willpower3
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Post by willpower3 on Jun 23, 2023 21:23:35 GMT
What if George Galloway had been the hard left Labour leader rather than Jeremy Corbyn?
I can envision a scenario in which he actually leads Labour to victory. It would probably require the UK to be or approaching a Greek-style economic basketcase, to have failing public services, a lack of public trust in just about every major institution, various protest movements (many of which completely silly and designed to rile and annoy people), a multitude of political scandals and for the Tories to have a completely inept leader. Not that any of those things are the case right now.
Unlike Corbyn, he's a bombastic fighter, never knowingly polite to his enemies. Unlike Corbyn, he's working-class, and would appeal to certain kinds of key voters. Unlike Corbyn, he's capable of using patriotic rhetoric (see his Brexit campaign). Tone down his maverickness and it could have happened, perhaps still could.
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Post by manchesterman on Jun 23, 2023 21:32:17 GMT
God/Allah/Woden help us!
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Post by carlton43 on Jun 23, 2023 21:37:51 GMT
Serious brand recognition cut through here. Could I induce you to use 'Snoflake' in the same sentence? |
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Post by batman on Jun 24, 2023 0:29:05 GMT
It couldn't have happened. For a start Galloway left the Labour Party years before the 2015 vacancy. Even if he had not resigned from the Labour Party, or been expelled from it, Galloway was never known to be willing or able to work effectively with colleagues, and he didn't even join the Socialist Campaign Group when a Labour MP, preferring to plough his own furrow. He thus would never have got the necessary nominations. Corbyn on the other hand had few personal (as opposed to political) enemies in the PLP and was a much better networker in that environment. That's part of the reason he got the necessary nominations, but John McDonnell didn't.
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Post by jakegb on Jun 24, 2023 7:27:53 GMT
He may well have done better in Scotland - offering a serious alternative to Sturgeon/the SNP.
But he would have been toxic in vast swathes of middle England - perhaps more so than Corbyn (especially in the 17 election).
An interesting scenario to entertain ...
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Post by timrollpickering on Jun 24, 2023 8:50:29 GMT
It couldn't have happened. For a start Galloway left the Labour Party years before the 2015 vacancy. Even if he had not resigned from the Labour Party, or been expelled from it, He would also have had to survive the reduction in Scottish seats in 2005. ISTR his defenders arguing that his expulsion helped reduce potential struggles in the Glasgow Labour Party (and that his expulsion was motivated by this though it's not the only nonsense from Galloway backers). Would he have survived the changes and the potential nomination battle(s)? |
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The Bishop
Labour
Down With Factionalism!
Posts: 38,946
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Post by The Bishop on Jun 24, 2023 9:11:17 GMT
Basically the OP is saying "Galloway might have done brilliantly if he wasn't actually Galloway".
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Post by manchesterman on Jun 24, 2023 9:38:25 GMT
The world needs fewer world leaders with egos the size of a planet, not more.
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Post by mattbewilson on Jun 24, 2023 10:17:26 GMT
Galloway is very charismatic. Matt Forte says as a young revolutionary he met George and was completely captured by his ability to sway an audience. Roy Hattersly once said that Tony Benn wasn't driven by ambition and had he been he probably could have leader of the party. I think the same is true of George. Like Bishop says if you took away the politics which is pretty much everything; he might have ended up as leader down to his pure charm, bombastic style and ability to capture the imagination.
