Statement from John McDonnell on leadership
This is the statement John McDonnell MP has circulated today on his withdrawal from the Labour leadership race.
——–
Dear Comrades,
I am writing to let you know that I have withdrawn from the Labour Party leadership race this morning.
I stood for the Labour leadership as the candidate of the Left and trade union movement so that there could be a proper debate about Labour’s future in which all the wings of the party were fully represented. It is now clear that I am unlikely to secure enough nominations and so I am withdrawing in the hope that we can at least secure a woman on the ballot paper.
We came into this campaign knowing that it would be really difficult to obtain sufficient nominations but we knew we had to try. The support we received from rank and file party members and from trade unionists was just overwhelming but we still could not overcome the barrier of gaining sufficient support from Labour MPs.
I appealed to the party leadership to lower the qualifying bar to allow all the candidates on the ballot paper. It was perfectly possible within the existing rules for this to be done. Reducing the bar to 5% would have allowed all the declared candidates to get on the ballot paper and the Party to have a full and open debate about its future direction. The party hierarchy refused and instead threw its weight behind one candidate.
I know that many Labour activists and trade unionists will be disappointed.
I want to thank you for all your hard work in lobbying and campaigning to secure sufficient nominations to get me on the ballot paper. You could not have worked harder.
I am urging everyone to continue the fight for democracy within the party so that in future elections rank and file members will be represented by the candidate of their choice.
We must also now throw our energies into the campaign to resist the cuts that the Coalition government is launching against our community. Providing leadership in this struggle is critically important in this coming period. We will be convening rallies and demonstrations and linking up with trade union action to resist the cuts. Let’s rise to this challenge.
Yours in solidarity,
John McDonnell MP
Update – interview on Sky News
Is this the end for the socialist left?
Update: John McDonnell has withdrawn. Full statement
Public support for Diane Abbott so far: David Miliband, Chris Bryant and Denis Macshane.
Breaking 12:10pm: James Macintyre reporting that Diane Abbott has the 33 required.
12:55pm: The Labour Party website updated with the list of names. One short, but the Milibands put her over the top.
——-
Even before a left-winger chucked their hat into the ring, the Socialist Campaign Group faced a big reduction in their numbers thanks to retirement and the expenses scandal.
I’m not a socialist but I argued earlier that having someone from the group on the leadership ticket would be good for internal Labour debate.
If neither John McDonnel nor Diane Abbott get on the leadership ballot by the end of today – then what does it say about the power of the socialist left?
continue reading… »
How Compassionate Conservatism writes off the poor
As secretary of state for work and pensions, Iain Duncan Smith will oversee the application of those “savage”, “momentous”, “way-of-life disrupting” cuts to some of those at the very bottom of the social heap.
His late metamorphosis into the Tory party’s social conscience was one of the more endearing curiousities of the Conservatives’ wilderness years.
Sure, the assumptions from which IDS’s Centre For Social Justice worked were often numbingly traditionalist.
continue reading… »
Labour chair calls for a diverse leader election
The Labour party NEC chair Ann Black sent a letter last night to Tony Lloyd, chair of the Parliamentary Labour Party.
The letter says the party needed a wider contest, “in terms of gender, race, [and] political perspective” and needed to avoid looking like it was a contest simply between “three or four white male ex-ministers in their 40s”.
The letter
———-
Dear Tony
I am writing to pass on widespread concern among party members that this leadership election should allow the broadest possible debate. This is not just about choosing an individual. It is about the flavour of the contest, and the opportunity to debate the full range of ideas, policies and directions for the future, before thousands of members and millions of affiliated trade unionists cast their votes.
If the choice is between three or four white male ex-ministers in their 40s, however able, it will be seen as lacking the full range of diversity which Labour seeks to reflect. If, however, it is extended in terms of gender, race, political perspective, the hustings through the summer will generate greater interest and engagement from party members, supporters and voters.
