Tribune has been following the Labour Party refinancing saga closely - seemingly the only good source of info for ordinary members on how the £21 million debt, largely from the 2005 election campaign, will be handled. The saga moves on another notch today.

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In a thoughtful article in today's Guardian (9 May), Ken Livingstone calls on Labour to learn the lessons from last week's elections in London.

The best explanation for the bizarre story that circulated earlier this week about the appointment of the next Labour Party General Secretary that I have heard is this. At the heart of the intrigue is said to be Labour First (LF).

Fortunately for the Labour Party, Boris Johnson not only remains a contradiction incarnate but now provides the public a high-profile fishbowl of Tory (opportunistic) contradictions too! As we know, despite his, and the Tory Party’s, proclamations, Johnson’s actual policies contradict them and do not give anyone any confidence that they will help lead toward the proclaimed goals. How would Johnson justify and reconcile his apparent anti-crime tough stance with his actual opposition to the proposed automatic five-year sentence for knife/firearm possession? Or reconciling Cameron’s green leanings with his own declared intention to undermine Ken’s new Congestion Charge initiatives against the gas guzzlers?   

Let's not fool ourselves. Our Leader says he's listening...so it's all going to be alright? He says he is going to give us a say...so it's going to be alright? Much of the media commentary implies that we (mere mortals) are hapless bystanders of the bubbling Westminster cauldron.

There are reports that party officials will hold a meeting today to discuss the current state of play around the appointment of David Pitt-Watson as Labour Party General Secretary

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Among the people sitting in at Labour Party National Executive Committee meetings are usually the Prime Minister's Political Secretary Fiona Gordon and her deputy, Jonathan Ashworth. There is one today. I read in Tribune and have been 'tipped off' by well-placed sources that Fiona is the real General Secretary of the Labour Party. I have never met Fiona and can't find a photograph of her.

Given the depressing drift back to Blairite policies lamented at the Progress/Compass event last night chronicled here, I am wondering what her role is as the Party languishes in the polls ahead of an absolutely critical Mayoral election in London in May. Can anyone cast any light?

Congratulations to the new General Secretary of the Labour Party David Pitt-Watson. I have meet David a couple of times at pension conferences and have been very impressed. He was our guest speaker at a UNISON conference fringe last year which I chaired. It was called “Trade Unionists are the New Capitalist’s”. Check out David’s book on this subject.

He is an experienced former Labour Party assistant general secretary and successful fund manager for Hermes which runs the huge BT pension scheme (unusually the scheme owns Hermes). He can walk the talk. I suspect that he is taking a big pay cut to do this job (which admit it, is going to be a pretty thankless task at times).

He is just the bloke to sort the Labour Party finances and its campaign machinery in time for the next election. Good Luck David (you'll need it)

At 10 am next Saturday morning, I hope to be in Birmingham to hear Gordon Brown set out further his vision for Labour in government at the Party's Spring Conference. My hope, although I'm not holding my breath, is that he will take the opportunity to praise active members - the people on whose support many elected representatives depend.

The NEC will shortly be deciding on the new General Secretary of the Labour Party. Although the whole process hasn't had much press coverage, it's a crucial one in the future of the Labour Party.

Tribune today has a dramatic article about Labour Party attempts to reschedule up to £14 million of loans, and that NEC members could be personally liable for the debts if legal action is taken. Apparently a last resort of converting the party into a limited company is being considered by some, to protect the NEC members from liability!

A debate has opened up on Grimmerupnorth, Labour Left Forum, LabourHome as well as here about the issue of slates for the forthcoming Labour National Executive Committee (NEC). Questions are being asked, aspertions cast, and denigrations peppered. It is as though political animals with a common agenda shouldn't been seen congregating together. Oh, you are on a slate - political pervert.