Peter Kenyon

Labour Party - closed shop or open sesame?

Today's Guardian picks up the story Save the Labour Party has been running for months about the next round of internal Labour Party policy-making under the headline 'Brown to offer activists a say after poll results' and includes quotes from my CLGA slate colleague Ann Black and myself.

The headline typifies the personality obsessions of Westminister-based journalists. Members have always had a say in policy-making. It's just that the Party is notoriously shy when it comes to telling members about their rights, and organised in such a way that even if you have an opinion it is very difficult to make your voice heard, especially if expressed collectively via a trade union or constituency labour party (unless you are an ultra-loyalist.)

That could be about to change in a big way. Watch this space after the polls close.

What's Hawaii got to do with Englishness?

Now for something completely different. Or is it? On St George's Day, Billy Bragg and musical friends were Looking for a New England at the Barbican Hall near where I live. With an election campaign in full swing I turned up after dark from Labour Party campaigning at the end of the first half, as Kitty, Daisy and Lewis's set is ending. They were playing what sounded like a lively Hawaiian tune. Much applause. Then just as they tuned up for the next number, someone shouted out from the stalls: "What's Hawaii got to do with Englishness?" So parochial, and so it proved. Billy never one to miss a political opportunity took up the challenge. He shouts to the audience: "Can anyone tell me about the Hawaiian flag?" Nice one, Billy. It's a story of friendship and respect from one side of the world to the other.

Vote Labour on 1 May, policy review starts 2 May

Today's printed media headlines were really very unhelpful. The Labour Party under former Chancellor of the Exchequer, now Prime Minister Gordon Brown has establised a minimum wage, increased it every year and done more than any other elected politician to put more money into the pockets of low paid working and retired people.

Labour Party people think that's a good reason to vote Labour on 1 May. I agree. In fact anyone not earning silly money has good reasons for voting Labour on 1 May, Well in the light of the headlines, even those earning silly money should be bounding to their local polling station to vote Labour. But they will not. Ungrateful lot. How could that be?

We live in uncertain times. The vast majority of people have no connection with a political party, except through the ballot box.  This alone is not the stuff of a 21st century democracy. But the whole of the country could, if they wanted to send Labour a message on 1 May - whatever the misgivings that's the day to put them aside aka as recognising which side you bread is buttered and voting Labour. Then, hey presto, on 2 May  the Labour Party is opening the door to the next round of policy-making under Partnership in Power But it won't be like that. It will the ballot that most will rely on to convey a message. It could be painful.

On tax, we in the Labour Party have got some very serious work to do to restore a sense of fairness to our policy. At what level of gross income should anyone pay tax? I'd open the bidding at the level of the living wage. And you?

Then we need to be work out how fair taxes can be achieved. I'd open the bidding for a higher rate of tax for those earning silly money and shut down the scope for avoidance. But what's silly money?

Labour lessons - give Darling credit for commitment

The 10p tax saga ain't over yet. Jeremy Paxman's interview with Chief Secretary to the Treasury Labour slow-learner Yvette Cooper exposed her failure to read the letter from the Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown Alistair Darling to the chair of the House of Commons Treasury Select Committee John McFall.

The letter states:

As a sign of the government's intent, we do not wish to wait unnecessarily until November. Whatever conclusions we come to, all the changes will be backdated to the start of this financial year.

Politically the message is crystal clear. Vote Labour on 1 May. Labour really is on your side.

What is less clear is whether that commitment just refered to pensioners/retirees aged 60 to 64 irrespective of gender, or all 5.3 million (or however many) adversely affected by the abolition of the 10p tax band. Questions about how that commitment can be achieved are all over the media.

But for us in the Labour Party, Alistair Darling's swift response, as soon as Gordon Brown admitted there were losers from his decision, deserves acknowledgement throughout the Party, whether in the Balls/Cooper household, No 10, or every CLP in the country. There is an urgent need to build the case for open and transparent progressive taxation. All the political ingredients are to hand - greedy, failing fat cats bankers, a Labour government that understands political economy, a nation committed to fairness.

