Harriet Harman!

red flagger Sun Jun 24, 2007 at 03:18:14 PM GMT Print-friendly version Facebook

Who would have thought it?



I'm actually quite pleased with this result as she was my second preference- she said a lot of things I agreed with over the course of the DL contest, and, although it didn't enter my mind during voting, it's also good to have a gender-balanced team at the top. So, I'm happy- you thoughts?

tags: , , (all tags)

Display: Sort:
Harriet Harman! | 33 comments (33 topical)

Re: Harriet Harman! (#1)

by sgthowie on Sun Jun 24, 2007 at 03:22:59 PM GMT

Another example how the MP's are so out of touch with the grassroots.  The McDonnell debacle continues here.  MP's backed Johnson in droves only to find out that he did not have that backing amonst affiliates and ordinary party members.


Cruddas was ahead in the first round saying alot about the feeling amonst party members and affiliates.  Luckily his next preferences went to Harman to avoid the New Labour candidate getting it.  Could have been worse.  Didn't Cruddas do well though?


Re: Harriet Harman! (#2)

by NorthernMonkey on Sun Jun 24, 2007 at 04:12:14 PM GMT

Well based on your argument, you could say look at how out of touch the unions are against the membership - since the unions backed Alan Johnson over Harman, and yet Harman still won the membership vote.


[ Parent ]

Re: Harriet Harman! (#19)

by grimupnorth on Sun Jun 24, 2007 at 11:49:49 PM GMT

Hattie won cos Cruddas didn't back John. Frankly, a better result.


[ Parent ]

Re: Harriet Harman! (#20)

by laurencemarshall on Sun Jun 24, 2007 at 11:55:00 PM GMT

You're a bitter trot aren't you grim?


[ Parent ]

Re: Harriet Harman! (#23)

by jkitleft on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 10:29:04 AM GMT

I'm sorry Grim, but that's not true. Is there another campaign group, which had it's members flooding to Harman and Johnson?


[ Parent ]

Re: Harriet Harman! (#3)

by NorthernMonkey on Sun Jun 24, 2007 at 04:13:16 PM GMT

It's a reasonable result. I would have preferred Alan Johnson, but I suppose she's ok.


She gave a good speech and the gender-balance leadership is probably a good thing.


Re: Harriet Harman! (#4)

by CitizenAndreas on Sun Jun 24, 2007 at 04:18:50 PM GMT

She was my first preference for leader, so I am really very pleased, although admittedly a little surprised, that my first choice for leader is the winner. I wish Harriet every success in her future role as deputy leader.


Deputy Prime Minister? (#5)

by rwendland on Sun Jun 24, 2007 at 04:26:53 PM GMT

Brown said Harman would be "Party Chair" (by Blair's convention Minister without Portfolio in cabinet). Does this mean Brown won't appoint her DPM? Shame, if so.


Re: Harriet Harman! (#6)

by otware on Sun Jun 24, 2007 at 05:00:50 PM GMT

Wow that final round was close, eh? Glad it was Harman and not Johnson. I would have prefered Cruddas, but if he ca't be deputy then I'm more than happy with Harman instead. Good for her. She's done very well.


Re: Harriet Harman! (#7)

by MM on Sun Jun 24, 2007 at 05:33:18 PM GMT

Brown said she will be Party Chair.  Hopefully this means that somebody sensible such as Jack Straw is appointed Deputy Prime Minister.  Can somebody explain why Brown has appointed Mr Alexander as General Election co-ordinator?  He hardly set Scotland alight did he during the recent Parliamentary elections.


Re: Harriet Harman! (#8)

by NorthernMonkey on Sun Jun 24, 2007 at 05:36:01 PM GMT

I thought that too. And with Alistair Darling destined to be Chancellor, it's not exactly the most inspiring of Cabinets.


[ Parent ]

Re: Harriet Harman! (#33)

by swatantra on Tue Jun 26, 2007 at 03:01:40 PM GMT

No, but 'it'll do what it says on the tin'. And thats what we want, a series of quick wins and sound management, leading up to the next General Election.
If Harman had any sense she'd draft in Cruddas as her No. 2, and the two of them would go out into the Labour heartlands restoring trust and confidence.


[ Parent ]

Re: Harriet Harman! (#9)

by laurencemarshall on Sun Jun 24, 2007 at 06:12:16 PM GMT

Harman had a lot of good things to say during the campaign, but was she really just playing to the audience?

She made herself out to be be more left wing than the other candidates, but will she actually deliver on the issues she championed? Her record in government had been patchy, and I've always considered her on the right of the party. 

Has the party been duped? I certainly think it has. 


Re: Harriet Harman! (#29)

by laurencemarshall on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 06:10:27 PM GMT

And what do you know......

 
 


[ Parent ]

Re: Harriet Harman! (#10)

by Peter Kenyon on Sun Jun 24, 2007 at 07:43:54 PM GMT

Harriet Harman's 'appointment' as Party Chair is an interesting example of Gordon Brown not wanting to appear to cast aside his predecessor's decisions as such. But that's what GB has done. The post remains a fiction. As victor in the Deputy Leadership Harriet  has won a place on the Party's National Executive Committee by right. Let's not take that away from her.


