I have just woken up to the news of the attack in Nice. My thoughts are with the victims and families of those murdered by a religious fanatic.
The world should stand with France against Islamist terror.
Thursday, 14 July 2016
Wednesday, 13 July 2016
Time to move on and organise anew
Theresa may emerged from Buckingham Palace as the country's second female Prime Minister to make a speech that should terrify the Labour Party. In an obvious pitch to disgruntled Labour voters May has made a clear grab for the centre ground. A vicar's daughter, May is talking about social exclusion and opportunity at a time when such opportunities are surely needed. There is even talk of workers on the boards of companies, a move which if made by Labour would terrify industry but causes no such alarm from a Tory.
The old adage that the country is in a safe pair of hands is being presented as a reality under the new PM. This comes after a very much shortened leadership contest in which her opponent having frankly ballsed everything up with remarks that were at best naive fell on her sword and withdrew. The only crocodile tears shed were from failed Tory leader Ian Duncan Smith.
Labour could have learn't a lot from the way the Tories managed their accession without tearing the party apart.
Meanwhile Labour began its own leadership fight with a brick being thrown through Angela Eagle's constituency office window. Add to that the abuse being thrown at her on (un)social media referring to her as a "Tory Dyke" shows the depths to which the Corbynistas will go to keep their messiah in power.
The fact is Corbyn is highly likely to win. Only a swift change of direction from the trade union leaders could possibly change the outcome and even then seems remote. Corbyn has managed to become what Cameron called him in parliament an "asset" to his (Tory) party.
And still the faithful attack in his name. The police were called in to Gorton Labour Party after "infighting" and bullying" leading to the suspension of the local party. Wallasey Labour Party has been captured by members of the ex-Militant Tendency including former PCS Executive member Kathy Brunswick. Brighton fell to Momentum.
Corbyn's supporters are on the offensive everywhere and the moderates of all other wings of the party are unable it seems to hold back the uncivilised hordes. Labour First, one such faction appealed to it's supporters in an email yesterday:
If he cannot be beaten this summer he will be beaten in 2017 or 2018.
They claimed:
If he is re-elected there will not be a split.
In other words as they call for "fighters" Labour First is expecting at least another two years of faction fighting. The party will continue it's current course of destroying their long established reputation. This will not, I repeat not appeal to Labour voters.
With May going for the centre ground and a real threat from UKIP in the North East, the ascendency of the SNP in Scotland the main opposition party will become, if not already is, an unattractive proposition for working class voters let alone those from other sectors of society that would be needed to give Labour the electoral boost it needs..to win.
And remember Momentum is full of people like Rhea Wolfson who don't believe winning is necessary. In which case voters will wonder why they should vote for this shower.
Corbyn's victory marks the end of Labour as a party of government. Constituency meeting will become rallies of the new "Red Guard" who will simply shout down their opponents and drive away those men and women who form the backbone of Labour by doing those basic things from knocking on doors to putting chairs out for meetings.
The new wave just will suppress debate in the same manner as did the Stalinists and Black Shirts in the thirties.. In practice the two extremes differ only by their uniforms. The individual does not matter only the "class", the leadership of said class and of course the cause itself.
Labour is finished. Time to move on and organise anew quickly.
Labour voters deserve better.
The old adage that the country is in a safe pair of hands is being presented as a reality under the new PM. This comes after a very much shortened leadership contest in which her opponent having frankly ballsed everything up with remarks that were at best naive fell on her sword and withdrew. The only crocodile tears shed were from failed Tory leader Ian Duncan Smith.
Labour could have learn't a lot from the way the Tories managed their accession without tearing the party apart.
Meanwhile Labour began its own leadership fight with a brick being thrown through Angela Eagle's constituency office window. Add to that the abuse being thrown at her on (un)social media referring to her as a "Tory Dyke" shows the depths to which the Corbynistas will go to keep their messiah in power.
The fact is Corbyn is highly likely to win. Only a swift change of direction from the trade union leaders could possibly change the outcome and even then seems remote. Corbyn has managed to become what Cameron called him in parliament an "asset" to his (Tory) party.
And still the faithful attack in his name. The police were called in to Gorton Labour Party after "infighting" and bullying" leading to the suspension of the local party. Wallasey Labour Party has been captured by members of the ex-Militant Tendency including former PCS Executive member Kathy Brunswick. Brighton fell to Momentum.
Corbyn's supporters are on the offensive everywhere and the moderates of all other wings of the party are unable it seems to hold back the uncivilised hordes. Labour First, one such faction appealed to it's supporters in an email yesterday:
If he cannot be beaten this summer he will be beaten in 2017 or 2018.
