INTO THE REAL WORLD...

I'm far too tired and drained of adrenalin to write much today but just to note Brown's speech has been undermined completely by the leak of Ruth Kelly's resignation. The left often gets accused of treachery but the Blairites and right-wing are positively Machiavellian in their intrigue. How deeply dispiriting it all is.
By way of contrast, last night's Convention Of The Left meeting got around 250 people, enjoyed a sparky debate, and the mood in the pub afterwards where I stopped off briefly before getting train home was positively euphoric. Thanks to all the organisers, particularly John Nicholson, for inviting the LRC to take part. I know when we started out in January some people were sceptical the Labour Party still had socialists. Or that Labour Party lefties could work with others without falling out. Just one small point. Miles, stop asking when we're all going to up and leave the Labour Party. As Bob Griffiths said so pertinently, that route has already been tried quite a few times recently and it hasn't, er. worked.......

ONLY THE LEFT CAN SAVE LABOUR.....

John McDonnell, who will launch the Convention Of The Left with Tony Benn on Saturday , makes the case for Labour's left in today's Comment Is Free. Here's the link.http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/sep/16/labour.gordonbrown?commentpage=1&commentposted=1

BACK ON DUTY

Very heartened by comradely messages . Thanks again.
Long day today backwards and forwards to Manchester but politically back on duty as managed to fit in crunch meeting of the Convention Of The Left. Only three weeks to go till this and of course Labour Party Conference. Where did the summer go.......now have to frantically catch up on stuff I should have done several weeks ago. Will report back more when I have fine tuned some thoughts tomorrow......

UNITED WE STAND - IN OPPOSITION TO NEW LABOUR

This afternoon I received the (more or less) final timetable for the Convention Of The Left event taking place in Manchester from September 20 -24 ie at the same times as the Labour Party Conference. The LRC is taking part in several seminars and it will all be kicked off at 3pm on Saturday September 20 by John McDonnell MP and Tony Benn. Venue is the Friends Meeting House -only yards from the LP Conference hall at G-Mex.
Unlike the bigger event, there will be no ring of steel . And admission is free ( donations welcome) .Those of us involved in the logistics of bringing together various left groups both inside and outside the Labour Party are currently wracking our brains for a common theme or "line to take" in the common vernacular.
I am still pondering this one but it may well turn out to be about the fact that the issues which unite us on the left are far more than those which divide us. Peace not war, people not profit, .......anyway, the timetable is worth a look on the COL website

CONVENTION OF THE LEFT - MORE INFO

I turn from the maddening and increasingly tiresome machinations of the CLGA to the rather more constructive opportunities offered by the COL - the Convention Of The Left. As some will know, I have been involved in the organising meetings in Manchester and this five-day event taking place as a counter to the anodyne Labour Conference in Manchester is being sponsored by the LRC . Socialist Unity has more info here Speakers confirmed so far include Jeremy Corbyn, John McDonnell, Mark Sewotka and Matt Wrack

SEPTEMBER'S SOCIALIST ALTERNATIVE

Tonight I'm heading off to Manchester for a meeting to discuss plans and practicalities for a Convention Of The Left which is being held to coincide with Labour Party Conference. That particular jamboree, as we know, will be an anodyne affair with lots of back-slapping and corporate junkets. There will be very little chance to actually debate policy and of course thanks to the stitch-up agreed last year by Gordon Brown and trade union leaders no contemporary motions to actually VOTE on. It's still worth hanging around I hope for the fringe events and the chance to debate a constitutional change resolution on the leadership threshold which has been tabled by Calder Valley CLP. No doubt we will have to fight the Conference Arrangements Committee to keep it on the agenda but rest assured there will be no back-tracking from our delegate.

By way of contrast, the Convention will include socialists and trade unionists both in and outside the Labour Party and I hope there will be an honest and constructive discussion on the way forward.

Every day, thanks to New Labour policies the Labour Party's standing is going down the plughole. It's time to get out there, stop pussyfooting around and win back our Party from the careerists and self-aggrandisers who have been in charge for far too long. I have been feeling rather quiescent and low in spirits of late. Time to fight back.....

CONVENTION OF THE LEFT

This September, Labour heads for Manchester and for many of us who are stoically signing up for the Conference it's not an appealing prospect. So why are we going?
It was Bournemouth 2003 which opened my eyes to the damage New Labour had inflicted on the Party. I became determined to try and stop the rot and got involved in several pressure groups, gravitating ultimately to the LRC. Well, five years on as far as Conference goes I must be honest and concede that things have got worse, not better. Debate has been further stifled and G-Mex will be packed mostly with corporate sponsors and New Labour toadies. But we fight on......
The fringe is still good value for money and yes I do enjoy the camaraderie of it all and getting drunk with comrades I see only once or twice a year. But there are more serious reasons to still get involved.
My CLP has a rule change motion coming up on the leadership threshold ( lobbying to start soon) .This year there will also be an "alternative conference" organised by a new group called Convention Of The Left. From what I can gather, most of its members are outside the Labour Party.But that is not a reason not to get involved. I would like to think we can share common aims - without necessarily agreeing on the means to achieve them. The conference will be taking place in Manchester throughout the week of the Labour event. It already has a website and I have provided a link......good luck with it, comrades.