I just wanted to follow on from my message yesterday.
I know that many of you will be disappointed that we didn't make it to the ballot paper. It's not just supporters of our campaign who are upset. Above all, Labour party members and trade unionists wanted the right to vote for the leader of our party.
However, I don't want people to lose hope. Our campaign has achieved a huge amount. We've mobilised thousands of people right across the country. Thousands of socialists have joined or rejoined the Labour party. We've linked together activists right across the labour movement. We've recruited a whole new generation of young socialists, and won back those who had long since given up hope. We're now in a stronger position to fight for socialist policies than we have been for years.
We've built a real movement out there. I don't want us to lose momentum after the events of the past few days. I know how angry many of you are, but I would ask you to stay in the party and fight.
Many of you will know that I am the Chair of the
Labour Representation Committee, which brings together Labour party members and trade unionists right across the country. I would ask you all to join the LRC so that we can all unite and build on this campaign. Together, we will continue to fight for progressive policies: for public services, not private profit; for peace, not war; for direct investment in council housing; a real living minimum wage; support for free, universal education; and the restoration of trade union rights and civil liberties.
The LRC will have a conference in October to discuss where the left goes from here. I'll be in touch with details about this. If you haven't given us your contact details, please email us at
info@john4leader.org.uk.
Above all, I want to take this opportunity to congratulate all of you. You all put a huge amount of work into this campaign. I am proud to have been involved in this campaign with you. You represent the best activists and best traditions that our movement has.
Let's all recall the words of Joe Hill, the IWW organiser: "Don't mourn, organise."
PS: We'll be overhauling the LRC website shortly so that it becomes the focus for the Labour Left - including discussion forums, blogs from MPs, trade unionists and activists, campaigning resources, etc. We'll be in touch about it soon.
79 Comments:
Absolutely John. I'm glad to hear you'll be speaking to PCS Conference this afternoon and look forward to your support for the fight which the trade unions must now wage against Gordon Brown's pay policy for the public sector.
Anger is a good motivator, John, dont knock it. Bad luck, from a non-member.
What is the point of membership when conference decisions are over-ruled, the leadership is predetermined, the NEC is a joke, policy is run for the benefit of big business party financiers and trade union leaders are won over by backroom dealings that lack transparency? I am resigning my membership today. Your candidacy was the only thing that made me stay in the party. Now that has been quashed through a campaign Brown-nosers within the PLP, there really is no point in remaining in the party.
I am going to join the Greens, who may not have a parliamentary presence but they do respect their membership and they have a genuine social justice and environmental agenda. For me my principles are why I am politically active. If people like me are continually side-lined within the Labour party and not allowed to have a democratic voice, there is no point in remaining in there regardless of whether the party is in government.
You lose if you stay within the party and you lose if you leave, but at least if you leave the party you do so with dignity and with your principles in tact.
I agree John, chin up and keep fighting. Nice to see you on the Daily politics although I only caught the last ten minutes with that comedian fella on it.
Don't forget, try to keep in the public eye as much as possible so that people can understand what your principles are about, try get on question time or use any opportunity to spread the word with the mainstream. Because otherwise the conservative/New Labour steamroller will continue to roll on relentlessley.
I'm already in the LRC so will be there in October.Also going with my partner to Labour Party Conference so let's give them hell! Glad to hear you're back out there already at the PCS conference.Well done!
Anonymous - Please reconsider and stay with us and keep fighting.
A good post, John.
John, as expected you have been very
gracious in defeat,I won't be: the PLP has shown itself to be spineless, self-serving, inneffective and duplicitious, the unions, ditto and toothless. We need and must have a genuine grass rooots revival of the left, both inside and outside of the LP. I'm no fan of leaders, but if we are to have one, you are that man.
Dear anon,
thanks for joining the Greens!
people have different ways of fighting the fight for justice and ecology, I appreciate that not all will want to get involved with the Green Party but there is certainly still room for radical views in our party and the more who join like anon, the longer this will remain the case.
best wishes,
Derek Wall
John, you should try to get on Question Time or any questions, its had quite right wing panels recently and i think you will wipe the floor with them
oh, and derek , this isn't a recruitment tool for the greens, even though i have a lot of time for them
We should expect members of tiny parties such as Green or Respect trying to take advantage of this situation by posting anonymous posts on this blog posing as Labour party members defecting to such irrelevant sects.
Don't be fooled by it.
John, if you are directing people to the LRC website - can I suggest it's updated. Many sections have been quite out of date for a good while. It doesn't present a good image.
Dear John.
Sorry! Dear, oh Dear, John.
You've made a right c*nt of yourself.
Do us all a favour and go on a hunger protest like your 'comrades' before you.
Rule Britannia.
oh dear, smears starting, then again Jm will knock this into touch and its more publicity, maybe?
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/newsindex/display.var.1400795.0.mps_fury_at_leadership_vote_riddle.php
Well, that makes it 3 then - 'cos Marsha Singh nominated Brown in the end.
Interesting how the nominations have all been removed from the labour website - unless the link has changed?
So we can't see who abstained, is the man's ego that fragile?
I thought Joe Hill's last words were, "Don't let them bury me in Utah, boys. I wouldn't be seen dead in Utah."
