CONVENING AGAIN...

Can't be bothered commenting on the last batch of mediocrities to be appointed to junior positions - ie Sion Simon, Chris Bryant. Tonight going into Manchester for a feedback meeting on the Convention Of The Left. Not navel-gazing but I hope a constructive discussion of where we go next. I'm about to write a short report for Labour Briefing about it and will post a copy up here soon.

BRINGING IN MORE BLAIRITES IS NOT THE ANSWER TO GORDON'S WOES

So. Gordon Brown has apparently found the solution to the travails he has recently endured. More progressive policies? A large V-sign to the plotters and pals of Miliband who have been scuttling around for the past few weeks. Well, no. He's going to promote another Blairite.

Guardian reports that Jim Murphy, the Minister for Europe, "impressed the prime minister with his handling of the Lisbon treaty during its bumpy passage through the Commons, and is being pencilled in as the next Scottish Secretary." "Bumpy passage?" We should have had a referendum - the whole business/con-trick of the Lisbon Treaty is one of the reasons why the public remains disenchanted. Risdibly, the Guardian reports that this move is being pushed "to unite the Party." Does Brown ever, ever think of reaching out a friendly hand to those left-of-centre? Now that really might go some way towards healing a few rifts

IT'S NOT THE BLOODY X FACTOR- IT'S THE ISSUES

Idly trawling the internet to come across Political Betting's "runners and riders " for the next Labour Leader. It may surprise you to learn that the giants of the political stage on the list include Frank Field and Tessa Jowell. They even include Ken Livingstone and he's not, er, an MP. As things stand, under the present debacle of a system, this is the reality. We're likely to end up with another right-winger, another New Labourite, another nightmare from which this time the Party will not be able to recover. And talk of the next Leader is a distraction anyway. There could still be time to turn to turn things round. No, I'm not optimistic. But if the PLP used issues like the continuing nightmare in Iraq and the end of the 10p band, which is causing outrage on the doorstep, to bring Brown to heel If the soft left put its money where its mouth is and started working with the left, there could be a tranche of 100 MPs who WOULD make a difference. Andy Burnham? James Purnell? They are but minions and slaves to an orthodoxy which has all but detstroyed the Labour Party. Let's not put another nail in the coffin.....

THE BODYSNATCHERS .....

Charles Clarke and Alan Milburn are the Burke and Hare of New Labour .Their mission in life sems to be to "bodysnatch" Gordon Brown with the aim of deterring him from doing anything remotely "off-message" or un-arch-Blairite. Milburn is giving it large about how Labour could lose the next election and that Brown's policies might be one of the reasons why. In the last two weeks, Clarke has also kept up a barrage of criticisms and warnings - presumably to scare him into putting into place the last nails in the coffin of the labour movement. Both are still gutted they could not stop Brown becoming Leader but both are wasting their time in trying to cling on to the script of 1997. That's the very reason why Labour is trailing so far behind the Tories.

The hollow husk which is New Labour 's politburo has little to be picked at. It is devoid of any substance which appeals to anyone beyond a dwindling band of Progress supporters. In two winnable constituencies, Nottingham Soluth and Streatham, expectations that Blairites would win the day have been confounded.

Instead two Compass supporters have been selected ( much to the chagrin of right-wingers like Luke Akehurst ) Now Compass doesn't exactly have me whooping with delight but soft left candidates we share some policy positions on are, obviously, far preferable to uber-Blairites of the Burke and Hare tendency. Hard left ones ( much as I hate that terminology) would of course be even better,

