Diane Abbott joins Labour leadership race

[olddutch]

Leftwing Labour MP Diane Abbott announced today she was running for the party leadership, becoming the first woman to enter the race.

In a surprise move, the Labour MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington said she was confident of attracting the 33 nominations needed to get her on to the ballot paper.

She becomes the sixth participant in the contest, after David Miliband, Ed Miliband, Ed Balls, John McDonnell and Andy Burnham.

Abbott told BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning that she wanted to open up the field because she did not feel there was "a lot" between the candidates who had thrown their hats in the ring so far.

Any chance of her winning and how would Labour change under her leadership ?

[rowanwitch]

No chance of winning but while I don't agree with her politics she has never been afraid to speak out for what she believes, and was never controlled by Campbells thought police...

[kinell]

she could be successful

in the true and recent labour style of democracy she could come second in the vote and still insist on being in charge on merit

[bazwillrun]

ROTFLMAO when i heard, she think shes do an obama i suppose, fat chance of her getting anywhere luckily

[jackthehat]

Diane Abbott...........hmm, Diane Abbott..........
Remind me, is she the one who thinks that it is acceptable for 'our' children to attend failing secondary schools but not her own...........?

[bibblebub]

Remember the volcanic eruption in Monster Rat?

[Mampara]

She has no chance!

Can Labour MPs nominate more than one person each? If not then 6 x 35 and nearly all the current MPs are spoken, for so no further nominations are likely.

[sp1814]

Abbott hasn't a hope in hell.

Supreme hypocrite (will never forget her sending her kids to a private school, flying in the face of everything she's ever stood for).

200/1 chance.

It'll be one of the Midwitch Cuckoo brothers (look it up).

[joggerjayne]

Yes, she's a glowing advocate of private education and, for that, I admire her.

Also, she's a complete loony, and she would destroy the Labour Party for ever, which would be amusing.

However, in reality, one of the sneaky Miliband brothers will withdraw at the last minute, and ask his supporters to back his brothers, thus ensuring a Miliband success.

(I'm not sure which one is the "real" candidate, and which one is the stooge)

[LazyGun]

I do not believe she has any chance of winning, but it is good to get some proper diversity into the Labour leadership challenge.

[joggerjayne]

Diversity = someone who is not a Miliband ?

[sandyRoe]

If the Con-LibDem coalition holds together then Labour would be in opposition for a very long time.
Who amongst the contenders for the Labour leadership could best play the Kinnock role?

[joggerjayne]

Ginger buffoon with daft accent ?

[LazyGun]

@Jayne
"Diversity = someone who is not a Miliband ?"
That, and being representative of a currently unrepresented 50% of the population ie female, oh, and not caucasian.. so i think diversity means a little more than just "not milliband" :)

[joggerjayne]

Where or what is the village of the damned?

[Sqad]

I hope she wins......everytime she is seen on TV she will lose the Labour Party 1000votes.

Do you remember Gerald Kaufmann, some years ago, he looked like a Gestapo member of the Nazis.........he was sidelined as everytime he appeared on TV Labour lost1000votes.Dianne Abbott could be the new Gerald Kaufmann.

[sandyRoe]

The new Labour leader needn't necessarily be ginger, or prolix, or even Welsh. I was thinking who could hold together a party during years of opposition.

[joggerjayne]

Do sectors of the population need to represented by one "of our own type" ?

A worrying large proportion of the population are illiterate and innumerate.

Do we need a certain number of MPs who can't read or add up ?

[rowanwitch]

Anyone is preferable to Ed his surname will be changed by the rude words filter spherical objects He reminds me of Nick Griffin, same smirk different politics