WHILE I WAS AWAY.....

Someone accused me of bottling out of the argument on 42 days. Actually , I was in London. On last train back from Manchester and far too tired to blog at length. But just a swift look at the COMPASS website and it is a veritable bloodbath with accusations of treachery, personal abuse. Trickett has resigned . Why not Cruddas? Both MPs are guilty of utterly selling out their supporters. There have been some bogus points made about not all the Campaign Group voting as one on the issue. Sorry, but they never do. Which is partly why the LRC was founded several years ago
COMPASS - the centre=left project which got a staggering four pages in the Guardian the other day becauseNeal Lawson has friends in high places - has in recent times been headed up by Jons Cruddas and Trickett. That's why this is such an issue. Still, at least Trickett had the decency to go. As I point out in the post below which now has 20 comments , including one from RESPECT's Andy Newman, I have not always been contemptuous of the COMPASS leadership. I used to be a member. Its original guru was Robin Cook. Frankly, I cannot imagine that Robin Cook, who had the decency to resign from the Cabinet over Iraq (unlike Cruddas who voted for the war) would have welcomed the Govt's shameful stance on 42 days. It was a face-saver for Gordon. Which is why, when push came to shove, these two MPs let their supporters down and preferred to save his bacon rather than stand up for principles. Same as they did last year.......
Their record I'm afraid speaks for itself. COMPASS, I repeat , is no longer credible.
I hope supporters distressed at what has occurred look leftwards and join the LRC.

HAS ANYONE TOLD COMPASS THEY HAVE SOLD OUT?

A late , too late, plea from COMPASS. How do Cruddas and Trickett square this one? And why would anyone atttend their farrago of a conference now?

An overwhelming majority of Labour members, supporters and left-leaning voters oppose the Government's plans for detention of terrorist suspects for up to 42 days, according to a survey conducted by Compass earlier this year. The consensus could not be clearer: there's little appetite for any extension beyond the current 28 day limit.

Neal Lawson is urging people to lobby MPs.........here's the e-mails cruddasj@parliament.uk
trickettj@parliament.uk

LOOK BACK IN ANGER

Interesting, if eminently annoying, to read Neal Lawson's excoriation of Gordon Brown in today's Independent. Clearly, he is Rip Van Winkle. Because let's face it we bloody told him a year ago this is precisely what would happen. Blair without the charisma. Same policies, same old New Labour voices.
On a human level, I actually feel sorry for Gordon Brown. I think his former allies ie Prescott, Levy, et al are bahaving appallingly and making all kinds of personal accusations which must be deeply hurtful. Cherie Blair is , welll, just nauseating. How greedy can it be to tout details of your sex life in the hope of extra spondoolics?
On a political level, though, Gordon Brown has brought most of this on himself. For an intelligent man, he listens to bad advice. Which is why New Labour is where it is. ie stuffed
But amid the horror I'm not going to listen to siren voices saying that the answer is for groups like the LRC to join up with less principled people on the so-called centre-left in the hope of some spurious, opportunist, alliance.
The LRC is not awash with money.It's growing slowly but steadily. And I have no illusions that hundreds of people are queuing up to re-join Labour. But, just in case anyone hadn't noticed, I've spent a long long time in PR and journalsim.
At the risk of sounding like a horrid spin doctor, the LRC "brand" is principles and integrity. Believe me, in the current climate, that''s a pretty good USP. And we don't need to conpromise or dilute our socialist values to win over many more people.