WHY I'M RESIGNING FROM SAVE THE LABOUR PARTY

For some years, I was a very keen member of Save The Labour Party. At the time when I joined, in 2003, the Left was utterly moribund. Indeed, such was the dearth of leadership on the left that the first leaflet STLP put out had pictures of Aneurin Bevan, and Barbara Castle emblazoned on it - attracting (perhaps justifiably ) some ridicule.Let's face it. They were long-dead icons
I joined in the belief that its aim was to restore the Labour values which had been by-passed in favour of big business , New Labour cronies in the CBI and an ever-eroding democracy for ordinary members. Others on the left thought the same. Vince Mills, of the Campaign for Socialism and Elaine Smith MSP were both at one time paid-up supporters. Indeed, Elaine spoke with Christine Shawcroft and Ann Black at a fringe meeting I helped organise at the Spring 2004 Conference in Manchester.
STLP has some extremely decent people still involved. I cannot stress that enough and it saddens me to say this. But frankly I find it extraordinary that its Chair Peter Kenyon now extols the virtues of a private equity boss and City consultant over a trade unionist .In what way, exactly, Peter, will the appointment of David Pitt Watson further the cause of re-vitalising and recruiting the "mass membership" which has been STLP's stated aim for so long?
The admirable LabOUR Commission, put together after a lot of hard work by a broad church of MPs, trade unionists and activists was basically binned by Gordon Brown at the start of his premiership. But instead of going on the offensive STLP has increasingly been an apologist for Brown, whose nine months as Leader have been an unmitigated disaster for the grassroots. But plea after plea to him to "listen to the members" is a waste of time. How did Brown answer those pleas? By ending voting at Conference and riding roughshod over grassrots opinion. He did his damdest to ensure there was not a democratic contest for the leadership.
By way of contrast, the LRC, founded four years ago, has grown in the past 12 months to almost 1500 members nationwide. That number is set to grow even more as local activists mobilise and our network grows across the country. On a weekly basis, I am talking to people desperate for a change in the Labour Party.
Our new General Secretary is New Labour business as usual. And, frankly, I cannot believe that some of the people I know in STLP will be exactly delighted at his appointment. The role of the left -of-centre is now to go on the offensive, and not roll over and die in the hope that by courting New Labour we can somewhow win the argument. As the last nine months have shown, it just won't work.

STITCHED UP LIKE KIPPERS?

So Mike Griffiths WON'T be the new General Secretary of the Labour Party. Instead, David Pitt Watson, an extremely rich City whizzkid, pal of big business and inevitably pal of Brown's . Perhaps someone will enlighten us how the Grassroots Alliance reps voted - and why. Because that might just alter the way I vote in the forthcoming elections .....
It does not augur well. Here's his opening gambit."I am looking forward to working with members, stakeholders and staff to achieve our objectives." No mention of the unions, then ? And "stakeholders" ????????? Classic New labour guff. You were warned..... Mike Griffiths is no-one's idea of the perfect candidate. But at least he had a traditional background in the labour movement. I find today's news extremely disappointing.

ED FAILS TO IMPRESS....

Changed my mind last night about Ed Miliband. I was quite impressed by the style ( if not the substance) of the man when I saw him speak at Labour Conference. But he was frankly appalling on Question Time. He comes across as arrogant and petulant and worlds removed from the real lives of ordinary people. Abiding impression ? Another robotic New Labour Minister. It's about time the Labour Left got a look-in on this programme. At least the quality of debate would improve.

PROGRESS? I THINK NOT....

Don't you just love the way Progress gets what is basically a discussion paper on the front page of the Guardian. It would be rather nice if think-tanks on the left got equal billing and column inches but then we don't have so many dinner party guests in the media. Horrific to think they are urging Brown to be even MORE New labour and I also love the way they are referred to as "modernisers." They are a bunch of sodding Tories.....and I am utterly sick of this small and unrepresentative clique setting the agenda because of their friends in high places. .

SEND IN THE CLONES

The departure of Peter Hain means that the current Cabinet is the most right-wing in Labour's history. Despite his recent misdemeanours, Hain was of the Tribunite tradition and frankly a more rounded human being than the cloned New Labour set we are now stuck with.

James Purnell, Andy Burnham, Liam Byrne. Bland Blairites every one. So much for the Government of "all the talents."

It isn't, of course, that the left and centre-left is short of candidates. But Jon Cruddas ( let's not go there again) ruled himself out of a Cabinet role. And would Brown have given him anything meaningful? Probably not. It's also hardly surprising that people like Alan Simpson - hugely knowledgeable on the environment and seriously bright - are standing down . Likewise Lynne Jones MP. What chance do they have of realising a remotely socialist agenda when the Government is populated by squeaky clean New labour clones in their 30's?

Harold Wilson famously said the Labour Party needed "two wings to fly." It seems to me that we are in danger of being permanently grounded and losing the next election unless Gordon Brown starts to recognise the fact that Labour - and the PLP - is a broad church with many different views. I am not, to be honest, holding my breath......

MORE NIGHTMARE TICKETS.....

Last week blogged about Independent columnist John Rentoul favouring a "dream ticket" of Miliband and Balls to lead Labour. It gets worse.......apparently the Telegraph is touting for uber-Blairite Andy Burnham and another "ex-Minister" has told Rentoul moves may be afoot to champion the odious right-winger Liam Byrne. Byrne, you may recall, has been at Westminster for only a couple of years and is famed largely for his reactionary rhetoric on immigration. The only cheering thing is that NONE of the aforementioned would stand a chance. And that the Blairites must be desperate...........

