Next Steps Discussion
Second apology. I haven't blogged for over a week as I took half term off to be with my family and play constant football, tennis, swimming and cricket with my eleven year old.
After that I have had quite a bit of constituency work to be catching up on. I am holding two advice surgeries every week, with additional home visits, individual casework meetings and an intensive round of local community meetings. I describe myself as a community MP and we describe our work as a local party as community socialism. This involves creating an active base of local community democracy and thus engaging people in determining the future of their street, their school, their park, and anything to do with their local area. For example I convene an annual community conference for all local community groups in our constituency and we have promoted the development of an extensive network of local community organisations, and groups representing the wide range of different sections of our community.
It is really important for MPs to be rooted in their local communities if they genuinely want to represent their constituency.
Returning to the question of what next for the Left after the leadership election campaign, I spoke at the Briefing Fringe meeting at the Compass conference with Tony Benn and Christine Shawcroft on Saturday. The fringe meeting was very well attended but it sounds like the overall attendance at the Compass conference wasn't as large as the organisers had hoped for.This may reflect in part the response to the leadership election being prevented.
Nevertheless our fringe was upbeat and people reflected what I have found in most other meetings I have spoken to over the last couple of weeks which is a real determination to get stuck into political debate and campaigning. There is a strange contrast between the way in which party members attending conferences and meetings like Saturdays are addressing events in the real world whilst the Gordon Brown tour and the deputy leadership election seem almost cut off from events like the looming postal strike, Remply closures, job and pay cuts in the civil service provoking large scale industrial action, and tragically another military death in Afghanistan and more civilian deaths in Iraq.
I went on to the meeting of the National Executive Committee of the LRC. This was not a post mortem on the leadership campaign but much more an intensive discussion of the next steps for the Left. What came out of this discussion was an agreement on the need to maintain the momentum created by the campaign. Lots of ideas were thrown into the discussion with a core agreement that we should now launch a fairly extensive campaign tour of meetings around the country to engage people in the Labour and trade union movement but also more importantly the wider community in a discussion based upon my booklet "Another World is Possible - A Manifesto for 21st Century Socialism." Of course this campaigning approach would include the use of the web and blogs and link up with the various campaigns currently taking place or breaking out on a range of issues over the coming period.
The aim is to plan meetings over the next 12 months across England, Scotland and Wales, attracting people into the political debate that they were effectively denied by the prevention of a leadership election. By being as inclusive as possible the objective is to use this campaigning approach not just to discuss the political issues facing us but also to enable people to participate in the activities of the Left in whatever way they find accessible and effective for them. For some this will be through the Labour Party or for others through the Labour Representative Committee or for others by being connected and associated with the Left more generally. The key issue is to use whatever method is best suited to enable people to participate in the activities of the Left and to establish these structures and mechanisms right the way across the country.
We need as many ideas as possible flowing in on the activities people feel should be undertaken over the next period. Let me know what you think and also any ideas on how this campaign could be fully resourced.
After that I have had quite a bit of constituency work to be catching up on. I am holding two advice surgeries every week, with additional home visits, individual casework meetings and an intensive round of local community meetings. I describe myself as a community MP and we describe our work as a local party as community socialism. This involves creating an active base of local community democracy and thus engaging people in determining the future of their street, their school, their park, and anything to do with their local area. For example I convene an annual community conference for all local community groups in our constituency and we have promoted the development of an extensive network of local community organisations, and groups representing the wide range of different sections of our community.
It is really important for MPs to be rooted in their local communities if they genuinely want to represent their constituency.
Returning to the question of what next for the Left after the leadership election campaign, I spoke at the Briefing Fringe meeting at the Compass conference with Tony Benn and Christine Shawcroft on Saturday. The fringe meeting was very well attended but it sounds like the overall attendance at the Compass conference wasn't as large as the organisers had hoped for.This may reflect in part the response to the leadership election being prevented.
