Sometimes, let’s face it, it’s not easy to be in the Labour party in opposition. After the afternoon’s sublimely disappointing experience of a debate on party reform in which precious little seemed to have been reformed, it was a blessed relief to arrive in a room where things seemed a little different.
Rather than take you through the ins and outs of the diverse range of speakers contributing to the rather excellent Purple Book (which I have just purchased and strongly suggest you do the same), perhaps a slightly more tangential view might show you why the meeting was important.
Ask yourself why, at a fringe meeting on a rainy Sunday night in Liverpool, you had not only the brightest of the new parliamentary talent, but have in the same room people who have over a quarter-century of cabinet experience between them, including two of the four great offices of state.
Ask yourself why so many others came to hear them. Why there was anelectricity in the room from an audience hearing, perhaps for the first time in a while, genuinely new ideas which not only resonated but sounded like they could take the country with them. Which do not set a false choice between promoting economic growth on the one hand and social justice on the other. Or between the state and the unfettered free market. Or which expound, as Ivan Lewis did in a barnstorming speech which gave people goosepimples, not just a robust defence of where Labour has a real right to be proud, but some clear-sighted thinking on where things went wrong. And with the biggest applause as he spoke out with feeling of the ‘dangerous myth … that the only people in our party with ideals and values who truly believe in more equality are to the left of Progress’. They are not, and there is no monopoly on ideals and values; either within our party, or outside it.
And, finally, ask yourself why intelligent, veteran journalists such as Michael White, Lance Price and Matthew Parris all bother to turn up at this little fringe meeting and listen with rapt attention.
And the answer’s simple: because all these people are not stupid and have sharp instincts. Because they can see the reality that, in any history of political change, there are always groups of people who will have the weight of the argument behind them and the quality of troops to win the battle of ideas, and there are others which will not. And they can tell the difference between the two, and they can hear that the arguments in the Purple Book are defined, are credible and will likely form the basis for any sensible debate.
And they instinctively realise also that, whenever Labour finally regains power, there is likely to be something noteworthy at the core of both its thinking and its personnel.
And it will be the people in this room.
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Rob Marchant is an activist and former Labour party manager who blogs at The Centre Left
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“ere mate” “wot” ” wot I can’t understand like, is why my landlord,the biggest property development company in Lundin,don’t just pay their tax in this country instead of through their company in Jersey and then right, they wouldn’t have to bother with all that guff about ‘supporting’ design, architecture,disadvantaged families and young people,cancer ,’transforming lives’, Land Aid etc etc if they just paid their Tax here might do more good,whajafink? ” “dunno,but ‘spose there must be some reason ,them other companies might get yer Tax relief for them things here, anyway all our billionaires ,about 60 of em I fink ,pay nuffink that way too ” “djoo mean if we was billionaires we wouldn’t have to pay no Tax? cool,come on lets work harder !”
Rob I agree that political polarity and the ability to generate ideas are not linked. However there is a difference, there is the combination of applicability which is refined by learnt knowledge and experience together.
With the decline of democracy, and the Rule of Law and the need for political parties to try and find that necessary path between the City and the people (which means a lot of official and unofficial policy and agenda U-turns) the need for people who have an understanding of people, an understanding of process is greater than ever.
There is a political race on at the moment as both limping, defiant Parties struggle to find that narrative (what we have heard so far is still pretty weak as neither Leader has made any real commitment to reforming politics beyond very clever diversions to try their best to “seem” to be on the side of people).
The purples book has already been labelled a right wing publication and I have yet to read it and so am unqualified to comment on its content. The danger for the Party is very real though, it still lacks an understanding of people outside Westminster who do not offer carreers or think Mps should fast track candidates who think MPs should have more money and that the expense scandal was an attack upon their Royal personages.
With the best will in the world until we prove to the public, who really are going to be very angry soon as the stockmarket faces its fate and tomfoolery and 1990’s political deviation and reckless spin will not be tolerated, but will open the door to extreme Parties as they prove to the people their “distance” from the City and the Parties the City owns.
It is very unfortunate that senior members of the Party have gone the way of the Rainbow as all these coloured publications are springing up with little real regard for what is an incredibl important principle. Representation not political careerism.
I did not invent this situation and I did not ask for it, but it remains the reality. Labour has to become a more representative party with an ethos for hard work in camapigning and working.
We still do not have this and we have limited credibility and limited very trust. The old New Labour tactic of trying to be everybodies friend only works if the time and environment are right. If we revisit 1995-7 people were jarred off with Left vs Right and wanted pragmatic and reasonable consensus. Because of where we are today any Leader of any party can suck up to the banks and be at odds with “conformity” and “consensus”, a radical line for more of the same medicine.
Any Party going into power at the moment will be paralysed as the public may want reform, radical reformbut this will not be achieved as (has been proven) the polls have shown they do not want cynical reform designed to elevate MPs at cost to the country and the National Interest.
Ed is right and has backed up what I have been saying about the decline of powerful Constitutional Conventions that become “forces” when abused. I recognised some time ago the need to regulate Parliament and re-instate democracy or suffer terrible consequences as MPs were recruited and “encouraged” through employment with think-tanks etc to be investments for the future in the allocation of Government contracts. The stsyem can permit a certain level of corruption before things unravel, and boy are they unravelling lol.
I have seen loads of corruption in my life Rob I do not lose a moment worrying about it as long as nobody is harmed as a result within any direct perspective. I really could not care less. But because of where we are the agendas behind “ideas” and policy positioning are ALWAYS being questioned now. The game has to change or at least become much more moderate.
I’m not waving a flag shouting “slay the bankers! Tickle them all to death ruthlessly!” (I always retain a wry sense of humour), I am simply trying to weaken or end a culture that is going to die anyway, it can’t persist even the weakest and remotest democracy will not tolerate the cancer, but will eject it from the body politic. We have already seen this with UKIP/BNP/SNP and we will see more of it.
Its going to need more than a concerted effort to campaign though John Prescott and Peter Mendleson were both right in raising this, its going to require a move away from the nepotistic cult growing weirdness in the selection process.
We have to have a very serious think about CLPs and a very serious think about finding other ways to address issues so when we have a book written (yellow, orange, purple, polka dot, sycophant brown lol) its got to have a keen and sure understanding of what it is addressing within a workable and acceptable narrative. Its got to be the kind of book the PUBLIC will buy, not just we mere politicos of the center (pragmatism on policy implementation) and the left (our values and social obejectives).
Anyway fella I blabbed enough hope to speak to you soon. One thing is for certain Labour has a heck of a task ahead and if Ed is worth his word he will be right about one thing, he will have to be strong indeed to make Labour what is should always seek to be, the party of the people, for the people vox populi vox dei. Because we really are entering a world of trouble, and a political career is going to become something more “involved” and testing.
By the way chap I need to elaborate on my comments and am sure well have chance to catch up later, take care nd be well.