My knowledge of, and interest in, Labour politics is pretty limited. As a result I have to struggle to interest myself in the Labour party’s leadership or deputy leadership elections. The problem is that this contest is going to decide who our next Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister are.
In the Gordon Brown versus John McDonnell contest you would have to suspect that Brown has it in the bag. McDonnell is a supporter of a number of left-wing causes, such as widespread nationalisation. On top of that he has troublemaking ‘previous’ as he was deputy to Ken Livingstone when the latter was leader of the Greater London Council in the 1980s. For the Labour party to choose him would be like the Tory party electing Iain Duncan Smith as leader……
Perhaps McDonnell will force Brown to move to the left slightly. Perhaps with John Reid leaving the government Brown will take the opportunity to scrap some of the illiberal measures that have come out of the Home Office of late. Maybe ID cards will be scrapped (with pressure on public spending, surely they would make a sensible cut?), although it says something about how much the Labour party has changed when opposition to ID cards is seen as left wing. But it would be a pure indulgence (and an act of madness) by Labour party activists if they were to elect McDonnell as leader.
Brown is hardly likely to shift the party or the government dramatically. There will probably be a change in emphasis and certainly of style. Yet, no one other than Brown has the chance to deliver the Labour party a fourth election victory. Such a victory will be much more difficult due to the resurgent Conservative party and with signs that Liberal Democrat’s are starting to loose ground – but this was always going to be the case.
In the Gordon Brown versus John McDonnell contest you would have to suspect that Brown has it in the bag. McDonnell is a supporter of a number of left-wing causes, such as widespread nationalisation. On top of that he has troublemaking ‘previous’ as he was deputy to Ken Livingstone when the latter was leader of the Greater London Council in the 1980s. For the Labour party to choose him would be like the Tory party electing Iain Duncan Smith as leader……
Perhaps McDonnell will force Brown to move to the left slightly. Perhaps with John Reid leaving the government Brown will take the opportunity to scrap some of the illiberal measures that have come out of the Home Office of late. Maybe ID cards will be scrapped (with pressure on public spending, surely they would make a sensible cut?), although it says something about how much the Labour party has changed when opposition to ID cards is seen as left wing. But it would be a pure indulgence (and an act of madness) by Labour party activists if they were to elect McDonnell as leader.
Brown is hardly likely to shift the party or the government dramatically. There will probably be a change in emphasis and certainly of style. Yet, no one other than Brown has the chance to deliver the Labour party a fourth election victory. Such a victory will be much more difficult due to the resurgent Conservative party and with signs that Liberal Democrat’s are starting to loose ground – but this was always going to be the case.
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