John McDonnell MP, Chair of the Socialist Campaign Group, attended Saturday's funeral for his Parliamentary comrade and Leicester MP David Taylor. Mr Taylor was only 63 when he died on Boxing Day while out walking with his family in the grounds of Calke Abbey, in his constituency.
People like David Taylor were/are Labour to the core. They represent the very best of what those of us who have grown up in the Party joined it for. Common decency, socialist values, a basic wish for social justice and a fairer society.
I think it is up to those of us often castigated for holding true to those values, for being "disloyal" to an orthodoxy which has no place in Labour, to stand firm and to continue the fight. However difficult that may sometimes be.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jan/12/new-labour-rootless-pretenders
Wednesday, 13 January 2010
EPITAPH FOR DAVID TAYLOR MP
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4 comments:
An excellent article by John and thank you, Susan, for constantly reminding where we should be standing firm.
Unfortunately, he had a dreadful voting record on gay rights and tended to reflect the worst sort of religionist traditionalism. Sorry, but I wouldn't have voted for him if he was my MP. Workerist economics isn't what I see the contemporary left-of-centre as about
I disagree. I think tolerance of others' religious views is very much what left of centre people should be about.
Homophobia is another matter but on what basis are you suggesting David taylor's voting record on gay rights was "dreadful." ?
George Galloway is anti abortion. Does that negate his excellent stance on the Iraq War.?
I think that if people have religious views that is up to them, but I don't believe that should lead to anti-gay votes being seen as acceptable. A case of them not trying to impose their personal religious beliefs on others if they clash with equality.
For me, a left wing society does mean a woman's right to choose and full gay equality. I don't see traditional religion as particularly compatible with that, but then ideally that left wing society would be secular with religion dying out as quickly as possible! I certainly think religion should have no place at all within the public sphere and that it is essentially a negative presence. But I am prepared to 'tolerate' it just like they 'tolerate' me!
Taylor did not vote for an equal age of consent, he voted against lesbians being treated equally with regard to fertility treatment, and he voted against the sexual orientation regulations aspects of the equality act. Not a great record all told.
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