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Socialsmo o Muerte
26th September 2005, 13:54
Did any of you listen to/watch Gordon Brown's speech at the Labour Party Conference earlier today? When suggestions about his taking over the Party began intensifying around the time of the last election, I began thinking maybe I could vote for him. He is, after all, regarded as a true old Labour man. Ok, he's no Lenin, but he always seemed to have his heart in the right place, despite his strong alliance with business.

That opinion of mine was suddenly dashed at around 1pm after Brown delivered his most foolish speech to date to all left-wing listeners.

Whereas he has previously been described as being "absorbed" in politics, he has clearly now seen the lights of glory that will come with leadership as his speech was laden with soundbytes and sycophantic "shout-outs". He's the Chancellor, yet he had no deep economic messages in his speech, just the regular vague promises of a Prime Minister. He's no longer "absorbed in politics", he has become "absorbed in the limelight".

But within his much applauded speech, I noticed a foolishness, unseen before in Brown, come out which, I think, will lose him points. The centre (an acronym for "sycophantic portion) of the Party will be fine with him and the speech, but the right and left wing of the Party will be displeased I think. The right wing in Britain don't like him anyway as they see him as too left-wing. The left previously appreciated him in a way as he was an old Labour head. But no longer. The Unions will not be pleased with what he has said and they're support for Labour is already hanging on a thread. Brown's continued disassociation with them will surely once and for all bring about the complete split of Labour from the Unions; the very principle that the movement was conceived on.

Whereas previously I saw Brown's progression to leadership as something which would strengthen Labour's stronghold, I now think maybe it could backfire on him. If the Tories choose the correct leader, they could again be challenging Labour seriously quite soon.

bunk
26th September 2005, 14:22
Even if Brown wants to bring labour back on the socialist path it would have been too much to announce it at the conference now

bolshevik butcher
26th September 2005, 16:57
I dont think he does. He's been chancelor since 1997, and he's financed and supported the new labour project. He's the co-founder of it for god sake.

Amusing Scrotum
26th September 2005, 20:08
If Brown strays away from the Unions and the left of the Labour Party too much, then we may well see a serious opposition candidate pop up. A proper left wing Labour man, would be preferable to Brown. So no need to lose faith yet Socialsmo o Muerte.

ÑóẊîöʼn
26th September 2005, 22:23
I think Guy Fawkes had the right idea actually. <_<

Socialsmo o Muerte
26th September 2005, 22:25
I wasn&#39;t suggesting Brown would go completely back, but I thought he would be as left wing as is sanely possible for a mainstream politician.

As for an alternative candidate, the Labour left is too small to put forward a serious opponent. Cook was a genuine outsider. An honest and straight-forward Labour man, he would&#39;ve been worth a shouti f not for his tragic accident. Other than that, can you name any of the famous "rebels" of the Iraq war who stand a chance against Tony&#39;s bud Gordon?

Amusing Scrotum
26th September 2005, 22:29
can you name any of the famous "rebels" of the Iraq war who stand a chance against Tony&#39;s bud Gordon?

No famous rebels, but, I have been hearing alot of rumours regarding Alan Simpson. Don&#39;t know a great deal about him, but, if the Unions and the Labour left started pushing him, his stake would rise considerably.

Des
26th September 2005, 22:32
tony benn for prime minster&#33;

Amusing Scrotum
26th September 2005, 22:35
tony benn for prime minster&#33;

Hes got my vote.

Socialsmo o Muerte
26th September 2005, 22:39
Simpson is an interesting one. I would gladly see him put his name forward. He is a true Labour left man, opposed the war, favoured the hunting ban and has openly criticised Blair. But can you see the mainstream party backing him? Even though he is far more charismatic than Brown, he has no backing.

Socialsmo o Muerte
26th September 2005, 22:41
Benn is good to listen to. But just remember he was part of the Kinnock era. People get drowned in his apparent "wisdom", but just remember how reactionary he was.

bolshevik butcher
27th September 2005, 16:53
I dont know what was with the whole concorde fascination either. There&#39;s john mcdonald i think his name is, he&#39;s prety left wing. Even a fairly local labour mp gavin strang&#39;s quite left wing, there&#39;s still good people in the labour party.

h&s
28th September 2005, 15:58
Tony Benn would definitley be a step forward for the Labour Party, but its never going to happen.
Alan Simpson would improve the Labour party, but IMO it would not really be much of a step forward. Sure he opposed the war, but that doesn&#39;t really make him a socialist does it? And WTF is banning fox hunting about? Thats a liberal thing, not a left one.


I dont know what was with the whole concorde fascination either.
Yes, people seem to forget Benn&#39;s bad policies.

Socialsmo o Muerte
28th September 2005, 22:55
Firstly, Tony Benn would not be a step forward at all. You even mentioned how people forget his stupid policies. He was one of the most reactionary members of the joke Labour Party that Kinnock ran and his apparent wisdome appears to smokescreen his massive flaws from people on the left.

And, as you apparently missed it, the point about Simpson&#39;s opposition the war and support for the ban was just to confirm he was one of the much spoken about rebels. I was taking it as a given that people knew Alan Simpson is a true old Labour MP and a big player on the Labout left. Obviously you didn&#39;t pick up on that.


And WTF is banning fox hunting about? Thats a liberal thing, not a left one.

Labelling a ban on unjust killing of innocent animals isn&#39;t really need though is it, and nobody was suggesting it was a "left" thing. I&#39;m more concerned about i being a human "thing" if you wanna give it a label so badly.

Roses in the Hospital
29th September 2005, 08:56
To be honest I think I&#39;d rather see another centre-right Labour leader like Blair than a left wing one, for the simple reason that I seriously doubt a socialist headed Labour government would get elected, and we&#39;d end up with the Tories screwing us over for four years. Oviously, there&#39;s exceptions, as had already ben said someone with the popularity and charisma of Robin Cook would probably have stood a chance, but that&#39;s hardly likely now...