John McDonnell returns to where he was born and grew up in Liverpool – some of the “worst slum conditions in the country… but we just called it home”, he says. He talks about what it was like, moving into their first council house, free education and why a Labour government can give hope to people again:
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Left Futures is a new Labour Left network. If you want to get involved as a contributor, please contact James Elliott, using the form on this page. Header images: Wind farm [credit]. Balloons [credit] and crowd scene [credit].
The accent is wrong.
Excellent video by John and as a working class socialist who has similar memories just rejoined LRC.
Doesn’t sound like a scouse though.
@Imran Khan
“Doesn’t sound like a scouse though.”
Why would it though? He moved down South when he was a little kid and then went to a Grammar School, then Uni. He lost the “scouse” accent, but so what. An accent don’t maketh the man. 🙂
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McDonnell
This places John McD. well within the working class beneficiaries and upholders of post – war socialist tradition. But I must say I do note his tendency to far too frequently harp on about how old he is, constantly saying things like…… ‘in the old days of the Left’, ‘when me and others in the Left were struggling to …..’, ‘when I reflect on the attempts we used to make to….’. ‘when me and a ‘merry few’ sat in a too and discussed…..’ or “I was looking forward to me retirement in ……..’.
What is the point of constantly telling all the new young people how old he is and how grateful for a new opportunity he now has. Except for some ‘Cable Street type’ romantics, what do they learn from this and what good is it doing for the future projection of socialism. It all strikes me as either self- indulgent or as nostalgic as the last of the Summer Wine. I would prefer it if outside of friends and family he got on with the mission before him and forget his age and those memories that do little provide incisive lessons for the future.
If he stopped constantly reminding me I would not even notice how old he was, but I would certainly benefit from the wise decisions and actions he takes for the future.
@Verity
Maybe John will read your post and take heed, though in the article video I don’t think he comes across too bad at all.
His “constant” referring could just be an understandable age related confidence thing, that will, ironically, pass with time. Although he’s at retirement age, he looks strong, is well capable, well liked and respected. Good on him.
I do agree with you, but I wish he would stop keep reminding young people since then I think its significance would go away.
@Verity
Just a few questions if that’s ok.
When you say;
“Except for some ‘Cable Street type’ romantics, what do they learn from this and what good is it doing for the future projection of socialism. It all strikes me as either self- indulgent or as nostalgic as the last of the Summer Wine.”
If I’m reading you right I suppose it could be a gentler ‘fatherly’ soft socialism that, for the many, lost, younger sensitive types, is more digestible and accommodating, without giving ground.
“…what good is it doing for the future projection of socialism.”
I would think that depends on how it’s perceived. Do you have feed back from ‘the young uns’ as to their dis/approval? Do they feel patronised? Are they being alienated by John’s MOMAD routine?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7GeZ3YmONw 🙂
How do you think the future projection of socialism should be in relation to young people? Do you write a blog? Thanks