Jonathan Reynolds MP Articles

Renew the Labour party? How about completely rebuild it?

On my way to work in Manchester city centre at the moment I have to
pass by two large banners which loudly proclaim: ‘Ready For Change’.
There’s been lots of discussion in my office about this. What, exactly,
is this actually saying? Should it be read with an implied question
mark, as if to enquire: ‘Are you ready for change?’ Or is it more of a
directive, as in: ‘Get ready for change, people of the North?’. Maybe
it’s deliberately vague, like David Cameron. Whatever it means, if
their choice of a conference slogan isn’t bold, their choice of
conference venue certainly is.

Rocked by the expenses scandal, villified by the public and the media,
about to lose their lucrative second jobs – should we be feeling sorry
for our MPs? With 50 Labour MPs already holding up the white flag of
surrender, and many more to follow, it seems not even MPs are willing
to stand as MPs any more.

‘Smeargate’, ‘the Damien McBride affair’, or whatever daft name it will
be given, will have a fairly prominent place when the history books
eventually come to be written about Gordon Brown’s time as PM.