The rise of Owen Jones as a persuasive and articulate exponent of socialist politics is certainly a very welcome development, and the reach of his articles in the Independent gives him a useful vehicle for propagating left-wing ideals, which he does very well. However, I want to take issue with Owen’s recent article about Tony Blair. One of biggest intellectual challenges for […]
Posts Tagged ‘Blairites’
“Blairite” – playground abuse or legitimate usage?
May 28th, 2012 by Jon Lansman.Jon Cruddas recently said that “‘Blairite’ is now an orthodox term of abuse within the party; his name triggers jeers at our annual conference; many around labour appear more angry at Blairism than with Cameron and Clegg.” Progress magazine, in a piece entitled Beyond Blairite, goes rather further. It alleges that: Anyone keeping half an […]
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Do the Blairites actually agree with IDS over making people work for nothing?
May 28th, 2012 by Michael Meacher.Why isn’t Labour shouting from the roof-tops against the blatant injustice of forcing people to work for nothing, under threat of losing benefits if they don’t, when the jobs are simply not available, largley because of the government’s own policies? There are currently about 400,000 vacancies, but 2.65m unemployed, so with 6 people chasing every […]
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As thousands strike, Blairite pension-slasher helps himself to the loot
May 10th, 2012 by Jon Lansman.As unions representing 400,000 workers are forced to take strike action in defence of their pensions, it emerges that John Hutton, the former New Labour minister who helped the Tory-led coalition attack their pensions, is to be paid £1,000 per day to chair the new “mutualised” pensions company that will run the civil service pension […]
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The Blairite who cares about values… he’s gone (to join the Lib Dems)
Apr 30th, 2012 by Jon Lansman.Never mind that Jeremy Hunt. The real news of the day is about that fine young Blairite who cares about his values, Tristan Pithers. This morning we reported on his agonies: “I no longer feel that the Labour Party represents me, represents the values I hold or the ideas I believe in,” was his cry. […]
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Blairite considers defection to Lib Dems…. should he stay or should he go?
Apr 30th, 2012 by Jon Lansman.I’d never heard of Tristan Pithers before I’d read of his impending defection. But the fact that he’s only 21 and still a student diminishes his importance not a jot. Young activists are worth many more years than former ministers after all. And reading about his dilemma, I knew exactly how he felt: “I no […]
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A Blairite renounces bullying and intimidation
Apr 16th, 2012 by Jon Lansman.The times they are a-changing. A Blairite commentator — über-revisionist blogger and former Labour general secretary, Peter Watt — not only admits that New Labour used to bully people but worries that former perpetrators are about to become the victims. Naturally, he claims that the Brownites were worse (“The real masters though were those who […]
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Let us welcome Progress conversions to plurality
Mar 21st, 2012 by Jon Lansman.Blairite Shadow Cabinet member, Ivan Lewis, in his speech to the Progress political weekend, responded to “the anonymous briefers who have sought to undermine Progress in recent times“. What he said included the words: “Let us encourage plurality. No individual or section of the party has a monopoly of wisdom.” Let’s unreservedly welcome that conversion. […]
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Ed’s office has done him a disservice, but the worst culprits pose as loyal party staff
Mar 16th, 2012 by Jon Lansman.Since we reported on Monday that Ed Miliband’s office had overstepped the mark in the structure of Labour’s new executive board, things have gone from bad to worse. Further details of the new structure have emerged, the Guardian has reported that the “Labour party staff react with fury to plans for new executive board” and, […]
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Openness, democracy and transparency. Is that too much to ask of Progress?
Mar 13th, 2012 by Jon Lansman.This weekend, Progress – Labour’s Blairite faction – is again holding its annual political weekend in rural Lincolnshire, sponsored this year by the British Venture Capital Association. As usual it is addressed by several shadow cabinet members (Douglas Alexander, Liam Byrne, Ivan Lewis, Liz Kendall), but this year it meets widely accused of being a […]
