Challenging for Labour's Future
Over the coming months, I will be regularly updating this blog to keep you updated as we build this campaign.
On 14th July at 10.30am, I delivered the following statement:
"It is becoming increasingly apparent that Tony Blair will announce his resignation as Leader of the Labour Party over the next 12 -18 months.
Some have argued that instead of an open democratic election for the leader of the party, there should be a smooth transition or virtual coronation of his successor.
This would deny party members the opportunity of openly debating the issues facing our party and the future direction of the country.
An election for the Leader of the party will allow for a democratic debate on the future of Labour.
Therefore following increasing demands from various sections of the movement, I have decided to declare myself as a candidate for the leadership of the Labour Party as soon as the present incumbent retires. To be clear this is not a so-called "stalking horse" candidature but a serious challenge for the leadership of the party when a vacancy occurs.
I am standing to ensure that thousands of Labour Party members and supporters have the chance to participate in deciding not only who should be the next leader of our party but more importantly what policies the party should be pursuing.
There are many that feel the party has lost its way. Many of the policies being pursued in Government have broken up the broad coalition of support Labour has relied upon throughout its history to bring it to power.
New Labour has systematically alienated section after section of our supporters - teachers, health workers, students, pensioners, public service workers, trade unionists and people committed to the environment, civil liberties and peace. Spin and allegations of sleaze are causing decent people to lose trust in our party.
This is reflected in lost votes, lost elections, lost members and a Labour Prime Minister having to rely upon Conservative votes in Parliament to force through legislation.
There are growing calls from across the party for change. We need to rebuild a progressive consensus, inspiring and giving people hope that another world is possible. We need those who have turned away from Labour to come back home.
For the first time in decades people no longer feel they have a political voice. This campaign is a challenge to the present political consensus.
I will now seek support from all sections of the movement. At next Saturday's conference of the Labour Representation Committee we will debate the policies needed by a real Labour government and the way in which we can reinvigorate democratic participation in the party.
From September this campaign will be travelling the country, convening meetings face to face with party members, supporters and the general public to discuss the issues facing us. We will be urging those thousands of Labour Party members who have left the party to rejoin and those who are no longer active supporters to re-engage.
We are launching a campaign web-site today and we will use every possible means of communication and new technology to stimulate this debate and get our message across.
The campaign will be waged in an open, comradely and friendly manner based upon a debate on the policies not personalities.
Let the debate begin."
On 14th July at 10.30am, I delivered the following statement:
"It is becoming increasingly apparent that Tony Blair will announce his resignation as Leader of the Labour Party over the next 12 -18 months.
Some have argued that instead of an open democratic election for the leader of the party, there should be a smooth transition or virtual coronation of his successor.
This would deny party members the opportunity of openly debating the issues facing our party and the future direction of the country.
An election for the Leader of the party will allow for a democratic debate on the future of Labour.
Therefore following increasing demands from various sections of the movement, I have decided to declare myself as a candidate for the leadership of the Labour Party as soon as the present incumbent retires. To be clear this is not a so-called "stalking horse" candidature but a serious challenge for the leadership of the party when a vacancy occurs.
I am standing to ensure that thousands of Labour Party members and supporters have the chance to participate in deciding not only who should be the next leader of our party but more importantly what policies the party should be pursuing.
There are many that feel the party has lost its way. Many of the policies being pursued in Government have broken up the broad coalition of support Labour has relied upon throughout its history to bring it to power.
New Labour has systematically alienated section after section of our supporters - teachers, health workers, students, pensioners, public service workers, trade unionists and people committed to the environment, civil liberties and peace. Spin and allegations of sleaze are causing decent people to lose trust in our party.
This is reflected in lost votes, lost elections, lost members and a Labour Prime Minister having to rely upon Conservative votes in Parliament to force through legislation.
There are growing calls from across the party for change. We need to rebuild a progressive consensus, inspiring and giving people hope that another world is possible. We need those who have turned away from Labour to come back home.
For the first time in decades people no longer feel they have a political voice. This campaign is a challenge to the present political consensus.
I will now seek support from all sections of the movement. At next Saturday's conference of the Labour Representation Committee we will debate the policies needed by a real Labour government and the way in which we can reinvigorate democratic participation in the party.
From September this campaign will be travelling the country, convening meetings face to face with party members, supporters and the general public to discuss the issues facing us. We will be urging those thousands of Labour Party members who have left the party to rejoin and those who are no longer active supporters to re-engage.
We are launching a campaign web-site today and we will use every possible means of communication and new technology to stimulate this debate and get our message across.