They claimed:
If he is re-elected there will not be a split.
In other words as they call for "fighters" Labour First is expecting at least another two years of faction fighting. The party will continue it's current course of destroying their long established reputation. This will not, I repeat not appeal to Labour voters.
With May going for the centre ground and a real threat from UKIP in the North East, the ascendency of the SNP in Scotland the main opposition party will become, if not already is, an unattractive proposition for working class voters let alone those from other sectors of society that would be needed to give Labour the electoral boost it needs..to win.
And remember Momentum is full of people like Rhea Wolfson who don't believe winning is necessary. In which case voters will wonder why they should vote for this shower.
Corbyn's victory marks the end of Labour as a party of government. Constituency meeting will become rallies of the new "Red Guard" who will simply shout down their opponents and drive away those men and women who form the backbone of Labour by doing those basic things from knocking on doors to putting chairs out for meetings.
The new wave just will suppress debate in the same manner as did the Stalinists and Black Shirts in the thirties.. In practice the two extremes differ only by their uniforms. The individual does not matter only the "class", the leadership of said class and of course the cause itself.
Labour is finished. Time to move on and organise anew quickly.
Labour voters deserve better.
Tuesday, 12 July 2016
Sunday, 10 July 2016
Trade union members need a Labour Government
Labour's civil war comes to a head on Tuesday when the party's National Executive meets to discuss the terms of the leadership challenge and who will be on the ballot paper. It's clear that the division between the Parliamentary Labour Party and Jeremy Corbyn is irreversible and so the future of Labour hangs in the balance.
A poll published in the Scottish newspaper the Herald reports:
LABOUR’S popularity would be boosted significantly if the party dumped Jeremy Corbyn as leader, according to a new poll.
The UK-wide BMG survey for The Herald, carried out before the shock Brexit result, found that just over one-third, 36 per cent, said that they could vote for a Corbyn-led Labour party.
But that figure jumped to almost half, 48 per cent, if the veteran socialist was no longer in charge – a 12 point boost.
The first question we asked the Unite members we polled was: “Do you think that Jeremy Corbyn is doing well or badly as leader of the Labour party?”. Almost two-thirds (65%) of the Unite members think Mr Corbyn is doing badly.Similar proportions feel the same regardless of the age, region and voting behaviour of the respondent. Only amongst female Unite members was this trend different, with fewer (53%) of them thinking Mr Corbyn was doing badly. On Thursday a Times / YouGov poll reported that almost a half (48%) of Labour party members thought Mr Corbyn was doing badly.
The second question we asked the Unite members we polled was: “Do you think that Labour currently is or is not on course to be in Government after the General Election in 2020?” Over two-thirds (69%) of the respondents thought that Labour were not on course to be in government. Once again this is consistent across the demographic groups with the eception of female Unite members; although even here the clear belief is that Labour is not heading for government.
The third question we asked the Unite members we polled was: How likely or unlikely do you think it is that Jeremy Corbyn will ever become Prime Minister?. Again the large majority (79%) think it unlikely that Mr Corbyn will ever become prime minister.
The fourth question we asked the Unite members we polled was: If Jeremy Corbyn remains leader of the Labour party, how likely or unlikely do you think it is that they will win the next general election? Over two-thirds (69%) think it unlikely.
The fifth question we asked the Unite members we polled was: If Jeremy Corbyn was replaced as leader of the Labour party, how likely or unlikely do you think it is that they would win the next general election? Replacing Mr Corbyn does appear to increase the likelihood of Labour winning the next general election according to the respondents, but even still over half (54%) of the Unite members we polled still thought it unlikely Labour wins in that scenario.
The sixth question we asked the Unite members we polled was: Do you think Jeremy Corbyn should or should not continue as leader of the Labour party and fight the next general election? Almost half (49%) of the respondents thought Mr Corbyn should step down now; as did those Unite members which voted Labour in 2015 (48%).
(Source: Election Data Base)
Len McCluskey is ideologically motivated to support Corbyn, but his members are clearly not behind him.
Following the EU referendum, elements of the Parliamentary Labour Party have embarked on a systematic and pre-planned attempt to unseat Jeremy Corbyn, using the result as a smokescreen. Events are unfolding daily.
It is deeply disappointing that some in the Labour party are choosing to attack Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership instead of ensuring that the official opposition is united in protecting the interests of those depending on them to set out an alternative political vision during such an uncertain period.
A poll published in the Scottish newspaper the Herald reports:
LABOUR’S popularity would be boosted significantly if the party dumped Jeremy Corbyn as leader, according to a new poll.
