Thanks to Michael
As many of you may know, Michael Meacher and myself held a meeting today and have together decided that I will stand as the candidate of the Labour left.
I want to use this opportunity to pay tribute to the gracious and dignified speech Michael made at the joint press conference today. Michael and his whole team have already been doing all they can to ensure that our campaign is a success - by calling on his supporters to nominate me, and by offering to do all they can to help.
No-one in Parliament has been more of a dedicated advocate of environmental issues than Michael. I look forward to working with him in the days and weeks ahead, and I am particularly looking forward to his contribution to the pressing issue of climate change.
As you will all know, to get a place on the ballot paper, I will need to receive the nomination of 44 fellow MPs. Today, I have asked my colleagues to nominate to ensure that Labour party members and trade unionists - the people who deliver our leaflets, fight the Tories at elections and keep our party going with their financial contributions - have a say in this upcoming election. I know that many MPs recognise that there is a tremendous appetite out there for a friendly, democratic debate that will only strengthen our party, and I hope that they will nominate me on that basis.
Finally, I want to thank you all for your support. The reason that we have got as far is because of the work many of you have put in to building what is, above all, a grassroots campaign. Already, this campaign has been a success. Let's continue to surprise them.
P.S. As you will know, Michael and myself took part in a friendly debate with Gordon Brown yesterday at the Fabian Society. Below you can see a video from the event:
I want to use this opportunity to pay tribute to the gracious and dignified speech Michael made at the joint press conference today. Michael and his whole team have already been doing all they can to ensure that our campaign is a success - by calling on his supporters to nominate me, and by offering to do all they can to help.
No-one in Parliament has been more of a dedicated advocate of environmental issues than Michael. I look forward to working with him in the days and weeks ahead, and I am particularly looking forward to his contribution to the pressing issue of climate change.
As you will all know, to get a place on the ballot paper, I will need to receive the nomination of 44 fellow MPs. Today, I have asked my colleagues to nominate to ensure that Labour party members and trade unionists - the people who deliver our leaflets, fight the Tories at elections and keep our party going with their financial contributions - have a say in this upcoming election. I know that many MPs recognise that there is a tremendous appetite out there for a friendly, democratic debate that will only strengthen our party, and I hope that they will nominate me on that basis.
Finally, I want to thank you all for your support. The reason that we have got as far is because of the work many of you have put in to building what is, above all, a grassroots campaign. Already, this campaign has been a success. Let's continue to surprise them.
P.S. As you will know, Michael and myself took part in a friendly debate with Gordon Brown yesterday at the Fabian Society. Below you can see a video from the event:
posted by John at 8:04 PM
24 Comments:
Good show, John. Nice blog.
John, I am so pleased you and Michael and have been able to resolve this situtation. It's a credit to the left that we have sorted out the differences in a friendly and comradely way. The Party now needs to unite around John and get him on the ballot paper.
The BBC and Sky are saying that you can expect to get between 25 and 30 % of the votes from the non-MP electoral college. I believe that we can get higher than that, but if we can just make 1 person in 4 realise that your, our vison, of the Labour party is the one that the people want and what is ideologically fundemental to the party then we can win this election and show everyone that where there is a will there is a way!
GOOD LUCK! JOHN4LEADER!!
Max Morris
Congratulations John! As a newer LP member who joined because I was inspired by your campaign that the LP was still worth fighting for I hope that the party will recognise the need for allowing people like me to vote in our first leadership contest and make sure you get on that ballot this week. Let's prove to everyone that democratic discussion and debate is not dead in the Labour Party.
I thought Michael Meacher was really gracious.I'm glad you two are now working together and resolved the various issues.
My Branch has a resolution passedlast week, nominating you for Leader at Friday's CLP so I will be doing all I can to mobilise support....well done.
Absolutely great John. Way to go.
I loved your comradely approach in the Fabian debate, with both Michael Meacher and Gordon Brown. I think you won that debate with your very straightforward honest argument.
I look forward to you winning the debate during the election campaign.
Well John, you were on cracking form Sunday night - looked as if you enjoyed every minute of it. With the blessing of the PLP I am looking forward to the full debate starting Thursday.
Excellent news re: the unification of the left, much thanks to Michael and his group - welcome to the campaign!
Well done John! I am in New Zealand at the moment but as soon as I get back at the end of the month I will be fighting to get your vote out in my CLP and trade union branch.
Dan Nichols
Funny how they dont show the bits where you kick Gordon all over the room on the telly isnt it?, The bbc dismissed you as 'populist' and praised brown for his posistioning you and michael as 'old' labour - without question or analysis of course! Despite that though I doubt your message could be completely contained, Brown looked in no mood for debate whilst you and michael were clearly chomping at the bit. Good on you John, keep it up. That little ' just over half the cost of trident' dig was just fun to watch, its true as well!
Good luck John! I joined the Labour party to vote and campaign on your behalf and respect what you're doing.
