This Once Great Movement Of Ours

[Serenity Now]

Actually there is an interesting divide in Corbynism with regard to Ed M - the pragmatists see him as an ally in at least some respects (not least due to how he got grief from some of the same people who so hounded Jez) whilst the hardliners see him as just another "enemy".

For example, Ed Miliband's pub quiz has been a popular event as part of the The World Transformed (a left-wing festival which runs alongside the Labour conference, which i think is linked with Momentum). I went last year (didn't win, but came a good second or third owing to being on the same team as a Councillor who was sat at the same table).

[Serenity Now]

Actually there is an interesting divide in Corbynism with regard to Ed M - the pragmatists see him as an ally in at least some respects (not least due to how he got grief from some of the same people who so hounded Jez) whilst the hardliners see him as just another "enemy".

For example, Ed Miliband's pub quiz has been a popular event as part of the The World Transformed (a left-wing festival which runs alongside the Labour conference, which i think is linked with Momentum). I went last year (didn't win, but came a good second or third owing to being on the same team as a Councillor who was sat at the same table).

Yeah, and you had the "fundamentalists" tut-tutting at that even at the time.

Ironically they couldn't see the "fun" in it..

[Serenity Now]

I think that "fun" is alien to at least some of them more generally tbh.

One is reminded of John O'Farrell's university mate (as related in his Things Can Only Get Better, still one of the best books about politics I have ever read) who made a statement of BEING MISERABLE throughout the entirety of Thatcher's first term in office, as a "protest"

Loved that book. I wonder if I still have it, would be worth a re-read.

[Serenity Now]

He is a bit of a clown, but if there is any truth in his claims that is a tad worrying.

Breivikism seems to be getting more of a foothold in the right wing fringe.

Yes, that is worrying. There was an incident where he was physically attached a couple of years ago (on St James's Street in Brighton, which I'd say has a reputation as a dodgy area of the city) which would have been unrelated but obviously will make present situation feel more threatening.

I've met him a few times and he seemed to be quite the psephology nerd who would probably fit in well within this forum (I say this as a compliment).

[Serenity Now]

In other news, following a couple of resignations from the Labour group, the Greens now have the plurality of Councillors in Brighton & Hove. More here.

[Serenity Now]

I've just read this article by Stephen Bush in the New Statesmen, with his analysis of the trajectory of the Labour under Starmer, which some of you may find interesting.

[Serenity Now]

The reaction from Corbynites to that article has often been along the lines of "Blue Labour, ugh". A sentiment I would not actually disagree with, were it true. I think the reality is more hopeful, however.

I agree, Blue Labour and Starmer's politics (as described in the article) seem to have very different priorities. To put it crudely, I felt like the former prioritised social conservatism as an end in itself, while the latter seems rooted in more 'traditional' labour movement priorities (as Al describes).

[Serenity Now]

I'm also quite tempted to get a copy of "The New Working Class" by Claire Ainsley. Has anyone here read it?

[Serenity Now]

There were actually two baby booms in the UK (one in the late 40s/early 50s and one in the early 60s), not one. Interestingly, the people born in between did not have a particularly lucky run of things (e.g. if you were born in 1953, you would typically have been entering the labour market in a serious way in the early 70s and, well, good luck with that), so a lot of the cheap, imported American generational rhetoric is not accurate and is probably needlessly aggravating.

My parents were born around that inbetween time. I think my Dad's first job was in a labour exchange which illustrates your point rather amusingly well.