Dear Comrades

I am tired of this intellecutal garbage coming out of some of my comrades.  We have got to speak straight to ordinary people about what is good about preferring a left or centre-left stance eg the Labour party was established by the LRC, trade unions etc, who were progressives.  All I want to see is some consistency not manifestos of waffle!

Some hometruths

1) We need change as a party or we get beat in the next election

2) We should stop ripping the hell out of each other in groups be it Progress, Compass, LRC, etc

I demand change, we need change.  We need socialism back on the agenda in the party no more:-

1) Privatisation
2) Incomptent ministers
3) low wage rises for public sector workers
4) following the US on foreign policy

All I want is to follow our membership card (Yes we do have them) that incudes a statement about democractic socialism.

Lets start acting like it!

No more personalities, please!

John Wiseman

Dear All Colleagues in the centre-left and left of the party and trade unions.  I am tired of political point scoring. 

Idea:  lets all meet up and talk about the future of the Labour party and move it in our directions.  The question has to be asked by my compass and LRC colleagues:-

Our we big enough to survive on our own?

The answer is no!!

The LRC has good progressive policies and they are listed in John's manifesto.  Compass have some very good ideas.  I can't see why we can't all discuss this like comrades, after all we all came into politics for the same reason, democractic socialism.

In fact Compass is only another softer version of the LRC, because some maybe scared to go along with John and some of the campiagn group(I am not), but I respect the difference.

Let me leave my comrades on the left of centre.  Is a progress/new labour lead party, better than a compass/LRC lead party??

John Wiseman
PPC Westmorland and Lonsdale
Unite Shop Steward

There is many reasons for this, but it may surprise you, but as a man on the left, I would like to see democracy succeed, not a plot.  The tories are having a field day!!  The appointment of maybe a left leaning deputy may help, and I would listen to the unions on this.  Any talk of leadership challenges is only coming from Blairites mainly!!

We need to unite at present and change to a more progressive agenda!

Wiseman

Our friends over at PoliticalBetting.com are reporting this rather interesting piece of news.

I have listened to what has been said on these blogs and so I have to a comprimise list on what we should do now as a part.

We must rally around the party flag and Gordon
We must make sure we are clear about the 10p tax rate
Look at giving workers a christmas bonus eg raise the tax threshold
Raise the minimum wage for all young people

Show we care!!

Wiseman

It's not often that the Left is front-page news but today's Mail On Sunday is seething with speculation that John McDonnell  MP is to mount another challenge to Gordon Brown.

Frank Field MP and many others throughout the Party almost got the job done, as thankfully Gordon Brown finally had the sense to promise to compensate those poorest people losing out from the abolition of the 10p tax rate. Time will tell if they get anywhere near adequately compensating the lowest earners. People are right to be sceptical and we must be vigilant after this catastrophe.

After a good display by Gordon at PMQs, I feel progress has been made on the tax issue.  I think we still should re-think the policy.

Wiseman

Dear all

I have seen the reaction to my last post and have been staggered by it.  At the end of the day if we don't change policy on the 10p tax rate, we our going to lose the support of the low paid.  Again I repeat, we must wake up here!  I hear there maybe signs of change beginning to happen at no 10 and 11.  This will be in the form of changing the tax threshold for lower paid workers.

John Wiseman

I seem to be in the middle of a nightmare at present.  The BNP are standing all over my home constituency.  Everyone seems depressed where I am standing for parliament.  Gordon has decided to take money away from his core vote,  PPS's are threatening to resign!! When are we going to wake up!!!  There is hundreds of councillors who are going to lose their seats if Gordon doesn't listen.  I am asking please Gordon for the last time wake up and smell the coffee and save the party as in rectify the tax change!!!

With Regards

John Wiseman
PPC Westmorland and Lonsdale

Call  me  cynical. But strangely a  letter   apparently   asking  my CLP to confirm  its leadership threshold  resolution   never, er, reached   our   CLP Secretary.

Polly Toynbee is invariably referred to as one of the most influential commentators of the New Labour era, reviled and revered in equal measure.  This doyenne of the Left was formerly BBC social affairs editor and an associate editor of the Independent before rejoining the Guardian in 1998, where she had spent many years earlier in her career and where she still resides.  In this in depth interview with Polly - the first for many years - Chuka Umunna, editor of TMP (the online political magazine) and Compass management committee member, talks to Polly about life and her views.

According to the latest reports Jon Cruddas is getting the support of trade unionists across the country.  His strength seems to lie in Unite, CWU, Unison, RMT, ASLEF as well as the Socliaist health association.  According to many actvists I have met including some in unison labour link are supporting one man and that is Cruddas.  Get ready for a surprise!!!

Cruddas shon in last hight hustings in liberpool i was talking to people on the way out seemed to be a mixture of Cruddas and Blears.  I genuinely think Cruddas is going to win based on last night, which included a number of  Benn supporters.  I was shocked with the amount of people who were not impressed with Harman or Benn.  Seen hain later in our CLP and cam across well.

Wiseman

Dear Comrades

I have finished the layout of my new blog.

Attached are videos of John McDonnell/LRC policy videos.  Jon Cruddas videos and Unite videos eg Merger with USW.

I would welcome right and left comment

Wiseman
http://wisemanleft.blogspot.com/

Just a quick line to say Jon Cruddas will win the deputy leadership election

1 Because he is listening
2 He is learning all the time and is not afraid to admit
3 Has the backing of the biggest union (note Unison left members will probably back him as well as the GMB members)
4 He is honest (refreshing change)
5 He stands for traditional labour party values
6 He is not a "lollipop" minister to kiss bottoms just get up the greasy pole
7 He has "GRASSROOTS SUPPORT" among activists

he needs to understand that he should thank John McDonnell for helping by bringing out some of the key policy issues, which he had believed in and now has the forum to engage the party.

He will unite all strands of the party.  After this I don't any moaning about the "hard left" rubbish "he aint!" he is just a tradional hardworking labour mp who listens!!!

Wiseman

Over  200  CLPs failed to nominate Gordon Brown.Most, possibly, because they saw no point as it was a one-horse race.

Dear Comrades

It is beginning to look like the remarkable will happen and that Jon Cruddas may win.  The state of play at the moment is :-

Hilary Benn 76
Jon Cruddas 70

This result makes me even more happy because amongst hilary support is at least 24 left clps which have been loyal to the bennists, but amongst those clps many will vote for Cruddas.  I know anmongst the trade unionist Cruddas will lead ahead of Johnson.  The key will be in the membership vote.  I feel it will be between Cruddas and Benn.  I have Cruddas to snatch it.  I know it is not just me with this feeling.  So I again appeal to John McDonnell supporters. There is a still a victory to be gained here and I know a couple of dozen clps which would have backed McDonnell have supported Benn.  If you are on the left please back Jon.  I have listened to him several times and I must admit he is sounding a better actvist than ever.  Lets change the party, vote cruddas, vote for change and unity!!!

Just had an e-mail saying that a Labour Party regional officer has been ringing up CLPs in our area asking them to nominate Brown. At time of writing there is one hour to go before the nominations deadline is reached. Sadly for the apparatchiks desperate to drum up support for the Dear Leader, we had our CLP meeting two weeks ago. As I explain in this e-mail to a Party official.