… and Jon Cruddas is wrong!
Luke Akehurst has written an interesting piece on the Labour leadership election and what he refers to as the ‘kaleidoscope of alignments’ across the party around the leadership issue. It shows the strange nature of these alignments when you discover that both Luke and myself are likely to support the same candidate, although I suspect I will do so with somewhat less enthusiasm than Luke. Certainly one thing we can agree on is the need for Labour to attack the Lib Dems, rather than smarmy up to them in the hope that they will help to prop up a future Labour-Lib Dem coalition.
Some aspects of Cruddas’ endorsement I just plain disagree with “Cruddas warns that it’s a grave mistake for Labour to attack and disparage the Liberal Democrats. “David is not just attacking the Liberals, as some of the others have been.”". Run that past me again Jon … a rival party that has been trying to steal votes of us by presenting itself as to our left suddenly goes into coalition with the Tories and backs savage cuts to public services and a regressive budget and you don’t think we should attack them for it? We shouldn’t just be attacking them we should be trying to destroy them as a viable political entity. If that view reflects David Miliband’s view then in itself it is reason enough why his brother should be leader instead. Whoever becomes leader, if I get on the NEC I will be pushing for attacking the Lib Dems to be a major part of our electoral strategy.
Too right.
Certainly doesn’t give you much hope when you read things like this, that this leadership circus which is what it is fast becoming, will deliver anything for the grass root membership,whatever they say.We will be left with a clique of political careerists who stayed stum under Blair but have found a new openess as part of this process to run the party as they see fit.The other thing which p***es me off is the emails reminding us that the new 30,000 members who have joined will be have thier voting papers a little later. They shouldn’t be having them at all. We got 30,000 members who may be disaffected yellow or blue tories being given the opportunity to vote for the leader of our party after 3 or 4 months membership? Surely we ought to be asking for a little more commitment to the ideals of the party than 3 months membership. We will get what we deserve. Rather than changing horses in midstream as the man himself says, I think I’m getting of the horse altogether.
Good comment Bob about Cruddas, and also Mick Davies’s; how can Cruddas hope to retain any credibility by endorsing Bliar Mark2;given the positions he has taken previously on party policies. The only reason I can think of, is that he expects D. Milliband to win the leadreship contest and endorse/pick him for the shadow cabinet.What comes to mind is the remark by Lady Astor M.P. to A.J.Cooke,the Durham Miners leader:”You train them;We’ll buy Them”.
Do I detect a Bob Dylan reference in Mick’s post? I think we should be told.
See the Manifestos of the Labour Leadership Candidates – http://dronfieldblather.blogspot.com/2010/08/manifestos-of-intent.html
Blood on The Tracks, Youre a Big Girl Now, John. Anyway when you treating us to a pint?
Bob said he’d sort something out this week, so I’ve left it in his capable hands Mick. And yes, I’ll be getting them in – it’s tap water with a splash of lime you both drink isn’t it?