Month: June 2013

On Wednesday I posted a piece at Labour Uncut (later posted here at the Centre Left), summarising both developments in the Falkirk selection, where Unite stands accused by the Labour Party of interfering in the selection process, and the involvement of Unite in the People’s Asseembly. Yesterday the New Statesman printed this piece containing a… Continue reading Len, honestly, what do you take us for?

Yesterday morning, Uncut reported developments in the Falkirk selection fiasco; Labour’s investigation confirmed that there was an attempt by Unite to recruit additional members in order to fix the selection. For a major union to intervene behind the scenes in the running of a selection may not be unheard of, but the careless and obvious… Continue reading Labour and Unite: a little time-bomb

The Independent’s poll of polls announced last week showed two things: the first is that Labour’s poll lead is slipping (to five points, its lowest level in a year, a year which has been abysmal for the Tories). This is exactly what we would expect, it is doing what pretty much every mid-term lead has… Continue reading Labour’s lead is slipping and its main rivals are still the Tories (remember them?)

So, a week in which, to the great surprise of practically everyone, last week the two Eds came up with a set of policy announcements – or at least, position statements – to “get their retaliation in first” in advance of the government’s spending review. U-turning on a range of issues which they previously stood… Continue reading It’s not the despair Ed, it’s the hope

As a little footnote to my piece on the Turkish protests, a little nugget I have just discovered (h/t: Harry’s Place). In what seems now like quite a prescient interview earlier this year, King Abdullah of Jordan is quoted as saying the following: ”Erdogan once said that democracy for him is a bus ride,” Abdullah… Continue reading Erdogan’s democracy bus ride

Just a little snippet which may be rather significant: the Guardian’s Patrick Wintour reports that: Steve Hart, Unite political director, is on a new project, and replaced by Jenny Fornby. He tweeted he was told he was too close to Labour.— Patrick Wintour (@patrickwintour) June 10, 2013 This follows the reports a couple of weeks… Continue reading Unite: there be something stirring in the woodshed

The original, modest protest over the redevelopment of Istanbul’s Gezi Park has – largely due to a foolishly heavy-handed police response – mushroomed into a much wider manifestation of discontent. This discontent is not just economic and it certainly seems to have very little to do with the revolutions of the Arab Spring. It is something… Continue reading Young Turks: don’t stop now