Oh It's All Gone Quiet Over Blair - Or Has It?
There was a refreshing lack of bile from the Labour right after the election, but now they've wriggled back into view like worms after rain - the Malcontents.
The Umunna 'vanity amendment' is a good example, with scores of the usual suspects defying the whip to abstain. I'd like to believe that Umunna did not table a totally unwinnable amendment purely to create the perception of disunity. I'd like to believe it - but I'm not sure...
And following the success of Momentum candidates in Wavertree CLP, the odious Luke Akehurst became virtually hysterical at the 'threat' of members getting democratically elected to local roles - perhaps because he failed to do so himself at the most recent attempt
Labour's gobshite-in-residence Jess Phillips obviously added her ten-pennorth after the 'Berger incident', foaming with outrage at the idea of MPs being accountable to their CLP. Declaring herself a 'student of control' (LOL) she compared the CLP's request that Berger apologise for her past divisiveness to domestic violence, adding the hashtag #DV. Yes, actual Domestic Violence. Seriously.
This backfired in spectacular fashion as furious Twitter users condemned her for using such a serious issue to score political points.
Since the Wavertree vote, the possibility of mandatory reselection for parliamentary candidates has been, if not hot, a warm topic with commentators. Whilst its introduction does not currently seem very likely, Labour does need to address the activities of malcontent MPs and organisations like Labour First and Progress.
A 'broad church' with a wide range of viewpoints is all very well, but behaviour which actually harms the party can not be tolerated, especially since the leadership have said we are on a constant election footing.
Their constant carping and whining, whether it's dressed up as Saving Labour, Labour First, Labour Tomorrow, or Labour A Week On Wednesday, is not helping gain support or working positively for members and constituents - which after all is the job they are paid to do.
Progress et al have spent the last two years undermining and damaging the party they claim to support - exposing Labour to ridicule and portraying us as an unstable, divided and quarrelsome shambles.
Had they not compounded their treachery by taking every opportunity to trumpet their bile in the MSM, creating negative images for the electorate, who knows - things might have been very different on June 8th.
They cannot be allowed to continue and risk losing the ground that Momentum and other activists have worked so hard to gain for Labour at the next election, whenever that is - and I think we all know it will be sooner rather than later.
Blair's corrosive influence created and continues to create damage to Labour - although he seems to have gone suspiciously quiet since the election, it is unthinkable to forget that he actually told Labour voters to consider voting Tory or LibDem!
Journalist Paul Mason suggested that members who wanted 'a different vision' should start their own party. I would rather that this did not happen, but if they are unable to stop their 'vision' from damaging Labour's election chances.....well, it's an option.
Or alternatively, they could:
1) Stay a member of Labour and show respect and support for ALL their parliamentary colleagues.
2) Campaign to get EVERY Labour candidate into parliament.
3) Work within the current Labour ethos and wait to see if the time for their 'different vision' will come around. Ask Jeremy Corbyn - it happens.