Dear "Progressive Future"
It's a funny way to go about re-uniting by sectarian attacks on the left in the party. It's actually the right who are looking a little outdated at the moment, with the collapse of confidence in the international banking system, the rescue of British banking by the state, the nationalisation of a major bank, the nationalisation of railtrack, the nationalisation of Metronet, etc.
Furthermore, it seems that the most damaging sniping at the leader has been coming from some of people most associated with "new" Labour - Charles Clarke etc.
Still at least you have lost the capital N from your "new Labour" - that's a good start.

I'm sorry, but that's absurd 'progressive' future. Not only do we not know what's being done yet, but none of this gets us away from the fact that a Labour PM explicitly chose to raise tax on the poor rather than the rich - that is utterly shameful, and nothing can erase that. As for 'election-losing indulgent idealism', I think you'll find it's a surfeit of these disgusting New Labour policies that will lose us the elections, not a deficit. Let me know on May 1st if I'm wrong. If we want to win, we have to get back to our values and inspire people, particularly our activists and supporters. This tax scandal is just an indicator of the total moral vacuity of New Labour - it's just so sad. There are so many 'left' things we can do which have no effect on the swing voters you're so scared of - but you still won't do them. We just need to stop and think - why do we need unity? Is it just so we can enact Tory policies? If so, what's the point - we need to get back to our 'moral crusade'. If we don't, we will certainly lose the next GE.

Not nearly enough, see John McDonnell's article on CiF.

Get rid of the conmen, cheats and crypto-Tories, replace them in Government with decent Labour folk and policies, then we can talk about unity.

"Now is the time to re-unite and support the new Labour Government, discarding the divisive points made by a minority with their outdated left-wing agenda who simply wanted to overthrow Gordon and who advocated election-losing, indulgent idealism."

What a stupid hypocrite. The most divisive people I see are these hardened New Labour types. They do not recognise the right of any ideology to the left of theirs to exist. Luckily history will not look kindly on them.

The text of Darling's letter is here.

While this may have cooled the political situation, I'm not convinced it will calm those that look at their weekly or monthly pay slips closely, who will see the amount they get there drop due to increased tax. A lesson to learn is to use fiscal drag to slowly adjust the tax system if at all possible.

I'd like to see starting age for the NMW main adult rate reduced a bit, from 22 years old. Seems a cheap and easy thing to do for the usual October re-rating date, which will attract good media coverage for a group the 10p change has hit. I can't see any real justification for 21-year-olds not getting the full adult rate. Lower it to 21 or 20 I say.

'rwendland' and 'stuartbruce' both make fair and reasonable comments; yes, it's a far from ideal situation to put it mildly, and naturally the devil will be in the detail.

However, the relief felt today by backbench MPs is surely felt too by reasonable Party members and activists, that we pulled back from the *morally reprehensible* position of letting hard-working, lower-paid childless people & retired women aged 60-64, pay for the tax cut afforded to more affluent people.

I would have been ready to leave the Party if this measure stood.
So goodness knows how some people at the top thought they could do this and think we would swallow it.
Don't ask me, we just have to move on and stay vigilant.

My only point was to advocate getting back on the horse after the leader and some of his allies took us to the precipice, and to focus our energies on the most important battle of May 1st - primarily getting Ken back in for London and defending other Labour reps who also deliver the goods across the country.

As for my reference to a left-wing minority, I'm sorry but this refers to those few commentators who relished the idea of the New Labour leadership/Government falling apart so the Old Left could advocate turning the clock back by touting their unrealistic brand of class-war socialism.

We "hardened New Labour types" have no problem with recognising such views and the right of people to express them. We just want to make sure you stay away from the levers of power. We've come too far  - three election victories and many progressive changes in society, for a minority of inflexible, dogmatic Trots to muck it all up.

After the London and local elections will be the interesting time when those with mainstream, sensible views should get more involved with forming the next manifesto and our future direction that takes further our successes on 'building opportunities and fairness for all'.

Please stop worrying about "winning the next election". Worry instead about doing the right thing. Nothing is certain in politics, but realistically at the moment there is (roughly) a 10% chance (at most) of winning the next election, a 20% chance of a hung parliament, a 30% chance of a Tory majority of about 50, a 30% chance of a Tory majority of about 100, a 20% chance of a Tory majority of 150 and a 10% chance that Labour will become the third party and suffer a fate like the Liberals about 80 years ago.

Now I've had my rant about sectarianism on the right (sorry I'm having a bad day!) - any chance any of you economist types could come on here and explain how the compensation package is actually going to work, before I try and explain it on the doorsteps on saturday?

Is this post a parody?

The facts are

We should not be taking money from the low earners!!!
There is no comprimise on this.  There should be no need for tax credits.  If workers in families were paid at a reasonable rate, they wouldn't need them.  The Government should increase the minimum wage, review the changes in incapacity benefit and bring back the 10p tax rate.  I am sick of all these credits, give pensioners the index link back now and some credibility.  We are the only party that can deliver on these things!!

Wiseman

Unfortunatley a terminal illness means we are no longer a Hard Working Family so £7 a week worse off looks like out lot despite the Chancellor's letter.

It's not a Left-Right issue. It's an issue of basic human decency being chucked out the window.