EPITAPH FOR DAVID TAYLOR MP

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

CAMPAIGN FOR THE NEW CAMPAIGN GROUP

With only months to go until the General Election, the LRC is drawing up a list of MPs on the left who will need help getting re-elected.

In every constituency, every MP and Parliamentary candidate will of course be doing their utmost to get back to Westminster and retain a Labour government. But, whatever the result, it is absolutely essential that the PLP retains its left voice.

Because of Mps standing down, or being in seats with tiny majorities, the sad fact is the left's ranks after May will be pretty depleted. But, with the inevitable losses elsewhere, a tranche of around 20 Mps could still play a significant role.

In our immediate vicinity, there are three MPs who have stood firm on issues like Trident, 90 Days and trade union rights. They are Mike Wood, Batley and Spen (pictured) , Linda Riordan in Halifax and Gordon Prentice in Pendle. All three also nominated John McDonnell in 2007 and they need support from across the north to get re-elected. The LRC will also be setting up a General Election fund which will shortly appear on the website. The money will go to help MPs with a consistent socialist record

In the past 20 years, the Socialist Campaign Group has been a principled voice in Parliament. We need as many people as possible out there helping to ensure it does not die.