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Ken Livingstone comments on turmoil in the Parliamentary Labour Party
Friday, 05 June 2009 12:26
Politics has been dominated over the last few days by events surrounding the future of the government. Ken Livingstone has commented today on the current turmoil in the Parliamentary Labour Party, which we reproduce below in full.
Ken Livingstone said:“While Labour Party and trade union members were out campaigning for Thursday’s elections, a narrow clique of hard right-wingers were doing everything in their power to sabotage Labour’s campaign and carry out a coup against the Prime Minister.
“The rank and file and the party will have nothing but contempt for these people.
“The elections show that the British people want more radical measures to protect them in the economic crisis and decisive action to end the abuse of MPs' expenses.
“The parliamentary plotters have nothing to contribute to protecting ordinary people from the economic crisis. Their criticism of Gordon Brown is that he is not Thatcherite enough! And many lost all personal credibility by abuse of the MPs’ expenses system.
“The splitters should be brushed aside so that the party can focus totally on winning the general election. That requires more, not less, radical economic policies. The new top tax rate, which many of the plotters oppose, was a step in the right direction. Now we need to see nationalisation and direct government control of those banks which are in reality bankrupt and clear instructions that they re-start lending to businesses and families. Where the market fails, as in the construction and house-building sectors, the government should step in directly to revive investment.
“Labour has a big enough majority to do whatever is necessary. It would be criminal to throw that away and let in a Tory Party committed to massive cuts in public services. If the parliamentary hard right want to walk out of the cabinet, there is plenty of talent amongst left and centre-left MPs who came into parliament to protect ordinary people in this type of crisis.”
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It is tragic that the Labour Party right-wing has dragged the party down with its warmongering, neo-liberalism and concessions to racism. The only way it will survive is to make a major shift to the left to win back its core support. Ken's agenda is the only hope for the party right now.
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June 05, 2009
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Yes. With just a year to the election we need to focus on presenting the increasing distance between us and the Tories. Some fairly radical and correct decisions have been made recently, but clearly some people in the party don't like them.
If you aren't going to focus on stopping a Tory party that is creating alliances with far right groups in Europe then it has to be because either your too busy with your own career and/or your not worried by that extremism.
If you aren't going to focus on stopping a Tory party that is creating alliances with far right groups in Europe then it has to be because either your too busy with your own career and/or your not worried by that extremism.
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June 05, 2009
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Top stuff, nice to know that someone senior believes in something I can agree with.
while out campaigning there were plenty who criticised Labour for being too far right, and I tend to agree with them
while out campaigning there were plenty who criticised Labour for being too far right, and I tend to agree with them
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June 05, 2009
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Most of the people I know are more concerned about getting our civil liberties back, and stopping the ID cards scheme. They are angry about the MPs expenses, mostly because of the blatant hypocrisy of harassing people on different kinds of benefits, and the threats to people in social housing, while having extra homes AND FOOD paid for by the taxpayer (why cannot they buy their own food, just as people with only £2 per day for food have to).
It is shameful that the British have risen up in anger about MPs fiddling expenses, when the real scandal is the erosion of human rights and liberties. It was our democracy and liberties that made Britain British. No longer.
It is shameful that the British have risen up in anger about MPs fiddling expenses, when the real scandal is the erosion of human rights and liberties. It was our democracy and liberties that made Britain British. No longer.
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June 05, 2009
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Good stuff. We should be hoping for a big green vote from UK voters this week as the only available way most people could signify they want a move to the left.
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June 05, 2009
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I have never believed in mandatory reselection, it was a charter for factional conspirators. But this is a crisis; the NEC should compel every CLP to hold a reselection conference. This would allow party members to clear out the dross and remind the professionals that the Labour Party is a democratic movement pledged to progressive ideals not a vehicle to promote political careers.
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June 05, 2009
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Agreed in principle, but we now need radical policy changes, not a cosmetic job on existing policies - so ditch ID cards, Trident, PPI and academies; promote renewable energies, apprenticehsips & house-building; review legal aid and introduce some form of PR to address the frustrations of a electorate which feels disempowered as well as disenchanted.
