The happiest of bithdays to my friend and comrade Alice Mahon, who celebrates her 71st birthday today. I had the pleasure of spending a lot of time with Alice over Labour Party Conference and she is truly an inspirational role-model when it comes to standing firm and sticking to principles. Alice is also co-chair of the West Yorkshire LRC and will be at our AGM on Saturday October 11 at the Trades Club in Hebden Bridge
Showing posts with label Alice Mahon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alice Mahon. Show all posts
Saturday, 27 September 2008
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALICE!
Monday, 27 August 2007
A VERY SOCIALIST SUNDAY
Thanks to Halifax MP Linda Riordan (pictured) and former MP Alice Mahon , who served the same constituency for 16 years, for a splendid Sunday afternoon gathering yesterday.
It's not been a good year for the Left. But I'm glad to note our spirits remain undimmed and both Alice and Linda will be contributing to an LRC event I am helping to organise in Hebden Bridge in September.
In the course of my journalistic career, I have met and interviewed dozens of MPs and aspirants to Westminster.
Increasingly, those who make it into the House of Commons are cardboard cut-out New Labour apparatchiks who have no knowledge ( nor do they want to) of how ordinary working people live or manage on a salary way below the backbencher's take-home..
Many have never had a "proper" job in their lives and just act as Westminster bag-carriers for a bit until picking up the safe seats sorted out for them by the powers-that-be in Labour HQ.
Such machinations were going on in Halifax a couple of years ago but Linda Riordan and her loyal supporters in the CLP outflanked the New Labourites on the NEC ( and locally) who tried to stop her selection getting the green light. This really shouldn't have to happen and CLPs should be free to choose whoever they want as MP. Which takes time. So,no, I'm not hoping for a snap election.Today's Guardian now suggests that won't happen.
It's not been a good year for the Left. But I'm glad to note our spirits remain undimmed and both Alice and Linda will be contributing to an LRC event I am helping to organise in Hebden Bridge in September.
In the course of my journalistic career, I have met and interviewed dozens of MPs and aspirants to Westminster.
Increasingly, those who make it into the House of Commons are cardboard cut-out New Labour apparatchiks who have no knowledge ( nor do they want to) of how ordinary working people live or manage on a salary way below the backbencher's take-home..
Many have never had a "proper" job in their lives and just act as Westminster bag-carriers for a bit until picking up the safe seats sorted out for them by the powers-that-be in Labour HQ.
Such machinations were going on in Halifax a couple of years ago but Linda Riordan and her loyal supporters in the CLP outflanked the New Labourites on the NEC ( and locally) who tried to stop her selection getting the green light. This really shouldn't have to happen and CLPs should be free to choose whoever they want as MP. Which takes time. So,no, I'm not hoping for a snap election.Today's Guardian now suggests that won't happen.
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