Bloody hell, first the Provos agree to decommissioning, then they recognise the PNSI and now this.
It does make you wonder whether it's all worth it.
To Darren (and all others with an apparent preference for argument with bricks rather than words),
Why is it necessary to simply damn all those who may support these 'irrelevant sects'?
Might I ask what that achieves exactly? More than they do? I doubt it! Rather more elected Green Party reps than Labour folk on the Left who can proudly say they support their leadership I expect! (and just in case your interested, that's just an example, not my own political persuasion)
The despair that a lot of members (and former) on here feel with the processes of the PLP are hardly surprising. Given that fact, nothing is to be achieved through brow-beating everyone (even those
broadly speaking on your side) into submission who may have got fed up with 'Social Thatcherism' and ripped up their membership. I can't really blame them!!!
Why must we continually, feverishly, back bite at every damnable opportunity?
You can't win people round by shouting the loudest, by rubbishing arguments or throwing mud. Surely this phoney 'election' process teaches us all that!?
A new, constructive, ceaselessly positive coalition of the Left
is essential.....and as soon as humanly possible! Backbiting will not achieve that in one, ten or one hundred years!
Is that possible or is that pie-in-the-sky? Unless the answer to that is "yes", surely we are all wasting our time here, both within the Labour party or in any of the nominally Leftwing political organisations.
One small bunch of visionaries can't do everything on a national scale, we need to work together!!
That's the crucial thing.....pulling in the same direction
Perhaps I wouldn't agree with everything you all said, but surely that is the point of democracy, a point now sadly lost on the PLP...You can move forward together without agreeing on everything down to the last sentence......surely!?! Or is that asking too much?
Let's not allow Blair-Brown cynicism to poison the views of the rest of us eh?
If Joe Hill (or any other Left visionary you may prefer) was right, we must organise together
We should expect members of tiny parties such as Green or Respect trying to take advantage of this situation by posting anonymous posts on this blog posing as Labour party members defecting to such irrelevant sects
Yeah, you might say that, but I am joining the Greens, some of whom supported John in his leadership campaign, eg Peter Tatchell. I'm willing to work with any socialist from Labour or any other party (very occasionally with the Liberals), but I'm not willing to work with Blairites/Brownites who have killed Labour. I'd rather be in a party of like-minded people rather than a minority in a party that denies me a voice. That's how I feel. I don't expect you to feel the same.
Come on, this was the last chance. We all knew it was a no-hoper, but still lived in (a perhaps childish) hope that something would change and by a minor miracle John would be elected.
It's no longer worth even contemplating that the Labour Party is of the left - the members who are have been sidelined again and again. Shame.
I agree with Tom - which party or candidate each person backs is up to them. Unity across the left between people inside and outside the Labour party of the kind John's campaign aimed at is best for all of us. It doesn't matter who or what coalition saves lives and improves lives - it only matters that it gets done.
We also have the opportunity to perhaps influence Labour policy if - as i hope - Brown doesnt share Blair's deluded belief that he is on a mission from God that permits him to dismiss everyone else's views.
If all else fails the threat of losing votes could influence his policies - and he may yet show he wants to change them himself anyway.
There's no point having a bog debate on the Labour Party question. People inside and outside the LP supported John's campaign.
The key question now is whether those who want to build resistance to Brown's neo-liberal government can find the means of working together.
The LRC is not that so long as it demands that people commit themselves not to support candidates other than Labour.
If some poeple want to stay in fine. That is their choice, but it is the building of an extra-parliamentary opposition which will change things. The first job is to try to build a public sector wide strike against Brown's miservale pay offer and his 'public sector reforms'. To do that we will have to guard against opportunist trade union leaders who think they can sweet-talk 'Gordon'.
Bad luck John - I'll be looking forward to the LRC conference in October. I just have to work out what to do with the hundred odd John4Leader leaflets I've got left in my bedside drawer.
Someone mentioned you going on Question Time - I second this proposal. There needs to be another prominent public figure out there representing the voice of the left and socialist values, getting on panel shows etc. and making a name for themselves. At the moment the only person I can think of is Tommy Sheridan; we had George Galloway but he's made himself a laughing stock.
I have to say what a wonderfully dignified interview John gave on Newsnight last night. It spoke volumes for the man and all who have supported his efforts. How wonderful that so many people were truly switched on/back on by John's honesty and willingness to take up the challenge of the appalling New Labour sell out. What a contrast to those sad pathetic excuses who lined up to back Brown and deny an open debate. I also condemn those Trades Union leaders who were only too willing to cosy up to Brown. Where to now then? No idea right now but as long as there's no proper broad left movement, things won't change. Plenty of alternative left wing attempts but so little overall progress. I'd hate to upset John but I really can't see any point in hanging around New Labour; it's riddled with thoroughly nauseating creeps. Anyway, where is it written that it has to be Labour? If you didn't already know it, the whole leadership vote business proved everything and was a disgrace. For Jack Straw to claim that the party is united is laughable but then he's always been an idiot. If I were a member, I'd now vote with my feet. People should still buy John's 'Another World Is Possible' because it still is. Three cheers for J.M. You're a modern day champion and you may just have started something.
