Peter Kenyon

Crisis? What crisis?

Public service broadcaster, the BBC, has this. What more do we, Labour Party loyalists, need for the weekend? Cheer up, Gordon.

Labour Party union power - what goes round, comes round

'News' of trade union policy demands tabled for next weekend's National Policy Forum merely highlights how poorly organised the Labour Party's members are to mobilise opinion around policy. Though that's not all that came to mind. I thought of former Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson who, nearly 40 years ago, in 1969 at a meeting in Chequers, told a leading trade unionist: "Get your tanks off my lawn." Local branch and constituency organisation for individual members was as varied then as it is now. Instead of worrying about the unions, the current Leader of the Labour might be better advised focussing on what he set out to do when elected unopposed - expanding and renewing party democracy. Very few members have had any opportunity to have a say in the current policy review. The Joint Policy Commission meeting on Monday could usefully reflect on that fact before binning too many challenges to current Labour Party policy. While affiliated trade unionist get to meet the ministerial chair of the National Policy Forum, Pat McFadden, and manifesto supremo, Ed Miliband, no such invitations will be extended to the leaders of membership pressure groups that are campaiging against Trident, privatisation, 42-day detention and in favour of council housing, higher taxes on the rich or renewable energy. it's classic divide and rule and our party democracy is the poorer for it.

Labour fundraising - anyone for tennis?

Tony Blair has establish the tariff for repaying the Labour Party's £20 million debts largely amassed under his leadership. If reports of two successful bids at the recent celebrity fundraising event at Wembley of £20K a piece for a round of tennis with him are correct, that's another 998 to go.  Game,set and match.

Socialist ideals - the army's latest recruit?

This quite cheered me. Be the best, join the Labour Party.

.....the army "espouses many recognisable socialist ideals".

Hat tip: Politics Home.

Why aren't we taking the Tory toffs on?

The latest missive from Labour Party Head Office invites members to submit questions to ministers over the next few days (makes a change from rattling the can, without reassuring me I can have a say). My question to Ed Balls online on Membersnet tonight is: Dear Ed - Why aren't we taking on the Tory toffs over private education? (let's see if it's published.)

Cartoon credit: Andy Davey

Anger management - Labour Party style: knives

When I joined Save the Labour Party and helped set up the Labour Commission, I learned that anger management was vital. It almost seemed worthwhile 12 months ago in the run up to the resignation of Tony Blair. Now it is becoming increasingly difficult to turn on the radio/television news bulletin/current affairs programme, or open a newspaper/political magazine without screaming. Knife crime and our Labour government's response over the weekend is the latest lunacy unfortune error. That's not my opinion but that of my wife, and fellow party member who happens to be one of the country's leading clincial experts on post traumatic stress disorders. A considered note from her is in the works.  If you had only picked up the phone, Jacqui.

Perhaps the Labour Party's National Executive Committee (meeting tomorrow) will spend a moment considering how to harness the expertise of its dwindling membership to help turn round public opinion between now and the next British General Election. In the absence of any leadership on the use of that resource, my branch is drawing up a couple of sides of A4 across the major policy issues that need addressing now, not in the next manifesto, if we are to have any hope of winning a 4th term.

Labour members - rediscover your voice

Earlier this week my branch met and among other business considered an Emergency Resolution on Zimbabwean refugees condemning the Home Office and calling for leave to remain while terror and starvation rule. Even ardent opponents of resolution bound policy making supported the call. For me it is a further example of the need for Party checks and balances to be restored. Resolutions are expressions of opinion from people who share a set of values, and ambitions. Centralised political control of the Labour Party has seriously eroded membership and activism, it's time for Labour members to rediscover their voices and tell the Leadership regularly what's a winner, and what's a loser - not just on blogs but through collective organisation. There is no reason why this has to be left to humanitarian and Church lobby groups. I'm proud of Labour Values. I think we should practice what we preach.

On the subject of Zimbabwean refugees there was a hint at PMQs by Harriet Harman that the issue was under review. Today's Independent reports movement in the Government's position. The critical issue is leave to remain AND work. What happened to your moral compass, Prime Minister?

UPDATE 1700 Archbishop calls for justice for Zimbabwean refugees.

No more tantrums, Gordon, we want to win. Do you?

Time to grow up, Gordon. You've got the job. Now you have to learn to work with your Party and Labour members of Parliament to win another term. The 'Speccie' columnist, Fraser Nelson, classifies your detractors into three camps. My Labour Party branch is in none of them. We met last night to among things review the state of the Party. Changing leader was not seen as a viable option. Frankly, who would want the job in present circumstances?

So we committed to work with you, providing you commit to working with us - rebuilding Party morale between now and Conference and setting out clearly the policies that will win back the voters. We will be sending your Political Office our thoughts on how to straighten out the muddles over Redistribution/Equality, International relations, Climate change, and Security and Civil Liberties.

I can't speak for my colleagues about the reports of your thumping the table at a meeting with backbench Labour MPs. If that is how you are behaving - you can't be serious about winning the next election. We can see how we could win in 2010 - the electorate needs clarity from you, and the party needs rebuilding. You need us to help communicate our shared values. You won't get us to do it by shouting at us, or throwing mobile phones, we have got to be convinced that you know what you are doing. Currently, we are thoroughly sceptical.

Risks inherent in political point scoring

To her/his credit the moderator of Labour Matters published a comment I posted earlier today about Labour's treatment of Zimbabwean asylum seekers on an item about Conservative shame over Zimbabwean blood money. It is a pity our Labour Party Leader was not able to clarify the government's position on asylum seekers while trumpeting the undoubted diplomatic success in Hakkaido securing unanimous support for tightening sanctions against Mugabe, his henchman and his illegitimate government.

Labour branch recruits Treasurer - shock!

Just as there is a risk of the electorate taking itself into a recession, there is risk of the dwindling numbers of Labour Party members inducing a deep depression about its future electoral prospects. But not where I live. City of London Labour Party will be meeting tomorrow as usual on the 2nd Wednesday of the month. A letter has just been agreed chiding the Town Clerk for failing to raise the subject of the London Living Wage with the Corporation's elected members. We thought the City might want to exercise some civic leadership, especially since it claims to pay all of its employees more than £7.20 an hour. (The final form of words was honed, thanks to the internet, by our local government expert member who is currently advising on local government matters in the Caribbean.) Then this morning - joy of joys - another member agreed to take on the role of branch treasurer. Another emailed to volunteer to host the regular fund-raising ward supper in November. Meanwhile in Wales, the Welsh Labour Party wants to shut down its branches.