Re: Harriet Harman! (#11)

by SocialistAC on Sun Jun 24, 2007 at 08:30:23 PM GMT

Better her than Johnson. Still, I don't think this is a great thing to celebrate.


Re: Harriet Harman! (#12)

by alexhilton on Sun Jun 24, 2007 at 08:40:10 PM GMT

Does anyone have the full results? - my figures are a few points out


Re: Harriet Harman! (#13)

by alexhilton on Sun Jun 24, 2007 at 09:03:26 PM GMT

1st Round:
Benn -16.4%
Blears - 11.7%
Cruddas - 19.3%
Hain - 15.32%
Harman - 18.95%
Johnson- 18.16%

2nd Round:
Benn - 18.2%
Blears - Out
Cruddas - 20.39%
Hain - 16.42%
Harman - 21.32%
Johnson- 23.74%

3rd Round:
Benn - 22.33%
Blears - Out
Cruddas - 23.89%
Hain - Out
Harman - 25.88%
Johnson- 27.9%

4th Round:
Benn -Out
Blears -Out
Cruddas -30.06%
Hain -Out
Harman - 33.58%
Johnson- 36.35%

5th Round:
Benn -Out
Blears -Out
Cruddas -Out
Hain -Out
Harman - 50.43%
Johnson- 49.56%


[ Parent ]

Re: Harriet Harman! (#14)

by Flo on Sun Jun 24, 2007 at 10:33:34 PM GMT

Fantastic news!


8 votes from my house!




Re: Harriet Harman! (#15)

by Group51 on Sun Jun 24, 2007 at 10:37:11 PM GMT

She was my second preference, so I can't complain.  I think it's good that it's a woman, and a southerner and represents Peckham.

I think the Blears result represents a sort of closure of the Blair years (for me at least).

 


Re: Harriet Harman! (#17)

by NorthernMonkey on Sun Jun 24, 2007 at 10:43:57 PM GMT

Blears scored 11.7% of the first-preference votes where as Harman got 18.95%. Hardly a huge difference is it?

The fact is no candidate got a ringing endorsement and no candidate was a catastrophic failure - they were all reasonably equal on popularity but Harman was the least unpopular.


[ Parent ]

Re: Harriet Harman! (#27)

by otware on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 05:40:54 PM GMT

Actually that is a fairly large difference.


[ Parent ]

Re: Harriet Harman! (#28)

by NorthernMonkey on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 05:48:07 PM GMT

How? They're both within the 10-20% range and no candidate managed to gain a fifth of the first preference votes so it's clear there was no overall favourite.


[ Parent ]

Re: Harriet Harman! (#16)

by Flo on Sun Jun 24, 2007 at 10:37:22 PM GMT

Who would have thought it?


Me!



Re: Harriet Harman! (#18)

by Paul on Sun Jun 24, 2007 at 11:10:24 PM GMT

Cruddas the kingmaker - who would have thought that either?!



Re: Harriet Harman! (#21)

by pipesmoke on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 08:28:23 AM GMT

She's now unsaying or denying she ever said everything she said in the election apart from man and woman balancing act.


Re: Harriet Harman! (#22)

by JamesM on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 09:39:29 AM GMT

A dreadful result.


Re: Harriet Harman! (#24)

by jkitleft on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 10:30:07 AM GMT

She will deny what she said about Iraq, Trident, Nucleur Power etc.


Re: Harriet Harman! (#25)

by pipesmoke on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 04:26:57 PM GMT

Can I claim a prediction prize? On either the result or the retraction. It's a good thing the result doesn't really matter.


Re: Harriet Harman! (#26)

by agouza1 on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 05:34:14 PM GMT

Did not most of the Labour Party membership vote for HH because she stood up for them in agreeing with Jon Cruddas that the Government should say sorry about the Iraq debacle.  Apparently she is now saying that she never said this.  Is this some kind of sick joke?


Re: Harriet Harman! (#30)

by jkitleft on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 07:22:53 PM GMT

she is wholly discrediting members, by saying that they care more about spin and perception, than policies. Her argument today has been that she was elected because of 'north/south, woman/man' etc. and won't admit that a substantial amount of her votes came from slamming the government on Iraq/Trident etc. If we are meant to make a break from spin, as many senior Labour politicians are saying, isn't it a bad start to say that Labour gives more attention to the PR, than the policies?


[ Parent ]

Re: Harriet Harman! (#32)

by swatantra on Tue Jun 26, 2007 at 01:49:03 PM GMT

No. Cruddas was spouting on about something on an Iraq apology and reconciliation. Harriet then followed almost immediatly with an 'I agree'.
So we don't know whether it was a reference to 'an apology' or the 'reconciliation' bit.
My own feeling is that Britain bears a large share of the burden for the suffering that we have put the Iraqi people through, that an unequivocal apology is required, followed by an unlimited offer to make reparations, at the cost to the British taxpayer.


[ Parent ]

Re: Harriet Harman! (#31)

by Curlew on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 11:54:47 PM GMT

Has anyone got the rest of the statistics - i.e. percentage turn-out , spoilt ballots etc?

Good result - it's a non-position so is right for someone who changes with the wind. Also means that the vaguely lefties amongst the candidates are now freer to vote against GB if they feel the need. (esp after he gives all the jobs to the opposition)



Harriet Harman! | 33 comments (33 topical)