Alice Mahon: Why I could stay and fight no longer
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It became clear to me during my 18 years in parliament that, with the phenomenon called New Labour, two things would change the politics of the Labour movement forever.
One, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown would adopt with great enthusiasm the free market economics pursued by Thatcher and the US neo-cons. Two, they would have to change the structures and policies of the party to achieve their goal.
A machine was put in place to crush anything remotely connected to Old Labour. Conference was changed beyond recognition, any dissent ruthlessly stamped on by the new spin masters. Delegates were sought out and pressurised into supporting New Labour policies even if they were against what the local party had decided.
This nastiness was a hallmark of New Labour and they exercised it at every level of the movement.
I have stood for conference arrangements committee twice and the party machine has moved in and spent enormous amounts of money supporting the candidates who would always support the leadership's bidding. No expense was spared when it came to defeating an independent voice. Party members have effectively been banned from any decision making.
For those of us on the left, the weekly parliamentary Labour Party meetings were not a happy event.
I remember asking for a two-day debate on the Iraq war and the sky almost fell in. The Blairite foot soldiers ran out to brief the press and sure enough on the front pages the following day it was reported that I and other usual suspects had been ridiculed and "roundly booed" for opposing the leadership position.
There are very few of what I would call real Labour MPs in Parliament.
I stayed in the party hoping that with a new leadership we might go back to being a really progressive and caring party. In the event I could not have been more wrong. Under Brown things are just as bad. The decision to privatise the Royal Mail is inexplicable and simply wrong. We said in our 2005 manifesto we would not privatise Royal Mail; we lied.
That manifesto promised a referendum on the European Constitution, we renamed it the Lisbon Treaty and reneged on that promise also.
Now we find out that a website was to be set up in our name whose sole aim was to smear members of the opposition and their families. Well not in my name and, from the response I am having to my decision to resign, not in the name of many party activists either.
I have spent most of my life working for and representing the Labour Party. I always took the view that I should stay and fight within, but New Labour have done such a good job of demolishing our democratic structure that I realised there was nothing I could say or do to change things from within.
There was only one thing for me to do and that was to resign.
Alice Mahon was the Labour MP for Halifax until 2005
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Comments
Incidents of imposing potential candidates at (Erith and Thamesmead) and Calder Valley, shows that not only is control coming from the centre, but is also aligned to part factions. i.e. Blairites v Brownites. This division that has gone on for the past 15 years have lead to a Government that is installed solely to perpetuate the current apparatchik clients. The needs of the country are just a side show.
Now they lie and never resign when caught lying. Keith Vaz is back in politics now! After a what? A break for ill health reasons?
The needs of the country come second to their individual ego's. Democracy is under attack in every way under them. G-20 policing, failure to call a general election when the future of the next 30 years is being decided. Weaklings and despots all of them.
I know exactly where Alice is coming from, like her, I hung on to fading hope until recently when I decided enough was enough.
The magic word "Labour" included in the title did that, which of course, with the benefit of hindsight, was the intention when the title was originally thought up, and was never intended to actually mean anything.
I to am now very ashamed to admit I voted New Labour, not once, but twice. dear me, the stupidity of it.
So, Alice's decision to finally burn her bridges at this point, is entirely understandable in my point of view. The one word I find missing in these posts (well, as much of them as I have read that is) is "Loyalty", for anyone that actually feels a sense of loyalty has a hard time dismissing it. however much it is trampled upon by others, and so I believe it has been with Alice...Well done girl, principles are fine things and need acting upon & supporting, a dying art it seems, going by the actions of much of the present political fraternity, in both main camps.
One point that causes me much concern in all this, is the fact that the shenanigans of the two main parties, presently vying for position at the trough, is giving some, note I say some, rather less desirably parties an opportunity to flourish, I truly dread where that is going to lead.
then what? We cant live in the woods!
I was quite disappointed by the paid Labour people like whinging on about the party. Their attitude is almost typical old Labour- we'll leave it to the tories to sort out. MLKing writes about it when he was trying to get black cohesion, they would all fight, leave, get fatalistic and leave it to the whites. Bad move. Sort it out yourself. You keep the energy yourself, not give it away to your old masters.
