TMP Online

TMP regular, Tim Caswell ,reviews Saturday’s “Born Free and Equal” Compass conference.

When a young colleague joined the Labour Party last year, bringing down the average age of his constituency party by fifty three years, I wondered if he felt like a rat joining a sinking ship. Obviously a glutton for punishment, he asked my advice recently about whether to join Compass (Direction for the Democratic Left) or the Fabian Society (no slogan on their website, suggestions on a postcard please).

I told him that I thought that Compass was younger, more vital and dynamic but The Fabians where more mature reflective and cerebral, and suggested that you might visualise Compass as an ambitious activist in a linen suit in search of a safe seat and a Latte, compared to a Fabian who is an ambitious policy wonk in a dark suit in search of a safe seat and a library. I may have used the phrase, “complete wonker” but it was said with affection.

Then I suggested that he come with me to the Compass (Born Free and Equal) Conference, by far the biggest gathering on the centre left as a visitor, and decide on the day? His dilemma was postponed as Compass was not accepting new members on the day and The Fabians were too busy wonking when we arrived late to staff their stall.

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Now I have been selected as Labour’s parliamentary candidate in Streatham I am looking to focus my energies on Streatham from hereon.  I am therefore looking to divest myself of several other activities I am involved with, one of which is running TMP.

To all our regular readers, apologies for the less than regular postings of late – I simply have not been able to devote the time to TMP that I did before being selected. Until we find a new editor I’m afraid new posts will appear, at most, on a weekly basis on this site.

Who are we looking for to take on the mantle of TMP?  In short, someone who identifies with the values of TMP, can write (preferably they will have journalism experience), is well versed in the workings of the British Labour Party (though membership of the party is not a prerequisite), and has a good grasp of policy issues, in particular those touching on ethnic minority communities.  It is an unpaid post but would be a good stepping stone for anyone looking for a career in journalism and/or politics and is immensley rewarding.  It does not involve a huge time commitment.

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MPs should vote down 42 days detention without charge. The innocent will suffer, the basis of law will be threatened and terrorism aided, as Brown follows Blair in counter-productive defiance of one of the fundamental principles of democracy writes Anthony Barnett, founder of Open Democracy.

It is not hard to imagine the situation. The police have uncovered a network of young, would-be terrorists and their supporters. It may be just after a murderous outrage they failed to prevent, or when they bust a conspiracy before anyone is murdered. As they round up suspects three innocent young men are included. They are relatives or friends of the plotters or maybe they are just around when the raids take place. Naturally, the police focus on gathering the evidence to charge the ringleaders. They hold the three on the basis of proximity and as they are not charged they can’t make a case for their lack of guilt.

A month goes by. Perhaps one of the three is unable to attend his exams and loses his place in his college. Finally they are released – resentful and fearful. They are exactly the sort of people who might have been persuaded to alert the security forces to future plots. Now they are unlikely ever to speak to the police again if they can help it. “Justice”, they will say to their friends, family and future children, “you won’t get it here! I was imprisoned for four weeks just because they didn’t like my face – I was completely innocent, I wasn’t charged, then they threw me out”.

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