Nevertheless our fringe was upbeat and people reflected what I have found in most other meetings I have spoken to over the last couple of weeks which is a real determination to get stuck into political debate and campaigning. There is a strange contrast between the way in which party members attending conferences and meetings like Saturdays are addressing events in the real world whilst the Gordon Brown tour and the deputy leadership election seem almost cut off from events like the looming postal strike, Remply closures, job and pay cuts in the civil service provoking large scale industrial action, and tragically another military death in Afghanistan and more civilian deaths in Iraq.
I went on to the meeting of the National Executive Committee of the LRC. This was not a post mortem on the leadership campaign but much more an intensive discussion of the next steps for the Left. What came out of this discussion was an agreement on the need to maintain the momentum created by the campaign. Lots of ideas were thrown into the discussion with a core agreement that we should now launch a fairly extensive campaign tour of meetings around the country to engage people in the Labour and trade union movement but also more importantly the wider community in a discussion based upon my booklet "Another World is Possible - A Manifesto for 21st Century Socialism." Of course this campaigning approach would include the use of the web and blogs and link up with the various campaigns currently taking place or breaking out on a range of issues over the coming period.
The aim is to plan meetings over the next 12 months across England, Scotland and Wales, attracting people into the political debate that they were effectively denied by the prevention of a leadership election. By being as inclusive as possible the objective is to use this campaigning approach not just to discuss the political issues facing us but also to enable people to participate in the activities of the Left in whatever way they find accessible and effective for them. For some this will be through the Labour Party or for others through the Labour Representative Committee or for others by being connected and associated with the Left more generally. The key issue is to use whatever method is best suited to enable people to participate in the activities of the Left and to establish these structures and mechanisms right the way across the country.
We need as many ideas as possible flowing in on the activities people feel should be undertaken over the next period. Let me know what you think and also any ideas on how this campaign could be fully resourced.
posted by John at 11:50 PM
9 Comments:
I think that the best way to get your manifesto ideas discussed would be to post them online in some sort of "meme"* package, so that people post and repost the ideas until they cover the net.
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme
Good to hear the momentum is going to be kept up. A round of meetings is a great idea.
Also agree with Jon that getting things around electronically is worthwhile: obviously the campaign videos on Youtube were very much aimed at the leadership, but could we try and develop some videos and other new media things to get around the web?
Paul and I didn't receive notification of the LRC mtg even though we're supposed to be on the exec so we will have to save our ideas for Saturday or whenever we all next meet.
It sounds like all the right things have been said apart from more work on establishing our international links.
Resource wise of course the left is always poor!! but hopefully things will improve now we are getting a bit more publicity! I saw the Politics Show did a bit on Compass though Jon Sopel needs to stop trying to be controversial for the sake of it and let people have their say properly without him making untrue asssumptions about what they are saying; you just want to bang his head against a brick wall sometimes, or the producer's or whoever's responsible!! He was particlulary bad during the election campaign as he asssumed Brown would walk it and I was worried when they used a shot of two Asian women with oushchairs to start their diversity debate this week as rascist people could start targetting Asian Mums if they were inspired to be rascist by the debate which included things like Ruth Kelly saying there had been too much transaltion and so on. When I was an Immigration and later Detention officer I saw that young people new to this country want to learn English as a priority; it was the most popular activity for those detained as of course they want to learn it to get on better here and we were told not to worry of someone's elderly Grandma who was coming to live here or just on an extended visit etc didn't speak any English as it would be harder and I think that's reasonable as they aren't going out in the workforce etc they will just be at home and round and about so it's not going to disrupt intergration in the whole country. I sent a year in Germany and I sometimes sufferend from culture shock even there and although I was doing a degree in German and Politics at the time I still didn't understand a lot of things and even after a year I only knew enough to get by in everyday life and was just coming on to understanding whole films and tours of museums etc as there is the more academic language to learn as well as words for things like ironing board which amy not have been in school text books!! Even in children's books there will be words like "monster" for examle that you don't know it takes tiem to build up good vocbaulary even though I already had and A level in it by this time so of course I could ask what things meant or what the German word for something was easlily enough but it dosen't mean I knew it all,even though I'd been studying it for nine years by then and would have been called "fluent" but I know that I didn't understand evey word; you dodn't until you are totally immersed in the country and thus the language for at least a couple of years I'd say. We are very ignorant about language learnng in this country which is another reason why all kids should learn one till at least sixteen. Also many immmigrants arrive alone to work etc so their families join them later so it will take time for them all to learn the language and of course small children find it the easiest as they will poick it up at school etc and are not embarrassed about accents; it's much harder to start any language later on so we really should all start in primary and I know there are moves to make this a reality now.
