It was with wry amusement when I read in yesterday’s Telegraph that “senior figures” in the Labour Party (all anonymous, of course) are working through the possibility of usurping the front bench and laying legal claim to the party’s name and assets should Citizen Smith fail in his leadership bid. The paper says that they plan […]
Posts Tagged ‘PLP’
Don’t blow up the Labour Party
Jun 29th, 2016 by Andy Newman.The Labour Party in opposition needs to present itself as an alternative government, but just as importantly the role of the main opposition party in a parliamentary democracy is to seek to influence the decisions of government, and shape the political debate. Given the potentially economically catastrophic vote to leave the EU last Thursday, an […]
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Labour must unite to voice the anger of a working class revolt against political elites
Jun 25th, 2016 by Jon Lansman.Most Labour voters who backed Brexit did so because of the greater insecurity and drop in living standards they have suffered because of the effects of neoliberalism and austerity. It was, as Owen Jones wrote a “working class revolt against the political establishment” achieved through the “furious, alienated working-class votes” cast against “the lack of affordable housing; […]
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Make Labour’s rules up as you go along is still the 4.5%er preference
Jan 19th, 2016 by Jon Lansman.Last night, the parliamentary Labour party debated and agreed to ballot Labour MPs on a rule change from Margaret Hodge and Ann Coffey – two of the MPs who last year nominated Liz Kendall – which sought to eject from his place on Labour’s national executive Steve Rotheram, MP for Liverpool Walton who nominated Andy Burnham. […]
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Understanding Corbynmania
Nov 25th, 2015 by Phil Burton-Cartledge.It’s not the key factor explaining why Labour aren’t doing spectacularly well at the moment, but the never ending tit-for-tat in the press, on the telly, on the internet isn’t helping much. It is a truism that divided parties don’t win elections, after all. Then there were these polling figures of Labour Party members. Some […]
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A guide to the comradely divisions in Labour’s parliamentary party
Nov 15th, 2015 by Phil Burton-Cartledge.Is the Labour Party divided? Of course it is. But divided doesn’t necessarily mean at each others’ throats, at least not all of the time. As divisions have been the theme of the week, it’s time to quickly cast one’s eye over the Parliamentary Labour Party and discern what groups are emerging among this most august […]
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Can Jeremy Corbyn manage Labour’s parliamentary party?
Aug 26th, 2015 by Phil Burton-Cartledge.Much has been made of Jeremy Corbyn’s assumed incapacity to hold the Parliamentary Labour Party together in the event of his Labour leadership victory. His views are out of step with Labour MPs, only a tiny number backed Jeremy’s nomination out of genuine conviction, and his hundreds of rebellions against the party whip place him […]
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So how did a left-winger get to be chair of the parliamentary Labour party?
Feb 10th, 2015 by Jon Lansman.John Cryer, left-wing MP for Leyton & Wanstead, was last might declared elected as the new Chair of the parliamentary Labour party. Unanimously. Well, unopposed really. In spite of the fact that he is a member of the Campaign Group of MPs – indeed the son of two former Campaign Group MPs (Bob Cryer, MP for Keighley […]
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Whatever happened to the parliamentary Labour party?
Jul 30th, 2014 by Michael Meacher.The parliamentary Labour party (PLP) has changed dramatically over the long years of my political experience. It used to be the forum where policy differences were thrashed out, the front bench was held vigorously to account, and ideological debate provided the lifeblood for political activism. No more. It must be the most placid in modern […]
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Skinner knocked off Labour executive – election interference seems a yearly event
Jul 3rd, 2014 by Jon Lansman.Dennis Skinner was yesterday unceremoniously booted off Labour’s national executive by Labour MPs. Voting for two of the three seats representing backbench MPs and all MEPs (Margaret Beckett was elected unopposed under gender balance requirements) put chalenger John Healey miles ahead on 216, with Steve Rotherham edging Dennis Skinner out by 133 to 121. Dennis […]