Though a Tory, I'm sorry John McDonnell didn't get a fair crack of the whip. Gordon Brown said he wanted a contest, but twisted people's arms to make damn sure he didn't have to face one. It's dishonest. Like Tony Blair at resigning at Sedgefield, saying spin had gone too far, when some of the audience were activists from London masquerading as locals. The dishonesty of these people is in their blood. John McDonnell seems a very refreshing contrast to all of that. I hope we hear much more of him in the years ahead.
So sorry you did not get enough LMP backers to stand, John. I think the problem was that you are too honest and genuine. You will frighten all current MPs to death! They now are too used to leaders who peddle only lies, deceit and spin.
I am a floating voter, never have been a Labour Party member, but saw in you a glimmer of hope after the years of deceit and pretense of so-called New Labour. Stick to your guns and those LMPs who don't get booted out could turn to you in panic when Brown looses the next General Election as sure he will.
I shall probably vote BNP now next, although I would have voted Labour if you had been their leader.
So what will happen next?
A few will say join another party, though this isn't doing well. In 1980 there were approximately 45,000 members of soc/comm/trot parties to the left of Labour. Now there are probably 10,000. Though it ironically is now more worthwhile as the threshold for electoral success is lower with some PR elections. You can run a pretty good party nowadays with 500 members and a good website, so do it if you want, just don't think it will replace Labour.
Most will stay in the party, but those people are, it has to be said, aging, though there are few a young ones but not enough to replace the ones dying off.
Somewhere in the 2009-12 period there will be another another Leadership election. John or someone else will stand. They like John in 2007 and Ken Livingstone in 1994 will realistically not get on the ballot paper. There will be similar comments to the 130 attached to the last 3 blog postings.
Meanwhile the world economy will expand from its current 36 trillion to probably 50 trillion dollars and people will get on with their lives in a wide range of circumstances, some difficult some getting better, some super affluent.
In other words this result is not the end of the world. People should continue with the campaigns and struggles that have improved peoples lives like:
- The franchise
- The welfare state
- The end of Apartheid
- The defeat of fascism and nazism
- More gender equality
- Rights for the disabled
- The end of hanging
- Rights for gays and lesbians
amongst many others
Be grateful you don't live in 1907 and.....stop being so pessimistic! Continue to make the improvements that help evolve our complex adaptive society for the better.
It would be better for the heart is it was a fair fight.
But all is just plastic once more.
Doug, please don't vote BNP - you might feel that mainstream parties spin and mislead people but the fascist BNP tell lie after lie after lie to advance their racist agenda.
If you want honest politicians the only way is to support the ones there are and encourage the honest people you know to join the Labour Party and perhaps stand for positions themselve. You could even join the LP & stand as a local councillor yourself! But the BNP will only make things worse.
I've just heard that the Govt may be about to privatise the canals, so there goes the only bit of untainted' bit of britain left. When i walk along my local canal, free of 'luxury developments' its the only time one feels not overwhelmed by the neo-liberal onslaught,
John must fight on(with us of course)
To the anonymous above:
Where did you here this information? It would be an absolute travisty if that did happen.
The Labour Left may have been defeated this time, but this 'coronation' from Blair to Brown will make things worse, we probably will lose the next election to Cameron and 'Blairism' will become an unelectable idiology. That will hopefully cause a rethink within the party leading to a return to the soft-left, social-democratic policies that we were known for under Kinnock, Smith and Wilson
God I hate to think how much money it's going to cost us to buy back Britian.
Perhaps we can hold a jumble sale and raise much needed cash?
Or perhaps do we have a concise list of services and public sectors which have been, are being and will be privatised so we can see how much damage is being done? perhaps with some nice colour chart?
It's a sad day for democracy within the democratic socialist parties.
Best of luck to you from a Swedish comrade.
I too am so disillusioned now.
I always knew that John would have an uphill battle winning the elction, but I did at least expect there to have been a good debate, and I reckon Gordon 'Gutless' Brown knew John would poll highly in the TU sections and the constituency sections - and that's why he bullied MPs against nominating John. I really don't know if I can be arsed staying in the party anymore - we have been shat on for one last time by a cowardly Stalinist bully of a leader and 300 plus submissive gutless MPs - makes the term Brown-nosed all the more applicable!
How can we work with local MPs who denied us a democratic choice? How can we support a party with such a disregard for basic democratic principles. So much for being the party of choice!
Yes, maybe the Greens offer a better prospect of delivering a better world now? I just don't know, but I can't exactly get motivated to do f*ck all for the party now.
Great speech at yesterday's PCS conference John. Just a shame it wasn't the launch of the campaign that would have led us to a truly just and caring party again!
Mike, hangfire. I feel the same. But that's what Brown wants.However I am about to join two of my closest comrades and we are going to the CLP and we are goingto tell our MP exactly what we think. We are then going to work our socks off recruiting members and get a left-winger to replace her as she is standing down. We plan to set up left liasison groups between our two neighbouring constituencies and we're going to FIGHT these bastards.It is the only way. There. I feel quite cheered up. Please don't leave the Party.If John can come out fighting 24 hours after the PLP's craven and disgusting behaviour then so can we....I know it's been an awful week and it started so well......
John's speech at PCS conference(which received TWO standing ovations) was once again inspirational. It has inspired me to fight on and fight harder.
PS STAT of the day.