And whoever emerges as the winner will have a far stronger mandate to lead than if the system can be portrayed as rigged in their favour.
My correspondents are not from any particular “camp” and many are likely in fact to vote for one of the current front-runners. They are mainly interested in the health of the party as a whole, and in avoiding the difficulties which followed 2007, where many believe that the leader’s position would have been reinforced if he had taken on opposing arguments in an open contest and won through in a ballot.
I have explained the rules to all of them. I do not think the threshold of one-eighth of all Labour MPs is unreasonable, and in 2007 the same threshold produced a deputy leadership election with six validly nominated candidates. In any case it is for Conference, not the NEC, to change the party rulebook.
So the decision on who goes forward to the hustings and the ballot is now entirely in the hands of Labour MPs. It has been made clear that MPs who nominate a particular candidate are not bound to vote for that candidate in the second stage, and I hope that you will all give serious consideration to the groundswell of feeling from members and affiliates in the country in deciding whether to extend or to limit their choice.
Yours sincerely
Ann Black
Chair, National Executive Committee
—————
[hat-tip Left Futures]
We need a woman’s voice in the Labour leadership tomorrow
We may be about to see the first policy reversal of the new government on plans to give anonymity to men accused of rape. As a barrister I worked on cases involving rape and understand the enormous stigma involved and the barrier that it presents to achieving convictions.
This would be a backward step in an area that is already a real worry.
If David Cameron accepts it was a mistake we should give him some credit: being able to admit that you are wrong is a sign of strength not weakness. But there are also wider lessons that we should draw from this episode too.
continue reading… »
Who will step down? Labour lefties six short
The combined nominations of Diane Abbott and John McDonnell are still 6 short of the 33 required, according to the Labour party website.
John McDonnell tonight stands at 16 nominations:
Ronnie Campbell
Martin Caton
Katy Clark
Jeremy Corbyn
John Cryer
Ian Davidson
Jim Dowd
Frank Field
Dai Havard
Kate Hoey
Ian Lavery
John McDonnell
Graeme Morrice
Linda Riordan
Dennis Skinner
Mike Wood
Diane Abbott stands at 11 nominations:
Diane Abbott
Jon Cruddas
Nia Griffith
Harriet Harman
Kelvin Hopkins
David Lammy
Fiona MacTaggart
Chinyelu Onwurah
Gavin Shuker
Jon Trickett
Keith Vaz
It is practically impossible for both the candidates to be nominated now.
One will have to step down by tomorrow morning and persuade their MPs to support the other. They will also have to attract 6 more names.
Jon Lansman at Left Futures blog makes this point:
John McDonnell’s campaign team, much more visible than Diane’s, has undoubtedly fought an effective campaign if one judges it by the widespread support across the party for having all six candidates on the ballot paper – although some of that was much easier to obtain because of the argument against a white-men-only contest. He is ahead but, of his 15, only 3 were clearly not from the “usual Left suspects”.
Diane’s support has been slow to materialise and gain momentum, but, proportionately at least, has reached more into the centre and right of the PLP, and will benefit from Harman’s support if it happens. There are now hardly any more of the “usual Left suspects” available.
So who do you think should step aside? What if Diane’s nominees do no endorse John or vice versa?
Earlier today, Ed Balls, who already has 33 nominations, said anyone else who wanted to nominate him should support Ms Abbott instead to help her get on to the ballot paper.
Littlejohn apologises; admits not researching
Last week Richard Littlejohn covered one of his favourite themes ‘elf n safety’ in a column:
Just in time for the start of the World Cup in south Africa, a primary school in Essex has banned playground football. You guessed – elf ‘n’ safety.
Marion smith, headmistress of Thomas Willingale primary, in Debden, said she was worried about young children getting hit in the face by heavy leather footballs. There have also been complaints about balls bouncing into the road and hitting cars.
