Letters to the Editor – week ending 12th October 2025

Read what people have been writing to our editor about this week. Find out how to share your own views here.

Former MP mulls Your Party defection

I’ve been a member of the party for over 50 years, and was an MP for 13 of them, when I transformed a safe Conservative seat into a marginal that we could often win. I’m currently chair of my CLP and remain active.

But I’m depressed by the sense that the party is now centrist or even centre-right, and in particular that policies are selected on a mechanical basis (“Time to throw faction X a bone”) rather than from any consistent conviction. So although I’m not especially left-wing, I’m considering switching to Corbyn’s new party if their conference turns out to be reasonably positive and constructive.

It would help keep me on board if I could detect any consistent philosophy underlying our policies, even a philosophy that I didn’t always agree with – I didn’t always like Blair’s or Brown’s policies, but they seemed to come from a consistent pattern of thought which on the whole I usually liked. The tactical voting argument (“Vote Labour or you might help another party”) is something to keep in mind, but ultimately insufficient if the Labour leadership feels basically unsympathetic.

I think there’s a sense that the new party will only attract the far left. That isn’t the case: what a lot of us want is simply a consistently progressive party which adopts policies because we believe in them. I think that the party ignores that desire at its peril.

Nick Palmer, Labour MP for Broxtowe (1997-2010)

*****

‘The current approach is not working’

The recently published letter by Colin Bryant is excellent and sets out basic points about the Government’s approach to the economy.

We are seeing reports from JP Morgan indicating that the Chancellor can increase taxes to raise £45bn without breaking promises.

This is from a company that helps people avoid paying tax.

The fundamental point is that state investment leads to improved services and generates extra  tax receipts to pay for those services.

The current approach is not working.

Jim Cannon

*****

Three months since LGBT+ Labour cancelled AGM

Dear Editor,

It’s now been more than three months since LGBT+ Labour cancelled their AGM.

Their justification for this extraordinary decision was the uncertainty caused by this year’s Supreme Court judgment – which, incidentally, we thought was supposed to have given us greater clarity?

It was clear in July that this wasn’t the real reason the AGM was cancelled. They announced the cancellation only a week out from the date of the meeting because they knew we had the numbers to win a democratic committee election, and they wanted to prevent this happening.

It is remarkable a Labour Party affiliate can behave in such a blatantly undemocratic way. The LGBT+ Labour Constitution is very clear that an AGM has to take place, and the Trans Rights Alliance is going nowhere.

We look forward to working with LabourList to monitor the situation and ensure democracy prevails.

The Trans Rights Alliance

*****

Deputy leadership race

Why I am voting for Lucy Powell

1. She has the same surname as me so she must have Welsh antecedents as Powell is the son of Howell
2. She is a North West member like me
3. She ran a brilliant campaign for Ed Miliband when he was elected Leader of our Party
4. She is a thoroughly decent person with integrity and loyalty
5. She has time to meet with and listen to genuine concerns of Party members

I could go on but think this says it all.

Dame Sally Powell, ex-NEC member and ex-councillor in Hammersmith and Fulham

*****

Both Deputy Leader candidates seem to be excellent people and, while I want someone who is fundamentally loyal to the leadership and won’t engage in open challenge and public division, I do want someone who will challenge current policies which, in my opinion, are not ambitiously Socialist enough nor Economically creative enough to satisfy the electorate. I choose Lucy Powell.

Colin Bryant, Wakefield

*****

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