Why I joined the Labour Party

Over on http://www.bloggers4labour.org people are busy posting about why the joined the Labour Party.

Some of the replies are very inspiring, particularly those from the couple of people that only joined in the last few months. At some stage I'll try to find the time to explain why I joined.

In the mean time here's what Hugh Gaitskell said in answer to the same question at Labour's 1955 Conference - every word of which makes as much sense now as it did then and says everything I want to say:

"I became a socialist quite candidly ... because at an early age I came to hate and loath social injustice, because I disliked the class structure of our society, because I could not tolerate the indefensible differences of status and income which disfigure our society. I hated the insecurity that affected a large part of our community while others led lives of security and comfort. I became a socialist because I hated poverty and squalor.

We in the Labour Party can be proud of what we have done ... to remedy these ills, but do not let us make the mistake of supposing that all is over. I want to see - and I am a socialist because I want to see - a society of equal men and women... a society in which the rewards correspond to some generally accepted criterion of merit ... I want to see everybody have an opportunity to develop his or her personality to the full. I ... want to see fellowship ... And I want to see all this acheived by democracy ... I want to see all this not only in our country but over the world as a whole."

That's why Gaitskell joined the Labour Party. Ditto for me.