The Graduate's guide to...the Labour leadership election

If you’re in the loop with current affairs you may have noticed that the Labour party is in the midst of electing a new leader, after Ed Miliband- to the dismay of the ‘Milifandom’- resigned in May following his party’s electoral defeat at the hands of both the Conservatives and the Scottish National Party (SNP). While much of the media may be succeeding in convincing you that the Labour party is falling apart from within, I thought I’d take a closer look at the candidates and the main political issues so far.

Yvette Cooper…if you grew up under New Labour like me, Yvette Cooper’s name is probably familiar- even if you’re not sure why. Along with her husband, Ed Balls, Cooper has been a prominent figure in the Labour party since her election as one of ‘Blair’s babes’ (uggggh, the feminist in me is screaming) in 1997. She later served in Gordon Brown’s cabinet and has since risen through the ranks to serve as both Shadow Foreign and Shadow Home Secretary. Cooper certainly has the backing of those in the party who share her New Labour background; most recently, the much- loved Alan Johnson declared his support for Cooper, and she also has the backing of The Guardian. While being a party favourite isn’t always enough to win, she has been included in the Woman’s Hour list of 100 most powerful women in the UK, so I think we all know she’s a winner whatever happens.

Andy Burnham…Andy Burnham is a fellow northerner, so I instinctively like him more than the rest. But all regional bias aside, Burhman has been MP for Leigh since 2001, and played a played a big role in the emergence of a second Hillsborough inquiry, after pushing the disaster onto the Parliamentary agenda in 2009, and also served as shadow health secretary. But while he isn’t one of the 100 most powerful women in the country, he does have a killer set of eyebrows; move over Cara Delevingne. You may have heard him repeatedly saying he would unite the party if he became leader, but- much like the word ‘biscotti’ in the Great British Bake- off- he’s said it so many times it’s started to lose its meaning. (But my aunty met him and said he was really nice).

Liz Kendall… Liz Kendall is probably the least well- known by the general public. Despite this, she is seen as an emblem for moderate, centre ground politics, and the antithesis to the more radical Jeremy Corbyn (we’ll get to him in a minute) But frankly, all you need to know about Liz Kendall is that she called out a sexist reporter and told him to “fuck off” after he asked her a question about her weight. It’s no surprise then that David Miliband has praised her ‘plain speaking’ and ‘political courage’. If anyone scares David Cameron, I’m gonna say it’s this bad ass bitch. In the words of Tina Fey, “Bitches get stuff done”.

Jeremy Corbyn…if you haven’t heard his name by now, seriously where have you been? There is no excuse. Unlike the other candidates, Jeremy Corbyn’s political career has been defined by radicalism- to say the least, which has sometimes got him into trouble. I’m talking about his questionable definition of terrorism and his dodgy relationship with the Jewish community. Support for Corbyn is clearly support for Labour’s roots, but many fear these roots are completely unelectable in contemporary Britain, including Gordon Brown, who says Corbyn goes against the party’s duty to have an electable leader to offer hope to the most vulnerable. Recently this view has been challenged by the man’s surprising popularity among young lefties, who feel Corbyn has the direction Labour desperately needs. The list of Labour figures who have warned against Corbyn is getting a bit long; is support for Corbyn a case of misdirected anger?

While I’m not (quite) old enough to remember the Labour leadership contests of the 1980’s, it does seem like since Blair, the main issues of leadership contests have been more and more inward- looking. Instead of debating education, health, and important foreign policy, candidates have outlined what Labour ought to be and who it ought to be for in the 20^th Century. Even though Labour’s turmoil is exhausting to watch, there’s no doubt it’s a vital part of having a purposeful and electable opposition. When will this soul searching end? I can’t even.

Are you eligible to vote?

If so, who are you planning on voting for?

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