Whether that's enough to win an election is another matter
I think the social conservative element of Galloway is quite confusing. Is it real? Opportunistic? Only he knows
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Post by michaelarden on Jun 24, 2023 23:30:38 GMT
He may well have done better in Scotland - offering a serious alternative to Sturgeon/the SNP. But he would have been toxic in vast swathes of middle England - perhaps more so than Corbyn (especially in the 17 election). An interesting scenario to entertain ... Which Galloway was that though? The one that appeared on a platform with Nicola Sturgeon calling for independence or the the Galloway that set up the All for Unity party with members of the Orange Order to oppose Scottish Independence? |
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Post by mattbewilson on Jun 24, 2023 23:47:11 GMT
It couldn't have happened. For a start Galloway left the Labour Party years before the 2015 vacancy. Even if he had not resigned from the Labour Party, or been expelled from it, He would also have had to survive the reduction in Scottish seats in 2005. ISTR his defenders arguing that his expulsion helped reduce potential struggles in the Glasgow Labour Party (and that his expulsion was motivated by this though it's not the only nonsense from Galloway backers). Would he have survived the changes and the potential nomination battle(s)? reading his Wikipedia page he apparently had already survived one boundary change with Hillhead being abolished and being able to defeat another MP for the Kelvin seat |
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Post by tamar on Jun 25, 2023 11:26:39 GMT
It couldn't have happened. For a start Galloway left the Labour Party years before the 2015 vacancy. Even if he had not resigned from the Labour Party, or been expelled from it, He would also have had to survive the reduction in Scottish seats in 2005. ISTR his defenders arguing that his expulsion helped reduce potential struggles in the Glasgow Labour Party (and that his expulsion was motivated by this though it's not the only nonsense from Galloway backers). Would he have survived the changes and the potential nomination battle(s)? We also have to assume away the indyref and the SLab wipeout. A still interesting but (slightly) less implausible scenario might be Galloway sticking it out in Labour, still losing his seat to the SNP in 2015, but then managing to become the hard left's choice for SLab leader. |
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stb12
Top Poster
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Post by stb12 on Jun 25, 2023 21:06:55 GMT
He may well have done better in Scotland - offering a serious alternative to Sturgeon/the SNP. But he would have been toxic in vast swathes of middle England - perhaps more so than Corbyn (especially in the 17 election). An interesting scenario to entertain ... Which Galloway was that though? The one that appeared on a platform with Nicola Sturgeon calling for independence or the the Galloway that set up the All for Unity party with members of the Orange Order to oppose Scottish Independence? When was this? |
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Post by greatkingrat on Jun 25, 2023 23:22:20 GMT
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Post by Strontium Dog on Jun 25, 2023 23:25:14 GMT
I don't like Galloway one little bit, but he's light years more intelligent than Corbyn. This alone leads me to think he would have navigated the pitfalls of leadership rather better.
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sirbenjamin
IFP
True fame is reading your name written in graffiti, but without the words 'is a wanker' after it.
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Post by sirbenjamin on Jun 26, 2023 15:23:57 GMT
Galloway didn't have a strong enough personal network in the right places.
Both had a knack for getting armies of activists and drones on side, but struggled for influence at a higher level. This is particularly true of George who burned bridges like they were petroleum-soaked trousers.
It was a challenge for Corbyn to hold onto the leadership, but he had just enough allies who we just about important enough to provide a bit of a bulwark. Galloway would've found this task even harder. Who the fuck serves in a Galloway shadow cabinet?
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Post by finsobruce on Jun 26, 2023 15:25:47 GMT
Galloway didn't have a strong enough personal network in the right places. Both had a knack for getting armies of activists and drones on side, but struggled for influence at a higher level. This is particularly true of George who burned bridges like they were petroleum-soaked trousers. It was a challenge for Corbyn to hold onto the leadership, but he had just enough allies who we just about important enough to provide a bit of a bulwark. Galloway would've found this task even harder. Who the fuck serves in a Galloway shadow cabinet?Galloway Galloway Galloway Galloway Galloway
and possibly John McDonnell.
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Post by Defenestrated Fipplebox on Jun 26, 2023 20:44:20 GMT
Galloway didn't have a strong enough personal network in the right places. Both had a knack for getting armies of activists and drones on side, but struggled for influence at a higher level. This is particularly true of George who burned bridges like they were petroleum-soaked trousers. It was a challenge for Corbyn to hold onto the leadership, but he had just enough allies who we just about important enough to provide a bit of a bulwark. Galloway would've found this task even harder. Who the fuck serves in a Galloway shadow cabinet?Galloway Galloway Galloway Galloway Galloway
and possibly John McDonnell.
No cat? Is that because it's already infiltrated number 10? |
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Post by finsobruce on Jun 26, 2023 22:02:51 GMT
Galloway Galloway Galloway Galloway Galloway
and possibly John McDonnell.
No cat? Is that because it's already infiltrated number 10? No! The cat would probably have been working for Sino-Siamese intelligence. |
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Post by agedlikewine on Jun 27, 2023 8:33:21 GMT
Who the fuck serves in a Galloway shadow cabinet? Most of the Iranian government |
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