After some good honesty from Alistair, I am hoping that we return to some straight forward economic theory and practice.  We need to return to our core supporters and help those from working families, pensioners and the poorest in society.  Lets start with a windfall tax!!

John Wiseman
PPC Westmorland and Lonsdale

A year ago I was in touch with many of you on behalf of John McDonnell MP’s campaign for the Labour leadership, a campaign in which I was very proud to have played a key role.

Sometimes you lose elections. Long-term what is important is the grace and manner you accept this

Labour infantilises itself if it believes that another change of leader would answer its problems. Brown has made mistakes, but this has been a collective failure too. Nobody else has set out a distinctive and popular Labour argument which could reunite a winning electoral coalition.

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.