Whilst at PCS conference (was preparing to do a speech on Chavez) worked out that Gordon Brown has a mandate of 0.00051% of the population (ie 308 people).
PPS Mike don't leave!!!
REPORT FROM PCS WEBSITE
Beaten but not defeated
The day ended with a powerful speech by John McDonnell MP, chair of the PCS parliamentary group. Speaking the day after learning he had not secured enough nominations to challenge Gordon Brown for the Labour leadership, he received a spontaneous standing ovation before he even began.
John thanked delegates for the welcome and noted wryly: “It’s been rough old week in Westminster.”
He added: “I’m disappointed, but not for myself. I’m disappointed for all Labour party members across the country. They are not going to get a voice or a say in the future direction of a Labour government.”
John thanked PCS for its solidarity, saying: “I’m really grateful for you standing shoulder to shoulder with me.”
He went on to outline the threat Gordon Brown poses to members’ terms and conditions, and public services in general, with increased privatisation and real terms pay cuts.
Other unions should come on board and show solidarity with PCS, he said, and the TUC should also show a ‘more robust interpretation of solidarity’. “We want them to lead, we want them to co-ordinate, to be at the forefront alongside us and brining others along.”
He hailed the Make Your Vote Count campaign as ‘tremendously effective’. “It put us right in the faces of those politicians making the decisions”, he said. “There could be a general election in the next two years and votes of PCS members and their families are enough to change an election.”
Closing, he promised to continue to wholeheartedly support PCS both in parliament and workplaces. “In PCS I see a membership determined. I see anger building and we can turn that into solidarity and action. Whether it’s in parliament or on the picket lines I’ll be there with you.”
wow, its great that John has the fortitude and determination to fight on after the disgraceful events of last week. Like others have said he should try to maintain his media profile as well as getting on the streets, etc, we should all email Question time to ensure he gets on the programme.
pity, we can't have a second round on the streets like the French do
ahahaha!
How dare you glorify the PIRA!
One of the many things which puzzles me about this so called poverty eradicating govt., is the minimum wage. So, can all you New Labour radicals please answer me this. How would you reckon to live any kind of meaningful existence on £5.35 an hour? Don't forget that you only qualify for this whopping great rate at age 21 plus. 18-21's get a truly huge £4.45 an hour whilst 16's and 17's get a massive £3.30 an hour. Do the maths and see how pathetic this all is in terms of ambition. Anyway, I await a response and please don't give me the 'it's better than the Tories' claptrap because that really isn't very advanced thinking, is it now. Oh and don't leave it too long to respond either because in that time, the oh so well run Gordon Brown economy will have seen interest rates go up again. Apart from screwing many of us, I guess the New Labour, new elite second/third/fourth etc. property owners will really be starting to whinge. Yep, it's all really looking good.
also if like me you don't qualify for childcare assistance from the tax credit then even a living wage of £7 an hour would effectively mean £3 an hour after you had dedcuted £4 for a childminder and prob more for travel but at leat the £7 figute would push wages for other jobs above the minimum wage level up too and you could try to get one of these. On the current min wage I would prob end up with about 35p an hour of that after deducting childcare and travel!
Maybe our new motto should be "things have got to get worse before they get better!"
though it does sound a bit negative for me!
I think the LRC website will be updated but I don't expect they have had a chance to do it yet as they have been working flat out on the election and may also have had the weekend off to reover as it was a shock to us all the Brown whitewash I mean although maybe it will actually help us in the long run that he didn't have a proper mandate and there will always be a question mark over his reign.
Let's wait to see him incriminate himself byt giving us more of the same as we've had under New Labour.
In the meantime we all have a job to do raising John's profile as the anti-war standard bearer; he needs to link up with the anti-war Congress men and women in America now that they are voting to bring the war to an end and when it all goes wrong for Brown and his supporters and the public generally who haven't already realised finally see the light about New Labour people will want a "real" Labour politician with intergrity and be ready for the true egalitarian and humnaist i.e. socialist ideas which John would bring. We musn't give up but keep on fighting throuhg all the means we can beginning with supporting the public sector "summer of discontent" and we will win people over in the end. As someone said we musn't give up as that's exactly what Brwon wants why else would he have tried so hard to get all those nominations?! He just made himself look insecure and over compensating.
If everyone sends or emails in any responses they did get from lobbying MPs then the office can collate them for future reference. Persisitence also pays off - remember how long it took to get rid of Thatcher and how bad things had to get before she went - maybe Brown is our "John Major" period thought I hope it only lasts till Blair really goes in seven weeks -maybe they will both get arrested for financial mismanagement before then I live in hope but realistically I think probably a year to eighteen months as teh Democrats surge to victory in 2008 on an anti-war ticket - I hope! We can all keep raising John's profile by letters etc to the media relating to whatever John is doing e.g. speaking at PCS conference or whatever and the forthcoming disputes.
ahaha
you couldnt even get enough MP's to nominate you!
That is just pathetic!
I supported John's campaign, but given a choice between Blair and Brown I would choose Blair any day - if only to remain electable. Labour's chances of retaining power have actually diminished with Brown, who is morose when normal and scarey when he tries to behappy. Too clever, too vindictive, too morose and not enough distance from the Blair era.