Labour launches an internal policy review next Friday as soon as the polls close. This must feature as a major consideration, surely? Oh, and the 10p tax compensation has to be for all and back-dated. Vigilance is vital.

BBC misreporting Labour position on 10p tax deal

What a cheek! BBC online reports: Darling 'U-turn' on 10p tax. I don't recall Alistair previously announcing anything relating to the 10p income tax band - neither its creation or abolition. In a certain sense that was at the heart of the political storm which now looks as though it is over. Surely, he should get the credit for dealing with compensating the estimated 5.3 mln 10p losers in such as expeditious manner? Reported details of the package are set out here.

Prem Sikka's 12-steps to restore progressive taxation

Essential reading for anyone interested in progressive taxation. I received this message earlier today from Prof Prem Sikka, professor of accounting at Essex University

I have an article today on The Guardian website with the title "The 12-step programme”. It is a contribution to a debate where the government is proposing to tax the less well-off more heavily. The article puts forward some suggestions on how governments can adopt progressive taxation to help the less well-off. The lead line reads “The government claims it can't afford not to abolish the 10% tax rate. Here are some ways it could plug the gap and have money left over”.

Enjoy!

Labour's slow learners, dividing loyalties over 10p tax

The scene appears to be set for a compensation package for the 10p tax band abolition losers following last night's Parliamentary Labour Party meeting. But doubts remain about how many, how much and when? For anyone with ambitions in the Labour Party, there are key lessons to be learned. It was not evident from the Chief Secretary to the Treasury Yvette Cooper's performance at the despatch box yesterday that there was any sense of urgency. Hopefully, Frank Field's proposed amendment to the Finance Bill 2008 now reportedly signed by 40 Labour backbenchers will concentrate minds. As for the Whips performance, what are MPs elected to Parliament for? Represent their constituents or worship the Party leader? It is refreshing to hear so many Labour MPs remembering that their greater loyalties are to Labour, not any particular leader. Ed and Yvette need to catch-up. If you are Labour the deadline for setting out a package is next weekend.  Deliver and Gordon Brown will deserve continued support to sort out those other troubling issues.

More good news - Labour Party narrows poll gap

OK, it's a straw in the wind, but one to cheer Labour people up - the Guardian website reports on the latest Guardian/ICM poll.

Phew, Gordon maybe listening to 10p tax concerns!

A live report from the Central Lobby in the House of Commons by Channel 4 news Gary Gibbon with Plymouth Sutton MP Linda Gilroy suggests that Gordon Brown making his second appearance at the regular Monday Parliamentary Labour Party meeting in three weeks is in listening mode.

A review is underway to minimise the losses likely to be incurred by some 5.3 million low-paid working and retired people.

Linda Gilroy said that the Prime Minister was focussed on ensuring the stability of the economy, but now acknowledged that something had to be done to deal with the downside of abolishing the 10p tax band.

This is very welcome news. It takes a big man to tacitly acknowledge a possible problem arising from a decision you took yourself earlier.

UPDATE: Channel 4 closing headlines confirm a contrite Labour Party leader under intense pressure to deliver asap.

If Brown is a democratic socialist, why the 10p farrago?

From all accounts to date the Labour Party's capacity to resolve the 10p tax issue is being blocked by one person, namely: Gordon Brown. He is allegedly refusing to admit either to himself or anyone else that there are 5.3 million losers from his decision to abolish the 10p tax rate. If that is true, what does that tell us about his own intelligence, let alone his commitment to Cabinet government, expanding and renewing party democracy, or democratic socialism?

As I have suggested repeatedly on this blog, this is not a question of restoring to 10p tax band, it is a question of compensation. The proportion voting in favour on my Labourhome poll has edged up to 94%!