On the 13/7 I predicted that Angela Eagles would drop out of the Labour Party leadership challenge and today she does just that. OK it wasn't quite as I predicted, she didn't bleat about bullying and threats as I expected. I did think when she pulled out they would pull something to try and damage Corbyn on the way out but I guess the brick NOT through her office window like she claimed, kind of scuppered that.
So that leaves Owen Smith as the main challenger?
That's the Owen Smith that became an MP just 6 years ago ...... More cannon fodder I suspect before the real challenger shows his hand?
Owen Smith was parachuted into the Labour safe seat of Pontypridd so that he could become an MP. So why was he bestowed that privilege. I mean its the same thing they did for Cameron, parachuted him into a safe Tory seat in Oxfordshire so he could be set up to be PM and it looks like the same has been set up for Smith.
Meanwhile Corbyn has never been parachuted into anywhere, hes just won election after election in his own borough for over 30 years. You would have thought that if there was really something wrong with the man, over 30 years they would have cottoned on? Just saying!
Now I have to say I dont know much about Owen Smith hes probably a nice bloke. He seems to have similar policies to Corbyn but Im having to make assumptions here because we only have since 2010 to go on. 6 years experience as an MP.
- In 30 years Corbyn has locked swords in the commons with many including Thatcher.
- Owen Smith was 12 when Corbyn was first elected as an MP
- Corbyn has been returned as MP 6 times by the voting public.
- Corbyn was returned as MP in 2010 with 60% of the votes 20% more than Owen Smith
- Corbyn was elected as leader with a massive majority of over 59% of the vote, the biggest in history.
- During Corbyns leadership the labour party membership has grown massively
- During Smiths time as an MP I can think of nothing that Im aware of him doing.
So is Owen Smith qualified to be leader and we are talking about leadership qualities here not just will he have the backing of the PLP. I have to say I have no idea, I don't know who he is, Ive not seen anything of him in the commons. I've not seen him enthuse tens of thousands of people to come out to hear him speak like Corbyn can and this is the crux of it for me.
Yes I understand that if the PLP wont work with him that's going to make life a tad difficult. Not insurmountable but difficult.
But to me those tens of thousands of people that are enthused by Corbyn go away from hearing him speak and even if they only talk to one person, thats another ten thousand people. If the 171 PLP go away and talk to just one person that's another 171, ill leave you to ponder the maths.
There's no evidence that I have seen that convinces me that Owen Smith is any better for the job than Corbyn. Corbyn can convince thousands to come and hear him speak. Something is going on there, so that's good enough for me. The ability to get thousands to attend and listen to your speeches is real leadership and a rare quality.
Islington North
Parliamentary constituency
LAB HOLD
Results
Labour
- 29,659
- 60.2
- +5.8
Conservative
- 8,465
- 17.2
- +3.0
Green Party
- 5,043
- 10.2
- +7.2
Liberal Democrat
- 3,984
- 8.1
- -18.6
UKIP
- 1,971
- 4.0
- +2.4
Socialist Party GB
- 112
- 0.2
- +0.2
Change compared with 2010
Pontypridd
Parliamentary constituency
LAB HOLD
Results
Labour
- 15,554
- 41.1
- +2.3
Conservative
- 6,569
- 17.3
- +1.2
UKIP
- 5,085
- 13.4
- +10.1
Liberal Democrat
- 4,904
- 12.9
- -18.2
Plaid Cymru
- 4,348
- 11.5
- +4.2
Green Party
- 992
- 2.6
- +1.6
Socialist Labour Party
- 332
- 0.9
- -0.4
TUSC
- 98
- 0.3
- +0.3
Change compared with 2010
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/who-owen-smith-everything-you-8413993
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Corbyn
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owen_Smith_(politician)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000763
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-36838808
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