There is much to welcome in David Miliband’s call for a ‘comradely and serious debate’ about the future for the Labour Party, as prompted by Roy Hattersley’s recent article in the Political Quarterly on social democracy. He is certainly right about the spirit in which the debate should take place, but this initial foray will [...]
Posts under ‘Politics’
David Miliband’s right about a debate, but it can’t ignore the big issues
Feb 4th, 2012 by Michael Meacher.
What David Miliband’s intervention really means
Feb 3rd, 2012 by Owen Jones.Those of us who have suggested David Miliband’s latest political intervention may have – let’s say – ulterior motives have received a bit of flak. Must he stay silent just because any public pronouncement may be misconstrued by the media? Why can’t he contribute to the debate about the party’s future like anyone else? Bookmarks Hide [...]
What would a Leanne Wood victory mean for Labour
Feb 2nd, 2012 by Andy Newman.Leanne Wood’s campaign to become leader of Plaid goes from strength to strength, now gaining the endorsement of Dafydd Iwan, former president of the party, and a renowned Welsh-language musician. Iwan’s support is significant as it bridges the gap between the traditionalist Welsh speaking foundations of Plaid’s support in the West and North of the country with the left-wing republicanism [...]
When the Ku Klux Klan came for Fred Goodwin. Or not.
Feb 2nd, 2012 by David Osler.I must admit that I did not immediately grasp the obvious parallels between the decision to strip a banker of his knighthood and the brutal murder of hundreds of American blacks at the hands of a mass white supremacist paramilitary organisation. So I am thankful to Lord Digby Jones, a man who served as trade [...]
Socialism: it’s nothing personal
Feb 2nd, 2012 by Owen Jones.I’m almost feeling sorry for Fred the Shred. ‘Humbling of Mister Godwin’, mocked the Daily Mail; ‘Goodwin is shredded’ (geddit?) bellowed the Daily Telegraph; ‘Once A Knight Fred’, echoed the Sun, a newspaper always keen to win the most imaginative pun stakes. It’s more than tempting for the left to jump on this populist bandwagon. [...]
As Hester still gets £6m bonuses, the utterly destitute lose Social Fund
Feb 1st, 2012 by Michael Meacher.There are two different universes at Westminster, completely disconnected. One is about Hester who has sacked thousands and still presides over RBS languishing at a share price only half of what taxpayers paid for in the bailout, but who has already on top of his £550,000 salary (£10,575 a week) gained £11m in bonuses and [...]
Capping bankers’ bonuses: is that a promise, Ed?
Jan 31st, 2012 by David Osler.Getting one banker voluntarily to forego one bonus, one time, is the easy bit. But taking on the entrenched enrichissez vous ethos that pervades the financial sector will not be achieved by moral suasion alone. Don’t get me wrong, Ed Miliband has handled the Simon Hester affair in a manner that compensates – well, ever [...]
The Miliband magic
Jan 31st, 2012 by Michael Meacher.What political leader in Opposition has ever stopped in its tracks what looked like irresistible momentum towards a disaster? No, I can’t think of one either. Certainly not Cameron – can you remember any of the positions he took during the 5 years before the 2010 election, apart from slyly posing beside a dog-sleigh in [...]
The reform of Labour policy process is unstoppable: Ed’s office please take note
Jan 30th, 2012 by Jon Lansman.As the extended period of consultation about Refounding Labour reaches its conclusion tomorrow, it has become clear that the determination to democratise decision-making extends across the party and its affiliates, and across the political spectrum. It cannot be stopped by the desire of the Leader’s advisers to force trade unions to give up yet more of the [...]
Does anyone seriously believe swallowing Tory austerity measures makes Labour credible?
Jan 29th, 2012 by Michael Meacher.There seems to be a plague going round the Shadow Cabinet, which is quite catching, the symptoms of which appear to be seriously muddled economic and political thinking. After several comrades went down with this malady over the New Year period, the bug appears to have re-surfaced again, to judge by yesterday’s remarks from the [...]
