Consolidating Corbynism involves the transformation of the Labour Party from a vote-catching bureaucracy into a movement capable of winning power by prosecuting its class interests. This in mind, the decision of Lord Sainsbury to pull funding from Progress shows, if you like, some progress towards this goal. Needless to say this, which was apparently announced […]
Posts Tagged ‘Progress’
Disband Momentum? Alan Johnson is as forgetful as he is hypocritical
Jun 26th, 2017 by James Elliott.Despite now being out of Parliament, Alan Johnson doesn’t seem to want to stay out of politics. This weekend he made a typically unastute intervention into Labour’s post-election debate, saying, “Momentum, by now, should have disbanded. Jeremy Corbyn by now is very safe”, and that, “I don’t see the point of a separate organisation which […]
Jeremy was right to go and schmooze with Progress
May 16th, 2016 by Phil Burton-Cartledge.In yet another example of the lion laying down with the lamb, last Saturday say Jeremy Corbyn deliver a keynote speech at Progress conference. Yes, read that again. Jeremy Corbyn. Keynote. Progress conference. Debate rages whether it’s broken, but everyone can agree that politics has definitely got weird. That speech then, yes. Not a great […]
Labour right-wing still in the austerity dead end
Mar 15th, 2016 by Michael Burke.Rachel Reeves, a former Labour shadow secretary for work and pensions, has produced a short note for Progress which has been hailed in the right wing media, and by the Labour right, as ‘an alternative Budget’. The New Statesman was perhaps the most excitable, describing Reeves as the shadow chancellor in waiting. All of this […]
Putting Labour first: time to stop the party tearing itself apart
Jan 17th, 2016 by Phil Burton-Cartledge.Like Fight Club, the first rule of Labour First (the voice of Labour “moderates”) is to not talk about Labour First. Or at least it used to be. Pulling up outside the Brandhall Labour Club in Oldbury yesterday morning, conference-goers were treated to banners festooned with the Labour First logo and reminders everywhere about its hashtag. If […]
Aberavon selection: anyone but a working class candidate?
Feb 14th, 2014 by Keith Wright.What a difference a day makes! Yesterday, we questioned whether Stephen Kinnock, who sent his daughter to a Danish private school, was a suitable potential Labour MP. Since then, we’ve heard that Kinnock now stands little chance of winning the Aberavon constituency selection. His all-star strategy has backfired. Paying to opt-out of state education hasn’t […]
The Blairite party-within-a-party recognises its lack of support at grassrooots level
Jan 25th, 2014 by Jon Lansman.Two months ago we questioned whether the Blairite party-within-a-party, Progress, would be able sustain its alliance with the more traditional Labour right-wing faction, Labour First, whose leading members are John Spellar MP and Luke Akehurst. The combination of a growing political gulf between the two organisations, especially over primaries and the role of trade unions […]
So when will the Labour Party apologise to Stevie Deans?
Jan 22nd, 2014 by Jon Lansman.Yesterday, the Scottish police confirmed that they had found “no evidence of any criminality” in their inquiry into the activities of Stevie Deans, who was until three months ago full-time convenor at the Ineos plant at Grangemouth (where he’d worked for 25 years) and Chair of Unite in Scotland as well as the sometime Chair […]
Labour Students no longer bothers to pretend it’s not just Progress’ youth wing
Nov 22nd, 2013 by Michael Wood.Last weekend (16-17th November 2013), the National Organisation of Labour Students (NOLS) organised in Manchester their political weekend. Over the course of the weekend, the Blairite clique that dominates Labour Students ruthlessly reaffirmed their hegemony. But they were met with a surprising consensus for greater dialogue and plurality within the organisation and its events. The […]
Will the Labour Right maintain its unholy alliance in internal elections?
Nov 15th, 2013 by Jon Lansman.Today saw nominations close for Progress members wishing to stand for Labour’s national executive in 2014 to apply for the organisation’s endorsement. In a process designed to convey the appearance of transparency and internal democracy, the strategy board invented last year for the same purpose will meet shortly to select two or three candidates who Progress will […]
