I was given my Labour Party long service award to recognise 50 years of membership, I was able to make a speech of thanks, and I have posted my notes overleaf/below.
I’d like to thank Nick for organising this, and Vicky for presenting me with this wonderful framed certificate. There are others I should probably thank on my way to this auspicious anniversary, including a number of people who welcomed me to Lewisham Deptford.
I joined the party in 1974 before I went to university. I joined Labour Students, founded the Exeter University Labour Club, and served for a year on the NOLS national committee. I still remember some of the politics I learnt at the time and some of the people who helped form those thoughts some of whom are still members, but some who left and joined other parties, not of the left, but I joined a non-affiliated Union and became active in that. Years later, unlike many, I didn’t leave over Iraq.
I have been a member of ten CLPs, this is the first which has had a Labour MP.
Harold Wilson was leader and Prime Minister at the time, to be succeeded by Callaghan, Foot, Kinnock, Smith, Blair, Brown, Miliband, Corbyn and Starmer.
I am happy that we won the last election, but not with the actions and record of this Labour government.
The purpose and effect of macro economic policy is not right, the approach to the welfare state is not right, the approach to international trade and peace and security is not right, the latter seemingly designed by experts in the game of Risk, and the right to immigration is not right; it’s hard to see what they’re doing right. They have lost 20+ percentage points of poll leadership since the election was called.
Much of the problem is the manifesto was designed by clever experts to win the election but not to govern the country.
I expect Labour MPs to be representing the views of the membership to the leadership both elected and unelected, not the other way round but the problem does not exist solely within the PLP.
They are getting away with it within the Labour Party at least, because you let them. At some point you have to say enough is enough; there needs to be moral virtue in the policies we pursue.
We also need to learn the lessons from the USA where a Democrat party thought the jobs and growth would be enough to win an election and discovered it wasn’t.
We will lose the next general election and have achieved nothing. The example of PASOK is staring us in the face.
What are you going to do about it?
Thanks for the certificate, and Vicky’s kind words..