The campaign will be waged in an open, comradely and friendly manner based upon a debate on the policies not personalities.
Let the debate begin."
posted by John at 9:51 AM
13 Comments:
Well done and good luck!
Those of us who are active in Labour affiliated trade unions need to press for all union linked MPs to pledge to nominate for Leader a candidate who will stand by core trade union policies.
You are that candidate.
Good luck John, I'd love to see July's Labour Party membership figures, nothing will reignite the Labour Party ranks like real labour policies.
It's been a long time coming but hopefully over the next couple of years we'll make some real progress and reverse the damage done.
Thought you might be amused by this topical reference to socialism from a website called moneymad.org
If you want to use it, feel free, as I know the website owner is happy for anyone to use his stuff for non-commercial reasons.
http://www.moneymad.org/John_McDonnell.jpg
Thankyou for starting a much needed debate, and providing party members with a choice. Good luck.
Well done. I'm glad that someone in our party is taking a stand against the careerism, corruption and cronyism that "New Labour" stands for.
Best of luck!
Having heard you and seen you on TV and elsewhere I am sure of your genuine beliefs as I am very doubtful about Brown as Blair's automatic successor. The last 'straw' was that he supports 'trident replacement'! What future will that offer? zarbha, supporting CND
John, you are clearly the right man to lead us straight back into Opposition and give the Tories another chance to knacker the country. Here's hoping for your ignominious defeat.
The Blair-party-hijackers are a shame for the Britisch Labour Party! Best wishes for your success in both: Standing as Labours Primeminister-Candidate in the next national elections as well as for the opening of a fruitfull debate on socialist policies in the whole labourmovement! ... And in winning back lost voters and supporters ... It's time to end the ruling of the party-hijacking-cliques in the labourmovement elsewere! Some years ago they purged our parties throuout Europe from leftwingers and socialist ideas - it's time to fightback this attack by debate and argument. One has just to read and see the mainstreammedia day by day to come to the conclusion that another world, called socialism, is not only possible but hardly needed to stop that present "bosses-world" of horrors without end! Workers of the World unite!
from a socialist SPD-member from Frankfurt/Main, Germany
New Labour are running scared, their thoughts of a coronation have been thwarted by your 'challenge' to Mr Brown, as and when Mr Blair finally makes a decision, "his advisors are yet to make that decision for him, Ha Ha!"
You are and have been a fantastic representive in Hayes and Harlington and your support for the local community is outstanding, you have always attended out local resident association meetings and passed on your wealth of knowledge to make our group stronger - Many Thanks
P.Nosworthy, Hayes, Middlesex
John McDonnell is the obvious candidate to start unpicking the mess the incompetent and dishonest new Labour faction has got the party into, he's not taking us back to the seventies and eighties either. He stands for the policies that the man on the street wants such as decent pensions and housing and many more and he does have the experience to deliver them, unlike that Cameron bloke the Tories are standing! He is the man to deliver Labour back to the mainstream of the party and start cleaning up Britain by for example giving us some decent workers and carers rights as the trade unions have long campaigned for and this will actually make us more economically productive in the long run as companies won't have to keep paying for recruitment as their disgruntled staff move on to better jobs in the present two tier work force.
New Labour have tried too hard to keep hold of power by going for the floating voters but ignoring their own core base so they've shot themselves in the foot by eroding their own core base of support in the Labour heartlands and amongst lefties everywhere in fact. As a former Politics student I know this is not the way to win elections! I'm coming up to my ten years in the Labour party anniversary, I'm relying on John to take us back to something I would have recognised as Labour ten years ago! It's going to be a tough fight as I think there's already something of a news blackout about John's candidacy so let's all get behind him and help in however big or small a way we can as it will all add up and we will win through in the end!
Good luck mate,
I feel those on the left of the party have been quite for too long.
Do think Brown will be better than Blair as leader but their will still be too many compromises with market values for my liking so I'm voting for you.
A couple of pieces of advice though from a member desperately wanting a radical agenda back within Labour.
1) Try to emulate Howard Dean's grassroots campaign for the Democratic nomination by involving the grassroots and trade unions. Looks like you've made a start already on this.
2) Reach out to other non New Labour groupings in the party such as Compass & Tribune. You all oppose New Labour but have a different emphasis on the policies. An anti New Labour coalition is the only way to secure victory in my humble opinion.
All the best and good luck. Politics is a funny old game, anything can happen and you might just do it.
Best of luck
let's take back the party that I used to love !!
Another world is possible? It must be the Planet Zog
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