Now TB is out he is free to speak up and assuage his conscience. He has now become an RC. How many RCs has this county lost a spotential PMs while they have been barred from becoming PM? How many have Labour lost while pursuing the Emily's list where the right to life of the foetus was seen only as viable if the woman favoured it's existence? Then there is the price of not being paternally directive when Mr Bush spewed forth his own distorted version of fundamentalism (ok, maybe all forms are a disttortion of some truth) and instead, bowed down over the delusion of Iraqi threats to the world; and have unleashed the horrors of an aggrieved peoples, fundamentally more able to bring their own version of justice upon a greater number. For Gordon, another Christian, in these troubled times, where the price of expediency in the name of victory, seems ever more expensive day by day, I wonder what he will have to do to feel better after his term is up. Perhaps a little longer in the wilderness would have been a wise and just road.
Perhaps now is the time for true speaking from Labour and Lib Dems; perhaps now is the time for a coming together of a new party, which reflects the wishes of more of the people; perhaps Labour and Lib Dems could return to the fold they feel at home in - Together
Blair, Bush and Brown are not Christians - they are Zionists. You cannot be a Zionist and be a Christian even if you claim to be.
There are very few of what I would call real Labour MPs in Parliament.
There was only one thing for me to do and that was to resign.
I remember a story I ought to tell you as the similarity is the same but of course. The theme is different. The mode is exactly like your but the subject matter is like yours.
A student was talking to her friends. I am still not married. (This has been modified). The friend said, ?Is this the pride or boasting?"
Then there is another.
The women were on the pavement talking of the weight. I have lost 5 kilograms she quipped. A man passing by said, ?Have looked behind your back, madam?.
I see your problem very clearly.
I thank you
Firozali A. Mulla
I thank you
Firozali A. Mulla
Quite so Alice and you, the Labour Party and Conference must be to blame for allowing itself , in desperation, to be beguiled by Tony Blair. You allowed his cabal to betray the party and the country.
I cannot forgive myself forvoting for New Labour in 1997 and I'm surprised that your piece isn't angrier.
I think that we can agree that Nu Labour should at least drop the 'labour' from its name.
But then again it is a party that knows no shame.
The past 12 years demonstrated that Blair, now Brown, have had a coterie of special and personal advisers operating their vile arts in the shadows of No 10. Were these peculiar species licensed or were they freelance? They were appointed and therefore licenced.McBride was there to serve the perceived interests of Brown.
Whilst they were protecting their master's careers with rumour, calumny and detraction they were relatively harmless, confining their dark arts to the confines of the Labour Party. But once they stepped outside they lost control. Their sheer arrogance made them throw caution to the wind and over-step the mark.
These vile characters were allowed to fester for a long time because they were protected by certain unscrupulous sections of the print media who also aided their spread of this poison.
Protection of sources should apply without compromise to those who have put themselves at risk to bring ligitimate matters of interest into the public domain. But to confuse that noble principle with the protection of nasty sneaks like McBride is totally unacceptably. I note on Guido's web site, the Daily Mirror has been exposed to this charge.
Protecting vile characters like McBride is self-serving rubbish and has done incalculable damage. However, it must be remembered he was there to carry out the specific bidding of his master.Brown has finally admitted responsibility and it will haunt him till his dying day.
"Oh for the good old days . . . "
"Around 50 Labour MPs are ready to vote down plans by Peter Mandelson, the Business Secretary, for a part-privatisation of the Royal Mail."
Part-privatisation becomes privatisation when tendentiousness sets in.
I suppose we might welcome you into the Greens if you have seen the light......
Ha...and it took you twelve years to find this out?
Couldn't have anything to do with the fact that during these years, you have taken a taxpayers funded FAT SALARY, EXPENSES and ALLOWANCES plus many other perks and not said a dicky bird until now?
Principles? You and your cronies don't even know the meaning of the word. Perhaps you have just realised that you have no chance of winning at the next General Election...and have decided that now is the time to be "PRINCIPLED"...more like a HYPOCRITE.
Talking about it now is a little late.
The left can only redeem themselves by founding another party that actually remembers the voters.
The aquiring of wealth by any means is no longer just a conservative party philosophy but applies to 95% of new labour Mp's - i am so cynical about evrything in this country that I believe nothing that comes out of any establishment mouths- be it the police, the armed forces, the bbc and obviously this corrupt and morally bankrupt government
Only a lunatic, power drunk party would rely on the Derek Drapers to win support through spin and smear rather than substance. I wonder want self-respecting person on the Left would read a web site written by the likes of Draper & co? So I guess it was for a handful of New Labour hacks.
