Jon Cruddas's latest predictions that the Labour Left is set to leave Labour are way off the mark. I don't know how he has the gall to predict that our masterplan is a new left Party when it has been made clear by the LRC time and again that we do not regard this as a viable or desirable strategy.
In a webcast "conversation" with the IPPR and that great socialist Martin Kettle, he baldly states that John McDonnell and other left MPs are planning to up sticks and that the Convention Of The Left - which he played no part - was a surrogate bid to go in that direction. Which is utter nonsense. So there are two conclusions.
Either Cruddas has been wrongly informed, which is excusable, or he is being deliberately provocative in a bid to badmouth the LRC and misrepresent its policy position.
The COL was NOT, repeat not, an attempt to set up a new party. Had it been so, we would not have got involved. If he had done his research properly, he would know that. Such public statements are reprehensible and , as Vice-Chair of the LRC, I'm absolutely outraged he should make them.
The Labour Left has every right to fight its corner, win or lose, within the Labour Party. That's where we are and where we are staying. To suggest otherwise is either wishful thinking or downright malicious.
Friday, 19 December 2008
NO SPLIT FOR LABOUR LEFT
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13 comments:
What's the link, Susan? I'd like to listen to that.
Dave O.
I think Compass is an attempt to refound the SDP and Cruddas and his bunch are going to nick off.
I don't.
But it is probably better grounded than his nonsense.
What's the point of Jon Cruddas?
Keir Hardie called himself a marxist
the Social Democratic Federation (Narxist) formed one founding element
and Laski the Party chair in 1945 even republished the Communist Manifesto
we have ever right to independent marxists in the party
its the new Labour sect Clarke we need to expel
Dave, if you go to the IPPR website and log on to events it is there
Link is here:
http://www.ippr.org/thinkingfortomorrow/?id=3334
I was there too and a bit gobsmacked but he wouldn't really be drawn on details
Thanks for the link, Rupa. But there are no "details." Frankly, it is utter bollocks and part of Compass's ongoing bid to marginalise the LRC left as "ultras" and rubbish John McDonnell to boost their relationship with New Labour I cannot put it plainer than that.
At its recent conference, the LRC voted overwhelmingly to stay with Labour. End of.
Labour is looking at charging interest on emergency crises loans and your talking about staying in the party, what next standing as an MP. seems people who look to gain out of Labour stay those who only vote are going.
Baliffs will force entry and pin down debtors under Labour plans
The government has been accused of trampling on individual liberties by proposing wide-ranging new powers for bailiffs to break into homes and to use “reasonable force” against householders who try to protect their valuables. Under the regulations, bailiffs for private firms would for the first time be given permission to restrain or pin down householders. They would also be able to force their way into homes to seize property to pay off debts, such as unpaid credit card bills and loans.
It emerged last week that Her Majesty’s Courts Service has already handed out guidance to privately employed bailiffs, pointing out that under legislation passed in 2004 they can already break down doors as a last resort to collect court fines. Some restraint should be exercised, according to the “search and entry powers” guidelines. “If a person locks himself in their home, it might be reasonable to break open the door, but probably not to smash a hole in the wall,” it advises.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle5375668.ece
Just in time for the mass reposession of houses with the credit crunch, when oh when will people decide enough is enough
Erm, some of the stuff aimed at Compass here is as misrepresentative of the organisation as JC is of the LRC.
Everything Jon Cruddas says is not everything that Compass believes (42 days is a pretty good indication of that particular point!).
I think that he misses an important point which he skirts quite close by. How much punishment will the Labour left take without upping sticks? Particularly (but not only) that element which has virtually no element of government policy that it uncritically backs?
Incidental point: commenter above,
"It emerged last week that Her Majesty’s Courts Service has already handed out guidance to privately employed bailiffs, pointing out that under legislation passed in 2004 they can already break down doors as a last resort to collect court fines."
What's the point in having a law if people can blithely ignore it by keeping their door shut?
If a particular fine is unfair, that's the job of the courts to reduce. The role of bailiffs is simply to extract it.
Also, where is the evidence that Keir Hardy was a self-declared Marxist? He spent half his time battling the SDF!
I am quite well aware that everything Jon Cruddas says is not what compass believes. My post was aimed at him - not the organisation.
The problem is that a lot of people have illusions in JC as some kind of leftie and , actually, that is far from the truth. As Rupa Huq points out. The point is that in triangulating to the right, and forging links with people like Purnell and Progress, both Cruddas and compass lose what little credibility they had as meaningful opposition to New Labour. Their other option could have been to work with the left in a serious phalanx of opposition to New Labour, on the issues on which we share common ground. ie windfall tax, welfare reform, Trade Union Freedom Bill.That would have been really positive and something I would have welcomed.
Instead, the Parliamentary Group no longer functions in any real sense as a voice of serious social democracy. As for upping sticks, well we are not. Much as it might please many if we did. My major point here was that Cruddas was being either erroneous or mischievous.Possibly both.
Susan, you make good points, I was more objecting to some of the comments.
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