Unblairable!

So Tony Blair says that he knew Brown's premiership would be a disaster (http://m.guardian.co.uk/ms/p/gmg/op/sDtTw6B1McjXe3RtcOrYA_w/view.m?id=553170&tid=120787&cat=News).

I can't help feeling Blair brings all the perspective of an Ouslum bird (http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oozlum_bird?wasRedirected=true) to this question, since he clearly feels that the route to a fourth term went via an intensification of the deeply unpopular, reactionary and counterproductive New Labour project.

In fact pretty much the reverse was true - and as long term readers (Sid and Doris Blogger) will recall, this blog supported a real alternative to both Brown and Blair (http://www.john4leader.org.uk/).

For the same reason I shall not be giving my first preference to the political heirs of either of our previous Prime Ministers - although I shall probably use up preferences trying to block Blair's obvious preference.

John Millington, writing in today's Morning Star, gives a fairly good summary of the change of direction required of the Labour Party (http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/index.php/news/content/view/full/94704) - and it is not the one for which Tony Blair is calling.

We must, John says, learn to become the party of labour again. To do so Labour Party members must participate in trade union led mobilisations against public spending cuts. I agree.

There are those in the trade unions who will find it hard to work with Labour Party activists, because of justified anger at the conduct of Labour in Government, and distaste for the hypocrisy of those who may oppose, when done by the ConDems, things that they would have sought to justify if done by New Labour.

That is understandable. However, it is not only that John Millington is correct that the Labour Party remains "the only credible electoral alternative to a ruthless ConDem government." It is also important to recognise that many of the votes cast for Labour in May were votes cast against Tory cuts by working people who will expect to see such opposition from those whom their votes elected.

Many good comrades on the left devoted a lot of energy over recent years trying to offer working people a socialist political alternative to the left of Labour. A series of such offers were rejected. Now that we face a wholesale assault upon the working class and the Welfare State we don't have the time to chase that dream.

We have to use the labour movement we have, imperfect as it is, as best we can. We must use our trade unions to fight the Government - and those (including Labour Councils) who do their bidding. We must demand support from Labour politicians - and those of us who are Party members must do all we can to put the legacy of "Ouslum" Blair where it belongs.

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