Ten Years Hard Labour
JVL Introduction
A nuanced review of Chris Williamson’s reflections on political life in the last decade, by lifelong Labour Party supporter and journalist, John Booth.
It is, in Booth’s words, the story of “a principled Labour activist of wide experience – how many council housing chairs have worked on construction sites? – and interests – Williamson worked closely in Parliament on animal welfare with murdered Conservative MP Sir David Amess – whose career was destroyed by the outrageous smears of unscrupulous enemies and the complicit silence of supposed allies.”
Could it have been different? Could the Labour Party be different from what it has now become?
This article was originally published by Forthzando on Wed 7 Sep 2022. Read the original here.
Ten Years Hard Labour
This is a revealing and powerful book by a Labour MP who vocally supported the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn and paid the price by losing his career. It’s an angry book because he says that this loyalty was not reciprocated when it mattered.
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Sadly, Corbyn often failed to defend himself.
Also, it was very frustrating to see him dodge the press whenever he emerged from his house. It looked bad and it threw away an opportunity to get his views across.
I still hold him in high regard despite these criticisms.
I saw CW 3 times in Liverpool and Manchester. He was the ONLY Labour MP who consisently supported Marc Wadsworth [although Clive Lewis chipped in, and also a, now disgraced, former MP]. Indeed, the false AS attacks on Cllr. Jo Bird were from one of these meetings he spoke at; the Jew/Due process *funny*.
I’m looking forward to hearing him speak at a LP fringe event next week. Hope he brings copies of his book.
The incidence of Labour Right Wingers committing acts of treachery are legion. Reading the history of Ramsey McDonald and his friends is worth doing. MIchael Foots biography of Bevan is a good source and Piers Brendons book The Dark Valley is also instructive After 1945 came Desmond Donnelly,Richard Marsh and even Gaitskell who was determined to drag the Party to the Right. I could go on but the same mistakes are happening again. For real recovery to happen there has to be a radical move to the Left as happened in 1945. The world is in the same place. I am convinced that Blair and his ilk would not have supported the Partys ‘ programme at the end of WW2. Orwell wrote in 1941 how only Socialism can win the war He was spot on. Another few years of neoliberalism will leave the UK a failed state.
Steve Mitchel said “there has to be a radical move to the left”. I would prefer to say ‘there has to be a radical move to democratic Socialism’. I have met many who say they are on the ‘left’ but who are neither democrats nor Socialists.