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I have spent
today at the American Express Community Stadium, not to watch football but to
act as a counting agent for the Labour Party as votes cast in the European
elections in Brighton and Hove last Thursday were counted.
I won’t say
anything (yet) about how the votes went, not least because that could be
punished by six months imprisonment – but I will say that the small (but perfectly
formed) Labour team were not exactly jubilant as we waited at the bus stop by
Falmer station.
What I will also say
now is that it is perfectly possible to be both right and unpopular. Thirty
seven years ago I marched through Brighton against the Falklands War. We were
in a minority, but – to this day – I do not think that made us wrong.
It may be that
today we will learn that our well-intentioned policy of trying to bring a
divided country together by focusing on what unites the 99% against the 1%
rather than representing either the 48% or the 52% has failed to satisfy
critics on either side of the continuing Brexit divide.
For now though –
and unlike our one Labour MEP in the South East Region who sent an email to
members today which was as ill-judged as it was ill-timed – I want to salute
Party members and candidates who fought for Labour last Thursday.
Whilst this won’t
count as one of the best Sundays of my life, I spent it in the company of
fellow Party members I am proud to call comrade – and, when I changed buses in
North Street, I bumped into another lifelong Party activist, a happy
coincidence which reminded me of so many comrades who stand by socialist
beliefs in hard times.
Some cowards
may flinch, some traitors may sneer, but Labour Party members will keep our red
flag flying.
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