Labourlist column
My Labourlist column this week is about the anniversary of the foundation of the SDP:
http://labourlist.org/2012/03/labour-vs-the-sdp-31-years-on-who-was-right/
posted by Luke Akehurst at 2:47 pm
Monday, March 26, 2012
http://labourlist.org/2012/03/labour-vs-the-sdp-31-years-on-who-was-right/
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:
"Michael Foot, an honourable man of the traditional democratic left"
Sadly, I am not at all sure about Michael Foot's democratic credentials. In 1981, he very much implied that Tony Benn had no right to run for deputy leader. He had every right.
It would have been fine to question the wisdom of it though.
Foot also made a summary denunciation of Peter Tatchell based on hearsay.
That does not strike me as very democratic at all.
Kenneth O. Morgan was very critical of Foot about this in his otherwise very sympathetic biography.
3:34 pm, March 27, 2012
"John Smith, Roy Hattersley, Denis Healey, George Robertson, Giles Radice...could have joined the SDP, and shared the views on all the key issues like CND..."
The reality is somewhat different:
Denis Healey: “Document” Radio 4, 14 March 2011.
"I was very doubtful about the need for Britain to have nuclear weapons but I didn’t express it in public. The main reason we had them was not to deter a Soviet attack but to reassure the Americans."
It is likely that some of the others named here have similar views. Hattersley has often tended to fluctuate on this issue. He now, however, has made clear his opposition to Trident replacement.
10:18 am, March 28, 2012
If you know anyone whose come close to been unfairly sacked and wasn't, or anyone whose been on maternity leave, thank Michael Foot (amongst others).
9:35 pm, March 28, 2012
anonymous, i heard about the ferrymen 5 who were unfairly sacked for their democratic right not to join a union, and then they weren't entitled to unemployment benefit, the had foot to blame for that.
but then tony bvenn's view labour lost the 83 election as it wasn't left wing enoiugh or as Scargill was in charge hewas the democratic voice on the NUM, so he decided whtether to take 'em out on strike, Also it was too dificult for individual union members to decide labours policy so the barons could~(something that was used not to give black people the vote in South africa) undemocratic too.
regarding tatchell, his view of outer parliamentary unlawful protest wasn't hearsay.
12:11 am, March 31, 2012
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