Some people say he is too Scottish for the English. This wasn't a problem under John Smith. What has changed is devolution, which threatens to turn the West Lothian question into a constitutional crisis. Those south of the border are asking themselves why Scottish MPs can impose tuition fees and charges for care for the elderly in England and Wales, while Scotland is exempt? A Brown premiership will exacerbate the problem and he will be reviled in England in the same way as Thatcher was hated in Scotland. The only way Brown can get around this is by answering the West Lothian question with a constitutional settlement that either excludes Scottish MPs from legislation only affecting England and Wales or creating a devolved English parliament. Unless Brown addresses English grievances, Labour is sunk. And given the recent upset in the Scottish elections, Labour will be badly punished across the country. With Brown in charge, Cameron could end up winning with a landslide.
Current parliamentary selections (if this PLP doesn't work, let's make a new one!):
Seat Castle Point
Held by: Con
Majority: 8,201
Second Place: Lab
All women shortlist? No - open
Closing date for applications: 16 May
Shortlisting: 21 June
Hustings: 15 July
Procedures Secretary: Jackie Reilly
9 Ameland Road, Canvey Island, Essex SS8 9PS
Tel: 01268 511145
Email: Jackie.reilly@googlemail.com
Seat: Colchester
Held by: Lib Dem
Majority: 6,277
2nd place: Con
All women shortlist? No - open
Closing date for applications: 19 May
Shortlisting: 13 June
Hustings: 7 July
Procedures Secretary: Chris Aldous
65 Forest Road
Colchester, CO4 3RE
Tel: 01206 525892
Email: chris.d.aldous@ntlworld.com
Seat: Swansea West
Held by: Lab
Majority: 4,269
2nd place: Lib Dem
All women shortlist? No - open
Closing date for applications: 24 May
Shortlisting: 27 June
Hustings: 13 July
Procedures Secretary: Brian Cainen
40 Pastoral WaySkettySwansea, SA2 9LY
Tel: 01792 529484
Email: j.b.cainen@ntlworld.com
Seat: Nuneaton
Held by: Lab
Majority: 2,280
All Women shortlist? Yes
Closing date for applications: 28 May
Shortlisting: 21 June
Hustings: 7 July
Procedures Secretary: Cllr Pat Henry
28 Cromdale Close
Nuneaton
Warwickshire
CV10 8NS
Tel: (w) 024 7664 2222 (H) 024 7632 6607
Email: pat.henry@nuneatonandbedworth.gov.uk or junpat@tiscali.co.uk
Seat: Chippenham (new seat following boundary changes)
AWS: No - open selection
Closing date for applications: 29 May
Shortlisting: 11 July
Hustings: 26 July
Procedures Secretary: Judith Hible
13 Brook Drive
Corsham
SN13 9AU
Tel: 01249 701265
Email: stevejudy@brookdr.freeserve.co.uk
Seat: Hertsmere
Held by: Con
Majority: 4,902
place: Lab
AWS: No - open selection
Closing date for applications: 4 June
Shortlisting: 30 June
Hustings: 21 July
Procedures Secretary: Ann Harrison
40 Park Avenue
Potters Bar
EN6 5EJ
Tel: 01707 657379
Email: ann.harrison7@ntlworld.com
Seat: Central Suffolk and North Ipswich
Held by: Con
Majority: 7,856
place: Lab
AWS: No - open selection
Closing date for applications: 5 June
Shortlisting: 28 June
Hustings: 19 July
Procedures Secretary: Stephen Connelly
Post Office, Lower Street, Great Bealings
Woodbridge
Suffolk
IP13 6NH
Tel: 01473 735230
Email: stephen_connelly@btinternet.com
Seat: Boston and Skegness
Held by: Con
Majority: 5,907
place: Lab
AWS: No - open selection
Closing date for applications: 8 June
Hustings: 5 August
Procedures Secretary: Sally Gall
Tel: 07984 002892
Email: rosey-red@hotmail.co.uk
Seat: Ealing Central and Acton
Held by: Lab
Majority: New seat
place: Con
AWS: No - open selection
Closing date for applications: 8 June
Shortlisting: 14 July
Hustings: 27 July
Procedures Secretary: Phil Portwood
Tel: 07855 740406
Email: labour@east-acton.com
Doug, what in the world has possessed you to decide that if John Mcdonnell isn't running then you'll vote BNP?!!? There really is no logic there... Blair or Cameron are closer in policy to the BNP, at least with regards to their attitudes towards immigrants and asylum seekers.
John Mcdonnell was standing on a policy of toleration and compassion towards asylum seekers and immigrants... I can't imagine a wider leap from desiring a democratic socialist leader to a neo-Nazi fascist organisation.
*shakes head in wonderment*
The problem with the Brown has no mandate argument is that it enables people to retreat into their comfort zone of armchair activism.
Rather than pretend that John did well and was stopped by nasty MP's one should analyse the results to see the strengths and weaknesses of the left.
If you take the MP and MEP (for they get a vote) nominations, the April member YouGov and the March TU YouGov - which would all imply a 15% McDonnell share of the vote in the college - and assume a 97% turnout of MPs/MEP's, 70% members and 40% TU's - similar to 1994 - you can actually show that John would have probably have had 250,000 (22%)people voting for him in the party and unions (though Gordon would have got over 880,000 -78%). That is probably about 11% down on Tony Benn's actual voter share against Kinnock in 1988 (as opposed to his much smaller college share)and reflects the broad social changes that have happened since the collapse of soviet communism.
