If he stays, Labour will lose the next election.
If he goes, Labour will quite possibly still lose the next election. But if he goes now, the rebuild begins. If he goes now, we can once again ask the question - what is Labour for? And personally, I think the British public would prefer our answer to the Tories.
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3 comments:
A very interesting idea for a blog - as I would expect from a fellow member of the mighty WGGB.
If you're looking for vigorous, serious, wide-ranging, no-holds-barred - and, it has to be admitted, sometimes somewhat heated - debate about the direction of the Labour Party, you really need to be reading (if you're not already) the Morning Star newspaper. (It has an online edition nowadays, as well as the paper one: www.morningstaronline.co.uk). Both its letters column and its comment pieces are, as you might expect, pretty well stuffed with that very question. As far as I know, the Star is the only place on earth that this topic is still debated on a daily basis.
When I first joined Labour, in the mid-70s, believe it or not “whither Labour” was something people used to ask each other in pubs. Of course, there aren't any pubs any more, because of the smoking ban*, but even if there were I’m not sure such concerns would top the agenda nowadays.
*(Which, while we’re at it, is the one factor in Labour’s complete death in its heartlands - because that’s what it is - which no-one is willing to talk about. It’s a bit like our version of the poll tax, except that the damage that did to the Tory Party wasn’t silent and invisible. Quite simply, the total smoking ban has made it 100% impossible for Labour to hold any traditional Labour seat. But no-one is willing to acknowledge this: the middle-class New Labour types just don’t believe it, and the few remaining Old Labour types are too embarrassed to mention it. It’s a fact, nonetheless; ask around, next time you're out canvassing ...)
Hi Mat,
Welcome to the mushrooming debate started by this blog (comment number 2, and rising).
Fascinating theory re-smoking. I, of course, as a non-Labour member of some years, haven't canvassed this century, to be honest. But as a middle class cliche (and ex-smoker) I'm prepared to take your word for that.
Okay - bring back smoking!
So, Labour voters are dying off because they're being forced to smoke less. I'll buy that.
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