Financial Times
Jim Garner Enters the Leadership Race
“This blogger didn’t plan to post while on holiday, but news that the South Luxton and Wetfield MP Jim Garner is seeking nominations for the Labour leadership has reached Scrapbook” – Political Scrapbook
Lord Prescott and the Environmental Campaign
Lord Prescott
“In many respects, it’s not the 71-year-old political bruiser’s fault that he, once again, finds himself the subject of such ridicule – everyone knows that he has accepted the peerage so his delightfully charming wife Pauline, who has put up with so much over the years, can become Lady P and that this was one argument that Prescott was never going to win.” –Yorkshire Post
“John Prescott has claimed he only accepted his life peerage to continue his campaigning work on the environment…yesterday he insisted his decision to become Lord Prescott had been motivated by his desire to carry on with his work on environmental issues, having recently returned from China where he was in talks about the issue.” – The Scotsman
Labour and Plaid Cymru’s War of Words on Defence
“While Plaid’s policy on defence and international relations will be discussed, the purpose of the conference is not to create official party policy. Plaid is a democratic party and our policies are passed by our membership at either the Annual Conference or National Council meetings. How Derek Vaughan can claim to be ‘shocked’ is beyond me. The Labour Party regularly hold academic conferences with various groups and think-tanks. With their disastrous track record in government in Westminster of leading us into illegal and immoral wars, Plaid will take no lessons on foreign policy from the Labour party.” A Plaid Cymru Statesman – Wales Online