That implied base alone, though small, will be why the CNWP request to add to its Coventry and Deptford bases will not be heeded.
The potential 250,000 for John is as big as the 250,000 that Respect got outside the party in the 2004 Euros. Before anybody sees this as a mandate for revolution now, it should be pointed out that a combined 500,000 is only 1.25% of the electorate. The reality is that is probably a lot of overlap in the vote so it is smaller than that.
However it is an important bloc of support, both inside and outside the party, that enables change to happen quicker than it might have done.
Instead of being so angry and disappointed why not grow more comfortable with this important ongoing role at one end of the political spectrum for significantly influencing the 70% of voters distributed across the centre ground of politics.
Let's replace the MP's say some.
But apart from one or two people who from the left actually applies for seats any more?
Left MP's are aging and not being replaced. Part of it is because the activist base in those seats has substantially changed.
The other is because unlike other wings of the party "left amaterism" opposed to anything sounding like modern management techniques does nothing to mentor potential activists for the future.
What is missed out is that these modern management techniques exist as a result of the left's ongoing engagement with evolving capitalism over the last century that has humanised many aspects of it just as Bernstein predicted in opposition to Kautsky and Luxembourg.
When John McDonnell announces the launch of such a mentoring scheme, and other practical approaches to build left social capital and social networks then we will know that people are drawing some serious conclusions from the last 6 months of activity.
The alternative is to stick to blame culture.
Let's replace the MP's say some.
But apart from one or two people who from the left actually applies for seats any more?
Left MP's are aging and not being replaced. Part of it is because the activist base in those seats has substantially changed.
The other is because unlike other wings of the party "left amaterism" opposed to anything sounding like modern management techniques does nothing to mentor potential activists for the future.
What is missed out is that these modern management techniques exist as a result of the left's ongoing engagement with evolving capitalism over the last century that has humanised many aspects of it just as Bernstein predicted in opposition to Kautsky and Luxembourg.
When John McDonnell announces the launch of such a mentoring scheme, and other practical approaches to build left social capital and social networks then we will know that people are drawing some serious conclusions from the last 6 months of activity.
The alternative is to stick to blame culture.
"the launch of such a mentoring scheme, and other practical approaches to build left social capital and social networks."
They sound like good ideas - let's try and develop something and fast!
I see the right wings are already falling out amongst themselves and causing the lack of unity poor old Gordon tried to stifle - http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=456375&in_page_id
Mike - the 'and fast' is the important bit. If we let things slide we'll get back into being comfortably miffed (or Browned off, I suppose): we need to be organising stuff now really, while we're all fired up.
Just put this on the Compass web site...
Compass is just a front for NEW Labour. It exists to make people believe that there is still a left opposition to the right wing within the NEW Labour party that there is still some socialism left, this is to keep many still members. By supporting Brown and not McDonnell Compass has PROVED this to be true. HOW...Brown said this of John McDonnell`s failure to get nominated "This has proved that there is no support for the far left in the Labour party" So that is how Brown see`s John McDonnell as the FAR left. The question is how do Compass a left of centre group??? see Brown the architect off much that has happened over the last ten years as left of centre,well they must to support him.
http://www.compassonline.org.uk/article.asp?n=610#comments
I agree with the posters above who say they need to act swiftly to create a new base of activists for the left. What always gets me is how disorganised and fractred the left usually is - there are alot of natural supporters and people who would benefit from left politics - but getting them all togeather is hard. I think the right tends to be ok as the people who are in it are driven more often then not, by power and although they're not entirely united theyre driven by the influence of success.
So i agree, action is needed. What i'd like to see is a more agressive attitude to recruiting supporters as there is a wealth out there. I had to actively hunt out left politics and ideas but we should be taking it to the people and saying' this is what we believe and this is what it can do for you'.... like i said before the left has many, many nautral supporters - we just need to get them togeather!
Jon
John can we have an LRC committee meeting soon please to plan ahead and debrief the election....
re: far left if that's the case then Gordon is a neo con which he actually is but he is deliberately confusing the left of the Labour party with lefter groups in the usual Labour way as if we're " he who should not be named" in Harry Potter - well it's the neo cons that I don't want to hear about as they shouldn't have hijackedf the Labour party and they all sol out years ago to big business; privatisation and other Tory policies. Ironically I saw a Tory on Daily Politics or somewhere complaining that Cameron's stance on Grammar schools was "socialist!"
But oiur revival has got to come from within Labour; not from pressure for lefter policies from the Tories!
After the Compass conference there is also a Morning Star conference details of which will no doubt be put on the events page of this website in due course and would be a good one for activists to attend.
