After days of frustration at continuing manipulation of the conference agenda by party managers, a “spring revolt” broke out in Labour’s conference this morning. As a number of rule changes were proposed by constituency delegates, speaker after speaker spoke to loud applause and cheers in favour of the need for fairness and justice for constituency members […]
Posts Tagged ‘Conference 2011’
Ed’s speech: predators, producers and the proletariat
Sep 28th, 2011 by David Osler.I cannot remember the last time I was wildly impressed by a leader’s set piece speech to a party conference. These days such perorations are designedly ephemeral affairs, calculated to grab the day’s headlines rather than define any lasting vision. The words delivered by Ed Miliband yesterday are no exception, and in this case, have […]
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Ed’s speech: the verdict
Sep 28th, 2011 by Jon Lansman.Ed Miliband’s speech today was aimed at different audiences. Those of us in the hall, on left and right, will have liked some parts and disliked others. Here are some left viewpoints:
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The wind of change is blowing through the Labour Party
Sep 28th, 2011 by Michael Meacher.For the first time in more than 15 years the true values and principles of the Labour Party were proclaimed by a Labour Leader in his Conference speech. Gone was the attempt to present modernisation as accommodating the banks, big business and of course the Murdoch press. Gone was the effort to align Labour with […]
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Labour conference: resentment at manipulation grows
Sep 27th, 2011 by Jon Lansman.This morning, Labour’s conference gave another indication that its patience with party managers’ manipulation is running out. We reported the noisy dissatisfaction on Sunday with the railroading of Refounding Labour. This morning, they clearly resented the further gagging of those constituencies who proposed a rule change 18 months ago designed to prevent the “parachuting‟ of […]
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We need Balls-plus
Sep 27th, 2011 by Michael Meacher.Were Ed Balls prescriptions desirable? Yes. Were they sufficient? No. He wants to repeat the bank bonus tax, bring forward long-term investment plans, reverse January’s damaging VAT rise for a temporary period, cut VAT to 5% on home improvements, and give a 1-year national insurance tax break for every small firm that takes on extra […]
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Ed Balls speech: a right and left perspective
Sep 27th, 2011 by Carl Packman.Ed Balls today did exactly what he was supposed to do: he offered something by way of a plan to boost jobs, created a soundbite on Labour’s economic plan (“fiscal responsibility in the national interest”), apologised for what Labour got wrong in the past (75p pension rise, the abolition of the 10p tax rate), put […]
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Proposed ban on parachuting candidates into safe seats blocked by sharp practice
Sep 27th, 2011 by Jon Lansman.First we had the stitch-up. Then the farce. But today, Labour’s party managers have excelled themselves in their cynical manipulation of Labour’s conference agenda. The Conference Arrangements Committee, in its interpretation of the rulebook, has added new dimensions to the elasticity of meaning. Delegates from six constituency parties (Amber Valley, Blackpool South, Caerphilly, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Newport West, […]
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Jim Murphy: positioning for a leadership challenge?
Sep 26th, 2011 by Jon Lansman.Jim Murphy spoke to conference this morning to “challenge the ill-informed orthodoxy of the past which says that Labour is the party of the NHS and the Tories are the party of the Forces.” He made a firmer anti-cuts speech than most of his shadow colleagues. He unveiled the cut price deal for veterans to join […]
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Refounding Labour – from stitch up to farce
Sep 26th, 2011 by Jon Lansman.Giving registered supporters a vote in the leadership election is not popular with constituency parties who are concerned about devaluing party membership. And it’s not popular with trade unions, whose levy payers do pay a great deal of money to the party and who now, potentially, could have less influence. The precise way in which […]
