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John Harris: We will soon find out how bold Brown is ready to be
Harris, Brown, Blair and Bono ... all dreaming.
John Harris has blogged-for-Brown in the Guardian's Comment is Free. I continue to be very disappointed with the chattering but inaction from Compass and I replied :Hello John,
As you know my contribution as a co-conspirator on your SNWDWVF blog project was to reject the idea that a reduced Labour majority would shift the party leftwards as the SCG held the balance of power and to urge voters to stand by Labour. I suggested that instead of this dream balance of power scenario Blair would rely on Tory votes to see his programme through.
Told you so! The same for my money would apply if the Lib Dems were notionally holding the whip hand. They are mavericks and apolitical crackpots and a Grand Alliance might be prefered to relying on them.
Look what they have done in Scotland! Constantly carping about decisions made by the Lib-Lab pact there. Even when they hold the portfolios!
Although we must - as socialists - live in hope, Gordon Brown's ascent to the throne would only be a small and partial recovery for Labour. It might be too little too late. And I must say even for the hopeful it is rather depressing to watch your moral Compass DO NOTHING but chatter and stand by watching Brown's coronation.
Don't you lot have anything about you? To ensure a challenge from both the Left in the shape of McDonnell AND the Centre Left in the shape of ... who knows. Aren't they members of the Compass group of MPs?
Whatever you may imagine Brown is but a small step back to "when we are Labour" and it is essential for the sanity and integrity of our party that he must have to treat with the party and movement to his left as well as, and indeed as more of a priority than with the much much smaller but more bullish forces to his right which provide ALL the challengers you mention.
Robin Cook was a good man. He made a principled decision over the Iraq war, which is more than can be said for the chump Michael Meacher, but he was a loyalist to a fault and a good long way from "when we are Labour" in most matters.
New Labour's marketisation and privatisation have been at the heart of Brown's economic miracle. A three card trick of delivering spending while holding tax in check. I'd rather pay more and not be in hock to the banks for 25 years. I'd certainly rather pay more than be in hock to Tories or Lib Dems for even one year.
Come on Compass! Come on the Parliamentary Labour Party. Stop faffing about. Let's have four or five names on the leadership ballot with at least two to the left of Brown. Let's have the debate Charles and Alan DO NOT want. And let's be Labour again.
Comradely greetings
Chris Paul
PS Have you got your NUJ form in yet John? There's no need for the cuttings. We know who you are and where you live.
5 comments:
'To ensure a challenge from both the Left in the shape of McDonnell AND the Centre Left in the shape of ... who knows.'
I think you've just answered your question - there is not plausible centre-left candidate prepared to stand and do able to do well, McDonnell represents a redundant force incapable of getting onto the ballot paper and that's that.
I think Compass will end up balloting members for endorsing the leadership if McDonnell (or a Blairite) gets the nominations, but I expect the Compass members to vote for Brown over them all.
OK, el Tom, that is you isn't it? Anyway anonymous ... Compass are celebrating their third birthday. They have consistently championed a programme significantly to the left of Brown.
They surely know as I do that allowing the debate to be mostly among the 100 MP shades of new Labour to the rightmost of the party will not get things they want done.
They have had three years to get their ducks in a row but while they are forever generating chatter they have not found a champion.
Jon Trickett is alas not a great orator or charismatic but they should be running someone in the leadership election - they do have other supporters surely that can speak and can shine? They should not be pretending the DL election is any kind of touchstone.
I'm still thinking McDonnell will get on the ballot. And I'm regretting that he did not organise, or procure the organisation of, a left-Cl primary process that could see him or ANOther and (lest John forget) this is policies not personalities having a serious run at the thing with the support of Compass and leftwards.
What is it in John's programme that scares Compass horses? Clearly John himself does, but what about the programme? What would need to be changed in the programme to have Compass' approval? If anything.
There should be a write in campaign for John Denham to stand for leader.
Its the fact that when John talks its as if we are still in the 1980s and that those fights are the ones we are fighting now. Times have changed.
All you anonymous people! There are now three Johns (an excellent Leeds Peel band) in this Harris, McDonnell and Denham. To which are your comments referring? The latter being incidentally a war resigner post-Cook. But not remotely left wing or not New Labour. Denham makes Cook look very good indeed.
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