A blog by Luke Akehurst about politics, elections, and the Labour Party - With subtitles for the Hard of Left. Just for the record: all the views expressed here are entirely personal and do not necessarily represent the positions of any organisations I am a member of.
Jon Cruddas is saying the results are a wake up call for Labour.
posted by Luke Akehurst at 9:22 am
Labour MP for North Durham since 2024. Labour Party activist since 1988 - firmly on the moderate wing of the party. Member of Labour’s NEC 2010-2012 and since 2020. National Secretary of Labour Students 1995-6. Parliamentary candidate for Aldershot (2001) and Castle Point (2005). Hackney Councillor (Chatham Ward) 2002-2014, Labour Group Chief Whip 2002-09, Chair of Health Scrutiny 2010-2014. Dad. Unite and GMB union member. All views expressed in a personal capacity. The rest will become evident from reading the blog.
9 Comments:
Luke, every seat should be a key seat. All Cruddas is saying is that we have foccussed on the Graveends, Dartfords and Dovers at the expense of everywhere else, driving our traditional supporters into their arm chairs or the BNP.
10:44 am, May 04, 2007
You are very dogmatic, Luke.
Labour's results don't seem to be a disaster at this stage, but I don't really see how you can interpret them as a sign that we're not appealing enough to the "centre ground".
It comes across as uncomradely to attack Cruddas over this. Most of the time he seems to talk about internal party structure and his key party policy issue at the moment is housing. All sounds sensible stuff, not at all "fruitloop"-ish. Improving access to housing is something that would appeal to the mysterious "centre ground" as much as to our core vote.
Since you started the uncomradeliness, perhaps it's fair to point out that Hazel Blears doesn't seem to have any concrete suggestions for improving Labour's appeal. But then, she is someone who can't understand why the government is unpopular with so many people.
11:16 am, May 04, 2007
James firstly in Thurrock Labour took seats from the Tories and kept the BNP at bay secondly we seem to be turning the tide in some traditional Labour areas eg Bradford, Lverpool Leeds and Bolton.
It was not a good night for the Lib Dems either, the one conclusion is the battle is for the middle ground .
2:17 pm, May 04, 2007
I'm sorry but the battle should be fore EVERY GROUND. I am sick of life long loyal Labour supporters being taken for granted by ungrateful flip flopper voters who will ditch us as soon as Cameron finally gets his act together.
2:40 pm, May 04, 2007
What say Luke?
http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/?p=1214
12:38 am, May 05, 2007
Presumably Tom Watson is now a fruitloop? Or your analysis is slightly faulty?
10:48 am, May 05, 2007
Cruddas has a unique ability to simultaneously get support from Tom and friends of mine like Theo Blackwell and formal endorsement from flatearthers like CLPD. I understand where Tom is coming from on this but it's one of the rare moments when I think he has got something badly wrong.
Having said that, I'll be putting Cruddas above Hain and Harman on the ballot paper.
11:06 am, May 05, 2007
How can you possibly portray the present results as a reminder of the importance of the "centre-ground" (which, as far as I am concerned, is made up almost exclusively of wet-Tories). Surely, the outcome of yesterday's elections are an indication to the Party Leadership that it has lost touch with its traditional supporters/voters! There's no other (honest) way to describe it!
12:49 pm, May 05, 2007
"Cruddas has a unique ability to simultaneously get support from Tom and friends of mine like Theo Blackwell and formal endorsement from flatearthers like CLPD".
Exactly, Luke. That's the point. We need a Deputy Leader who can appeal across the political spectrum of our party, not just a small and sectarian set of Blairite extremists. Cruddas is brilliant and he's going to win. Delighted he now has influential Tom Watson's public endorsement.
5:33 pm, May 05, 2007
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