Now that the Labour party has finally died, we should have a funeral.

[Hocus Eye.]

Some of us are sad to recognise this death but we must face up to it. Perhaps we could set up a Memorial Garden somwhere in Westminster where the party spent some of its time in the post war period. This, could, it is hoped lead to the founding of a replacement party founded from the bottom up by the people who hoped for better things from the old party. There must be many in the Union Movement who would be willing to finance such a new party.

 

[Fez909]

Some of us are sad to recognise this death but we must face up to it. Perhaps we could set up a Memorial Garden somwhere in Westminster where the party spent some of its time in the post war period. This, could, it is hoped lead to the founding of a replacement party founded from the bottom up by the people who hoped for better things from the old party. There must be many in the Union Movement who would be willing to finance such a new party.

Austerity has devastated Britain. If only we could afford an 'ed stone for the funeral

 

[newharper]

To respect what a fine thing it was before Dementia set in, yes, you are right

 

[SE25]

From 0-10, how foolish was I in hoping that they'd be in any way both slightly reminiscent of old Labour (you know, the vaguely socialist one) and able to stand up to the Tory filth?

Such a shame their failure has lead to this gov't

 

[J Ed]

Just seen that the Labour spad that I am 'friends' with on facebook has become a lobbyist for the financial industry, and is being congratulated on this by fellow spads and spads to be. Tells you all you need to know about the 'Labour' Party.

 

[redcogs]

The trouble is that there always seem to be people around who appear to be either fixed on the idea that Labour can be reclaimed from the charlatans who run it, or believe that it is worth spending time appealing to Labour members to become more left wing in the hope that they could be won to the ideas of social revolution.

Both modes of thinking seem wrong to me.

Labour was never socialist in the sense that i understand it (ie, promoting the idea of workers running society and economy via a network of fully democratic councils). Even at its best, in its heyday following WW2 it failed to institute workers control - it was always for a 'mixed capitalist economy'. So winning it back to those old progressive ideas is little more than a nostalgic dream about something that never was successful, let alone socialist.

And the idea that marxist socialists ought to continue relating to Labour on the basis of dragging its better elements into a more socialist position, ultimately winning them for the revolution has failed completely in my lifetime.

So, i agree with the OP. Time for a funeral. Bury and forget Labour. Waste no more energy on the pricks and start again the process of developing a principled workers socialist organisation that can relate to the lives of ordinary people in an honest and meaningful way in the extraordinary times that are likely to come.

i've no idea how that might be achieved though.

 

[DotCommunist]

dead? has anyone checked using this lot?

 

[Pickman's model]

if it's dead then the resurrection men should deal with it

 

[AC14]

Some of us are sad to recognise this death but we must face up to it. Perhaps we could set up a Memorial Garden somwhere in Westminster where the party spent some of its time in the post war period. This, could, it is hoped lead to the founding of a replacement party founded from the bottom up by the people who hoped for better things from the old party. There must be many in the Union Movement who would be willing to finance such a new party.

Yes, leave the Labour Party that those that actually want to win elections.

 

[stethoscope]

But, but, articul8 was in the process of saving it.

Fuck Labour and time to start building towards some form of new 'New Jerusalem'.

 

[Nylock]

Yes, leave the Labour Party that those that actually want to win elections.

?

 

[DotCommunist]

But, but, articul8 was in the process of saving it.

Fuck Labour and time to start building towards some form of new 'New Jerusalem'.

Owen Jones is giving it mouth to mouth. Or is that mouth to groin?

 

[stethoscope]

Owen Jones is giving it mouth to mouth. Or is that mouth to groin?

I'm eating my lunch ffs.

 

[Maurice Picarda]

Yes, leave the Labour Party that those that actually want to win elections.

?

AC14 - Alistair Campbell 14? Couldn't agree more, anyway.

 

[Nylock]

The sentence i quoted made no sense...

 

[zog]

Yes, leave the Labour Party that those that actually want to win elections.

You claim to have had the best educational opportunities and yet you type like this?

 

[campanula]

Mobilising around labour...or working relations between employer and employee has become nebulous and no longer really resonates with the so-called working class...but property relations, between owners and renters/homeless/transients does have a centrality and urgency - given the reckless economy manipulations based on housing/home ownership. Those who own property often find themselves in the position of 'earning' more money from annual property rises than a fixed salary...while those unable to afford home ownership are looking through a dark lens of homelessness, slums and squalor.

 

[AC14]

You claim to have had the best educational opportunities and yet you type like this?

Good that you get to the substance of the argument.

 

[AC14]

?

Crap typo, as pointed out by someone else.

 

[Louis MacNeice]

Good that you get to the substance of the argument.

It would be even better if you could state that substance clearly; care to give it another go?

Cheers - Louis MacNeice

 

[Louis MacNeice]

Crap typo, as pointed out by someone else.

Typing's only part of the process; reading what you've typed is also a good idea.

Cheers - Louis MacNeice

 

[AC14]

It would be even better if you could state that substance clearly; care to give it another go?

Cheers - Louis MacNeice

Yes, leave the Labour Party to those that actually want to win elections.

 

[Louis MacNeice]

Yes, leave the Labour Party to those that actually want to win elections.

Which of course begs the question, what is the purpose of winning elections above and beyond the contest itself? A question that inturn asks us to consider what the Labour Party is for (besides electoral competition).

It used to have a rhetorical (and at times practical) commitment to things such as progressive redistribution of wealth, equality of treatement (e.g. medically and before the law) and common ownership.

That Labour Party is dead - wouldn't you agree - so what is the Labour Party for?

Cheers - Louis MacNeice

 

[Pickman's model]

But, but, articul8 was in the process of saving it.

Fuck Labour and time to start building towards some form of new 'New Jerusalem'.

if that's what articul8 does when he saves a party, he should be made to join the tories.

 

[Pickman's model]

Which of course begs the question, what is the purpose of winning elections above and beyond the contest itself? A question that inturn asks us to consider what the Labour Party is for (besides electoral competition).

It used to have a rhetorical (and at times practical) commitment to things such as progressive redistribution of wealth, equality of treatement (e.g. medically and before the law) and common ownership.

That Labour Party is dead - wouldn't you agree - so what is the Labour Party for?

Cheers - Louis MacNeice

fertiliser

next

 

[Nylock]

Crap typo, as pointed out by someone else.

And, as pointed out by someone else, try proofreading before you post.

...see, I can do passive aggressive too

 

[SikhWarrioR]

From 0-10, how foolish was I in hoping that they'd be in any way both slightly reminiscent of old Labour (you know, the vaguely socialist one) and able to stand up to the Tory filth?

Such a shame their failure has lead to this gov't

They had from 1997 to 2010 to renationalise the Railways and the utilities and do things like dismantle the thatcher anti-TU laws but what did we get inbstead but wars, Proposals for ID cards which were to be backed with a national DNA data base, bankster bailouts and a massive PFI debt overload for health and education. And we got little difference from conservatives with ed milipede, It will be interesting to see what jeremy corbyn does if elected to leadership of what was the labour party. Sorry but out a sorce of 0 to 10 its a big fat Zero from me

 

[JHE]

A party that gets 30% of the vote in a bad year is not dead or moribund. Labour may be in long-term decline (as is the Tory Party) but it has years, probably decades, of life in it yet.

 

[Pickman's model]

And, as pointed out by someone else, try proofreading before you post.

..See, I can do passive aggressive too

three dots in an ellipsis and the 's' should be small in see

 

[Pickman's model]