PARACHUTES AHOY!

Whatever Parliamentary aspirations I once had have been well and truly smashed this year. But life goes on and as I write I am back in a newsroom and perfectly happy with my lot.
But it would be great if others still with the grit and determination to succeed against the odds were able to get through.
Alas, it seems that the NEC is already swiftlly drawing up a strategy to fill what seats remain ASAP. And, without being conspiratorial, we know that will reduce the chances of any more dissident voices getting off the starting-block.
There is already a strong rumour in Westminster circles that UNITE's Jack Dromey, husband of Labour Deputy Leader Harriet Harman, will be parachuted into Leyton and Wanstead. And up my end of the woods I have heard a little whisper that Alisdair Campbell could be doing similar in Burnley. Interestingly, the latter seat WAS going to be AWS but has been referred back to the NEC.
In fairness to Campbell, he could well be the man to take on the bully boys of the BNP in Lancashire. But, once the NEC takes over selections in a couple of months' time. don't expect any more mavericks to be joining the list of PPCs.

OFF TO THE SEASIDE....

How I wish it were for a holiday.......instead I'm Branch delegate at the NUJ AGM in Southport. Before embarking on Thursday I will be writing up my report from the LRC AGM for Labour Briefing.
I note with interest Adam White's remarks on Labour Home. Congrats to Adam for being elected to the National Committee from Greater Manchester LRC.I will have a chat when I see you next about your thoughts.....
The NC has several new members this year which is A Good Thing and dare I say also a Even Better Thing they are from Cambridge, Chesterfield Manchester and Merseyside.
The LRC needs its Friends In The North ( and South, East and West) if it is to progress in the coming period.We need to get out more. So thanks to my erswthile Manchester NUJ colleague and new NC Committee member Miles Barter for his offer of going out on the stomp in the south. All such offers will be gratefully appreciated ...PS: Yes I know I said I wasn't blogging but as several people have asked me to carry on I will, albeit more sporadically.PPS. Commiserations to Rochard Simcox, NUJ Left candidate for editor of The Journalist.

LAST BLOG FOR NOW....

The fact that I have had no time to report back from Saturday's LRC Conference says it all, really. In my defence I'm now juggling a part-time job with politics, one which requires 6am starts so am utterly exhausted and have spent the last three weekends in London with a union AGM this weekend in Southport. Blogging time is almost non-existent.
So because I don't think blogs work if they are half-heartedly done I'm packing it in for a while. At some point in the future things may change but for now I'm blogged out.
Thanks to all who voted for me on Saturday. I was really pleased to get the top vote for LRC Vice-Chair and delighted to win the NEC slate nomination with Christine Shawcroft. Commiserations to Gary Heather and John Wiseman.
The hustings was pretty tough but at least the LRC can say their candidates really have been democratically chosen. Our bottom line is clear and unequivocal. Two candidates , two places on the CLGA slate.

BUILDING THE RESISTANCE - AND REBUILDING THE LEFT

On Saturday at the LRC AGM Chair John McDonnell MP will be outlining our policy platform and work programme for the coming months in the run-up to the General Election. For those of you who can't make Saturday's conference, our strategy is here:

http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/index.php/news/content/view/full/83153

CALLING ALL REGIONAL LRC MEMBERS.....

I hope this year's LRC Conference will see more members from outside London making it down the M1 (or M6). In 2009 we've made a start to build groups outside the Smoke but there's still much to do and we will be discussing the way ahead at a lunchtime meeting after the NEC hustings. It won't be top-down but a chance to discuss issues, challenges and problems we're likely to come up against in the coming period.
Steve Brown from Newcastle will be leading off and then there will be an open and honest discussion........
Saturday should be an interesting day and as I have much to do before then I will leave it there. If you're wavering, remember it's only £5 to register if you're not from London.

PHOTO FINISH

My thanks to friend and comrade Stephanie David for e-mailing me this picture which, coincidentally, I bought a postcard version of at Labour Party Conference.
Steph has "adapted" it for use on my Facebook support group for the LRC Vice-Chair election. And, on a Monday morning when I am still recovering from a nasty bout of bronchitis and frankly sick to death of faction fighting, it has really cheered me up! The "Susan" in question was Susan Lawrence, one of the first three women Labour MPs ever to be elected and the first to chair Labour Party Conference........

THE 200th TO DIE

This morning I was too ill ( blame a walk in the pouring rain in Central London Friday because of a Tube fire) to make the annual Remembrance Day service at the war memorial in Hebden Bridge. I was, though, well enough to hear on the radio that the 200th British soldier to die in Afghanistan announced and I wonder how many more deaths it will take for the Government to acknowledge it's time to bring the troops home.

IN THE FIRING LINE......

Sadly, I have come to the conclusion that this blog is in its dog days. I set up Grimmer Up North nearly three years ago and the problem is that I can no longer really do what I intended to do when I set it up. So, pretty shortly, I am going to close it down.
It's been an interesting few years involving campaigns for an election for Labour Party Leader ( that never happened) . several Parliamentary selections , a year of activity locally as Mayor and of course more general observations on the political scene.
Today I was speaking in LRC Vice-Chair capacity at the RMT's conference on the crisis of working- class representation in London . I knew it would not get an easy ride - I was right.
People clapped politely but for the most part they were all fired up with the far more enticing prospect of a New Workers' Party/ Socialist Alliance at the next election and obviously I wasn't going down that road. The speeches, by Joe Higgins, Bob Crow, and Pat Sikorski, were absolutely brlliant and their rhetorical skills stunning but the conclusions?.
The problem is that if you start believing , as one Socialist Party comrade clearly did, that a one per cent share of the vote ( which is what No2EU got) is some kind of victory for socialism then it's a parallel universe you're living in.
The hard truth is that minority candidates get minority votes. And maybe the electoral system needs to change to give more people more of a say but we are where we are.And that is facing the prospect of a Tory Government and a resurgence of the right - not socialist utopia .
The LRC attracts criticism from the far left for focussing on retaining socialist Labour representation in Parliament and most of the audeince clearly wanted no truck with Labour at all . But I hope I made my case and thanks to the RMT for the invite to the LRC. So why the prpblem with the blog?
If they are to work, have to be individual, quirky, and fearless. They also only thrive on regular posts. And as I now have some extremely welcome journalistic work , I'm finding it increasingly difficult to keep the whole thing going. Though I would hope to continue contribute to the official LRC website , LabourHome etc
I will keep everyone informed about the LRC Conference and maybe one or two other things to come. But after that, Grimmer Up North may be taking a well-earned holiday. And, with the prospect of some money coming in after an extremely difficult year, hopefully so will I.