This Once Great Movement Of Ours

[Blair]

Very surprised to read here that Angela Smith rejoined last year.

I can see Gapes, Coffey & Ryan coming back but the rest seem happier outside - particularly Austin.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/luciana-bergers-return-to-labour-clears-the-path-for-others-to-rejoin-cnhq8dzzj

I think Angela Smith was just very out of place in the Lib Dems- considering she was ofc a card carrying Blairite. The interesting thing about TIG is how they were all almost different definitions of the committed Labour types and irrc those types were very much the ones who wanted it to be Labour MK.2 rather than En Marche which Chukka clearly wanted.

I doubt AS would return to Parliament which probably makes it easier to return without agro- the same goes to Gapes, Coffey and Ryan

[CumbrianLefty]

I don't like Smith, and she apparently put off the LibDems with her entitled attitude.

But no, she isn't Umunna or Leslie.

[Blair]

Welcome to THIGMOO sue.

[JimJamUK]

Welcome to THIGMOO sue.

I don’t think hiring the person who authored a controversial report on the prime minister’s behaviour is a good idea…

[YL]

An interesting thing about the Labour Party (and one that tends to be missed by a lot of people) is that unless a substantial change in views either around the time of the defection or later has taken place, most MPs who leave the Party either return to it or obviously wish that doing so were possible. The proportion of SDP defectors who returned is higher than widely realized (and would likely have been higher still had more survived into the 1990s), for instance, and then we have cases like Bob Mellish, who (if Tam Dalyell's obituary of him is accurate on this point, and there's no reason to believe otherwise) was incredibly miserable in old age as he wasn't able to face the act of rejoining as he was in the Lords and would have done so otherwise. And we're already seeing that in this case: those that have more-or-less the views they always did and don't face any extra obstacles (and it probably remains the case that being in the Lords is one, as rejoining would entail another physical floor-crossing, but back to a group where not everyone will necessarily be pleased to see you) have either rejoined or are gearing themselves up to doing so, but those for whom defection either crystalized (or was the culmination of a longer period of) a substantial shift in attitudes, obviously, won't.

In some ways I think this is not that surprising: in both the SDP and the Change UK cases many of the people involved had been in Labour for a long time and had presumably been fairly comfortably there for much of their time in the party, so once the reasons which had caused them to leave had gone it's natural that many of them would drift back.

One other point I would make is that I think that the similarity between the Labour Right and the Lib Dems (and before them the Liberals) is not as great as some people in the media seem to think it is.  Of course there's an overlap, and some high profile figures show it, but I think a lot of defectors from Labour in both those waves really didn't fit well in the Lib Dems (and not because they were too left wing).

[EastAnglianLefty]

The thing about the Labour Right is that most of them are very much not liberals.

[CumbrianLefty]

Welcome to THIGMOO sue.

I don’t think hiring the person who authored a controversial report on the prime minister’s behaviour is a good idea…

The commotion it has caused within the Tory party arguably makes it worthwhile despite the flaws.

Remember, just days ago the media were reporting almost as one voice about "resurgent Rishi" and his opponents in the party in general - and a former PM in particular - being "finished".

And now a large section of his own party and captive media are noisily trying to relitigate Partygate!

I'm not saying Starmer actually planned all this, but....

[Filuwaúrdjan]

The thing is, the report was careful to avoid personal criticism of Johnson (it was not an independent report, but an internal one), but instead criticized the culture of the working environment he ran at No. 10 heavily: Johnson himself insisted that the report cleared him and accepted (he said) the criticism about working practices. I imagine that the process of putting it together was not very pleasant, especially as it was not an independent report.

[Blair]

The thing is, the report was careful to avoid personal criticism of Johnson (it was not an independent report, but an internal one), but instead criticized the culture of the working environment he ran at No. 10 heavily: Johnson himself insisted that the report cleared him and accepted (he said) the criticism about working practices. I imagine that the process of putting it together was not very pleasant, especially as it was not an independent report.

It seems rather damning that many of the lobby and indeed Tory MPs can’t remember that the line they were putting out on this! The report was seen as a good thing for Johnson and ofc even the police investigation didn’t finish it.