The UK-wide BMG survey for The Herald, carried out before the shock Brexit result, found that just over one-third, 36 per cent, said that they could vote for a Corbyn-led Labour party.
That gives the sort of level that Labour would require to beat the Tories at the next election. A message that so many veteran Labour activists have been saying since the far-left entered the party en-masse during last years leadership election. Momentum and their supporters may have grown in the party's ranks but simply uniting the rent-a-mob demonstrators, most of whom don't believe in democracy has proved toxic to the voters that are needed to bring about a Labour government.
In these circumstances the trade union leaders have to reconsider their support for Corbyn and in the case of UNITE their own members who a poll shows do not support Corbyn
The second question we asked the Unite members we polled was: “Do you think that Labour currently is or is not on course to be in Government after the General Election in 2020?” Over two-thirds (69%) of the respondents thought that Labour were not on course to be in government. Once again this is consistent across the demographic groups with the eception of female Unite members; although even here the clear belief is that Labour is not heading for government.
The third question we asked the Unite members we polled was: How likely or unlikely do you think it is that Jeremy Corbyn will ever become Prime Minister?. Again the large majority (79%) think it unlikely that Mr Corbyn will ever become prime minister.
The fourth question we asked the Unite members we polled was: If Jeremy Corbyn remains leader of the Labour party, how likely or unlikely do you think it is that they will win the next general election? Over two-thirds (69%) think it unlikely.
The fifth question we asked the Unite members we polled was: If Jeremy Corbyn was replaced as leader of the Labour party, how likely or unlikely do you think it is that they would win the next general election? Replacing Mr Corbyn does appear to increase the likelihood of Labour winning the next general election according to the respondents, but even still over half (54%) of the Unite members we polled still thought it unlikely Labour wins in that scenario.
The sixth question we asked the Unite members we polled was: Do you think Jeremy Corbyn should or should not continue as leader of the Labour party and fight the next general election? Almost half (49%) of the respondents thought Mr Corbyn should step down now; as did those Unite members which voted Labour in 2015 (48%).
(Source: Election Data Base)
Len McCluskey is ideologically motivated to support Corbyn, but his members are clearly not behind him.
Meanwhile another General Secretary, Mark Serwotka a recent recruit to the Labour Party, only allowed membership after the personal intervention of John McDonnell has committed his (non-affiliated) PCS union to back Corbyn.
A statement on the PCS website from their NEC reads:
It is deeply disappointing that some in the Labour party are choosing to attack Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership instead of ensuring that the official opposition is united in protecting the interests of those depending on them to set out an alternative political vision during such an uncertain period.
....while PCS is not an affiliated union and we continue to remain independent of any political party, we believe PCS members' interests are best served by Jeremy's continued leadership and offer our support in preventing his opponents from unseating him.
The claim that "PCS is independent of any political party" is highly debatable given that it's been controlled by a cabal of the far-left (Socialist Party/SWP) over the last decade. Serwotka and his allies have at various times supported Galloway's Respect party and at the last election the Trade Unionist & Socialist Coalition. The PCS has used it's resources to back every far-left campaign regardless of it's own members interests.
The members themselves have not been consulted. PCS is an "activists" union where this distinction has been promoted against a "representative" organisation.
In other words a "top down" hierarchy has been imposed in true Marxist fashion.
PCS has lost members on an unprecedented scale over the last few years and not just because of government cuts. One whole department, the Serious Organised Crime Agency split away and formed a successful independent new union. Others left the HMRC with another, smaller breakaway. Many opted to join an existing union, Prospect.
One thing is clear. Trade union members need a Labour Government and Corbyn will never deliver.
It's time for ordinary union members to speak out against the activist castes in organisations like UNITE and PCS.
Corbyn is the Tories best asset. In order for a Labour Government to be elected the man and his Momentum Tendency must go.
Saturday, 9 July 2016
Too many Zealots
Photo: James Bloodworth: Twitter
With shootings in Dallas, beheadings of footballers by ISIS in Syria and increasing numbers of racist incidents in even our own country the world is seemingly heading backwards at an alarming rate. Even the mainstream political parties, the bedrock of British democracy are developing into places where bigotry and zealotry seem to be in ascendency.
One of the former contenders for leadership of the Tory Party, Stephen Crabb believes in "cures" for homsexuals, whilst one of the remaining contenders for Prime Minister Andrea Leadsom thinks gay marriage "hurts christians". Not sure how, it's not compulsory but that's her view.
