Nothing To Lose But Our Chains

Ken Loach will be in his place on the platform of the Durham Miners' Gala, so is the whole of trade union royalty going to be expelled from the Labour Party? In my experience, they should be so lucky.

And have you ever seen a Blairite on an anti-racist or anti-Fascist demonstration? No, nor have I. It is not even that they do not organise such events; that is always, always the Left. They never, ever attend, including large confrontations with what has been a significantly resurgent Far Right here in the North East at several points this century. For that, you have always needed Jamie Driscoll, and you always will. People who do not stand on picket lines, do not stand against Nazis. People who do, know why.

Speaking of the North East, I believe that it is correct to say that the last three feature films to have been set and filmed here at all have been the three that have most recently been directed by Ken. Oh, yes, he will be at the Big Meeting, all right. Again, have you ever seen a film by a Blairite? Would it be worth attempting to make one as a joke, or would the satire have to be too broad? As the nearest thing to art that that sort would ever think to attempt, Matt Forde was involved in the recent revival of Spitting Image. How was that?

My trade union, Unite, has come out in support of Jamie. Will it be disaffiliated from the Labour Party? Again, we should be so lucky. But we have also denounced Keir Starmer's lunatic scheme to ban new oil and gas licences in the North Sea. If Unite were still affiliated in 2026, and if no one with a higher profile had stepped up to the plate, then I would be a candidate for General Secretary, in support of an all-of-the-above energy policy, and to secure disaffiliation both from the Labour Party and from the ILGA. Join Unite Community here.