La Lucha Continua! I look forward to further intervention in Politics by you Alice.
John P
I thank you
Firozali A. Mulla
And now even the USA has got their own Tony Blair.
They swallowed their principles when they hired the showman Blair and his circus to do the necessary.
It became very clear quite soon what these clowns were up to, and at that point she should have quit rather than waiting until things got better. Instead they got worse, and the idiots put the murdering thieving self-seeking Blair/Brown/Mandelson/Irvine/Goldsmith/H
She knew what was going on and betrayed us just as much as they did.
This nulabor cadre has declared war upon it citizens. Government has become the enemy of the state. Last time this happened, heads rolled, literally
An as yet unnamed elite, lawless organisation is actually running the country by stealth, in effect a silent insurrection from within. The control must be total, absolute, and lead top-down from the centre. What and who cannot be controlled must be destroyed by nulabor. This unelected cult cadre bypasses Parliament, the Judiciary, local democracy, and all the institutional safeguards that were designed to ensure our freedoms, especially free speech.
This corrupt nulabor government publicly stated its intent to devolve democracy to its lowest practicable level. This was a cynical lie, pre 1997. All that nulabor has done is to create and maintain the illusion of devolution, whilst imposing ever stronger central control. Throughout the country, from 1992 onwards, nulabor encouraged the setting up of community based consultation and activity groups, such as community forums, that gave the appearance of meaningful engagement with citizens. What was really happening was that these groups were strictly controlled, placemen were imposed, local people ousted, and puppets padded out the group. Then false claims of representation of the community were made. Any existing, genuinely bottom-up, and self-managing community group that did not accede to ( forum ) control were destroyed and replaced. In effect, nulabor was consulting with itself.
This nulabor government is corrupt. The nulabor corruption is absolute, lead from the top down, imposed through all tiers of social and government control, down to street level. Being rotten to the core and from the core, everything it touches it taints. Having neither the ability nor inclination to correct itself, outside intervention is indicated.
I see little difference between Blue Labour and the Tories, they have the same policies, they move in the same social circles, they serve the interests of the same corporate backers and they are both commited to obfuscating any real change to the appalling corruption practiced by "our" politicians.
A recent suggestion was that the next election should be fought as a matter of principle and that we should simply endeavour to oust all sitting candidates in favour of their opponents. It would not be a solution, as such, but the resulting chaos may stop them from carrying on with their grand aim to criminalise anything that cannot be taxed.
It is saddening that the only people in Parliament who have any integrity and any spine are left with resignation as the only possible option.
This is why decent people no longer get involved in Parliamentary politics and why it has been taken over by elitist corporate puppets who have no concept of the lives of ordinary people and spend their time being ferried from meeting to meeting in limousines at our expense.
It is clear that politicians are devoted to serving the interests of the ruling class, what a shame for the rest of us.
Perhaps we should revise the electoral system?
It seems that 10 years is the natural life span of one party in power. After that length of time the reasons they got elcected are forgotten and it is only the unwillingness to requinquish power that motivates them. This isn't a party political failing it's a human one.
If the Conservates stay in for the next three terms expect to see exactly the same problems. (and I'm a tory)
As for the snipers above, please remember that Alice "was" a Labour MP. She has retired and this is concerning her resignation as a party member, not as an elected MP.
John Bratton
Canada
All these people who moan how bad the Labour govt is or how bad things are, what are you actually doing about it? Its very easy to bleat on like some cracked record.
Show some guts.
Alice should have stayed, instead she has a few headlines but the only ones who will benefit will the Tories who despite their makeover are a deeply reactionary bunch.
The blue rinses down here in the shires where I love cant wait to get their hands on the country.
TO GIVE US BACK OUR RIGHTS AS BRITISH PEOPLE NOT EUROPIAN DROP OUTS WE AS BRITISH PEOPLE DESERVE THE PEOPLE TO MAKE OUR OWN COUNTRY PROUD FOR OUR SELVES WHAT THE BRITISH PEOPLE COULD DO WITH ALL THAT MONEY GIVES TO BRUSSELS EVERY WEEK WE WOULD NOT BE IN A CREDIT CRUNCH. WE THE BRITISH PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE NOT GOVERMENT PUPITS THE SOONER THAT GORDON BROWN AND HIS CRONIES GET THAT MESSAGE THE BETTER FOR THIS COUNTRY