Humour me, this post is about where we are politically, it has very little to do with nature – I just wanted to get it out of my system. And it’s mostly about the Labour Party – remember them?
There are two people, either of whom I would be keen to see as leader of the Labour Party, and neither appears to be standing as yet: Hilary Benn and Alan Johnson.
Any candidate for the Labour leadership who uses the word ‘narrative’ more than once should be barred from standing. And the same applies to ‘aspiration’.
It is crazy to delay the leadership decision until the autumn in order to have a ‘conversation’ about where Labour goes next. Real life is going on right now and the worst aspects of the Tory manifesto may well be progressed whilst Labour is ‘developing its narrative’ or, that is, talking to itself.
The best leader will appear as one who has a clear and compelling vision for the party and for the future. Let’s not make it complicated – it’s about creating a fair and decent society where each contributes according to their means and each receives according to their needs as much as is possible. I’m pretty sure that has been said before.
Labour needs to be the party of fairness and decency. Everything else should come from that, including environmental policy. Fairness is not all about money – obviously! Environmental fairness is absolutely about living on this planet in a way that does not disadvantage others through waste and pollution, and does not steal natural resources from future generations in order for us to have the best of times ourselves. [see, there was a bit about the environment].
I’ve thought every day about my ex MP, Andy Sawford. I am so sorry that he didn’t keep his seat as he seemed to be one of the good guys.
And finally, and at a tangent: this blog is generally speaking unlikely to go all gooey about the birth of a royal princess but I was shocked to hear the royal baby being assessed as worth over £1bn to the economy. How many other babies were born that day in the UK (Answer: about 2000)? They were all worthless I guess?
Thank you – I’m glad to have got that out of my system.
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Would love to see Hilary Benn as Labour leader. Worked for him during his time at Dept of Env and he was definitely one of the good guys. Wish he’d go for it ….
if labour ever want to get anywhere in this country again they need dan jarvis leading them and the fact that he doesn’t want it is all the more reason to make sure he does.
he’s a man who has actually done something in the world
Anyone with pointy elbows should be barred from standing
You’re welcome to get it out of your system Mr Avery! (I’m seeing three ‘comments’ BTW, but they are identical techie messages.)
Think the labour party does talk (a bit) about justice and inclusion etc. But they haven’t managed to join that with letting people feel that the go-getters can thrive under labour and the idle be inspired / given the opportunity / booted-up-the-backside to contribute. And we are told, of course, that it’s the go-getters who drive the economic benefits which most people seem to want. Not only have we ‘paved paradise for a parking lot’ but it seems we have neglected thriving & justice for “oooh! new shoes” (which reminds me incidentally of Douglas Adams ‘shoe event horizon’!). Think we are rapidly approaching it!
Hello Mark,
Perhaps it’s time for you to jump ship. The Labour Party is now just about media savvy “Westminster bubble speak” bright young things who seem to decry the values that made “old Labour” the great party of the masses.
You may remember I left some time ago for the Green Party- they are far from perfect, but as a party it is honest, democratic and upfront.
I’d be interested to see how your long-held political views dovetail with the inevitable “Torylite” moulding of even newer Labour.
I’ll look out for your updates.
I think Labour need to find somebody who has a strong but open mind. They then need to embark on the sort of process that the SNP did in the run up to the referendum and engage with the electorate.
Over the two years leading up to the referendum, the nationalists organised hundreds of meetings across the country. They knocked on doors, they met folk in the street. The key thing about this process was that they gave folk a blank sheet of paper and asked them how they wanted their country to be run and they listened. They researched government systems abroad and presented options on how things can be done better.
They were in government during this period and they had been doing a good job, they were delivering the sort of government that the left leaning population liked. Labour was forced to adopt the right wing UK Labour policies and oppose the left leaning Scottish Government. (Then they capped it all off in the referendum campaign by sharing a campaign with the tories!).
The biggest problem is that again they seem to be coming to the conclusion that they will have to be all things to all people to win the English middle ground. I think that their new leader will have to consider the possibility that this will not be possible. Maybe we need two parties of the left. Left Proper and Left Light able to stand in different regions and be prepared to work in a coalition government.
We already have a petition (not as successful as yours!)asking for the north of England to join Scotland.
I think I agree with all you have said Mark except Hilary Benn and that was just that i hadn’t thought of him. Shame on me! We need the party up and running and trying to combat the worse and it will be worse that the tories try to do. Yours in equal desperation. I’m always aghast that ordinary working folk are taken in enough to vote tory, or UKIP for that matter.
I couldnt agree with you more – Labour should reclaim their roots – and I hate all this blather about “aspiration” as well. Everything you have said is spot on
Mark
Wake up
Labour are just another party of the free market, and are there to serve the needs of corporations and the well off. The poor and left behind of this country are not even in their thoughts any more. The environment is an afterthought. Whoever leads them will take them even further in that direction. Forget about them. Get behind a party with a sensible approach to the planet, to development and the economic, environmental and mental well-being of the county.
Einstein often has the following quote attributed to him: Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Look where we are again.