I was interviewed by BBC1's The Politics Show yesterday at the Progress conference - basically about whether Labour should move to the left. I think you can guess what I said.
If, like me, you missed this moment (or 20 seconds) of TV history because you have better ways to spend your Sunday lunchtime, it's online here.
You recommended that wage labour and production for profit, that unsustainable capitalist pillage of our earths resources and people should stop, and that only international socialism could provide these solutions? Your pride in supporting the status quo is quite unpleasant. Of course we could just keep on selling eurofighters to Saudi Arabia, squandering the potential of millions at home and abroard either in poverty or dead end jobs or unemployment, we could keep privatising whatever is left of the national infrastrucute, we could keep people pointlessly tied to useless money based jobs revolving around fictitous capital rather than doing something useful, we could keep on tutting about the new 6th great extinction taking place and the global warming instead of planning our economy as a species to avoid it, we could keep squandering billions on arms, we could keep millions of pensioners and children in poverty while redundant desk jockeys net millions for shuffling pieces of paper around with non existant value but a price of billions etc etc etc. Still, glad you can get a joke out of it because it makes me think that something is wrong with the world!
ReplyDeleteI saw it first time round, so there :)
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure marginals appreciate being called 'gritty', though...
Apparently Stella won, by the way, jolly good.
Yes I wondered about you calling those marginals 'gritty'. I thought that description was applied to Clydeside seats hereabouts :)
ReplyDeleteYou looked quite relaxed and macho... not at all like one of those Blairites (you never really were one were you?)
On a media point, I thought it was another one of those ones where the journo keeps putting in weird appearances like sitting in amongst the audience nooding attentively at what is being said... I mean. we all know that's a phony set-up now don't we?
Oh, since you've been on TV, when I'm next in London can I have your autograph? - of course, it's just for ma wee boy you know.
I don't necessarily think its a question of 'moving to the left'. I've always seen myself to be on the right of the party, but on the progressive/liberal right rather than the labourist right.
ReplyDeleteWhere I differ from you is my belief that there is a section of the 'working class' vote which will now be Tory in all but a bad year - and they may well be disproportionately found in places like Harlow and Castle Point. I think it is utterly logical that they should vote tory, becauyse the tories best reflect their interests.
But I think Labour will gain a greater proportion of the professional middle classes than before - unless it aims to drive them to the LD's in the misplaced tactic of trying to win back Romford! We would be better advised to focus on regaining Cambridge or Bristol West, for the voters who deserted us last time for other parties are both better distributed and more likely to vote.
And, frankly, they have labour/social democratic values. Unlike Essex Man, who should be voting Tory!
Look like you ate all the pies Luke.
ReplyDeleteNot just pies... I must start running again.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Merseymike about campaign prioties - but then I am biased as the Labour Candidate for Bristol West.
ReplyDeleteThere are a dozen lib dem/labour marginals that could be picked up with a bit a bit a targeted effort. I think the party realises this but we need to have a robust approach on issues such as international affairs and the environment/climate change to be credible for the swing vote from last time to come back.
Electoral calculus is still looking good for these seats!!!!
They say the camera adds a few pounds. Me and the missus watched you on PS and when they mentioned your name we were expecting the athletic adonis that you posted on your blog, imagine our dissapointment.
ReplyDeleteOn the other point I think that bloke from the Fabians got it right, we have to reassess our current stratergy otherwise we will lose our current (true labour) vote.