I am dismayed at the statement issued by Tom Watson announcing his withdrawal from talks aimed at resolving the crisis in the Labour Party. Extraordinarily I received no notice of this statement before it was issued. I had made arrangements for a meeting of trade union leaders, Tom Watson and representatives of the PLP and […]
Posts Tagged ‘Leadership’
Keeping Corbyn off the ballot paper risks a lasting division in the party
Jul 9th, 2016 by Len McCluskey.Leadership Coup: MPs on strike against their own members
Jul 5th, 2016 by Katy Sian.Two thirds of SNP voters, voted to remain. Two thirds of Labour voters, voted to remain. However, Jeremy Corbyn is blamed for not delivering more than this number. He is even blamed by his own party members whose own constituencies voted to leave. Labour MP’s who failed to win a majority for remain prefer to […]
Momentum can open democratic participation in the political system.
Jul 3rd, 2016 by Rhea Wolfson.Throughout my NEC campaign I have had the great privilege of speaking at Momentum meetings across England. From Southampton to Liverpool I have been so inspired by the inclusive and democratic local groups that have sprung up in such a short space of time. I met countless young people who were enthused by the Jeremy’s […]
The Delusions of the anti-Corbyn plotters
Jun 30th, 2016 by Andy Newman.On Thursday 23rd June the unexpected triumph of the Leave campaign can only be read as a rebuke to the authority of the political class. Certainly racism and anti-immigrant prejudice informed many voters, but that was far from the only motive for so many people rejecting the overwhelming consensus view of experts and professionals who counseled […]
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 […]
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 […]
On electing and removing leaders in the Labour Party
Nov 4th, 2015 by Mike Hedges AM.Immediately after the defeat at the General election in 2015, Ed Milliband resigned. What if he had decided to stay on? We do not know.What we do know is what happened in Scotland. Jim Murphy was elected Leader in October 2014. Following his defeat and Labour’s rout in Scotland, Murphy said he would remain Leader […]
On tax cedits, Harriet Harman has flunked the basics of leadership spectacularly
Jul 13th, 2015 by Phil Burton-Cartledge.The Labour Party is a mass organisation. Under its banner you find all kinds of people harbouring all kinds of views. It could hardly be otherwise, given the roots it has in the labour movement representing the sectional interests of otherwise quite disparate occupational groupings. It is also a party that has to reach beyond […]
The left should place its trust in democracy – not in leadership candidates
May 17th, 2015 by Jon Lansman.After the catastrophic defeat by the SNP in Scotland and the extremely disappointing results in England and Wales, Labour needed a period of debate and reflection about what went wrong and what to do about it. What we have instead is a leadership (and deputy leadership) election. Do not expect an election to provide the […]