You are here: Home » Archives »

Labour’s soft left deserve an internal party voice

February 15, 2011 2:59 pm

Author:

Share this Article

Labour rose logoBy Emma Burnell / @scarletstand

Sunny Hundal has written persuasively today about why Compass’ moves to open up their membership are misguided. I am adding this post to the debate because I think its really important.

There are plenty of organisations whose remit is to bring together “progressives”. Compass had a remit to be the voice of the soft left within the Labour Party, and just as they could have come into ascendancy as a dominant force in the way Progress did for New Labour, they are blowing their chance.

Labour voters and members deserves an organisation that is dedicated to improving Labour, and making sure we have the best possible offer for the next general election. There will be many voices clamouring to be heard in that debate. Weakening Compass in this way at this time weakens their place in that debate. It lets down people like me who have been members from the start, but joined an organisation dedicated to improving Labour.

I get that Labour was not what Compass members wanted it to be in government. But unlike Compass, I also get that no Government ever will be. That’s democracy. Compass started well, but its endless attacks on the government were never well coordinated so in the end lost their potency. Labour organisation attacks Labour is only a useful tool if it happens in a rare but spectacular way. Not if it’s a weekly bitchy email campaign.

I realise I may be burning a few boats here, but I’ve been disappointed in the strategy and output of Compass for some time. It has gone from being somewhere that proposed interesting and detailed policies that could make a real difference to somewhere Labour members could have a comfortable whinge. I don’t think Labour is short of those places.

What is, was and will be needed is a vehicle for the substantial promotion of the soft left agenda and policies within the Labour Party. If Compass makes this change it no longer has the option to be that. Other people can fight for the progressive whole, but some people have to be dedicated to making sure Labour is the best part of that it can be.

I’ll be doing that, but I will be looking for a more suitable vehicle to do so than Compass.

Related posts:

  1. Can Compass survive outside the Labour Party?
  2. Countering the coalition: A soft opposition
  3. Compass Youth – sticking with the Labour Party
  4. Ken Clarke’s proposals on IPPs deserve a heartfelt welcome
  5. Licence fee payers deserve better

Comments are closed

Latest

  • Comment Planning the revolution – Labour and the Spending Review

    Planning the revolution – Labour and the Spending Review

    By David Robinson

    In four weeks time the Chancellor will announce the results of the 2015 spending Review. There won’t be many winners but some will have lost more than others. Political commentators and discussion forums will pass judgement and public sector managers will, yet again, pick through the debris, making do and mending from what ever they can salvage. Before we get overtaken by the detail we should reflect on the bigger picture. What ever the chancellor says on June 26th it [...]

    Read more →
  • Comment A call for action at the G8

    A call for action at the G8

    By Ivan Lewis

    In less than a month’s time, the UK hosts the G8 Summit. With hunger, tax, trade and transparency all on the agenda, the UK has a unique opportunity to show global leadership on these issues. The scale of hunger is devastating. There is enough food in the world for everyone, yet 1 billion people still go hungry. 2.3 million children every year die from malnutrition – to put that in perspective, that is around 16,000 children every day. Or one [...]

    Read more →
  • News TUC suggests Football World Cup vote should be re-run – Media roundup: May 24th, 2013

    TUC suggests Football World Cup vote should be re-run – Media roundup: May 24th, 2013

    Subscribers to our morning email get the best of LabourList – including the Media and blog round up – every weekday morning. If you were a subscriber you would have already received this in your inbox. You can sign up here. TUC suggests Football World Cup vote should be re-run “The TUC along with its international equivalent – the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) – is calling on UEFA to address the appalling treatment of workers and players in Qatar and [...]

    Read more →
  • Featured A Northern Tory that Labour should be afraid of

    A Northern Tory that Labour should be afraid of

    By Mark Ferguson

    The Labour Party spends a great deal of time beating itself up over its performance in Southern England. We know it simply isn’t good enough, but we can’t seem to put our finger on why exactly that’s the case. Is it demographics? No. Culture? Perhaps. Lack of basic party organisation in some areas? It’s certainly a factor. But whilst we’re flagellating ourselves over our inability to perform south of the Watford gap (outside of London), we should remember that the [...]

    Read more →
  • Comment Featured Why we love Woolwich

    Why we love Woolwich

    By Jon Wilson

    Woolwich is an amazing place. It’s where the Labour party was founded as a mass membership organization. The Woolwich Provident was one of Britain’s first building societies. The Royal Arsenal Coop one of our first cooperative societies. Woolwich had the second Polytechnic in the country, created with the aim of providing education for working adults. Woolwich is my nearest big town centre, where I shop and go to meet friends. In the last few days, for many people, its name [...]

    Read more →