Statement on Today's Events
Many people have contacted us to find out what the latest situation is, so I have set out below the statement we have agreed with Michael Meacher following our meeting today. As you can see from the statement, we are trying to ensure that a candidate is decided by Monday based upon the assessment of nominations received.
I'm confident that we can get there, and I am so pleased and so grateful at all the messages of support that have poured into my office. Everyone at the campaign has been really moved by this show of solidarity. Thanks.
I also want you all to know this that I am doing my best.
"As agreed, the campaign teams for Michael Meacher and John McDonnell have met to assess the level of support for each candidate. The outcome is that the issue is too close to call at the moment and a number of clarifications need to be made.
The good news for the Labour Party is that there is clearly sufficient support to ensure that a leadership candidate will come forward from the Centre-Left.
The Campaign Teams will reconvene on Monday to clarify which candidate goes forward from the Centre-Left. There will be a press conference late in the afternoon. Time and venue tbc."
I'm confident that we can get there, and I am so pleased and so grateful at all the messages of support that have poured into my office. Everyone at the campaign has been really moved by this show of solidarity. Thanks.
I also want you all to know this that I am doing my best.
"As agreed, the campaign teams for Michael Meacher and John McDonnell have met to assess the level of support for each candidate. The outcome is that the issue is too close to call at the moment and a number of clarifications need to be made.
The good news for the Labour Party is that there is clearly sufficient support to ensure that a leadership candidate will come forward from the Centre-Left.
The Campaign Teams will reconvene on Monday to clarify which candidate goes forward from the Centre-Left. There will be a press conference late in the afternoon. Time and venue tbc."
posted by John at 8:28 PM
22 Comments:
Thanks, that's shed a lot of light on it.
Once more there was a media black out on the left. No mention of John again today although at least the BBC website have managed an article on Monday's decision.
Great interview with Tony Benn on HardTalk last night. His endorsement of John was crystal clear.
Let's all gather the troops for the oncoming victory!
Good luck over the weekend John, you deserve those nominations for all your hard work, practical principles and commitment. Lets go get 'em!
Since when are you "centre left?" That's a new one. Saying that, I hope it's you on the ballot paper rather than Meacher.
I saw John being interviewed for about 4 minutes on BBC News 24, so the media blackout isn't total. He was however asked utterly stupid questions like why bother standing which just wastes time, got a recording of it up here http://www.dasmirnov.net/blog/2007/05/10/john_mcdonnell_interviewed
Thanks for that Paul, I switched on just before 4pm so missed it.
I hear Brown is looking for a debate before MOnday? Do I detect that he wants to scare off all the MPs from nominating? How can we debate policy with him if he won't say what his views are?
Brown's biggest fear is seeing the poll from the membership. There may be anough Brown-nosers out there for him to scrape by but seeing a large tranche of dissatisfied memebers in a poll puts the fear of god into him!
Today have very bad hangover -many many people in the Labour Party will be utterly gutted if there is no leadership contest.It was utterly nauseating yesterday to see the sycophancy about a man responsible for the deaths of thousands in Iraq.Even if he thought it was the "right thing to do."The BBC should be ashamed of itself.
Whatever happens, there are thousands in this party who want change and we will carry on fighting for it.Still hoping we get the numbers by Monday.
Interesting to note that the NEW has been removed from the Labour website - on who's authority I wonder? If Gordo's - then it shows he is wooing the left and thus fears it.
Good Lord, just looked - the colours are now PURPLE! That's made by a mixture of red and blue isn't it.....
Can't believe this...
http://members.labour.org.uk/shop/leadership_election
I heard John on Radio Five Live yesterday.
Claiming there is a media blackout when there isn't just makes us look stupid.
On Five Live this morning Anne Cryer MP said she was voting for Gordon but nominating John because of pressure from her constituency party members who want an election.
So lets keep lobbying right to the wire.
Yeah it has mysteriously gone. Any conspiracy theories out there? Could it be an attempt to attract members back?
As for his leaving speech. Grimupnorth has it right when he describes the 'i did what i thought was right' moment, obviously connected with Iraq, as nauseating.
I also didn't like when he said to compare what your life was like in 1997 with now and see how much better you're off. Well i've had a think and i'm actually significantly worse off!!
First of all i went to University in 1998 but i had some family problems and i left after my second year (i'm studying again part time now though) so i owe thousands in student loans.
Wages aren't that much better and there is significantly more competition for jobs in this area than in 1997 - typically low wage, low skill work.
I spent the last 3 years training at a dental hospital for a job in the lab, they paid us to train and trained 6 of us up (they've now taken on 12 more students since i passed). We weren't taken on for any specific jobs at the end, but as two people left, you'd have thought they'd retain someone that they'd spent money on training? wrong! they directorate manager preferes to send more work out to a commercial lab as the staff there work for pathetic wages and it works out cheaper than empolying something - hospitals penny pinching!
