Entertainment For Lively Minds
Chuka Umunna - the UK's first black PM
Posted by kb on 16 January 2012 - 3:14pm.
With the current reminders in all our media about the UK's first female Prime Minister, I believe we have also seen our first black PM.
If the party has any sense, Chuka Umunna won't be leader until post-2015 when Labour will have seen Ed Milliband lead them to defeat and will also have given Umunna time to gain experience, momentum and status. PM in 2020.
He has the combination that Ed can only dream about: charisma, intellect, calm and 'the likeability factor'.
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Maybe so
Worth watching and I've heard others use your reasoning.
Quite impressive ..
... but he'll have to learn to say "nothing" rather than "nuffink".
Also, I believe the Ed Miliband bashing is unfair. A lot of the media wrote him off the day he was elected, and a lot of the criticisms just seem to be based on the fact that a lot of other people are criticising him.
From what I've seen he's intellectually sharp, ready to break a few old taboos, and the fact that he was prepared to stitch up his own brother says he's got the ruthless streak needed in a prime minister. Against that, he needs to keep up the pressure on Cameron more consistently, and his voice makes him sound a lot younger than he is. A couple more yeas in the post and may be able to overcome these.
And remember that Cameron was often written off as a lightweight PR man through much of his time as leader of the opposition.
Cameron
For all of his shortcomings, Cameron always looked prime ministerial, mainly because he copied as much of Blair's style as possible.
For all of Ed M's positive points, and I too admired him at first, he lacks that something which will capture the public's hearts and minds.
Ed's a born policy wonk.
He just is. Maybe it shouldn't be so, but in an age of mass communication, we need leaders who can communicate. He can't. He's rubbish at it. He has the charisma and oratorical style of a boiled potato, and it doesn't help that his No. 2 (how apt) is Ed Balls, a man so profoundly unlikeable that he makes George Osborne look like Ronnie Barker.
Ed's really bright. He should certainly be a top-flight politician, because we need the minds. He may even have what it takes to rescue the country from the disastrous economics being pursued by the coalition, but we'll never fucking know because he hasn't got a clue how to tell us.
Bravo Bob.
Superb post. Accurately summed up in little more than 2 tweets.
Post upped, hat doffed.
Well said chum.
As far as Ed M
is concerned, he is rapidly becoming a charicature of himself. I can't remember him ever answering a question succinctly. I know that's the lot of a politician but others do the question dodge much more effectively.
On Marr yesterday Midge Ure asked him about Scottish independence and he answered back with the classic "the question should not be.... the question should be...." And all this following a poor interview where he had a chance to give substance to Labour's missing policies but I came out of it with even less idea about what he and his party ACTUALLY stand for. It's all flannel and waffle.
So what about the saviour, Chuka. I like him as a personable politician. He is believable, intelligent and seemingly genuine. But he has to hide behind Labour's grey curtain of uncertain policies and that is the crux of the problem. Until they sort that out they can stick who they want out front but if he has nothing to back up or defend then it's all pretty futile.
Will never be Labour leader.
Look at him. Listen to him.
He's not WEIRD.
Labour will never regain power...
Labour will never regain power until they have a young (ish), attractive, charismatic believable leader.
In other words, Tony Blair the second. And no, I am not taking the piss, I genuinely believe that.
I also think any Labour supporter who doesnt think that is living in an idealistic cloud cuckoo land.
Chuka Umunna
Clever chap, definitely a modern politician though.
About 6 minutes into this clip, when talking about the St Paul's sit-in he talks about the government needing to answer questions that the protestors are raising, whilst himself evading the direct question he was being asked.
Then on whether he believed the former Labour government was part of the 1% of the populace responsible for the recklessness that led to the current financial situation, again he avoids the question.
We need a strong leader capable of more than simple electioneering, and I believe that answering simple questions properly about one's own opinion is a part of that.
Whilst it would be fantastic to see a black PM in this country I don't think that at present Umunna is right for it. Seemingly too much towing of the agreed party line rather than a desire to change the status quo which is in essence what got Labour into power in 1997 - the grasping of the new. But we all know how that turned out don't we?
Chuka Umunna
Why would it be fantastic to have a black PM? It'd be fantastic to have a good PM. I couldn't care less whether he or she is black.
We should be beyond that now.
Why?
Because it would be a massive flipped bird to Nick Griffin and any one of those BNP cretins that still try to justify their stance on immigration based on someone's ethnicity.
As to whether or not being black makes any difference to the efficiency of their leadership the answer is of course a resounding no. But for proving racists wrong in itself I think would be fantastic.
A black King on the other hand would simply look cool on currency. But somehow I don't see that happening.
Why stop there?
If you wish to annoy the electorally insignificant rabble that comprise the BNP, why not advocate Abu Hamsa as next PM ?
Because I am no liberal
In my eyes anyone who preaches hate against a country should be thrown out of it. Regardless.
I suppose that could be applied to Griffin as well. So, erm, let's kick him out too! Huzzah, and all that.
Each to their own
When I trudge to the polling station, I 'flip the bird' to the BNP by not voting for them.
Chuka Umunna
I wont be surprised if I get a kicking for what I am about to say.
I dont think Chuka Umunna will ever become PM, & that is because of his colour.
I think that a strong streak of subconcious racism exists in the country, & I know so many people who would never consider themselves racist, but would NEVER vote for "a darky".
(an expression I have heard used MANY times)
Horrible disgusting attitude I know, & can I say straight away that it is not a view I have any time for, but I think it does exist.
Sorry.
I disagree
The people of Streatham voted for him. Racism still exists, but on the whole most of the electorate couldn't care less about a candidate's race.
I disagree too
People have no problem picking a black person as the winner of The X Factor or Strictly, and they care far more about that than they do about who's in power.
Voting is still driven by prejudice.
I didn't vote for our sitting MP, Mike Hancock, because he's got a beard.
And also because he believes in homeopathy, so must be a halfwit. And also because he'd fuck a plughole if it had a few hairs round it.
But still, mainly, because he's got a beard.
Are British party leaders charismatic?
In my time, I think Blair is the only one who has been regarded as having that quality. Others seem to have been seen as dull if worthy like John Major or John Smith, or even weird such as Edward Heath and Margaret Thatcher.
The leader's personality may have some effect on voters, but there must be other factors. Ed Miliband is not polling well personally, but Labour aren't doing badly. I just checked the Yougov site. If the current polls on voting intentions are a reasonable guide, if an election was called tomorrow, Labour would get 335 seats and the Conservatives 274.
In the end, we have a parliamentary system, not a presdential one.
Be honest
If this was a white male or female MP trotting out these bromides, would you be touting them as a future PM?
I've seen him very often on the BBC, which is little surprise as Private Eye have revealed that his mentor is on the BBC Trust.
He strikes me as being a rather bland, platitudinous, unimaginative Party hack.
Naturally...
...my point was only made as he is a black MP (and because of all the Thatcher film coverage at the moment). But also as he is someone, regardless of his colour, who impresses me every time he is interviewed and looks like a genuine political star in the making. I would not have made this point about David Lammy or Diane Abbott, and he is much more impressive than his competitors for next Labour leader (Balls, Harman, Cooper etc).
Fair points
All of which I agree with. He is getting a very easy ride at the moment and is an almost ubiquitous presence on the BBC which can't be harming his chances.