Rumours
Rumours have reached me of a falling out between Jon Cruddas MP, Compass' leading voice in Parliament, and Neal Lawson, the organisation's guru.
Jon Cruddas, whatever his sometimes wrong policy calls, is a Labour Party man through-and-through in the best sense, and apparently takes exception to the wholesale embrace of Lib/Lab broad tent politics in Neal's latest article in the Guardian, which was penned jointly with a leftwing Lib Dem.
With his keen sense of Labour history, Cruddas must be worried that the Lawson message seems to be evolving into one ironically once-espoused by ultra-Blairites, i.e. that the foundation of a separate Labour Party in 1900 as the LRC was a strategic mistake for the left, and we all should have stayed in the Liberals.
Cruddas also knows that if he ever wants to run for Deputy Leader again, association with people calling for cuddling up to the Lib Dems is political death for anyone seeking votes from the Labour activists who have to suffer Lib Dem campaign tactics at a local level.
posted by Luke Akehurst at 8:35 pm
6 Comments:
The bloodbath has already started.
Couldn't even wait to get the general election out the way.
Wot a shower.
Pity it's two no-hopers/never-wasers/never will-bes.
Still, I've brought my knitting and I've baggsed my seat.
Comrades, you have nothing to lose but crappy ideas. Start the punch-up.
9:37 pm, September 23, 2009
Quick!
That's another anti Labour post!
Hurry up and censor it before anyone gets the idea that the people of this country despise the Labour Party for being so openly corrupt.
LOL. What a joke you people are.
12:46 am, September 24, 2009
I thought the Guardian article was absolutely spot on.
Thing is, Luke, that there are very few people who have the sort of connection with a political party which you profess. Many of us want a more pluralist politics - that's why we want PR - and see no party as fitting our views entirely.
I think you need to realise that this is becoming a more commonly held position and overly sectarian positions simply act as a turn off. At the next election, Labour will have to try and hold on to as much of its support as possible and there seems plenty of evidence that it is peeling off in a variety of directions. being ever more sectarian will just solidify that further.
1:20 am, September 24, 2009
"Thing is, Luke, that there are very few people who have the sort of connection with a political party which you profess. Many of us want a more pluralist politics - that's why we want PR - and see no party as fitting our views entirely."
PR isn't the answer. All that would happen then is the politicians would change electoral tactics slightly while continuing to be as venal and careerist as before.
Maybe an elected Lords and seperate elections for legislature and executive but PR? No thanks.
12:56 pm, September 24, 2009
But at least there would be a more realistic choice of party. I don't think PR is a panacea but it would break up the two main parties which are unwieldy converging coalitions of convenience
12:02 am, September 25, 2009
Well, I can see the argument for Compass to become a 'progressive' campaigning organisation not specifically aligned to any political party.
I doubt they'll end up taking that route but if Labour get less than 200 seats at the next election, you never know.
Sharing ideas with Lib Dems is hardly a radical departure for Neal given that he co-edited The Progressive Century with a Lib Dem in 2001.
4:16 pm, September 26, 2009
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