Ruddy Hell!

Sheridan Guilty!!! I was beginning to think he'd done enough to get acquittal, see full details on the Sheridan Trial Blog.

This one will run and run.

Labouring in vain

According to New Statesman Labour leadership contenders had a hustings at the Fabian society, and were asked whether they were socialists.

I'll leave you to read the article directly, but will simply draw your attention to this paragraph

That hint of disdain for the usefulness of ideological speculation may be a rather more authentic Labourist tradition than any theory of Socialism has ever been (The trade unions would never have founded the party if it had really wanted to be a Socialist one).

The Fabian intellectual GDH Cole had written, somewhat approvingly, of Labour having a "socialism so undefined in its doctrinal basis as to make recruits readily among people of different types".

Labour is not, and never has been a socialist party, it does not stand for socialism, but is trade unionism carried on into politics, it is the use of political power to defend and advance the interests of working people within capitalism. Just like a trade union, it has to tack, turn and sometimes cut a bad deal for its members.

Socialism is not sticking up for the bottom dog, it is using the organised power (and, yes, wealth) of the workers to completely overturn the economic system to one which is permanently run in our interests. It is political action that can do that.

No Leaders

I should say that I a a member of Unison - currently undergoing a General Secretary election. Now, first, some points. Unison's rulebook explicitly states that it is a member lead organisation, there is no reference in the rulebook to a leader, or a leadership, so in essence, the General Secretary is a secretary, not a general.

In reality, the public image is that he is the leader. Currently, the post is held by a member of a bizarre entryist cult called the Labour Party, that puts their organisation first and foremost while pretending to put members first. They are being challenged by Militant. Dave Prentice is being challenged by Paul Holmes, and Roger Bannister. Now, the only issue at hand should be experience of the union, and capacity to carry out conference instructions, but they are all vying to be a leader.

I think, on due reflection, I'm going to wipe my arse on my ballot paper when it arrive. We have no leader, we are all leaders.

Fuehrer principle

Over at Theo Blackwell's, he's giggling away at the spat in the Greens over abolishing the position of Principle Speaker - as a good Labour Leader Wannabe he obvious backs the move for the Greens to get themselves a leader, with glee and gusto. I think its a sad state of affairs when a leader is seen as a necessity of a political party - there was a time when there was a widespread movement to strip leaders of powers and instill collegiate decision making.

I heard Caroline Lucas and Derek Wall tearing lumps out of each other over this issue on the radio - it strikes me that some prominent members of the Green Party may well have ambitions in the leadership direction. The simple question is, is the leadership principle compoatable with democratic organisation. The short answer is "No!".