Labour Leadership

I have got into politics since the previous election and at the moment I'm following the Labour Leadership race as well as the spending cuts that are to come.

The spending cuts deserve a blog post to themselves so I'll leave that for today.

The candidates for Labour leader are: Diane Abbott, Andy Burnham, Ed Balls, David Milliband and Ed Milliband.

Diane is only in the race thanks to David lending her his nomination to help her get across the 33MP nomination threshold. I'm glad she is on the ballot for i think she will help to widen the debate. I've been watching the New Statesman debate and I want to share my opinion on the candidates.

Diane Abbott as some very good ideas but i have heard that she is not very good at working with people or engaging with members of the parliamentary party. This is probably why she struggled to get on to the ballot paper. I think she has some good ideas but is not leadership material and i think Labour would struggle to survive under her leadership.

Andy Burnham is trying to put himself in the position as leader of the common people, the leader of the working class. Like Diane, i think he has some good ideas but is not leadership material and will not be able to stand up to Cameron or even Clegg. I think Labour would struggle under him.

Ed Balls is probably a bit too like Gordon. He has this likeable persona about him but it is very much an act. I think he is a bully, he would do well in the Prime Minister question exchanges but he couldn't lead this country or make this country better.

David Milliband is probably the only candidate with the best leader qualities but i feel he is too remote from the people. He is, for me, too difficult to connect with. Whilst he maybe the best candidate, whether he could win the role of PM, i don't know. Perhaps i think he is the best candidate because of that ability to seem disengaged from the world around him.

Ed Milliband is probably the next best candidate for leader of the Labour party. My one problem i have with Ed M is that i just can't see him leading anything whether that is the Labour party or even the country. I just can't see Ed as the next PM.

The only candidate that I can see as Prime Minister of the UK is David Milliband, my one problem is I just can't connect with him. He is, in my opinion too remote from the people.