A lot of the issue really stems from the fact Tory MPs have nothing to do and are happy to put a quote or Twitter comment out and pretend they’re vindicated.

[Blair]

The thing about the Labour Right is that most of them are very much not liberals.

A funny thing is how my namesakes book features a long rant about how the liberals and Labour should have really been one party together and equally many chapters about why the draconian laws he passed were actually very sensible and he still goes on about ID cards.

The coalition and subsequent years has seen a real yo-yoing in terms of the two parties relative views. 

[CumbrianLefty]

Ah yes, "A Journey".

Which I am pleased to say I have never read.

[Cassius]

Apparently Paul Mason (the New Statesman’s resident prick’s prick for those who haven’t had the pleasure of being acquainted with his output) is running for the Labour nomination in Mid & South Pembrokeshire.

[Zinneke]

Apparently Paul Mason (the New Statesman’s resident prick’s prick for those who haven’t had the pleasure of being acquainted with his output) is running for the Labour nomination in Mid & South Pembrokeshire.

Why is he a prick? His foreign policy stances and criticism of the tankies is admirable and I've found him at least able to balance a strong anticapitalist stance while not sucking up to any regime with a nominally socialist name?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Mason is an odd character who goes through phases. The 'Mid Life Mason' phase was rather embarrassing, but he's moved beyond that now, a process clearly sped up by him getting (rightly, obviously) very cross about the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

[CumbrianLefty]

His anti-Catholic bigotry aimed at RLB was a pretty low moment for him.

[Blair]

He's done quite an impressive feat of being both liked & hated by virtually every part of THIGMOO over the span of only 7 years; I first recalled him as a rather interesting author & Channel 4 journalist.

The irony ofc is that if he stayed on that stream he would have been more likely to have had a chance at a winnable seat.

[Blair]

It's hardly a fun job but I do wonder why candidates such as him (those who are high profile enough to be known but not liked by any faction/influential selection players) didn't try and become ward councillors- even in safe seats it's relatively easy and allows you to build up a powerbase.

[Coldstream]

It's hardly a fun job but I do wonder why candidates such as him (those who are high profile enough to be known but not liked by any faction/influential selection players) didn't try and become ward councillors- even in safe seats it's relatively easy and allows you to build up a powerbase.

They think it’s beneath them usually, and it would distract him from things he actually likes like writing & appearing on TV.

[Zinneke]

It's hardly a fun job but I do wonder why candidates such as him (those who are high profile enough to be known but not liked by any faction/influential selection players) didn't try and become ward councillors- even in safe seats it's relatively easy and allows you to build up a powerbase.

They think it’s beneath them usually, and it would distract him from things he actually likes like writing & appearing on TV.

I'm in 2 minds about this. On the one hand I do like the idea of my politicians getting their hands dirty at local level and moving up the ranks that way. On the other, does it not impact the quality of elected official? I don't expect an expert in international relations or competition law for example to be able to be a good urban planner. I think specialised elected officials can be a good thing. And also local to national transition often involves heavy doses of clientelism, at least in my country.

[CumbrianLefty]

Its all gone a bit quiet on the Sue Grey front, maybe it really was a non-story after all?

[Blair]

Someone relatively senior at the NS has written an article for the Times asking why left wing people are so upset and miserable.

It takes a rather snide tone about Oxford ironically.

What on earth has happened to the NS? If I had a sub left to cancel I would.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

It's always been an odd publication. It goes through good phases and, well, shit phases, and we are no longer in a good phase.

[CumbrianLefty]

Cowley should never have been put in charge, truth be told.

[YL]

Mass deselections and resignations in Leicester, with one of the deselectees announcing a run as an Independent for the elected Mayor position.

[JimJamUK]

Mass deselections and resignations in Leicester, with one of the deselectees announcing a run as an Independent for the elected Mayor position.

It was already shaping up to be a relatively disappointing result for Labour (by-elections have been dire, attributed to racial tensions, the Hindu vote moving rightwards and issues around a former MP), but it’s looking increasingly likely it will be more than ‘relatively bad’ (Labour’s saving grace may be a split opposition vote).