tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433144336299288135.post311535605962889195..comments2024-03-17T12:51:33.240+00:00Comments on Zelo Street: Welfare Bill - What Does Labour Stand For?Tim Fentonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00726447899972084146noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433144336299288135.post-56384033381671790212015-07-21T14:21:38.352+01:002015-07-21T14:21:38.352+01:00The labour party are finished as a major player in...The labour party are finished as a major player in British politics for the foreseeable future. The decline started with Blair's New Labour and it's been all downhill ever since. Like successive governments, the party no longer listens to those it is meant to represent, instead focusing on what the tories are up to and too afraid to be offer something wildly different from tory policy. <br /><br />The party is failing it's members, but more worryingly it is failing to be a strong opposition party and offer a real alternative to the tory rhetoric. If there is any chance of redemption it is in the upcoming leadership elections in the shape of Jeremy Corbyn. This is a man who says what he means and means what he says. Who stands up for the working class and those least able to defend themselves. But unfortunately I can't see the party electing Corbyn as their leader and even if they do, the task may be too big even for him.<br /><br />In response to these and other concerns in UK society a new group for UK residents is being setup. It's purpose is to provide a platform for people to come together to discuss, debate, design & build a better, fairer & more democratic UK society where everyone will have an equal chance to prosper.<br /><br />Group meetings will be held online as webinars and the first meeting is taking place during the last week in July. Anyone who is UK resident may join the group by sending an email to redesigndemocracy@yahoo.co.uk in order to be added to the list of invitees.Damien Quigghttp://britishdemocracy.blogspot.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433144336299288135.post-21369090674336248792015-07-21T12:21:28.136+01:002015-07-21T12:21:28.136+01:00Tim, Let's not be mealy mouthed about this.
H...Tim, Let's not be mealy mouthed about this.<br /><br />Harman is dyed-in-the wool New Labour faction. And if there is one group of people who have betrayed the Labour Party and its founding principles, it's that gang of disgusting righties. <br /><br />They had their chance when in power. All we got was more privatisation, more warmongering and genocide of innocents, greater social disparity, more poverty, more invasion of privacy, more media given to Murdoch, more corruption, more concentration of wealth in the south east......and so on. Do you want me to list even more of their betrayals?<br /><br />By comparison, Harman's "action" on irresponsible reporting (read: far right propaganda) was a fart in a bottle. Much was made of it but it amounted to fuck all that mattered. Which was no surprise, given the behaviour of that mass-murdering war criminal Blair.<br /><br />Until the Labour Party clean out that gang of political traitors we'll get more of the same. And now probably much worse.<br /><br />Harman and co? They can't be trusted to wipe their own arses. Charlatans and chancers the lot of them. As bad as the tories.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433144336299288135.post-33926492300799972442015-07-21T12:13:23.628+01:002015-07-21T12:13:23.628+01:00Too much hysteria and not enough analysis of Labou...Too much hysteria and not enough analysis of Labour's position. Keir Starmer's statement makes it clearer: <br /><br />'Labour should not support measures which will increase child poverty. The Welfare Reform and Work Bill will increase child poverty and therefore I cannot support it. That is why I voted for Labour’s amendment which opposed the Bill, giving reasons including the adverse impact on child poverty. That was a vote against the Bill.<br /><br />The Bill also includes measures to support more apprentices and measures to support troubled families. Although these measures do not go far enough, Labour should support them in principle. That is why, when Labour lost the vote on its amendment, I abstained on the final vote on the Second Reading of the Bill to allow these measures to proceed to the Committee Stage (which comes next.)<br /><br />I did so after receiving a face to face assurance from Andy Burnham MP (who I am backing in Labour’s leadership election) that if, at Committee Stage, major changes are not made to the measures which will impact on child poverty, he will, as Labour’s leader, oppose the Bill when it returns to the House of Commons for the final and critical vote at the Third Reading. I will follow the same course.'<br />Bobnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433144336299288135.post-80058262452088857432015-07-21T10:23:19.767+01:002015-07-21T10:23:19.767+01:00If Labour had done their job, the Bill would have ...If Labour had done their job, the Bill would have been defeated. Now thousands will be worse off, the very constituency that Labour claimed to represent. This lot is Blair's true legacy and last night was their tuition fees moment.<br /><br />It is utterly unforgivable.Mikenoreply@blogger.com