Chuka Umunna Withdraws

[toalisi]

He has just announced he will not be standing for Labour
leader.

[andy-hughes]

Interesting - I would have thought he was a sound candidate.

Who on earth have they got that can be credible?

[bhg481]

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/News/Question1419752.html

toalisi - why not report your own post and get ED to delete it rather than have two parallel threads? I did that last week.

[SlackAlice]

Already discussing here

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/News/Question1419752.html

☺☺☺

[toalisi]

He said he didn't like the way some of the media was
digging into his personal life - what did he expect!

[toalisi]

Sorry alice.

Didn't see the other thread.

[Jomlett]

Michael Crick Channel 4

Umunna was upset the press doorstepped not just his mother, but his girlfriend's parents and even her 102-year old grandmother

[ludwig]

I can't say I blame him.
It's a good job we had a lengthy and expensive inquiry into standards of press behaviour. Lord knows what they'd be getting up to if we hadn't.

[mikey4444]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-32748106

This is a pity as he is one of Labour's high-flyers. But I have sympathy with his reasons. Cameron was in Swansea yesterday, surrounded by more people than normally guard the Queen !

[ToraToraTora]

I'm gutted, he was going to ensure another Tory win in 2020!

[mikey4444]

TTT...what evidence have you for saying that ? I know you are a Tory voter, but Umunna seems to be a decent enough chap. Someone has already mentioned that he has withdrawn perhaps because he is black....if that is so, its disgusting.

[naomi24]

Chuka Umunna doesn't appear to have the support of the unions - not left wing enough. We could be about to witness the lid finally closing on Labour's self-igniting coffin.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/labour/11600856/Union-bosses-demand-next-Labour-leader-be-more-left-wing-than-Ed-Miliband.html

[mikey4444]

Naomi...such flowery language ! Labour are in a much better position than the Tories were in 1997, and they managed to bounce back.

[naomi24]

Mikey, The unions don't seem to understand any more than you do that life has moved on. Cloth caps and tin lunch boxes are no longer de rigueur. 'The masses' now aspire to better things than that which Labour has to offer. Labour is stuck in the past and is the author of its own embarrassing demise.

[bazwillrun]

Hah...shows what a lightweight he is....can you imagine him trying to run the country, slightest bit of pressure and he'd fold....
let him carry on with his champagne socialist lifestyle

good riddance

[Baldric]

Displaying good taste imo, does not wish to be associated with failure!

[naomi24]

The unions hold enormous influence. He probably realises that, not being left wing enough, he has no chance.

[Kromovaracun]

We already have a centre-right party, naomi. We don't need two.

[naomi24]

Krom, it's not my call. Simply saying he doesn't have the support of the unions.

[whirlyhurly]

I'm pleased, he's not in the race. New blood is needed. (perhaps Mary Creagh ? )

[bhg481]

Labour MP Ben Bradshaw said he believed Mr Umunna’s decision was based around concerns for “an elderly mother and other relatives”.

"Mr Umunna’s elderly mother had been upset to be “chased” home by a newspaper reporter looking for comments".

Perhaps he's putting his family before his career.