I have posted this article on the Guradian's Comment is Free Webpage on the issue of the smear campaign.
This is not the Labour way
Smear tactics like those suggested by Damian McBride drag the party into the gutter, which is why I have called for an inquiry.
In the light of press reports of the attempted smear campaign against the Tories I have called upon the prime minister to establish an independent inquiry into how this smear campaign was set up, who was involved and who knew what and when in the Labour hierarchy.
Smear tactics like this are not the Labour way. They drag the Labour party into the gutter. Coming on top of the revelations about some Labour MPs' expenses they just add further to the undermining of the belief that Labour party supporters have placed in our party. Labour members and supporters have not worked and sacrificed over generations to create a party that resorts to this type of gutter politics.
The prime minister needs to act decisively to restore the standing of the Labour party by launching immediately an independent inquiry into how this smear campaign was planned. If we are to restore the reputation and standing of the party, key questions have to be answered. Who in the party was in any way aware of the campaign? Which party officials, advisers or politicians were consulted? Under whose authority were the perpetrators working? When did senior members of the party become aware of this campaign and what action did they take?
We need to root out these practices and elements within the party so that in future Labour can be seen to be above reproach.
There was a collective sigh of relief in 2007 when in his first speech after taking over the Labour leadership from Blair, Gordon Brown promised a new politics. His personal ratings collapsed when that summer of promise turned into an autumn of spin over a potential election. His return of the master of spin, Peter Mandelson, to cabinet did little to reassure the electorate that the era of spin was over.
If there isn't a drastic rooting out from within the Labour party of the unhealthy style of politics that the smear campaign revealed in the last few days how can we seriously ask the electorate to trust us ever again.
Political rivalry is one thing but personal smear campaigns scrape the barrel of political infighting. If bitter party name-calling turns people off then smear politics just destroys all credibility in the aims of politicians, the role of political parties and the political process itself.
This smear story can only be killed off by decisive action and that action needs to come from the top, very publicly and very firmly. The Labour party needs to look at itself very closely and ask the question, how can we have allowed the party to degenerate to this.
One of the reasons is that the undermining of democracy within the Labour party by New Labour over the last 15 years has resulted in a small arrogant clique now controlling this party to such an extent that they believe that they can act with impunity.
If we can admit that, there is a chance of change and a possibility of reviving the Labour party that once was trusted.
27 Comments:
Totally agree.Its totally shameful how these apparatchik boozed up types have taken over our party.
I increasingly don't want to go anywhere near a doorstep to canvass or stick a leaflet through.
"drag the party into the gutter"
How can you drag something into the gutter when it`s already in the gutter?...
http://tinyurl.com/c8lec2
No, it is the Labour way. Labour is full of socialist bully boys who insult and demonise anyone who dares to disagree with them. Bevin was a perfect example of it. Dennis Skinner, Corbyn, even you Mr McDonnell, you all do it. You lie about capitalism and free markets, and you lie about socialism. You are no better than Gordon Brown. To paraphrase another hypocritcal socialist, Anthony Wedgewood Benn, there is no difference between a party leader attacking the opposition for believing in an alternative idelogy and a backbencher doing it for the same reasons. So don't take the moral high ground. No socialist can ever take a moral highground for supporting such a ghastly and immoral system. The leftwing governments of the 20th century collectively murdered or starved 150,000,000 people. Capitalism has lived 300,000,000 out of poverty in the last 3 years.
"Capitalism has lived 300,000,000 out of poverty in the last 3 years." - but has seemingly done little for education, even if that stat was remotely based in fact, which it isn't.
Looking forward to the LEAP conference when us dirty socialists can get together and talk about serious politics, not this trivia
There are plenty of hypocrites in the Labour Party, but I don't think John isn't one of them,
Now up for scrutiny is James Purnell who apparently has claimed upto 400 pounds a month for groceries on his expenses, This is the creature who is creating ever harsher regimes for claimants and cutting benfits, the above is nearly double what a young person on JSA gets! No doubt he spent all that money in in Waitrose and the Organics Supermarket Wild and Fresh, etc,
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1108146_mp_defends_expenses
only the best for the new Plutocrats, eh?.
he also has form for second house scams
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article3342043.ece
It's offensive to dirt when you call yourself a dirty socialist. Capitalism hasn't failed. George Bush was one of the most interventionist President's in history. He had a massive program of industrial tarriffs and agricultural subsidies. He enacted Medicare.
Central banks have created this mess by keeping interest rates far too low for far too long. The market dosen't control the level of credit and money in the economy, it is the government through its central banks. According to the Austrian School, of which I am a firm believer, the business cycle is caused by central banks who distort the market.
Ever since China and India have liberalised their economies, the number of people living in poverty has fallen dramatically. One should also consider the case of Hong Kong. They introduced a flat tax, and it is number 1 on the table for economic freedom. It has one of the most prosperous places in the world, and it's GDP per head is higher than social democratic Britain's! That is the power of capitalism. It is about human nature. The right to trade freely and to offer your labour to the highest bidder. We own our own labour.
Anonymous: you bring shame to the family name! Go and lie down with a wet flannel and a cup of decaf.
It is the greatest sadness that the spirit the new age that awaited us in 1945 was so soon forgotten...greed and self-enrichment reared it`s ugly head. Attlee & Co tried their best,the odds were always too high...God bless them for trying...
http://tinyurl.com/dl79hz
It`s all gone now...Nothing left.
'Anonymous: you bring shame to the family name!'
Lol,love it!
Off you go Mr Anon(the first one) to Conservative Home or if thats not R/W enough for you, Ron Paul's site
Been in a coma for so many years,glad she woke up...
http://tinyurl.com/d6o8z8
08 May 2009
"MPs' expenses: Four ministers who milked the system"
"The Daily Telegraph's files show that Barbara Follett, the Tourism Minister; Phil Woolas, the Immigration Minister; Ben Bradshaw, the Health Minister; and Phil Hope, the Care Services Minister, have exploited the MPs' expenses system"...
http://tinyurl.com/ptoous
7 May 2009
"More pensioners living in poverty"
"The number of pensioners living in poverty in Scotland has increased by 20,000, according to new figures"...
http://tinyurl.com/p8e9go
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