The Labour Leadership Race

So I have finally decided to say what I think on the Leadership race that I would love to say has been active; intriguing and about the challenges we face in the Labour party.

Realistically it's been a bit boring; quite predictable and gone on for too long.

So let's get straight to it - the main thing the contest has lacked is an alternative viewpoint, Diane Abbott has tried and thrown out the same few lines each time but the contest would have been better had John McDonnell been on the ballot paper. He wouldn't have won but his presence would have made the contest far more honest!

Ed Balls has, well, just started bothering now and looked quite disinterested early on - had he made more of an effort I think he would have done better, some of his housing policies are good but too little too late

Andy Burnham - well there's not really much to say. I like his policy against parachuting candidates in to safe-seats it has always annoyed me when people with no link to an area are suddenly given the MP role there, but that's about all I do agree with Burnham on

Diane Abbott - I was going to vote for her when all the candidates declared, and then she has failed to do that much. She can be proud of the fact she has stood by her principles but hasn't really shown anything else that would make her right to be Labour leader

And so onto the 2 main contenders:

Those who know me know that I cannot stand David Milband - when I joined the Labour party it was to be a member of the Labour party not a Central party. His agenda is one of win the centre, and everything that comes out of his mouth just irritates me. The best way to describe him is 'Diet-Blair'. He is the closest to Blair and Mandleson and the New Labour rhetoric and that's not why I am a member of Labour. I have said it before if he wins I will leave the party because it will be a clear sign that the direction and agenda of the party is not one that I can support. Today summed it up for me when he spoke of how he was pleased to have the endorsment of The Times - proud to have the support of an anti-Union paper?? That is not the kind of person I want to lead my party!!

And so Ed Miliband...now I'm not stupid enough to believe the way he has tried to wash his hands of every decision the party has taken in recent years, because he was makin some of those. But what I have seen is someone willing to admit the mistakes and also set out policies that I think the Labour party should be following. The Living Wage being the main one.

As someone who believes in Trade Unionism, and a member of the GMB I did vote for Ed Miliband because I can see him leading a party with Trade Unions at the centre of it - not sitting on the sidelines! A party that actually fights on beliefs rather than concentrating on winning over middle-England and screwing those that created it! And a party that concentrates less on the 'in-crowd' and more on people!

So that's it my ballot paper was #1 Ed Miliband #2 Ed Balls # 3 Diane Abbott and #4 Andy Burnham

But what I have seen hasn't been the most exciting or dynamic leadership contest in years - and also hasn't had much disagreement amongst candidates (except the odd twitter sniping amongst campaign teams...but it is an election and I'd have been worried if supporters weren't going at each other)

So that's it - I would have liked some bigger idealogical debates but I hope to be a Labour party member after the result is announced...if I'm not then you know the wrong (or should I say right) candidate has been elected