Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Every Cloud....
Apparently, John McDonnell is about to concede defeat - according to Labour Home (picked up via David Osler).
This is a big disappointment and a setback for the Left as a whole. Furthermore, it looks to me like it's curtains for the Labour Left. It's a(n) historic moment really. Undoubtedly Labour Left die-hards will continue to bang their heads against their favourite wall - but, effectively, it's all over.
I heard somewhere (wish I could remember where) that even Tony Benn has said that if McDonnell fails to make it onto the ballot paper, then the Labour Party as a vehicle for socialism is dead. If it's true then that's really something very significant indeed.
The (very thin and filmy) silver lining, I suppose is that any left-winger with any sense should now start to look elsewhere. Perhaps the task of building an independent and democratic socialist alternative to Labour can begin in earnest now. This is the end of socialist political pre-history in the UK. Probably.
PS Bloody hell, I still can't link. This is all Google's fault!
This is a big disappointment and a setback for the Left as a whole. Furthermore, it looks to me like it's curtains for the Labour Left. It's a(n) historic moment really. Undoubtedly Labour Left die-hards will continue to bang their heads against their favourite wall - but, effectively, it's all over.
I heard somewhere (wish I could remember where) that even Tony Benn has said that if McDonnell fails to make it onto the ballot paper, then the Labour Party as a vehicle for socialism is dead. If it's true then that's really something very significant indeed.
The (very thin and filmy) silver lining, I suppose is that any left-winger with any sense should now start to look elsewhere. Perhaps the task of building an independent and democratic socialist alternative to Labour can begin in earnest now. This is the end of socialist political pre-history in the UK. Probably.
PS Bloody hell, I still can't link. This is all Google's fault!
Labels: Labour Party, McDonnell, Wishful Thinking
