Agenda 2019

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/sep/08/labour-up-to-eight-shadow-cabinet-members-may-refuse-to-serve-with-corbyn   As many as eight members of the shadow cabinet are considering declaring that they cannot serve on  if Jeremy Corbyn is elected as Labour leader.   In this article, (against which incidentally, the Guardian does not provide the reader with a "comments" section in which to reply), the Guardian make great play on a new faction of the Labour party which it calls "refuseniks", echoing the days of Soviet Russia where the label was an " unofficial term for individuals, typically but not exclusively Soviet Jews, who were denied permission to emigrate by the authorities of the former Soviet Union and other countries of the Eastern bloc". The comparison may have some significance for the editorial board of the Guardian, but it certainly escapes me. However the Guardian, who you will recall nailed its colours to t...

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/labour-leadership-debate-jeremy-corbyns-opponents-fail-to-land-the-blows-in-final-televised-hustings-10485537.html Jeremy Corbyn's opponents fail to land blows in final televised hustings The Independent, in a refreshing change to its scurrilous smear and distortions of the past weeks, gives a (reasonably) balanced report of the Sky News TV Leaders debate of last Thursday, and concedes that the three other candidates "fail to land blows" on Jeremy Corbyn. Apart from a little confusion in the Independent report where Yvette Cooper's hysterical outburst about "false hope", and  "not being straight with people", and "PFI on steroids" and other nonsense regurgitated directly from the mouth of husband Mr Balls, is reported as "an impassioned critique of Corbyn's economic policies ", but at least the Independent acknowledges that, "the audience gave her polite appla...

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/sep/01/labour-jeremy-corbyn-chuka-umunna We must all work with Jeremy Corbyn, says Chuka Umunna Chuka Umunna: "We must accept the result of our contest when it comes" It is said that "a week is a long time in politics". Chuka Umunna, the Blairite prodigy who could not endure the spotlight on him, his family and his friends,  coming from the press and media during his short period as a prospective   leadership candidate, has however taken some 15 weeks, since May in fact, to reach the view that "We must all work with Jeremy Corbyn", and then going on to say that we must "not make the mistake of giving the impression that electability requires the party to ditch its principles" Now this seems a little different from his position of a few short months ago, but is a welcome departure from the idea that winning elections is the overriding intention,  no matter how many principles or commitments...

http://news.sky.com/story/1543803/blair-corbynmania-is-alice-in-wonderland Corbynmania Is 'Alice in Wonderland' . In a new warning against a Corbyn victory, Tony Blair says supporters of the Labour race frontrunner live in a "parallel reality". Another intervention from Tony Blair Sky News giving wide coverage as they play the “Blair Card” again. This comes as no surprise as Sky News, their faceless editorial staff from “upstairs”, their predominately biased news anchor's and certainly their Paper review's at 10:30pm and again at 11:00pm, every evening, have clearly shown over the past weeks, an almost hysterical anti Jeremy Corbyn slant on every possible occasion. The Blair intervention has been on every news bulletin for at least 10 minutes since th e “story” broke and pushes all other news items onto the back burner. Just why Sky News should give such hard coverage to a story (apart from taking another opportunity to attack Corb...

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/aug/28/ed-miliband-jeremy-corbyn-labour-leadership#comments Ed Miliband not to blame for Jeremy Corbyn's rise, says former aide Tom Baldwin Just when we thought that the Guardian was running out of ideas for trashing Corbyn and those in the party who support him, Rowena Mason, has dragged out Tom Baldwin (Tom who?) to add his “weight” to the "Don't vote for Corbyn" campaign. In another existence, Rowena Mason was probably the other soothsayer sitting on the steps of the senate in ancient Rome repeating the message, "The ides of March are come! All in well in the House of Caesar!” The Guardian has dragged out the thoughts and quotations of Tom Baldwin as if they represent the beam of enlightenment which will finally ensure that their preference in the contest, Yvette Cooper, will be the next leader of the Labour party. However, an examination of what Baldwin is reported as saying reveal contradi...

