open Democracy News Analysis - Labour Party - Comments

AndrewRT on "Miliband and the Liberal Democrats"

AndrewRT — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 18:18:24 +0000

"If a future Labour leader was serious about redrawing the political map
in this way, he or she would have to ... commit Labour to PR (not the blind alley of AV or SV"

AV and STV are both forms of PR and are both important improvements on FPTP. If what you're referring to is party list PR - euro-election style - this would hardly count as "democratic reform". Although it would make the Commons more reflective of the party badges people wear, it would make individual politicians less accountable to the electorate.

Thankfully, I dont think party list PR would ever pass a referendum - I certainly hope it doesn't. The LibDems remain committed to STV, and I hope that remains.

Ivor Cornish on "Lib Dems to the rescue?"

Ivor Cornish — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 08:34:16 +0000

Even barge polls and long spoons should be avoided when dealing with Labour. Let them sink, hopefully without trace, under their own weight of lies, corruption, and control freakery.

owly on "Lib Dems to the rescue?"

owly — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 19:30:38 +0000

It would destroy the LibDem Party forever. One of the reasons why the LibDem polls ratings have been sinking is that they are already perceived to be to chummy with Labour.

People hate Labour and Gordon the Moron Brown in a way I have not seen since 1997. I can see Labour being slaughtered at the Polls. And I pray for it everyday. I want rid of the useless, corrupt and authoritarian Government.

Guy Aitchison on "Lib Dems to the rescue?"

Guy Aitchison — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 18:52:33 +0000

I think Toque is right and I bet most Lib Dems feel the same way. This would be a disaster for the party.

Toque on "Lib Dems to the rescue?"

Toque — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 16:58:43 +0000

I was going to vote Lib Dem. But if there is any truth in this then I won't.

Not only that, I will join the Conservative Party and campaign against the Lib Dems and Labour at the next election.

And I will tell my Lib Dem MP next time I see him.

If the Lib Dems climb into bed with the devil then they are finished as a party.

Dougthedug on "Lib Dems to the rescue?"

Dougthedug — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 13:55:56 +0000

Sunder Katwala wrote:

A Lab-Lib deal is possible - but only if a pre-emptive progressive coalition is formed soon. ...Gordon Brown should invite Nick Clegg to be deputy prime minister with Vince Cable as chancellor. The coalition would govern for a year - announcing the date of the next election, and legislating for fixed-election dates, too.

So what would be the Lib-Dem and Labour strategy for contesting seats in the next election?

To withdraw the weaker candidate in each seat, one joint candidate or continuing to field a candidate from each party to split the vote?

The immediate tag-line from the Conservatives, the SNP, Plaid Cymru and all other parties would be vote Lib-Dem, get Labour for all seats where the Lib-Dems were fielding a candidate.

A Lib-Dem/Labour pact might be on the cards post-election but you'd never hear a word about it beforehand.

I sometimes suspect that a lot of political wonks just don't live in the real world.

padav on "Lib Dems to the rescue?"

padav — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 13:18:45 +0000

A Lab-Lib deal is possible - but only if a pre-emptive progressive
coalition is formed soon. By the time Barack Obama leaves these shores
in April, Gordon Brown should invite Nick Clegg to be deputy prime
minister with Vince Cable as chancellor. The coalition would govern for
a year - announcing the date of the next election, and legislating for
fixed-election dates, too. This year it would focus on the response to
the recession, while agreeing on core progressive priorities for the
next four-year parliament in both party manifestos.

This scenario sounds eminently sensible, pragmatic and "terribly progressive" in outlook, if only there was some real substance to this "story"?

Somehow I have my doubts that serial control freak Brown could be persuaded to reach any kind of meaningful consensus with anyone, except himself!

Anyway there's something missing from this arrangement - it's called STV

Peter Davidson, Alderley Edge, NW.England

Guy Aitchison on "Old corruption and New Labour"

Guy Aitchison — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 02:05:37 +0000

Sounds sensible to me, but I would go further in the case of the House of Commons and prohibit members from having second jobs full stop. The salary they receive as MPs is more than adequate, I don't see why they need more. And are we really to believe that people like William Hague would have quite so many lucrative directorships if they didn't have the knowledge and access they have as law-makers? Even if there are no specific instances of impropriety, the very possibility that there decision-making would be swayed by sectional financial interests should be enough to forbid it.

Guy Aitchison on "Is Labour gearing up to go early?"

Guy Aitchison — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 12:28:00 +0000

Caustic as ever Sarah2...but in all honesty Ill be only too happy to see the back of New Labour.

Dougthedug on "Is Labour gearing up to go early?"

Dougthedug — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 12:14:11 +0000

English based Westminster Government Ministers are now attacking the SNP in Holyrood which is something they usually leave to the Scottish based MP's or MSP's so there is unusual activity in the battle between the SNP and Labour in Scotland.

I suppose it really depends on whether Labour think that things will get better or worse over the next year.

If support for the Labour Party is going to keep falling from now till the last possible date for an election in 2010 it makes sense for Labour to go for an election now. It might keep them in Government as a coalition or minority government or give a new Conservative Government a very small majority.

If they leave it untill the polls get worse they could end up with the Conservatives holding a very substantial working majority in Parliament.

The Cornish Democrat on "Is Labour gearing up to go early?"

The Cornish Democrat — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 12:11:42 +0000

Dunno bout thaat but I'll wet me knickers if Mebyon Kernow d'win. Still vote fur un tho.

The Cornish Democrat

Sarah2 on "Is Labour gearing up to go early?"

Sarah2 — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 09:49:15 +0000

I wonder how many of the Our Kingdom writers after complaining about Civil Liberties will be none the less putting their cross in the Labour box and wetting their knickers at the thought that Labour might lose.

Toque on "A Lib-Lab pact?"

Toque — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 10:08:17 +0000

Clegg is a fool, but probably not fool enough to enter into another pact with the devil. Still, if PR is put on the table (again) then maybe they will take the bait.

Personally I'd like to see it. A Lib/Lab pact will make worse the WLQ, and it might yet make English nationalists out of the Tories who still haven't convinced me that they are even remotely worth voting for. It will also alter the dynamic in Scottish and Welsh politics.

douglas clark on "A Lib-Lab pact?"

douglas clark — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 06:22:14 +0000

Tom,

Knock me down with a feather, but I think this is extremely unlikely. Flirtation? Possibly. True love? No way.

Clegg is not a fool.

MichaelCalderbank on "Labour sleepwalking into breaking the trade union link"

MichaelCalderbank — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 14:36:37 +0000

I think that the survey might well exaggerate the support for "individualisation" because the question is not sufficiently clear:

"Trade Union donations should be capped but affiliation fees should be exempt provided individuals give their consent for their affiliation fee to be donated to the Labour Party. (Agree or Disagree)"

This fails to make it absolutely explicit how the proposal differs from the status quo, where individuals have the option of paying into a political fund with affiliations (to the Labour Party) subject to the democratic ratification of the union involved.

My hunch is that if the specific proposal were explained more fully, then the apparent support for individualisation from a hastily completed survey could well evaporate.