Well to be honest there is nothing actually wrong with the left as such what is wrong is not being on the left but the different variations we have within the left, thus the left of the left or in my own branch the left of the left of the left...
Now variety is of course the spice of life and a good omelet always tastes better if its made with more than just a few eggs, so putting cheese, ham or mushrooms or indeed tomatoes in the omelet will always make it taste better.
Of course the above example is relevant and applies to your eating habits but it does not always work when you have a group of people who agree with general principles but then start diluting the power they have by having different versions of the same thing. Something like the Christian faith (am sure the Patriarch of Constantinople will excommunicate me now..) which is sub divided into so many different religious secs like Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Methodist, Evangelist, New Christians and Here today gone yesterday ones (sorry for the inappropriate joke) So we have a situation where it is virtually impossible to make any real progress because we all disagree with the method we want to use to achieve the same aims. So you get the Labour Party faithful (those on the left) fighting with those in the SWP, The SP, and the other much smaller groups like PR or AWL (apologies to the other 23 creations I just can't remember what they are called..) This of course creates a huge division and it guarantees that the real left will never achieve the changes it wants as it is so removed from reality and power it will never be able to deliver. So what's the solution? Well join the Labour party and work for change or form one alternative (it will never happen) and drop the other 26??
But surely you can't support Prentis for GS? Just because he's able to mount a united campaign for re-election doesn't make him the best choice? It's the candidate's politics that matter surely, someone who'll push us to the left and get us out of this awful and corrupt relationship with the Labour Party - someone like Roger Bannister for example.
ReplyDeleteAnon at 6.49
ReplyDeleteShouldn't you be having a bath this time in the morning? There is a discussion going on right now about a credible alternative to DP and I am waiting to hear where that discussion goes. It remains a fact that statistically anyway Dave Prentis will get an overwhelming proportion of the vote and therefore win. There are arguments about low turnouts but then we have very low turnouts at branch level so for example in my own branch an AGM of 200 members makes the decision of who is voted in (so 8% of the membership)but that is the system we have. So lets listen to the debates and see how it goes. I am in favour of a radical new candidate if anyone is to be supported against Dave but the wise men and women on the left are against this.