Labour's 18 years in the wilderness - the view from Nairobi
Now most of us would think that Labour lost in '79 because of the economy, and blew it in '83 for their wrecked reputation, the Falklands and 'the longest suicide note in history'. '87 and '92 I would put down to the economy / defence and Sheffield / F/U/D respectively.
Not, however, in the reckoning of DDR-educated Raila Odinga, presidential candidate for the Liberal International-affiliated ODM:
"And ODM presidential candidate Mr Raila Odinga on Monday met with over 1,000 former MPs and aspirants seeking the party's ticket, and said there would be no sacred cows and direct nominations for candidates. Raila told the former MPs and the new aspirants to stop believing in propaganda that the Pentagon (not that Pentagon, I think) members would try to influence the nominations in favour of certain individuals. Raila gave the example of the Labour Party in the United Kingdom, which had on three occasions lost their quest to win the elections due to interference at the nominations stage". Source.
Well, Nellist and Fields were elected in '83 and Pat Wall in '87, but otherwise I am struggling to come up with members of the extreme left first elected to Parliament in that period. Additions will be gratefully accepted.
(Ahem - Livingstone, Abbott and Corbyn too)
Not, however, in the reckoning of DDR-educated Raila Odinga, presidential candidate for the Liberal International-affiliated ODM:
"And ODM presidential candidate Mr Raila Odinga on Monday met with over 1,000 former MPs and aspirants seeking the party's ticket, and said there would be no sacred cows and direct nominations for candidates. Raila told the former MPs and the new aspirants to stop believing in propaganda that the Pentagon (not that Pentagon, I think) members would try to influence the nominations in favour of certain individuals. Raila gave the example of the Labour Party in the United Kingdom, which had on three occasions lost their quest to win the elections due to interference at the nominations stage". Source.
Well, Nellist and Fields were elected in '83 and Pat Wall in '87, but otherwise I am struggling to come up with members of the extreme left first elected to Parliament in that period. Additions will be gratefully accepted.
(Ahem - Livingstone, Abbott and Corbyn too)
Labels: Africa, Extreme Left, The horror that is the Labour Party
This entry was posted
on Tuesday, November 06, 2007 at 4:04 pm.
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Esoteric blogging, Mr. C.
Well, the slower / the more obvious the day's news, the further I cast my net....
I remember Patrick Wall as a decidedly right-wing MP for Haltemprice. Was the Pat Wall you mention a relation? (I have been out of the country for many years.)
This one was a Trot:
"When he stood again in 1987 in the same ward, he was featured in the Conservatives election broadcast of the 27th May 1987, attacking his candidature because he was a Marxist. He was quoted as saying: "A Marxist Labour government would mean the abolition of the monarchy, the house of lords, the sacking of the generals, the admirals, the air marshals, the senior civil servants, the police chiefs and in particular the judges".
I think he might have been related to [the] Berlin Wall....
Your forgetting a certain B. Grant, Mr. C
"He was quoted as saying: "A Marxist Labour government would mean the abolition of the monarchy, the house of lords, the sacking of the generals, the admirals, the air marshals, the senior civil servants, the police chiefs and in particular the judges" - sounds like it could have come from Sir Ian Blair!
Good morning Mr Croydonian. This is off topic, but I thought you might like to know that just as I dialled up your blog this morning the postman came. He delivered a card from your mate "Nomad" from Kenya (posted just over a fortnight ago) - and your first item today also has a Kenyan headline! Wow... is that coincidence or what?
Seems he has been sitting on a verandah somewhere in the middle of nowhere (a different sort of wilderness maybe?) watching various assorted wildlife walk by. Lucky him! He says he will continue his ambling slowly southwards and plans to be in Cape Town for Xmas/New Year. Probably be back here shortly thereafter. So, if that is so, from early next year you may perhaps - er - look forward(?)to him contributing again an occasional comment to your daily output (which I continue to peruse regularly and silently from the sidelines). Always an interesting read. Keep up the good work. Best wishes.
Justin - Yup, Bernie belongs in the Rogues' gallery.
NLK - Sounds as though Mr Nomad is having a splendid time of it, and as ever is most welcome to stick his head round the door.
If 'sidelining' is substituted for 'abolition' and 'sacking' in your 8.52 comment C, (and it has much the same effect), then we're nearly there. But the Leader's marxist Labour credentials were never in doubt.
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