Labour’s New Leader - But Who?

Already, there is a fog of mind games being played - mainly, it has to be said, outside the Labour Party - over the upcoming contest to succeed not only Mil The Younger, but ultimately his deputy Harriet Harman as well. This is important: whoever takes these roles will, as with Miliband and Ms Harman, come under instant and continuous assault from the right-leaning part of the Fourth Estate.

Exit Ed

The attempts to caricature, pigeonhole, smear and ridicule will be at least as bad as for the Miliband leadership: right now, 80% of the press are hooting and baying in their support of Young Dave and his jolly good chaps, egging them on to pass legislation that satisfies the requirements of Themselves Personally Now. Anyone so much as suggesting that they have an alternative offer is likely to receive less than favourable treatment.

The mind games have already been deployed following the decision of Barnsley Central MP Dan Jarvis that he will not put his name forward for the Labour leadership. The Sun’s non-bullying political editor Tom Newton Dunn has Tweeted “Dan Jarvis is ruling himself out of Labour leadership (ht @chrisshipitv). Big sigh of relief in No10”. Like Cameron is going to be bothered, with his Cabinet appointments to finish off.

Who, then, might lead Labour? Andy Burnham is vastly experienced. He’s a sound bloke, and, as an Everton season ticket holder, well used to smiling in the face of adversity. I like Andy. Many Labour supporters do, too. But if he becomes leader, or deputy leader, the Mail and Sun will start up the Mid Staffs smears, and all we will hear are allegations that he personally killed 1,200 vulnerable patients (totally untrue, but that is politics).

Chuka Umunna

Then there is Yvette Cooper. She is also hugely experienced, but she, too, carries the baggage of previous Labour Governments. Yes, she’s a good media performer, and a sharp debater, but the more I think over her candidature, the more it comes back that, as with Burnham, her presence will be drowned out by press abuse, not least because she is married to right-wing hate figure “Auguste” Balls.

Liz Kendall (and not Rachel Reeves)

That leaves two significant hopefuls: Leicester West MP Liz Kendall, and Streatham’s Chuka Umunna. Both would be instantly monstered by the Mail for not being Married With Children; Ms Kendall would in addition be smeared as a “luvvie” by proxy as her partner Greg Davies is a comedian. Umunna would get borderline racism, in the same way as Miliband was constantly on the receiving end of borderline antisemitism.

But both of them are tough enough operators to project their character, and their message, through the fog of media unpleasantness. This matters; if anyone in the Labour Party thinks that a new leader would get a less rough ride than Miliband, they have got another think coming. Cameron is the only leader between the Tory-supporting press and a land in which they cease to be able to carry on their Wild West Show as before.

So that’s my ninepence worth - it’s down to Chuka and Liz. No pressure, guys.