LOAD OF BALLS......

The Blairites have spoken. It's "all over" for Gordon Brown. Says who? The New labour devotee and columnist John Rentoul, who spent 10 years idolising TB and is clearly going to devote as much time as possible now to trashing Gordon. Not, you understand, that he disagrees politically with much Gordon has done. No, no, his big mistake was in not calling the election and since then, as JR rightly points out, nothing has gone right. So now, God help us, Rentoul is backing a New Year coup and a "dream ticket" of Miliband R for PM and Ed Balls for Chancellor. That really WOULD guarantee Labour losing the General Election. Two clean-cut policy wonks who have never had a life outside Westminster. Two white middle-class males with no ability to relate to anyone outside their class or their narrow New Labour political arena. What a great idea......What cheeses me off most is that Rentoul has the gall to say this nightmare scenario is supported by "serious Labour people." I think we know exactly who he means by that........

PUNCH AND JUDY POLITICS

Didn't take long.......only several months after Gordon moved in to Number 10, the Blairites are back doing what they enjoy most - having a go at Brown. Today's Mail On Sunday wasted acres of newsprint on a piece by Blair biographer Antony Seldon jawing on about how TB felt "like an abused wife" and the alleged misdemeanours of Ed Balls and the Milibands. The only interesting thing about any of this is why exactly do they get so heated about stuff. Because, frankly, it matters not whether Blair or Brown is the PM. There is no difference at all ideologically between the Blairites and the Brownites. It's not political , clearly just personal nastiness and acrimony. And now Gordon is in a bit of trouble they're back briefing the media, bigging up David Miliband, and generally getting set for a nasty bit of in-fighting in the long run-up to the General Election.One gets the distinct impression that these are, basically, just not very nice people. Ferrets in a sack would probably have more of a moral compass.

PENNY DROPS FOR POLLY

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned and today Polly Toynbee sticks the boot into Gordon Brown good and proper. This, remember, is the woman who gets paid shedloads to bang on about how great New Labour is . The one who (rightly) told us to hold our noses and elect a labour Government in 2005. It's only a matter of months since she was extolling the virtues of GB week after mind-numbingly boring week .Well, now, the penny has finally dropped. We've been sold a right-wing pup.
Polly's chagrin was echoed this week by Mr Compass Neal Lawson, who seems similarly dismayed that his man has not turned out to be the closet social democrat he thought he was. I didn't see This Week, but I understand Dianne Abbott, another erstwhile flag-waver for Brown ( despite her membership of the Campaign Group) , was being similarly lukewarm.
What was there not to get ? Brown made it quite clear BEFORE he became prime Minister where he stood on the economy, as an "evangelist for globalisation" believer in "flexible" workforces, no time for the "old politics" . In short, New Labour to the very core of his Presbyterian soul. Yet now, like spurned lovers, these apparently expert political pundits stand back in horror and realise they got it wrong. As Toynbee says:
"We now have a centrist government in Europe's most unequal country. Our government stands somewhat to the right of Angela Merkel's coalition in Germany, to the right of economic policy in France, where Nicolas Sarkozy has absorbed social democrats. Fusion politics, like fusion music and food, is one description of this strange death of the centre-left. At least in Europe there are leftwing parties still to make the public arguments: in England, due to our malfunctioning electoral system, a political generation has barely heard the case for social justice. " Too late, Polly, too late.....

SEND IN THE CLONES?

Quote: "It has been a fantastic Conference week which has shown our party to be more confident, more determined and more united than ever before."

Source is the Labour Party website. Indeed, the mood is so exuberant the Guardian today predicts a snap election. I tend to agree. Good news, personally, as I will be covering the Manchester results for ITN and PA and get paid lots of money. Bad news - dozens more of uber New Labourites imposed on constituencies , including my own, therefore depriving decent , hard-working local candidates of any chance at all.

Well I've got this message to the Party if it does that. If our candidate is imposed then I will NOT campaign in this constituency but in neighbouring ones where there are MPs I respect and support politically. Two of them, Mike Wood and Linda Riordan, will be in Hebden Bridge tomorrow to speak at the LRC conference on Re-building The Labour Left. I will be frank, If there IS a snap election, our chances of doing any such thing are whittled away even further than they have been this week at the "Conference."