Now that the New Labour boil has been lanced, we might finally get back to real business in politics

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So, following the carefully drip-fed reports about a possible Labour split exercising the media commentariat over many weeks, they’ve finally gone. The tendency that these deserters represent actually has a long history, traceable right back to Sir Keith Joseph and Margaret Thatcher’s determination to drag the political centre ground dramatically to the right. And so we ended up with a “New Labour” government, led by Thatcher’s “greatest achievement” – Blair – that imposed many neoliberal free-market policies that were essentially indistinguishable from the Tory policies.

The mammoth book Blair’s Supremacy by Lewis Minkin provides all the gory details on how Blair and his henchman systematically captured the Labour Party and turned it into a right-wing social democratic party, “intensely relaxed” about “the filthy rich” (Peter Mandelson), and with power ruthlessly centralised to minimise any semblance of genuine democracy.

Hardly any tears will be shed now Umunna, Leslie et al have finally gone. In leaving Real Labour, they know they could well be delivering our country to another five years of nasty Tory rule (as infamously happened with the SDP split in the early 1980s).

In so doing, they thus merely confirm their quasi-Tory credentials, effectively expressing their preference for yet more heartless Tory government rather than for a progressive real Labour government.

Corbyn’s Real Labour must now trumpet detailed chapter-and-verse on the litany of quasi-Tory policies for which New Labour was responsible, and which did enormous damage not only to the nation’s social cohesion, but to Labour’s identity and public standing – and from which it is still recovering.

Once the New Labour boil has finally been lanced, Corbyn and co will be able to get down to the real business of visionary policy formation, and not spend so much time and energy fighting Real Labour’s “Enemy Within”.

Richard House
Stroud

It took a long time for seven people in the Labour Party to screw their courage to the sticking point. I fear this secession will go the way of the SDP, though I think it a greatly more principled course of action than that of the Gang of Four in the early Eighties.

There are predictable claims that “now isn’t the time” – but now is never the time. Someone had to stand up externally against an advanced-stage classically Marxist takeover of a great, principled, and formerly democratic party of the centre-left at a stage when internal opposition is now clearly foredoomed.

As to the predictable claim that this will “let the Tories in”: firstly, they’re in already, and as hapless as they are, look to be in for as long as their opposition is any foreseeable continuation of the present Labour leadership. Secondly, even for an erstwhile Labour loyalist, better the Tories than an antisemitic, anti-patriotic, totalitarian incubus. Besides, this brave act might just succeed. I hope it does.

Robert Lockie
Hove

How would we go about a political overhaul?

Well done to Andrew Grice for his excellent, informative and thought-provoking article yesterday (“If only the politicians of yesteryear were around to handle Brexit”).

There were some very interesting statistics, with my personal favourite being the result of a ComRes survey indicating some 72 per cent of the electorate believe Brexit has shown the political system needs a complete overhaul.

I thought I was a complete outsider for the many decades I have held this view.

It is often said that every cloud has a silver lining, and while it is difficult to believe that this could be true of Brexit, it could ultimately prove to be the stimulus needed to change our political system for the better.

This would be a worthy next campaign for The Independent to support and pilot.

So thank you Andrew, but please do provide a follow-up article on just how we might trigger a much needed overhaul of our divisive political system, with a look at what changes need to be undertaken.

David Curran
Feltham

We need to stand firm against terror

The UK needs to stand firm in upholding its security-orientated stance regarding the purported requests for returning Isis terrorists. The fact that Shamima Begum has allegedly given birth to a child shouldn’t grant her an automatic right to use the UK today as a safe haven (which her Isis ideology most callously denied its victims) and become a burden to UK taxpayers.

The act of citizenship is established legally through proper channels and evidentiary documentation such as birth certificates, etc – something which hasn’t happened yet in the case of Begum’s alleged child. So there is no legal credence to those who are claiming that her alleged child is now a de jure British national.

The safety of law-abiding UK citizens should come first, not the convenience of those who betray our country and its values at a whim.

The defeatist argument of “let’s hug a terrorist” does not do justice to British and countless other victims of terror who were brutally and mercilessly murdered in Syria.

It is true that we remain a democratic society. That’s why the law needs to be changed to aid our security establishment and judiciary to fulfil their national duties. The UK should never be a soft spot to any person who upholds and acts upon their vile terroristic ideology in allegiance to foreign terror entities – as is the case with Begum.

Lu’ayy Minwer Al-Rimawi
Cambridgeshire

British Isis fighters and jihadi brides who have no other citizenship have, by international law, to be allowed back on British soil.

Perhaps they could be restricted to some remote British territory where they can be detained for investigation and possible prosecution.

Diego Garcia for example?

Guy Shirra
Sai Kung

Christopher Chope’s hometown

Driving to Christchurch recently I noticed the sign welcoming me to Dorset, “Home of the Jurassic Coast”.

I am pondering whether it is ironic or appropriate that the local MP Sir Christopher Chope lives in an area famous for its dinosaur relics.

Nick Rogers
Sway

Honours for full-time residents only

Should honours and titles be given to and held only by those who are full-time residents in the UK and fully paid-up members of our society?

This would be a popular move I am sure.

A prison sentence would also prohibit the retention of an honour or title. That would thin out the Lords a bit too.

Steve Ford
Haydon Bridge