We was robbed of a place on the ballot paper and we musn't let the media forget this and we must keep John in the public eye as the true anti-war candidiate whatever rubbish Brown tries ot spin on this subject. John must link up with the anti-war Democrats etc in America and hopefully the release of the Michael Moore documentary film on the failings of the US health service will help us keep up the profile of the need to reverse New Labour's changes to the NHS here. On Saturday one of my kids had very bad wheezing in the middle of the night so I rang NHS Direct and the updhot of it was that the doctor decided of his own volition to do a home visit there and then and nebulise the child etc at 3am who is now better. I doubt we would have had that kind of service in a private systemn. The one time a few years ago I rang my husband's health insurance 24 hour GP line as my doctors was shut at 7.30 am on Saturdays they told me no GP was available till nine. I couldn't wait that long as I'd had sciatica which is very painful since 2.30 a.m. so I had to go to Casualty who administered strong painkillers (though I went to an osteopath as soon as I could as I prefer natural methods) but at least the care is there when you need it and you haven't got to worry about producing money though having said that prescriptions and fillings etc aren't free to many NHS patients like me and so it can cost £45 for a dental check up (including X-rays) and £200 odd pounds for a non-mecury filling... (there are health risks associated with mecury as there are with fluoride despite what your dentist may tell you....
sounds like they are doing the NHS on Newsnight so will go and listen....
Just look at what our caring compassionate govt is doing next:
Disability firm to close 43 sites
Remploy helps disabled people find work
A firm which employs disabled people has unveiled cost-cutting plans to close 43 factories across Britain.
A total of 32 of Remploy's 83 factories will close and a further 11 will merge with other sites under the plans.
Remploy says no disabled person will be made compulsorily redundant, but it wants to place 2,270 disabled people into mainstream employment.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6679619.stm
the lefts support for disability issues, etc has been patchy, lets hope they defend these workers.
demo info here
http://greenmansoccasional.blogspot.com/2007/05/support-remploy-workers.html
More parliamentary selections. Anyone got any contacts in any of these places? Anybody planning on standing?
Seat: Swansea West
Held by: Lab
Majority: 4,269
2nd place: Lib Dem
All women shortlist? No - open
Closing date for applications: 24 May
Shortlisting: 27 June
Hustings: 13 July
Procedures Secretary: Brian Cainen
40 Pastoral WaySkettySwansea, SA2 9LY
Tel: 01792 529484
Email: j.b.cainen@ntlworld.com
Seat: Nuneaton
Held by: Lab
Majority: 2,280
All Women shortlist? Yes
Closing date for applications: 28 May
Shortlisting: 21 June
Hustings: 7 July
Procedures Secretary: Cllr Pat Henry
28 Cromdale Close
Nuneaton
Warwickshire
CV10 8NS
Tel: (w) 024 7664 2222 (H) 024 7632 6607
Email: pat.henry@nuneatonandbedworth.gov.uk or junpat@tiscali.co.uk
Seat: Chippenham (new seat following boundary changes)
AWS: No - open selection
Closing date for applications: 29 May
Shortlisting: 11 July
Hustings: 26 July
Procedures Secretary: Judith Hible
13 Brook Drive
Corsham
SN13 9AU
Tel: 01249 701265
Email: stevejudy@brookdr.freeserve.co.uk
Seat: Hertsmere
Held by: Con
Majority: 4,902
2nd place: Lab
AWS: No - open selection
Closing date for applications: 4 June
Shortlisting: 30 June
Hustings: 21 July
Procedures Secretary: Ann Harrison
40 Park Avenue
Potters Bar
EN6 5EJ
Tel: 01707 657379
Email: ann.harrison7@ntlworld.com
Seat: Central Suffolk and North Ipswich
Held by: Con
Majority: 7,856
2nd place: Lab
AWS: No - open selection
Closing date for applications: 5 June
Shortlisting: 28 June
Hustings: 19 July
Procedures Secretary: Stephen Connelly
Post Office, Lower Street, Great Bealings
Woodbridge
Suffolk
IP13 6NH
Tel: 01473 735230
Email: stephen_connelly@btinternet.com
Seat: Bexleyheath and Crayford
Held by: Con
Majority: 4,551
2nd place: Lab
AWS: No - open selection
Closing date for applications: 8 June
Shortlisting: 14 July
Hustings: 4 August
Procedures Secretary: Stephanie David
28a Belvedere Road
DA7 4NX
Tel: 02083 035090
Email: steph@storm.ca
Seat: Boston and Skegness
Held by: Con
Majority: 5,907
2nd place: Lab
AWS: No - open selection
Closing date for applications: 8 June
Hustings: 5 August
Procedures Secretary: Sally Gall
Tel: 07984 002892
Email: rosey-red@hotmail.co.uk
Seat: Ealing Central and Acton
Held by: Lab
Majority: New seat
2nd place: Con
AWS: No - open selection
Closing date for applications: 9 June
Shortlisting: 14 July
Hustings: 27 July
Procedures Secretary: Phil Portwood
Ruskin Hall
16 Church Road
Acton
W3 8PP
Tel: 020 8896 2323
Mob: 07855 740406
Email: labour@east-acton.com
Seat: Fylde
Held by: Con
Majority: 12,459
2nd place: Lab
AWS: No - open selection
Closing date for applications: 9 June
Shortlisting: 22 July
Hustings: 7 September
Procedures Secretary: Denis Davenport
35 School Lane
Newton with Scales
Preston
Lancashire
PR4 3RT
Tel: 01772 685571
Email: fyldelabour@aol.com
Seat: Bournemouth East
Held by: Con
Majority: 5,244
2nd place: Lib Dem
AWS: No - open selection
Closing date for applications: 11 June
Hustings: 7 July
Procedures Secretary: Phil Broomfield
45 Colehill Crescent
Muscliff
Bournemouth
BH9 3QH
Tel: 07810 646123
Seat: Bournemouth West
Held by: Con
Majority: 4,031
2nd place: Lib Dem
AWS: No - open selection
Closing date for applications: 11 June
Hustings: 7 July
Procedures Secretary: Phil Broomfield
45 Colehill Crescent
Muscliff
Bournemouth
BH9 3QH
Tel: 07810 646123
Seat: Bolton South East
Held by: Lab
Majority: 11,638
2nd place: Con
AWS: No - open selection
Closing date for applications: 19 June
Shortlisting: 6 August
Hustings: 26 August
Procedures Secretary: Ismail Ibrahim
4 Edgemont Avenue
Bolton
BL3 6TY
Tel: 01204 480496
Mob: 07834 015160
Email: ismail.ibrahim@bolton.gov.uk
Compliance Unit
It`s all getting worse for NEW Labour...