  http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/aug/27/jeremy-corbyn-labour-membership-policy-leadership Jeremy Corbyn: Labour membership will determine policy, not me    Labour membership will determine policy. Not me. It is the idea that Labour party policy will be made by Labour party members and not the MP's of the Parliamentary Labour party, that is a major feature of why many of the PLP are so opposed to Jeremy Corbyn and the campaign for him to become Labour leader. It is this prospect which unites the PLP with the hysterical crusade in the media and on television, with its smear, distortion and lies in the "anyone but Corbyn" operation which has been raging for weeks. However, the Labour party has historically, held the position that the party manifesto and therefore its policy, would be determined at Annual Conference and where Conference resolutions and decision were passed, those resolutions would be included in the Labour party manife...

  http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/aug/27/how-will-labour-top-losing-the-election-by-losing-its-own-leadership-contest Francis Martin Patrick "Frankie" Boyle is a Scottish comedian and writer, well known for his pessimistic and often controversial sense of humour. The Labour party hireachy, or the establishment, have always been pertrified of it own party membership. That is why, for decades past, the Party conference has been dominated by the Conference Arragements Committee and its numerous sub committee's, the "Resolution Compositing Committee", (to deal with troublesom resolutions usually from Constituency parties) and the Parliamentary Labour Party (or PLP) The Labour Party hireachy in collusion with the PLP, will go to any lengths and use any tactics, in order to prevent the rank and file members having any influence or control of their own party.

  http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/aug/26/labour-leadership-election-party-to-check-voting-history-of-new-supporters Labour leadership election: party to check voting history of new supporters Secret ballot What happens in the voting booth on Polling Day is a secret between the ballot paper and the voters conscience isn't it? How is it that the Labour party can "check voting history of new supporters "? If this headline is true, then the Labour party " secet police" and their methods of obtaing such information should be exposed and investigated and if necessary subjected to prosecution under the "Representation of the People Act" Or is it that this "story" is just another pathetic piece of journalistic nonsense from Rowena Mason and the pro Cooper campaign being waged by the Guardian?

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/aug/26/jeremy-corbyn-backlash-women-only-train-carriages-cooper-kendall   Jeremy Corbyn faces backlash over women-only train carriages idea      Labour leadership rivals Liz Kendall and Yvette Cooper condemn "proposal"     I recall that when going to school and later to work in the "Strand", I travelled on the "Southern Region" trains. The stations, Putney, Clapham Junction, Vauxhall and the others on the railways system, had "Ladies Only" waiting rooms on all of the platforms in addition to "Ladies Only" compartments or carriages on all the trains. The greatest objections, when British Rail decided to remove this "facility" from trains and stations all over the country, came from women and women's organisations. As this suggestion from the Corbyn camp would be introduced after consultation, should the idea of separate travelling arrangements for female pa...

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/labour-leadership-contest-party-now-fears-infiltration-by-bnp-supporters-10470069.html Labour fears leadership contest has been infiltrated by BNP supporters   The hysteria in the media and on television and not least of all in the Independent, in the campaign to "Stop Corbyn", is being whipped up into frenzy and will become even worse (if that is possible) over the course of the remaining days of the leadership election campaign. During my years in politics, I have seen a number of nasty, negative and vicious campaigns waged against one or other of the camps involved, but without doubt the campaign waged against Jeremy Corbyn over the past few weeks, is the most vicious, distorted and spurious I have witnessed. Today's contribution from the Independent alone offers,in addition to this BNP nonsense, the accusation of "deluding youngsters" and "threats to seize assets". A media te...

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/jeremy-corbyn-compares-actions-of-isis-to-us-military-and-says-some-of-what-they-have-done-is-quite-appalling-10464596.html Jeremy Corbyn compares actions of Isis to US military and says 'some of what they have done is quite appalling' Jeremy Corbyn addressing another packed meeting The media, this time the Independent", are really scrapping the barrel as they leap onto the anti Corbyn bandwagon with another distorted smear. What Corbyn actually said was:  "Yes they (ISIS) are brutal, yes some of what they have done is quite appalling. Likewise, what the Americans did in Fallujah and other places is appalling". He is absolutely right,what happened in Fallujah was appalling and ISIS are brutal. Why the media should be so aroused by someone speaking the truth has more to do with their hypocrisy in reporting "news"designed to smear Corbyn (again) than with any sense, however misguide...

