Agenda 2019

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/sep/24/observer-view-labour-leadership-election-jeremy-corbyn-victory-defeat The Observer view on the Labour leadership election. Yesterday morning, prior to the result of the election for the Labour party leadership being declared, I wrote a piece under the heading of, " Has the Guardian become converted to the tolerance and compromise idea? " Today, in its disguise as the Observer, there is another piece of "opinion", now masquerading as " Observer editorial", which appears to have thrown the almost reconciliatory editorial of yesterday, into the editors waste bin and reverted to type in attacking Corbyn and seeking to undermine his position by unquestioned support for the Parliamentary Labour Party. It is hardly in the spirit of "Tolerance and Compromise" as proposed by yesterday's editorial, to spew out, less than 24 hours later (and noticeably after the election result),...

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/aug/14/documents-prove-far-left-planned-to-infiltrate-labour-says-tom-watson Tom Watson claims proof of far-left planning to infiltrate Labour Tom Watson The Guardian grasps yet another straw in the wind, attempting to breath some life into Watson's rapidly declining "reds under the bed" fear mongering smear. (see comment from marsCubed herein). With this continuing hysteria from Watson, aided and abetted by the media and particularly the Guardian, the whole proposition of widespread infiltration of the Labour party by "Trots", or "Militants", or "Entryists" or some other lurid description, becomes more laughable by the day. Every "new" almost daily allegation from Watson, makes him and his supporters, including the media, look more and more desperate and ridiculous.

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/aug/13/jeremy-corbyn-tom-watson-talking-nonsense Tom Watson is talking nonsense – and he knows it Sorry Tom, it is nonsense Tom Watson is in the last desperate throws of his attempt to remove Jeremy Corbyn as leader of the Labour party. Having now been exposed as one of the prime movers in the failed coup attempt and the conspiracy of June last, Watson resorts to the old and now discredited "reds under the bed" tactic, so popular with the Parliamentary Labour Party and those who support them, over many years. The philosophy of this contemptible, but still frequently used smear is that when they, the PLP, are loosing the arguments and see their position of power and influence in rapid decline, they resort to distorting the facts into a grotesque parody of reality, and then shouting very loudly that anyone who disagrees is a "Trot" or "Entryist" or "militant extremist" or some other description...

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/aug/10/tom-watson-sends-corbyn-proof-of-trotskyist-labour-infiltration Tom Watson sends Corbyn 'proof of Trotskyist Labour infiltration' Tom Watson has sent the Labour Party leader’s office a four-page document, based on publicly available information, but essentially comprising 30 year old pamphlets and selective quotes from books by Michael Crick, published 1n 1984 and 1985. If Watson is really genuine in his concern for the Labour party and "entryism" of forces from the extreme left, he should find more credible sources for his warnings rather than resort to the tactic, so popular with those on the right, of simply, ‘peddling conspiracy theories’ in the hope that some people may actually believe the smears. No. With his actions and Guardian (who else) interview of yesterday, Watson has finally thrown off the mask of the " honest broker" and confirmed suspicions held by some all along, that hi...

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/aug/05/new-peer-on-camerons-resignation-honours-list-gave-tories-25m New peer on Cameron's resignation honours list gave Tories £2.5m Keith Vaz Wes Streeting Tom Watson Yesterday, Tom Watson, Keith Vaz, Wes Streeting and others, were grabbing television interview time and inches of column space in the media, to proclaim hypocritical indignation at Shami Chakrabarti and her peerage nomination, when their real agenda was to have yet another swipe at Jeremy Corbyn. Shami Chakrabarti who has done much for human rights and civil liberties over the years, is criticised not because she has been nominated for a life peerage, but because the nomination was made by Jeremy Corbyn. Shami Chakrabarti Today, after examining David Cameron's Resignation Honours list, which takes cronyism to a new level even for Cameron, the news is revealed that at least one of ...

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/aug/04/corbyn-to-pledge-500bn-of-spending-in-leadership-speech#comments Owen Smith and Jeremy Corbyn set for Cardiff debate There is a leadership contest taking place over the course of the next seven weeks, between Jeremy Corbyn and Owen Smith for the leadership of the Labour party. This leadership contest  is being held against a background of heated debate between the two camps with accusations of "splitting" the Labour party, threats of intimidation, bullying,  xenophobic comments and other exchanges. A series of live debates between the candidates have been arranged at venues around the country, for the public to hear for themselves the policy options and visions of the two contestants.How strange then, that the television media should choose not to cover the debates live on our screens. Admittedly, the media would find it difficult if not impossible, to feed the public a potted and edited version of events, with ...

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/aug/03/labour-leadership-owen-smith-jeremy-corbyn-factions Labour could 'bust apart and disappear', warns Owen  Smith. Owen Smith Last night, (3rd August 2016), on the Sky News Paper Review at 10:30, and at the same time on BBC News Channel, this article by Rowena Mason, was one of the items selected for comment. On the BBC, Clive Myrie, the BBC "presenter" of the biased viewpoint and patronising manor, was joined by Kate Devlin (of the Herald) and Tony Evans,(of the London Evening Standard) two instantly forgettable "journalists", no doubt selected by the BBC to fill this slot probably more for their political persuasion than for any balance that they may offer in their reviews. Clive Myrie On Sky News it was a broadly similar set up, where Ian Dale the LBC presenter, was joined on the sofa by Jacqui Smith, former Home Secretary in Gordon Brown's gove...

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/labour-leadership-owen-smith-minimum-wage-pledge-jeremy-corbyn-a7169001.html Owen Smith promises pay rise for five million workers if he becomes Prime Minister Owen Smith Owen Smith was elected to Parliament in 2010. During those six short years, Smith has changed his position on issues, as frequently as the rest of us change underwear. Privatisation of the NHS, PFI, Austerity, Register of Lobbyists, and other shifts of his "policies", demonstrate that Smith is of the same mindset as those who still subscribe to the Blair philosophy that it is acceptable to say anything in order to attract votes and gain power. After that of course it is a ret urn to the status quo where every promise is abandoned within hours of polling day. The promised bribe of a "pay rise for five million workers" is no different to all the other nebulous rhetoric pouring out from the Smith camp since the start of this leadership election ...

Allow the membership to take a view. Dorchester Branch members The West Dorset Constituency Labour Party, of which I am a member (Dorchester Branch), has again chosen not to hold a special meeting to discuss endorsement of one or other of the candidates in the forthcoming Labour Party leadership election. There now seems to be some debate if not controversy in Dorset, as the CLP management committee came to the same view prior to the leadership contest of last year. The following exchanges with the CLP, outline the extent of the controversy: "It is noted that the recent instructions from the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party, sent by e-mail to Chair and Secretaries by Isobel Laing, Regional Administrator, Labour South West has suspended Constituency Labour Party meetings together with Labour party branch meetings ", during the period of the Leadership election". It is further noted that the NEC instructions are qualified to exclude, ...