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June 05, 2009
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How about means-testing MP expenses and allowances? If you've got a private fortune then you don't need any allowances. If you're a working person without savings and you get into Parliament, you can apply for support to run a constituency office and a place to live near Parliament - all of which should be handled at arms length - no personal expenses. The whole racket is based on the idea that tax payers money is on tap for some public servants. Well, tax payers money isn't on tap for a person needing residential care in their old age, nor if they have to live with an illness such as dementia (considered a social not health need). Pay an MP what the job's worth and means-test the rest.
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June 05, 2009
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Too right. Caroline Flint is a disgrace to both Labour and the women's movement. Tax avoiding Hazel Blears a disgrace to working people throughout the country. I am incandescent. Gordon Brown, and his new cabinet, are indeed new. They are decent to a person, they promote and live Labour values. Especially the Prime Minister. We should be proud of our achievements and proud of the man who has over a decade secured good quality, free health care, good quality, free education and low inflation. The fundamentals for the least advantaged in this country.
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June 05, 2009
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absolutely agree. The Hard right have no shame. I recall their constant lectures about the need for loyalty when our former war leader Blair took us illegally into Iraq. Hazel "rocking the boat" Blears is a disloyal trougger period as I make clear in my blog. http://londonmuslims.blogspot.com/
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June 06, 2009
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I have supported Labour for a long time and now I find the party I love tearing itself apart yet again.The party must now take a step back and review what has happened and show the people why it is the party of the people.
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June 06, 2009
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Can the most blatant of these attacks be met with expulsion? I think Blears, Purnell, Flint and Gibson should be expelled for a start. I for one wouldn't miss any of them. I believe a campaign to expel the right wing insurgents might set the tone that the right is 'so yesterday' after providing smug incompetent leadership of Labour for 12 years.
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June 06, 2009
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How's about a real agenda for change, oppose the free marketeers, stop the privatisation of the NHA and Royal Mail, take back without compensation to the profiteers our railways and energy companies, start building council homes again and restore the link between state pensions and earnings. This would be a good start. I'm sick of personality politics and I'm sick of a Labour Party in power that has forgotten it's history and roots - to represent the working people's voice in Parliament. The Labour Party needs to change it's constitution back to one that is democratic and representative of it's backers; the trades unions and working people of this country
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June 06, 2009
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The fact that the right wing is able to manipulate things like this is testament to the lack of any credible left or centre-left in the Labour Party. Let's face it, chaps, the LP is a shell, it no longer has popular following. What we are seeing is the death-knell of the LP and a century of illusions that capitalism could be reformed. And By The Way, I have a scrapbook of pictures of Ken cuddling up to many of the various City business culprits.
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June 06, 2009
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Those who want to 'rock the boat' will sink first. The local Labour Party should make sure those traitors are not presented to the electorate in the next General Election. They are divisive! The Caroline Flints, Hazel Blears and their likes represent themselves.
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June 07, 2009
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I can understand the frustration people have with the Tories' recent success. I don't understand how they have become so popular. How can the expenses scandal drive people to vote for the party of moats and duck islands?
I would actually like to see a change of leadership in Labour, but not one driven by Blairites. Where is parliament's answer to Ken?
Labour will lose the next election. The best hope for the "left" (whatever that word means now)is for Labour to unite, fight hard on the economy, show they are making a positive difference before the election and try to minimize the scale of the defeat. Then, with some of the more Thatcherite elements in the PLP probably eliminated, a more progressive leadership candidate, like John Cruddas, might stand a chance.
I would actually like to see a change of leadership in Labour, but not one driven by Blairites. Where is parliament's answer to Ken?
Labour will lose the next election. The best hope for the "left" (whatever that word means now)is for Labour to unite, fight hard on the economy, show they are making a positive difference before the election and try to minimize the scale of the defeat. Then, with some of the more Thatcherite elements in the PLP probably eliminated, a more progressive leadership candidate, like John Cruddas, might stand a chance.
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June 07, 2009
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It would great for a former work and pensions secretary James Purnell and a former housing and Europe minister Caroline Flint to start a debate on why Labour is out of touch with its working class heartland and support a badly needed pubic housing programme, protection against debt and repossession for laid off employees and a move to end ‘social dumping’ that is illegal in France and Germany. But somehow I don’t think this is going to happen especially from Purnell whose decision to use the Murdoch press to stage his resignation tells you all you need to know about rats on a sinking ship
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June 08, 2009
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