One parent said: ‘It’s appalling. How are we meant to have a World Cup-winning team in the future if they won’t let kids play football?’ Debden is only a few miles from the school where David Beckham learned his skills.
Talk about an own goal.
Did Littlejohn’s team do any research? Where did they find that “appalled” parent?
Because Littlejohn himself admits today it was rubbish:
On Friday, I reported that parents of children at a primary school in Essex were angry that playground football had been banned during the World Cup.
I’ve since heard from Marion Smith, the head of Thomas Willingale Primary, in Debden, who tells me she has only ever suspended playground football for a week to punish bad behaviour. She has asked parents to give children lightweight balls to prevent injury, but was devastated by claims that she had banned it completely.
Ofsted has commended the school for its outstanding commitment to all sports, including football. My comments were based on emails from parents and a report in the local newspaper, but the responsibility is all mine. I owe Mrs Smith and her staff an unqualified apology.
Not only admitting the story was rubbish but that his team didn’t actually doing their research before ranting about it. Surely a world’s first?
(via Tabloid Watch)
A new approach to help first-time home buyers
How many young people today would like to buy a home but are hopelessly priced out?
As Mayor, Boris Johnson has tried to champion first time home buyers but he hasn’t really made much difference.
It’s time he made a radical switch to co-operative home ownership.
continue reading… »
Watch: Michael Gove slips!
via @SimonNRicketts)
Help save Refugee and Migrant Justice @RMJUK
Refugee and Migrant Justice is a legal service which provides assistance to asylum seekers and other migrants coming to the UK.
The threat of closure is putting than 10,000 asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants at risk without legal assistance. Victims of trafficking, torture and armed conflict and nearly a thousand unaccompanied children would be affected if RMJ had to close.
RMJ were once paid on a monthly basis for the work they did. Rule changes mean that payments now always arrive late for asylum and immigration work. The Legal Services Commission is now making them wait until the case is concluded to process payment, sometimes as long as two years. As a charity this is making it almost impossible for them to continue their work.
RMJ do not need extra money, they just need paying in a time frame which realistically allows them to continue their work. The new coalition is committed to reviewing legal aid. Altering the way asylum cases are paid for could improve countless lives and ensure asylum cases are dealt with quickly so we do see the return of the large backlogs and blighted past systems.
Below the fold you will find a standard letter which you can edit, print and post (or e-mail to sally.jones@justice.gsi.gov.uk marked FAO Rt Hon Kenneth Clarke QC MP) to show your support.
Please also copy this letter to The Minister for Immigration, Damian Green MP by writing to Emily.Warren2@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk. You may also like to send a copy of the letter to your local MP: Find out who they are here. Richard Benyon will be getting a letter from me.
There is also a facebook group and a twitter page.
Refugee and Migrant Justice do fantastic work for refugees and migrants and deserve your support, please take 5 minutes out of your day to help.
Rt Hon Kenneth Clarke QC MP
Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor
Ministry of Justice
102 Petty France
SW1H 0AL
7th June 2010
Dear Mr Clarke,
I have recently learnt from Left Outside Blog about the possible closure of Refugee and Migrant Justice due to bureaucratic rules that result in late payment by the Legal Services Commission.
No charity can be expected to wait many months, even years for payment. Refugee and Migrant Justice provides an excellent service to asylum seekers and other vulnerable migrants with the greatest needs and this is putting that service under threat.
If RMJ has to close, I understand this will lead to more than 10,000 people being left without legal representation and this could cause chaos in the asylum system. Lives will be put at risk and there are likely to be many more miscarriages of justice, which are already common.
With that in mind I beg you to consider urgently paying this very important charity what it is due or to make interest free loans available to make up the difference. I appreciate that public finances are under pressure but understand the Government is committed to a fundamental review of legal aid. This is the perfect opportunity to cut out inefficiency and pay providers like RMJ fairly and promptly.
I hope you will take this matter seriously and I look forward to hearing of your immediate actions.
Your Sincerely,
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