Matt Stadlen successfully persuades a Labour voter to choose Keir Starmer for leader

18 January 2020, 15:24

The caller admitted that Matt Stadlen had "won the argument" and that Sir Keir Starmer would be the most electable choice for Labour leader.

The caller told Matt Stadlen: "We are a democratic party and if we do vote for Rebecca Long-Bailey, then it's because we as members choose to.

"I don't personally know who I'm going to vote for. At the moment, I will listen to the arguments and then make my decision.

"But it's just I think it's just a little bit unfair to simply rule her out, because she is potentially a Corbynist follower, if you like. If we choose to go down that route, that's our choice and that's that that's why I'm phoning, Matt."

Matt replied: "Labour undoubtedly has the choice to render itself on electable for decades. You're right."

The caller responded: "There's something about being Labour. It's more than just being electable. I'm proud to be Labour.

"I'm proud to be a socialist because I care about the people around me. I appreciate the point that you make that if we're not in power, we can't do anything about it.

"But there is something more than just being in power."

Matt asked: "Now, let me ask you this.

"Who do you think would serve the people of this country better and particularly the more vulnerable people, if that's the right way of putting it, even that sounds patronising but people who you might think could benefit from a Labour government, who do you think would serve those people better?

"Boris Johnson's Tories or a Keir Starmer led government."

Matt urged him to ask which leader "has the capacity to win that election" because otherwise their arguments would fall on "deaf ears".

The caller then said: "I think you've won the argument."