House prices - forget the minimum wage, house (and rent) prices have spiralled far too much. In 1998 my brother purchaced his house after getting a job after university for about £35K after being on £11K, and he didn't have student loans!!. Even five years ago my friend bought after leaving university when earning about £13K, and he received a grant and topped it up with a student loan so he was well off at university and he debt levels are not that high - and the point is these amounts aren't even close to getting a reasonable mortgage for a modest house so if you only get minimum wage you have nearly no chance of becoming independent and even renting a house - unless Meacher is feeling generous!
Better off since 1997? no, not really. Blair's legacy? Iraq and a total failure to address inequality.
Jon
Okay, let's call it a grey out then.
Most of us don't have a bank of TV screens watching every TV channel 24 hours a day, likewise radio.
We do expect to see something on the main news slots from the terrestrial channels
Notice the Today programme did cover the left this morning, the Today editors must have a more catholic view, than those on TV. But I did copy them in, on my complaint to BBC1.
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/labourleadership/comment/0,,2076920,00.html
Michael White in today's grauniad
"In fact the day's one piece of authentic, unscripted news is whether Michael Meacher or John McDonnell will have the votes to go forward as the left's challenger, hoping to open up the debate and undermine the Brown-Blair consensus which they fear Mr Brown will embrace too readily.
My money is on Mr McDonnell, the more solid candidate of the two, the one least likely to say 9/11 was a US plot or something equally daft. Like John Cruddas, the thoughtful leftwing candidate for the deputy leadership, he does not assume that Middle England is Labour's only electoral priority or that the heartlands can be taken for granted.
Dagenham - Mr Cruddas's seat - and Hayes and Harlington - Mr McDonnell's - may be on either side of London, but both have more than their share of poverty and hardship. Working-class voters concerned with bread and butter issues - the "social wage" that is good public schools and hospitals - are as disaffected as Islington liberals for whom Iraq and civil liberties are Tony Blair's real failures."
Go and vote for John at the BBC on-line poll asking who you think should be Labour leader:
http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6644717.stm
"It was utterly nauseating yesterday to see the sycophancy about a man responsible for the deaths of thousands in Iraq."
How? British troops do not go out and kill innocent Iraqis - Islamist terrorists are the ones doing the killing.
Lets get one thing straight: Saddam Hussein deliberately killed millions of Iraqis. Why has nobody criticised him?
Not quite accurate Sham.
While i agree that the troops there are doing the best job they can in the circumstances i'm wondering did you not see the start of the conflict? American and British warplanes pounding Baghdad? Cruise missiles slamming into areas which were heavily residential? The term collateral damage just hides up to the true horrors!
Also let's bring into the equation that the Americans supported Saddam during the 'six day war', effectively securing his position in power. If they objected to the way he oppressed the people of Iraq, then why did they not take him out for those reasons in 1991? Or was it not appealing for them to do it at that time? Blair took the country to war on a lie, towing us behind the US into attacking Iraq, which did not have links with Al Quaeda for a non existant reason; which has resulted in the 'collateral damage' mentioned above, deaths of British and American troops, and the civil unrest (war?) which has resulted in the many, many deaths of civilians that continues today.
Of course Saddam needed to be dealt with, but there are many similar occurances (Zimbabwe etc) that are similar in nature. So why Iraq? There are obviously other political motives at work, but i doubt they justify the actions which have caused - directly and indirectly- the death of hundreds of thousands of people.
So, it is impossible to say that Blair cannot be blamed for the deaths that have occured - he had a choice and sadly was found lacking.
Jon
Good News - Scotland UNISON Labour Link has voted to support McDonnell for Labour leadership and John Cruddas for deputy at a meeting earlier today.
"Claiming there is a media blackout when there isn't just makes us look stupid."
Spot on Miles. It's important, in the days and weeks ahead that we don't come across as whingers or conspiracy theorists, but focused, positive and cheerful. Like the man said, let's have a debate with a smile on our faces. No shrill denunciations, no hysteria, just proper and relevant politics.
Good luck John
It is not a consipracy whatsoever. The media is a propaganda tool to promote the causes of the rich and powerful, why would they give John lots of coverage?
I wouldn't call it a blackout personally, I would call it necessary coverage enough at least to defer claims of unfairness.
Why is the left always riven with division? Go to it, John and Michael, the country desperately needs a party of the left. Please make sure the left is united.
Re: Coverage. It's interesting to note that in a university forum yesterday discussing the left of the party and John's candidacy a member piped up and said we were mistaken : that there is no election for the leader - just for the deputy leader.
All the best John from someone who cant bear to see that slimeball, tory in disguise Brown seizing power.
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