Meanwhile the world of social media continues to bring out the worst in people with supporters of Jeremy Corbyn calling anyone that does not agree with them a "traitor" and indulge in behaviour towards Jews normally associated with the far right.
Meanwhile at the Durham Miners Gala where "moderate" Labour MPs have been told they are "not welcome" find a place for the fanclub of mass murderer Joseph Stalin to have a stall at their bash.
No wonder the nickname Maomentum has stuck firmly.
The rise of Islamo-fascism following the collapse of communism continues unabated with even Turkey, a former bastion of modernisation and secularism has fallen to the rantings of it's quite obviously deranged President Erdogan.
Former socialist paradise of Venezuela has fallen to the inevitable failure of it's corrupt leaders as it's own people are forced to cross the border into neighbouring Columbia just to to buy basics such as flour, bread and rice.
The anti-colonialist leader Mugabe has led the "breadbasket" of Zimbabwe into penury.
When the "Cold War" came to an end we had leading thinkers like Francis Fukuyama claiming we were seeing the "end of history" and we all looked forward to a better world. Maybe not over night, but in time.
Now with "Brexit", Islamic fundamentalism and the far-left's "Strasserite" turn the world slowly sinks back into barbarism.
Back at the beginning of the sixties, a small group of left-socialists around Cornelius Castoriadis organised around the slogan "Socialism or Barbarism" (a phrase that originated with Rosa Luxemburg) they got it wrong.
Today the struggle is for reason not barbarism.
The zealots are at our gates.
Time to stand up and fight back.
Thursday, 7 July 2016
The Trump and the Clown
The battle for the heart and souls of Britain's two main political parties continued in earnest today as the Tories whittled down their choices to just two, ready for the membership to make the fianl choice. Interestingly both candidates are women, so this country will shortly have it's second female Prime Minister. From the right.
At least the awful Michael Gove is out but Theresa May is more than a wee bit right-wing and as for that Andrea Leadsom, the words "Mrs" and "Trump" come readily to mind.
The future is far from bright.
Meanwhile the Labour Party is incapable of providing an alternative with the battle to remove Corbyn having seemingly reached an impasse. The party is divided like never before and constituency parties are taking sides as the rift continues. Some MPs like Alan Johnson have found themselves isolated from their constituency parties.
According to an e-mail sent out by Labour First this evening:
As you will have seen in the media, there is something of a temporary stalemate between the PLP and the people around Jeremy Corbyn, with the unions attempting to broker a way forward.
Please be patient while the attempt to negotiate a solution goes on. This will only continue for a few more days – by next week either Corbyn’s departure will have been negotiated or a leadership election will have been triggered and we will all be in a big fight to save the Labour Party.
At least the awful Michael Gove is out but Theresa May is more than a wee bit right-wing and as for that Andrea Leadsom, the words "Mrs" and "Trump" come readily to mind.
The future is far from bright.
Meanwhile the Labour Party is incapable of providing an alternative with the battle to remove Corbyn having seemingly reached an impasse. The party is divided like never before and constituency parties are taking sides as the rift continues. Some MPs like Alan Johnson have found themselves isolated from their constituency parties.
According to an e-mail sent out by Labour First this evening:
As you will have seen in the media, there is something of a temporary stalemate between the PLP and the people around Jeremy Corbyn, with the unions attempting to broker a way forward.
Please be patient while the attempt to negotiate a solution goes on. This will only continue for a few more days – by next week either Corbyn’s departure will have been negotiated or a leadership election will have been triggered and we will all be in a big fight to save the Labour Party.
Can the Labour Party be saved?
One thing is certain, Corbyn will never win an election so whoever wins the Tory Party leadership election will see themselves in power for a long time to come if he doesn't go.
That will be Corbyn's legacy.
Tuesday, 5 July 2016
A March for Peace Not Hate
For the first time the pro-Hezbollah march in London faced a counter demonstration on Sunday. Aa appeal for peace which was in such contrast to the march of hate sponsored by the Iranians and their useful fools as Lenin might have described them.
One of the placards held on the al-Quds march told people to "Learn the truth about Zionism" and directed them to David Duke's website. Duke is of course the leader of the racists of the Ku Kux Klan who fight for "white power" and don't like Jews, Blacks or for that matter Muslims very much, not that seemed to concern the stupid woman who held the placard.
In stark contrast to the demands for "boycotts" and "destruction" the British Zionist Federation and others such as the Sussex Friends of Israel simply called for peace.
This is the way forward for everyone concerned with the continued conflict in the Middle East.
End the Hate. Build the Peace!
Photos courtesy of David Husband & Melanie Laban
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