I think it's good we have a straight contest between one of the architechts of New Labour and an anti-war, anti-neoliberal MP; this ought to give the party and the country a chance for a much wider debate on our future then is normally allowed.
Well done John.
Ian
Very inspiring - it's good to see politicians talking about politics rather than spouting management jargon. We need a leadership election if only to force the mainstream media to take notice that most of Labour's voters aren't happy being patronised from on high...
Keep up the good fight John! it seems like finally the media blackout has lifted and John is being allowed to articulate his socialist platform to the wider public. And what a job he does when given the oppurtunity, i have now seen countless times John being patronised about his chances and policies by a snot nosed news reporter, only for John to counter back with honest and fair answers that earn a grudging respect from the presenter.
As a CLP member i believe it to be essential that John gets on the ballot, and if he does and he should, the comparison with Brown is a favourable one. Brown talks in New Labour riddles about 'prudence' and 'renewal' and offers no firm break from Blair's policies that i can see will re engage the party with voters.
John on the other hand offers a fresh, exciting, hopeful and most importantly of all, realistic message and policy platform that will surely win many progressives over, especially when John delivers the message in such an honest and no BS style.
So best of look John, i shall carry on doing all i can to help you, as im sure are a growing number of others.
I would vote Meacher without hesitation, rather than Gordon Brown who as an arch-Blairite will continue Tory policies. But the McDonnell campaign in its language and style reminds me so much of the non-Labour left (Socialist Alliance, Respect etc), with no appeal beyond committed politicians.
We just had our Branch meeting and in the pub after, someone told us Meacher had withdrawn. Unprompted, each person there said they would now reluctantly vote Brown.
It is fantastic to see that you and Michael have found a settlement and a way forward to make certain a proper contest happens for the leadership of the Labour party.
All, Gordon brown kept saying was that you and Michael are behind the times but the truth is that the kind of policies that you stand for are exactly what was needed in 1997 and ten times more needed today.
Good luck John.
good luck i hope you get in and i hope you tackle inequality and as well as opposing war
You're the only one there, no offence to Meacher but I was going to vote for Brown if it was a contest between those too - and practically everyone else felt the same!
Anyway, well done to Michael for standing down for the candidate with grassroots support. Let's get John on the ballot paper!
Well done and good luck - it was a massive bonus to have Michael stand down and support the campaign - credit where it's due, he acted in the correct manner.
The left has never truly united for whatever reason, but this is quite an exciting campaign even if it just gets people togeather fighting in one direction!
Jon
Good luck John. Can you clarify your position on electoral reform and proportional representation?
Interesting that Chris, above said he will vote for Brown now Meacher's not standing. Most people I know would have voted for Brown if John wasn't standing.
Michael has realised this and decided to do his best to ensure that there is a strong challenge to neo-liberalism from within the Labour Party. I urge Chris to follow Michael's example and reconsider his voting intentions.
one point in the video annoyed me slightly . At the end when they jokingly mock that John, or any left candidate, hasn't even got the support of the 'Labour Party' yet... but isn't that the point, the MPs in the PLP probably aren't representing the views of the CLPs or John would most likely be on the ballot now! I still feel that having MPs to vote on who should be nominated is an unfair process.... they're too influences in the 'westminster bubble'.
Jon
This Campaign has been a real breath of fresh air - grassroots, issue based, in depth, educational, passionate .....
It seems our lazy stogy media isn't really able to keep up with democracy in action (excluding C4 News lastnight)! You'd think people should be told what to think of everything through their selective lens and soundbites!!!
Anyway, I want to pay full tribute to Michael Meacher and John McDonell and their agreement to work together on this - it's beyond my wildest dreams!!!
Many in this country are desperate to have a voice again - the fluff and spin, fear-mongering and lies have deadened democracy and political thought. These media devises are no substitute for people believing that their voice and concerns are actually important.
my lat two messages wiped themselves or something so here's another try
I was not a bit surprised at what happened yest that John went forward and Meach made dignified speech standing down and recommending his supporters to vote for John but I hope Brown was!!
I'll be back when I've more time with my ideas for the next stage; here's one for starters: when they say our policies are too expensive remind them of something Jamie Oliver said that all his mates on the dole say they are hard-up till a night out is planned then they always seem to have the money!!
Also if Brown is still "monitoring" the situation in Basra he is beyond hope!
Dear John,
Great views you express at the Fabian meeting. I am not a Labour party member, but I did vote Labour in the election for the first term of this government. After Blair showed clearly what a charlatan and deceiver he was, and he did not deliver any of his manifesto promises, I have not voted Labour again. Like many electors I can see that Brown is a similar charlatan who has deceived with his economic actions and been part of New Labour spin and lies. I would not vote for a Labour party led by him.
Your views and attitudes are however what this country now needs. I and many other non-committed voters would vote for you and for the Labour party if you were the leader. You seem at last a genuine, honest politician. This is what the country now needs after years of Blair spin, lies and deceit. It seems you are the only hope for the Labour party, and I hope you get enough support to stand.
Yours hopefully,
Doug
Post a Comment
<< Home