[mattomac]

Got to love the Lee Anderson opinion next to it.

Yeah it was COP that did all the damage… the thing that did nothing.

[davidjay]

Yes, but IT ISN'T TWENTY POINTS CLEAR!!!

[Tubby Isaacs]

I think the important thing right now is to have a sense of perspective right now. Yes things are going well at the moment but there was a period when Milliband was doing well and look how that turned out, but at the same time stating it's all going to go wrong isn't helpful either.

Do you follow this person on Twitter? Good points made here. What you need- lead on economic competence and lead on leader. Milliband never had those, and lead was very flimsy even if it looked large.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Interesting. I'd be surprised if Sunak could hold this position v the Lib Dems- how would he do this while handling the headbangers? But he's less popular with Lab-Con switchers.

[The Weeping Angel]

I think the important thing right now is to have a sense of perspective right now. Yes things are going well at the moment but there was a period when Milliband was doing well and look how that turned out, but at the same time stating it's all going to go wrong isn't helpful either.

Do you follow this person on Twitter? Good points made here. What you need- lead on economic competence and lead on leader. Milliband never had those, and lead was very flimsy even if it looked large.

No. She does meet good points and Labour are starting to close the gap on economic comeptence and Starmer is leading in the PM/leader polls.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Point taken, a week’s a long time etc. but it gets harder to see any dry land for Johnson to sail to. Speaking of which

More here, also encouraging. Labour vote sounds very efficient from this.

[Youngian]

And Labour is now leading on economic competence according to the MoS polling

[Tubby Isaacs]

I can live with this if it helps the blonde liability stay in place for a bit longer.

[mattomac]

Seemed to help him against the LD in the Poll overall. Labour stayed steady.

It’s probably been because it’s Christmas though.

[Abernathy]

I’ve been saying ever since Starmer became leader that his task was in essence three-fold :

Stage 1 : Regain control of the party’s power structures, begin to deal effectively with the anti-semitism problem, and neutralise the Trots.

Stage 2 : Regain the trust of the electorate, re-establishing the Labour Party as a credible alternative party of government again, and cementing in the public consciousness the idea of Keir Starmer as THE alternative Prime Minister in waiting, and the shadow cabinet (which he has finally fully populated with highly competent, capable, and charismatic MPs) as THE alternative government in waiting.

Stage 3 : Build a credible alternative policy offer, on Coronavirus recovery, mitigation of the consequences of the Tory Brexit (aka “make Brexit work” - which I am slightly concerned about as a slogan), re-building the economy, the housing sector, schools and the NHS. Meanwhile, get Labour’s campaign machinery back in shape. Re-structure the regional offices, and get proper organisational resources back in place.

Stage one is largely complete. Stage two is, tentatively, beginning to be classed as achieved too - we need it to continue all the way to the election, though. Stage three is in progress ( https://labourlist.org/2021/10/every-ne ... ence-2021/ ) and will be fully ready whenever the election comes, despite the calumny, myth as it is and encouraged by the Trots that “nobody knows what Labour stands for”.

It’s all been a bit softly softly catchee monkey, but thus far, in my view, Starmer has put nary a foot wrong in a uniquely difficult political climate. His key speech today reinforces Stage 2, and keeps the party on course. There will be rocky patches on the road ahead, for sure (though as time goes by I’m less and less concerned about the Ford report), but as long as we hold our nerve, the Trot spanners that they keep trying to lob into the works won’t derail Starmer’s journey (please excuse the mixed metaphors). The ideal is to get the party into the position it was in from about mid 1995 - whereby just about every elector simply knew that when election day came round we were going to sling out a corrupt, incompetent government that had been there too long, and elect a new, capable, honest, and yes, exciting Labour government. Roll on, and bring it on.

[Cyclist]

...make Brexit work” - which I am slightly concerned about as a slogan

If it's any help, this very evening one of the local Brexiteers was grumbling on Facebook that "Boris brexit isn't working", a phrase I've never seen him use before. So Mr Starmer appears to have hit home with that one.

[Nigredo]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-59880263

2nd time he's had COVID and the 5th or 6th time he's had to go into self-isolation?

The more fanciful part of my brain wonders if there is there foul play to doctor his results so he has to stay home, then I realize what I'm operating on the same idiotic level as Corbynistas.

[Crabcakes]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-59880263

2nd time he's had COVID and the 5th or 6th time he's had to go into self-isolation?

The more fanciful part of my brain wonders if there is there foul play to doctor his results so he has to stay home, then I realize what I'm operating on the same idiotic level as Corbynistas.

I think it shows that if you work in a public role and meet with a lot of people who come in from all over, test regularly, stick to the rules and play fair to protect others, you'll be off a lot.

The bigger question is, why is Starmer off so much when others aren't? Is Johnson just not meeting that many people, or is it he doesn't test or worry about isolating if he feels OK?

I can tell you what my money would be on...

[Nigredo]

Doubtful that Johnson runs into that many people on the grounds of Chequers.

[Cyclist]

How many people can you fit in a fridge?

[Andy McDandy]

Depends. Are they fit posh blondes?

[mattomac]

I assume he never tests

[Tubby Isaacs]

I see this group of heavyweight statisticians are on Sir Keir's case.

"Sorry chaps, you'll have to wait 5 years for that op while we train up our own staff", that's real election winning stuff.

[Andy McDandy]

Isn't Stats for Lefties a sitcom about a clueless estate agent?

[Tubby Isaacs]

The what? Why would you purchase "capacity that went unused" when you're trying to get waiting lists down? How would that work? Would you forget to send people over? Or not notice when they came back without having had their operations?