I am laughing long and hard at the old Blairites who are now falling over themselves to profess their love for Tom Watson, the man who did more than any other to remove Blair as Prime Minister. Until quite recently, Tom's Chief of Staff was my old university housemate, Tom Hamilton, who was never exactly noted as a Blairite back in the days of the Blair Government, and whom George Galloway once congratulated on having made "the speech of the night".
The people who elected Tom Watson as Deputy Leader elected Jeremy Corbyn as Leader at the same time. They knew what they were doing. For the Left to have one position, then the real Labour Right, which predated Blairism and which has outlived it, had to have the other one.
In any case, a Deputy Leadership challenge from the Left is impossible in the absence of the only credible challenger, Chris Williamson. I have no inside knowledge here, but I suspect that Tom might be seeking to provoke a challenge because not only would it probably not come, but he would certainly beat anyone other than Chris, who could not stand at the moment.
In any case, a Deputy Leadership challenge from the Left is impossible in the absence of the only credible challenger, Chris Williamson. I have no inside knowledge here, but I suspect that Tom might be seeking to provoke a challenge because not only would it probably not come, but he would certainly beat anyone other than Chris, who could not stand at the moment.
But then, Chris is also a Remainer. What Tom was articulating today was the view of the European project that much or most, but never all, of the Labour Right has taken since the 1950s, and which has been adopted far more recently by much, but very far from all, of the Left. They both know why the rest of us think that they are wrong to the point of being deluded, that the EU in which they believe simply does not exist and simply never will.
But the Leader is surrounded by people of both views within the Left, and the Deputy Leader has close ties to Blue Labour. The debate has been going on for more than 60 years. Everyone knows where everyone else stands. What of it? No one votes for Parliament based on Brexit, as such, anyway.
In any case, another hung Parliament is coming, and we need our people to hold the balance of power in it. A new party will be registered before the House of Commons rises for the summer recess, even if I have to pay for it myself, ongoing lawfare or no ongoing lawfare.
And I will stand for Parliament here at North West Durham even if I can raise only the deposit, which I could do by going pretty overdrawn, although that was not how I was brought up. I would still prefer to raise the £10,000 necessary to mount a serious campaign, but I am no longer making my candidacy conditional on having done so. In any event, please email davidaslindsay@hotmail.com. Very many thanks.
In any case, another hung Parliament is coming, and we need our people to hold the balance of power in it. A new party will be registered before the House of Commons rises for the summer recess, even if I have to pay for it myself, ongoing lawfare or no ongoing lawfare.
And I will stand for Parliament here at North West Durham even if I can raise only the deposit, which I could do by going pretty overdrawn, although that was not how I was brought up. I would still prefer to raise the £10,000 necessary to mount a serious campaign, but I am no longer making my candidacy conditional on having done so. In any event, please email davidaslindsay@hotmail.com. Very many thanks.
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