I see Tony Benn was on QT; have they invited you yet John or should we email them as has been said on this blog. I know the prog is owned by right-wing thinkers (so much for Beeb's public service ethos; what's left of it!) but I would have thought an appeal to the lack of credibility as a so called "heavyweight" (though I think this term is usuallly a load of baloney as will Gord Brown!!) programme not even covering the oppesition to the Brwon stance should do it!! We can but try.
I wentto the second George Michael concert at Wemb Stad on Sun; he ciricised Blair and Bush saying they will go soon and we won't miss them and during his anti-Budh song "Shoot the Dog" a giant inflatable Bush complete with puppy came out of the stage. Sun nite wasn't televised but suprise surprise this bit had been cut out of C4's coverage of Saturday!! I must complain to them about censorship. Maybe they will lose thier franchise what with the Big Brother racism shame still going on; they deserve to.
Oh well; onwards and upwards as they say. (Must stop writng in cliches but blogs seem to attract them!! or is it just my sense of humour?!!
you have a typo on Remploy. This is not a criticsm as I don't have time to correct my typos or even write grammatically in blogs always; they are only blog comments not essays! I just thought anyone who dosen't know what Remploy should see the "o" in it for future refernce/recognition.
Cheers
H
PS After your energetic half term perhaps you should challenge Brown to a race on the treadmill or whatever New Labour keep fit on thsese days as a publicity stunt or something!!! Or you could send him a goal to put in his garden for when his children are a bit bigger!!
Just some thoughts on the media stuff because that's my area of expertise. I used to work for GNN-the Government News network!.
Profile is everything and a media statement/PR oportunity needs to be in place for both Brown's coronation and also a statement on whoever is DL (insignificant as it may be as a position).You know the sort of thing, wishing them well but pointing out why in the long run there has tto be a fundamental shift left towards policies actually believed in by the Party ( ref to YouGov poll) .
If Cruddas fails for example ( and I can't see him winning) that's also an opportunity to challenge him to a debate on where we go next
The soft left will also be trying to big him up over next couple of years so we have to be ready with a list of campaign commitments , meetings etc.....
We must also lobby for John to appear on Question Time, Any Questions, The daily Politics and so on.
Regular pieces in Comment Is Free.
The John4leader blog needs tweaking so it's current (job for owen!) and work MUST be speeded up on the new LRC blog.
The core team need to keep a constant eye on the media, and relevant issues we can comment on. They also need to be able to respond REALLY quickly to any media requests for comments/interviews.
Brown will initially have a honeymoon period but there need to be lots of constructive thoughts rolling out on Labour's future and the way ahead for the Left
Almost forgot...... a letter to all CLPs setting out ( when you've got them) campaign plans and stressing that Another World Is Possible....that slogan can still be used to good effect and it means you don't have to change the logo!
Good post susan!
I think that the members of the LRC and SYN etc could possibly have their own regional websites/contacts - quite broad areas north east, north west etc so members who join in each area can be more managed and able to take part in discussions, meeting etc - active involvement keeps up motivation and allows people to feel part of the movement and also that they're doing something. Also, i think that would make people who are more willing to join and fight, able to do so.
