tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433144336299288135.post4712782985165412229..comments2024-03-26T13:27:26.499+00:00Comments on Zelo Street: Guido Fawked – Guardian Still StandingTim Fentonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00726447899972084146noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433144336299288135.post-64813064934111664192014-02-02T15:45:04.105+00:002014-02-02T15:45:04.105+00:00Dan's comments on democratic reform of the Lab...Dan's comments on democratic reform of the Labour party rather highlights the chief concern of many Labour party supremos (mostly of the right of the party, it's got to be said). Namely, that the parliamentary party might lose influence. It's telling that at the last Labour leadership election, most in the media and Westminster focused on the 'democratic deficit' represented by the union block vote. Conveniently ignoring that it's the PLP block vote, and to a lesser extent the membership bloke vote, which is over represented in the Labour party 'democracy'. <br /><br />Seven odd million trade union members (themselves affiliate members of the Labour party, at least in spirit) receiving ⅓ of the vote, whilst two hundred odd M(E/S)Ps and fifty thousand-ish party members (with the spare cash and political engagement to join up as party members proper) get the same ⅓ share respectively <b>IS</b> undemocratic. Just not in the way the Blairites who've captured Labour and held it to ransom through this skewed system like to highlight. Then again, what else could we expect from people who think it legitimate to lambast a man with a his own distinct political positions for daring to stand against his own kin. Personally, I rather value anyone who hold loyalty to principles above some absurd sense of uber-loyalty to friends and family (not that I've been blown away by Ed so far).<br /><br />I do hope that Miliband the younger does follow through with reforms to genuine one-man-one-vote democracy in the Labour party. I further hope that he pushes for a more direct relationship between Labour an trade union members (as opposed to the trade unions themselves), recognizing formally as affiliate members with many if not all of the rights of full members. Maybe that will be the first step towards the recapture of the Labour party for the working classes.anubeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16129071449719839802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433144336299288135.post-34209157570629058192014-01-31T17:18:39.344+00:002014-01-31T17:18:39.344+00:00Perhaps they thought that there was going to be Go...Perhaps they thought that there was going to be Government action over the Snowden leaks after taking advice from the ever delightful and vigilant La Mensch?<br /><br />"In two tense meetings last June and July the cabinet secretary, Jeremy Heywood, explicitly warned the Guardian's editor, Alan Rusbridger, to return the Snowden documents. Heywood, sent personally by David Cameron, told the editor to stop publishing articles based on leaked material from American's National Security Agency and GCHQ. At one point Heywood said: "We can do this nicely or we can go to law". He added: "A lot of people in government think you should be closed down.""<br /><br />From The Guardian today. robnoreply@blogger.com