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/jeremy-corbyn-joining-a-shrewd-operator-desperate-for-power-as-he-visits-the-north-east-10462907.html Jeremy Corbyn: Joining a shrewd operator desperate for power as he visits the North East Jeremy Corbyn MP For some weeks now, ever since Jeremy Corbyn had his name added to the ballot paper in fact, the media and not least of all the "Independent", has been engaged in a scurrilous campaign of smear, lies and disinformation aimed at discrediting Corbyn and those who support him. In addition, the descriptions used to ridicule the man have ranged from "Loony" or "Crazy" through to "Bonkers" or "Idiotic" and all points in between. Now it seems, that having failed to persuade people that Corbyn is a comic figure who should not be taken seriously, the Independent is resorting to a new tactic in seeking to convince an increasingly ...

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/aug/17/david-miliband-electing-jeremy-corbyn-risks-one-party-tory-state David Miliband: electing Jeremy Corbyn risks creating one-party Tory state   David Miliband Liz Kendall is backed by David Miliband Miliband major endorses Kendal and predicts a dark future of a "one party state" should Jeremy Corbyn become leader of the Labour party. Still smarting from his rejection in the previous Labour leadership election, Miliband major seeks the return of a Labour government under the leadership of Kendal (or even Cooper or Burnham if Kendal fails to win the September vote) to bring about changes in British society. However, the Miliband major, Kendal, Cooper and Burnham view of the Untied Kingdom is rather different from the views of thousands of other people. In the years since Thatcher, how much of the Tory anti Trade Union legislation passed by her government, has the Labour party repealed? H...

  http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/yvette-coopers-campaign-literature-is-starting-to-look-a-bit-desperate-10459983.html Labour leadership race: Why is Yvette Cooper so happy to be David Miliband's second choice? Another "Grandee" discarded by the Labour party and still no doubt smarting from the rejection, crawls out from the woodwork of his little box in the United States to endorse Liz Kendal. Strange how the "old guard" of the Blairite section of the Labour party are sticking together, Straw, Johnson, Campbell, Hunt, Umunna and the rest are hanging on to the hope that, as John McTernan put it, " The Labour party was saved by "the right" and it will be "saved by the right" again". Although in this desperate hope, Miliband major seems to have broken ranks with the others by endorsing Kendal rather than the candidate tipped as being the most able to challenge Jeremy Corbyn and secure...

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/aug/17/labour-leadership-andy-burnham-yvette-cooper-contest   Andy Burnham and Yvette Cooper trade blows as leadership contest intensifies Andy Burnham offers Jeremy Corbyn “a job”, in his Shadow Cabinet and presumably any government cabinet which Burnham may form at sometime in the future. A remarkably magnanimous gesture from a man who claims never to have voted against the party whip in the House of Commons, a man who has consistently advocated further austerity for the UK economy, has frequently demonstrated an ability for evasion, particularly during Ian Dale's LBC Radio programme and along with all but 48 members of the Parliamentary Labour Party, abstained on the vote on the Conservative Welfare Bill last July. Burnham qualifies this offer however, with an appeal for Labour party members who intend to vote for Corbyn in the leadership election, to move over to the Burnham camp to prevent Kendall or Cooper emer...

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/aug/16/gordon-brown-warning-against-jeremy-corbyn-labour-leadership#comment-57640088   Gordon Brown urges Labour not to be party of protest by electing Corbyn Gordon Brown during his speech at the Royal Festival Hall Gordon Brown arrived at the Royal Festival Hall in London and after the usual introductions to the specially invited audience of party members and journalists, spent the next 50 minutes perambulating backwards and forwards across the platform wearing at least half an inch off the soles of his shoes and saying precisely nothing. That is, nothing that Blair, Straw, Clarke, Campbell, Kinnock, Johnson, Polly Toynbee and others including it is now revealed Mandellson have not said already. Gordon Brown, the man who droned on about being “credible, radical, sustainable and electable” and (after selling off £billions of UK gold reserves) “economically credible”. We would do well to remember that Brown ...