"Choosing between Blair and Brown is like choosing between Saddam and Uday ... They're as bad as each other"
http://tinyurl.com/ynsg6u
http://tinyurl.com/2j9dbc
Duncan - can anyone put their names forward to these CLPs, or do you need central office approval?
Any thoughts on deputy leader??
I'm going Cruddas. Don't really want to but best of a bad bunch.
Can someone with selection knowledge confirm? My understanding is anybody can put their names forward for selection (you don't have to be on the panel) - but the decision will go to some manner of NEC committee for approval. Is that right?
re - the somewhat irrelevant deputy teamaker role - as I understand the way it works, it's going to come down to which candidate gets the most of members' top 3 votes...
On a seperate note, we really do need to be discussing ways forward and new tactics if this party isn;t to just collapse - are there any left-wing Labour member forums where we can get some debate and strategy going?
I need something to be doing to keep my mind from wandering to other parties or creating a new localist party, or anything else!
Obviously there'll be the LRC conference in October.
By 'forums' are you referring to websites (discussion group/bloggy type things?) Obviously we're all looking forward to the overhauled LRC website (which sounds really good); in the mean time there are a few things about. I agree that something specifically for Labour Left members would be good. I've recently set something up with that in mind, but it's very amateur (because I'm not great with computers) and people haven't joined in as yet! It's here
Other activists have very good blogs where things can be discussed (some linked from there).
There's always full party things like Labour Home. And there's even a bit of debate to be had at the Compass website.
Duncan,
I've visited the Labour Left Forum, which you set up, a number of times now. As much as I would like to participate, I find that AOL bloggs are "user-hostile" - as opposed to "user-friendly" - to both bloggers and "comment leavers".
How about setting up a "Labour Left Forum" on a google account??? I have a google account, as do many other "Labour Left" bloggers - including yourself I believe. We could thus set up a "LLF" and invite other like-minded bloggers to join the project. What do you say?
Comradely,
Mikael
P.S. We could advertise it on LabourHome, of course!
Hi Mikael,
I'd be very keen to do something like that. I'm not terribly good with these things, so the AOL one was handy (pretty idiot proof from a setting up point of view).
It would be much better to have something where lots of people could contribute, but would need someone with better IT skills than me to set it up.
I'll try to set it up myself - which doesn't mean that my IT skills are better than yours; let's face it, they're almost certainly worse! :-)
I'll get back to you once I've managed to set something up!
In the meantime, I've set up a 'Facebook' group which might prove useful (you have to join facebook to join the group though).
Yes, I've tried the AOL site too Duncan. It needs an account before you can comment (and my ID is already taken) so I gave up.
When the LRC one is set up it would be good if it were for members only?
Hi Curlew - didn't realise you needed an account to comment. Probably pretty useless then!
For the LRC site, do you mean paid-up members of the LRC only? I agree that having time-wasters coming on to have a go would be terribly tiresome, but also think that being too exclusive could be counter-productive (a debate on the internet COULD bring someone on board... I keep trying to convince myself of that, anyway!!!)
Hi All,
Just wondering. Who joined the Labour Party to support tis campaign, and who will now stay in it now that Brown is PM?
Who was going to join the Labour Party if John got on the ballot, and what will you do now?
Myself, i was going to join the LP if he got on the ballot (i nearly joined years ago in 2000)but i'm not convinced of the merits of joining the party in its present state as i just could not support it. So i'm thinking of joining the LRC as an associate for a start to keep in with like minded people.
Thanks
JC
JC
I joined to support John's campaign. I actually thought at the time that I would leave if it didn't go well. However, I have now changed my mind. I have met (mostly in the flesh but som 'virtually') so many committed socialists in the Labour Party, especially in my local branch, that I think it is worth staying in and fighting for our ideals.
We may have a 10% chance of getting a socialist government if we work within the LP. If we don't work in the LP we have a 0% chance. It might not be much, but it's somewhere to start...
That's brilliant to hear - let's hope other people feel the same way, despite the recent disappointments.
Agree with what you say about an open forum, Duncan. We'll need to make sure that we don't bite when the interlopers arrive to wind us up and to encourage infighting.
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