Progress Column
My Progress column this week is about Labour's traditional right: http://www.progressonline.org.uk/2011/11/09/the-story-of-the-labour-right/
posted by Luke Akehurst at 10:30 am
Wednesday, November 09, 2011
About Me
- Name: Luke Akehurst
- Location: North Durham, County Durham, United Kingdom
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.
4 Comments:
A SENIOR Liberal Democrat councillor on Gloucester council has defected to Labour – leaving the parties battling to be the main party in opposition.
Barton councillor Usman Bhaimia, who was elected in 2004, has announced his defection, taking the number of Labour councillors to eight, and reducing the Lib Dem membership on the city council to nine.
Councillor Bhaimia said the decision to leave the party he has been a member of since the early 1980s had been a tough one, but he blamed the Lib Dems' record in government.
"My former party are just mute onlookers in the coalition. Nick Clegg and his cronies have sold out for power, position and pension.
"I have seen the effects of their cuts in the community I represent. I see elderly people suffering and the chop is going to come down on the health service next."
He also said he had been impressed by Labour leader Ed Miliband and his apology over the Iraq war last year.
10:50 pm, November 09, 2011
Last week, Tamworth Conservative Councillor Gerry Pinner quit the Conservative Party after 36 years of service to cross the floor and join the Labour party.
Reading from a pre- prepared statement, Cllr Pinner said: "Over recent months it has not been a secret that I have become more and more disillusioned with the Conservative-led Government at Westminster, as well as the lack of leadership and direction provided by the Conservative group here in Tamworth. The Conservative Government has failed Britain's economy – with unemployment and prices rising, while economic growth stalls, and here in this town the Conservative council has failed Tamworth.
As a result of this I wish to inform you that from today I will no longer be supporting the Conservative group or party and I am going to cross the floor of this Council Chamber. This has not been an easy decision, I have given the Conservatives 36 years of support. I was a branch chairman for 16 years and an elected member for 11 years. I have been a Conservative Mayor, portfolio holder and deputy group leader. I have a great affection for Tamworth and wish to continue to work for the betterment of the town and to help local people – I will continue to serve the people of Trinity ward. It is for this reason that I will be joining colleagues of the Labour group who I now consider the true voice of Tamworth”.
10:08 pm, November 10, 2011
Interesting, but I really see elements of the Labour Right now as being qualitatively different from what has gone before it. I can see as much that divides the likes of Hutton and Milburn (and Blair) from the likes of Gaitskell, Crosland, Hattersley etc. In many senses I would see what is often described as the 'soft' or 'centre' Left of the party as having as much in common with the Right in the past as the hardline Blairites.
1:49 pm, November 13, 2011
The trouble with "moderation" is it is entirely relative. It doesn't articulate values nor does it give direction to policy. While it is always politically wise to know to what extent your preferred solutions "go with the grain" of public opinion, public opinion often has no clear analysis or answers.
Beating up Bennites is no doubt fun for those involved , but it doesn't take the Party anywhere.
12:25 pm, November 14, 2011
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