McDonnell, Meacher: just 6% each
As George Orwell observed, some things are true even if the Daily Telegraph says they are true. On that basis, the paper’s YouGov poll of 1,000 individual Labour Party members makes depressing reading for the socialist left, especially younger activists that excitably talk about John McDonnell as ‘Britain’s next prime minister’. Leading psephologist Anthony King [...]
John McDonnell on the Labour-union link
Labour leadership contender John McDonnell has his say over the Phillips proposals on party funding: ‘I have today tabled an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons in opposition to the Hayden Phillips proposals on party funding. ‘These proposals are a threat not only to the historic link between the Labour Party and the [...]
John McDonnell: rebel, rebel
It seems former home secretary Charles Clarke is no fan of the Labour left’s standard bearer, according to blogger parburypolitica, who writes today: ‘I went last night to a meeting organised by Bethnal Green and Bow Labour Party where Charles Clarke called for Labour leadership contender John McDonnell to leave the Labour party because he [...]
John McDonnell on Gordon Brown’s pre-budget speech
Labour leadership contender John McDonnell on Gordon Brown’s pre-budget speech: ‘The quotation by the chancellor of a wide range of glowing economic statistics does not reassure the millions of people in our country who are facing intense financial pressures from worrying levels of debt, insecure employment prospects, oppressively long working hours, rising unemployment, mounting housing [...]
John McDonnell: recall Labour conference on Trident
Press release from the John McDonnell leadership campaign: ‘The government is due to publish its White Paper on Trident on Monday. It is expected to advocate Trident’s replacement, which will cost £2530bn and over its 30 year lifespan will cost £76bn. ‘John McDonnell MP, Labour leadership candidate, said: “There is no policy imperative for a [...]
John McDonnell: manifesto for London
With the London Labour Party Conference due to take place this weekend. Labour leadership contender John McDonnell – former deputy leader of the Greater London Council before Thatcher abolished it, of course – has launched a ten-point manifesto for London. The centrepiece of the programme is a revival of the GLC’s famous ‘Fares Fair’ policy [...]
John McDonnell on Marxism
If you want to know what John McDonnell stands for, here’s the most detailed exposition of his political ideas I’ve yet read anywhere. It comes in the form of a long – and I do mean loooong – interview with a group of Alliance for Workers’ Liberty members, led it seems by David Broder. Here’s [...]
Union support for John McDonnell
Press release just issued by the McDonnell Labour leadership campaign. (That’s the candidate, pictured left): ‘Today the London Region of the FBU declared its full support for the McDonnell leadership bid and donated £1,000 towards the campaign. ‘Members will be urging both the FBU and RMT at their National Executive Committee meetings in December to [...]
After the McDonnell campaign
One way or another, John McDonnell’s bid to become leader of the Labour Party is going to be a defining moment for the future of the British far left. Clearly, different tendencies in the movement are going to draw sharply different tactical conclusions from developments in the coming period. DP helpfully offers this cut-out-and-keep guide [...]
Tactical split in the Socialist Campaign Group
Back in July, this blog reported the tactical split the Campaign Group over which candidate to advance for the Labour leadership. No great feat of investigative journalism, I’m afraid. I lifted the story from the Sunday Telegraph, which revealed: ‘The Campaign Group has split into two factions. One is led by Alan Simpson (pictured left), [...]
