Martin Bright

A Ray of Hope and the Budget for Jobs

Three pieces of essential reading today.  Ian Kirby’s allegations in the News of the World placing  Labour General Secretary Ray Collins in meetings about the Reg Rag website;  Jonathan Oliver  Isabel Oakeshott and Jon Ungoed-Thomas”s analysis of the Damian McBride smear scandal in the Sunday Times (Oliver himself has long been a target of the Brownites) and Heather Stewart and Larry Elliott’s interview with Alistair Darling in the Observer.  


It has been my concern for some time that briefing from next door would distract Darling from the job in hand. But the interview suggests he has kept his eye on the ball: housing, jobs and young people have to be the priority. Presumably even readers of this website wouldn’t disagree with that.


It’s all getting very last days of Rome for the Labour Party now. The Georgia Gould nepotism fiasco in the Thamesmead and Erith selection battle leaves a bad taste in the mouth. The resignation of Alice Mahon is a terrible indictment. 


Is there any hope? Oddly I have become increasingly impressed with the John Prescott’s Go Fourth campaign and accompanying blog, which strikes me as a good old-fashioned politics using 21st century means. Who’d have thought theold trooper would become Labour’s greatest asset in the run-up to the next election. Certainly not me. When I sat in on a meeting last summer when plans were being hatched for Go Fourth I was very sceptical. I’ll dig out my notes and blog some more on this.


 

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