Progressive London = Left Unity?
This is a guest post by a young labour party activist.
The Left, broadly defined, has become quite fractious and
fissiparous. There are left-wingers in Labour, in the Lib-Dems, in the Greens, in Marxist groups and in no party at all.
The Progressive London Conference aimed to gather together speakers from the capital’s left. As an attendee, I found some of the sessions interesting and some of the speakers good. Others, however, notably Harriet Harman, fell flat. People were not happy with the government’s record and with its rhetoric. As Deputy Leader of the Labour Party she failed to inspire people with confidence in the leadership or with optimism that the government was going to move leftwards.
Although all wanted to see a Conservative defeat, many of those present did not want a Labour victory. The Lib-Dems and Greens present would obviously rather people voted for them rather than Labour. Unless left-wing voters unite behind the strongest anti-Tory candidate in every seat, the Tories will benefit from the splits on the centre-left.
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GE2010: Rant of the Month
Three Dog Race. Photograph: Matt Dunham/AP
I thought that this election would be fought on the principles, philosophies, and policies that would make Britain a better place and speed up the recovery after the bankers led us into the deepest recession ever in 70 years. I have been proved wrong already. Instead dealing with how to mend the economy, get businesses thriving and get jobs going again, we are being treated to the old tired political arguments; on the same old battle grounds of Defence, Europe and Immigration.
So how does the whole £100 billion Trident nuclear system affect me if it will not and cannot be used? How and whom does it make me safe from? Iran? China? Why do the Chinese need to fight us when they are already whipping us in what matters, the economy. Will Trident or its replacement prevent anyone of us in Britain from being killed in fight previously known as the “Global War on Terror“? Is the nuclear deterrent, the best use of our taxes?
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