I believe that a big aim, but one that ouwl be fantastic would be to recruit at least one member (hopefully more) in each CLP. That would ensure that the campaign at least gets a hearing with the grassroot members and people in the CLPs who are sympathetic may join but would also allow the left to get their message across to the floating CLP members when a vote comes. I think that would be a huge achievment and one which would probably be achieveable. The LRC would have to see which CLP they already have representation in and then try to find a willing soul from the rest.
Jon
apparently Blair is unlikely to remain as a backbench MP for long as he "dosen't want to be a glorified social worker" the journalist said referring to constituency work - is that Blair's view of politics if so shame on him as it's not all internation conferences you know; it's supposed to be about public service! There's also been lots of media talk about the so-called end of spin and having no more career politicians as well recently but obviously this would only really change under a McDonnell government! David Blunkett was one of those saying no more soin etc; I think he was jsut tryin gto be honest as he siad it hadn't worked, not turning back into a "left -wing firebrand" as he was once described whilst in Sheffield council I think.
In the life-coaching book I've read a lot of people who have integrity and can insorie others are listed and "most old Labour MPs" are included in this and Tony Benn etc. Of course said MPs are not "old" Labour anymore but recontructed but the sentiment is there i.e. no Blairites etc were included for as the author Fiona Harrold explains no-one likes fence sitters. Balirites should also not have insulted their own MPS intelligence by attempting to control them with pagers etc; making them come in for every vote and do workaholic hours which were unnecessary and excluded a lot of women and men MPs with kids etc from having a decent work-life balance and so on. I remember when John had to ring the whips if he was stuck in traffic or whatever and would be late for the afternoon's Commons sittings; it was like school! They should have trusted their MPs' own judgement more; it's like in business when you keep standing over people they perform worse and worse because of the pressure.
Way to go John, this is inspiring stuff and I think its great that you took sometime out to be with
family, but are now ready to continue the good fight.I do think you must continue to reach out beyond the LP as as it stands many people who i am aware of will not be joining the party anytime soon. Having said that i also think there must be only be an arms length relationship with the tiny but often corrosive Trotskyite sects.
I am so pleased you are raising the issues of Remploy, however, I would suggest that resistance to the Welfare Reform Act and latterly the Freud Review must also surely be high on the agenda, indeed, it is
partly because of the WRA that Remploy is closing its factories and putting these workers at the mercy of the market.
We also need to rediscover the real spirit of the left: fighting with and for those at the bottom: We need campaigns to protect old people living in care homes, campaigns for those in the private
rented sector, who face corrupt and often abusive landlords, campaigns for the numerous young people who
are dying in prison, often taking their own lives at painfully young ages. These aren't sexy and won't
always be popular, but to champion them is right.
Imo, the left has almost fetishised cultural issues such as the veil or conducted endlessly protracted marches ‘against the war’. Imo, any new left project has to also move away from 19th century ideas of the 'worker' and go back to basics: Fighting for those at the bottom: those on sink estates, those on benefits or pushed into low skill New Deal programmes or minimum wages, unfortunately this is often anethma to many on the left,(though not JM and co) who largely ignore these concerns as they are not ‘part of the programme’ or in some cases just don’t know what life
is really like. Its clearly not a question of resources: there have been numerous anti-war marches,
environmental and global poverty campaigns for example have been quite rightly, energetic, well resourced and active.
In fact, one has to surmise there really is a ‘hierarchy of oppression’ in the U.K political
and social culture. People on welfare and benefits, millions of people, would appear to be at the bottom of that hierarchy, despite enduring humiliating and often brutal treatment.
Susan makes a really good point about quick responses. Too often the need to go through a lot of debate first blunts the ability to respond to any issue. A bit of trust can be more effective that going through the motions on "accountability",#.
As for contacts in each CLP, that sounds good. Too often we see it is just the urban centres that are concentrated on and reported on. A wider network of single contacts makes sense. Quite a few CLP's will also happily circulate info to members even if you don't have a contact, so it is worth ensuring info is also packaged in such a way that it comes across so that a fair-minded CLP would be happy to circulate it.
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