Next Labour leader

[Zenyatta]

I think it's a lay. Surely people will see sense when the actually have the ballot paper in their hand. A Corbyn vote will destroy Labour and render the UK a one party state for a generation.

It's not a lay I'm afraid. Exactly the same thing happened in New Zealand. Everyone said the far-left ideological candidate would never win the leadership for the NZ Labour party, but he did. The polls are not lying.

[Zenyatta]

My tactic for now would be to look to lay Corbyn if the market starts to hint that the voting is different from the polling. That should show up in the market fairly quickly.

Based on what happened here in New Zealand, I strongly recommend you don't lay Corbyn. Everyone said the far-left ideological candidate would never win the leadership for the NZ Labour party, but he did. The polls are not lying. It's also exactly the same situation in the UK , right down to voting changes.

[Groovyelms]

Having a creditable opposition is I feel really important in a well developed democracy such as the uk because it should limit power and weald some common sense influences..

One huge issue I have with Corbyn ( loved that obi wan mock up), is he like one of his supporters the redoutable Dianne Abbot, has this complete head in the sand attitude to foriegn policy, ie we would not support action to stop isis, or which ever other band of zealots comes along next...
can't help feeling that effective action taken earlier could have completely altered the migrant situation in Europe..
I can just see Corbyn at the the oval office sitting down for a chat about sorting out world security (scruffy as usual) going on about on renationalizing the railways while ever more sadly disenfranchised migrants fight to get into the Uk for what by then will be an Eldorado for state handouts to all and sundry..

[tweebie1999]

Corbyn stays at home to work on his campaign. Cooper is going on a campaigning?? holiday in the USA, Burnham is going on holiday to Spain.

That just about sums it all up. They dont really care whether Coryn wins or not.

[Archangel]

I've always felt that increasing private shareholders in large companies would give people a say over how they are run if enough private shareholders have a stake.

But then you look at Betfair issuing a bonus of £11m on £40m in profits to its CEO and you realise that only wider ownership would stop that. Power is still concentrated for silly things like that to happen. Breon is feeling your back pocket right now and there is little to stop him.

A lot of people think that privitisation is the way to go because it produces more efficiency, which is probably true. However it also produces the need for more profit

Imagine if Betfair ran your electricity service or even the local hospital. I cant imagine the extra fees and charges they would come up with to make more profits

[Euler]

Reject 'Alice in Wonderland' politics, Blair tells Labour

Writing in the Observer, the former Labour prime minister accuses those backing Mr Corbyn for party leader of being in a "parallel reality". He says he does not know what is stoking "Corbynmania" but a win for Mr Corbyn would spell electoral disaster.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34100741

[to75ne]

cooper and burnham ( i seem to remember) were both ministers in browns government and shadows in millibands shadow cabinet.

kendall was a david milliband supporter, changed sides and became a shadow minister when dick ed won the leadership of the party.

all 3 contenders are failures multiple times on multiple levels.

they have been rejected by the public twice, they are failures. so blair would sooner labour party members voted for proven failures.

if it was not extremly important to have a strong oppossition to a governemnt (irrespective of its colour)i would laugh but what a mess. how can a once great political party end up in this mess, just devalues politics.

[Zenyatta]

If you want to know what's going to happen here, you should take a leaf out of the New Zealand experience.

In New Zealand, the Labour party, when electing its new leaders, opened the voting up to a wider electorate and left-wing, ideological candidates (in the vein of Jeremy Corbyn) did win.

But what happened is: they didn't last long, because they didn't have the support of the party. So we went through a succession of new leaders, whom were quickly deposed. First up we had David Shearer, who was deposed by David Cunliffe, and he in turn was quickly deposed by Andrew Little. So a string of new leader elections were getting called, as one new guy after another got elected by grass-roots activists and then deposed by the party.

I think what you'll find in the UK is that the same sort of thing happens. Corbyn will win I think, but what you will find is that he won't last long (I believe he is likely to be deposed within a year). So you are likely to see a string of new Labour leaders before your next election. Might want to bear that in mind when betting in the political markets!

[Euler]

Cooper shorter, replacing Burnham but that battle appears to have helped Corbyn again.

12th September nears....

[Euler]

Voting closes at midday today, will be keeping an eye on the market.

[LeTiss]

Voting closes at midday today, will be keeping an eye on the market.

Looks a done deal now - Corbyn trading under 1.10

[Euler]

I'd imagine the vote socialist vote counters will be engaging in some capitalism. So yes, I'd say Labour are about to commit suicide.

[Zenyatta]

So yes, I'd say Labour are about to commit suicide.

Nah, Corbyn is only a transitional figure who doesn't have the support of the party - he'll be gone within the year - and yes - you can safely put money on that

[Euler]

Pretty much every paper forecasting the death of Labour

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-34229262

[CLOWNSHOES]

Never trust a man who wears high socks with shorts.