Not only is Ray Collins' judgement in question after inviting Derek Draper to be the party's New Media adviser, to disastrous effect, but allegations have surfaced that he may have been more aware of Red Rag than he first admitted.
Furthermore, Collins has been shown to be more in the pocket of Unite's Charlie Whelan than at first imagined; though he was always the Whelan candidate for General Secretary, backed by Gordon Brown himself, when most members expected Mike Griffiths to be appointed to the position.
So he owes too much to Whelan to confront him and he has too little credibility to confront the blairite grouping. But still; there's a Labour seat that needs a candidate and which really could be lost in the event of a protracted and divisive row after the selection is over. But Collins can't institute an investigation against the candidates because his tenure wouldn't survive the backlash from these powerful factions.
Read the whole blogpost HERE.
18 comments:
Iain,
It would be interesting to see a Total Politics interview with Labour party members who are removed from the senior positions in the party.
I get the feeling that Labour as a party has been hijacked by some very questionable people.
It would be interesting to see what the thoughts, views and opinions of the 'decent Labour' people are.
It's Chelsea and Fulham, not Chelsea and Kensington.
I agree with the previous post.Your average Labour activist doesn't get much of a say in the media as everything is so aggressively policed by NuLab's spinmeisters.It would be interesting to hear what "real" people inside the Labour party think of their useless government.
Weren't Labour having trouble getting anyone to be their General Secretary due to their unsustainable debts and potential personal liabilities for them ?
Maybe they should declare bankruptcy - as its clear they are morally and intellectually bankrupt - adding economic to the list won't make much difference.
Its amazing really this smear gate thing sems to have pushed the naturally deferential Labour Party over the edge.What about this in the Sun via Cofeee house
"We’re down to 26 per cent, but there is nothing to stop it going lower,” said an ex-Cabinet minister. “We are in freefall.
“People accused Tony of telling lies but Gordon is the biggest liar in modern politics.
“The question on election day will be: Do you want Brown for another five years? Millions and millions of voters are going to say NO.”
Ouch . Remember Polls show that people do not blame Brown for the bust they do blame him for the state of the public finances and they are yet to either suffer the the unemployment ( Now predicted to rise to 3250,000 ) or pay the taxes or indeed suffer the cuts
Brown and Labour could face a generational annihilation and many of them may have concluded that they had better start 'distancing' early .
Alex Hilton has to ask what he wants to achieve - for Britain and its people. Then ask himself what the f--- am I doing in the Labour Party?
For the odious big headed McBride - all he was in it for was his own ego, his own perverted sense of power over weaklings. Assuming Hilton is different he has to do what Brown fails to do and admit he has been wrong.
And BTW - there is no point anybody apologising for anyting unless they admit they have been wrong. Brown cannot and will not do this which is why his so called 'sorry' was couched in such vague dissembling confusing terms.
"Bearing in mind that Alex is a Labour PPC (Chelsea & Fulham), it's a fairly brave thing to do."Let's be honest, Iain, it's not exactly the most winnable seat in the country for Labour is it?
Alex Hilton is a personal friend of Paul Staines and also webmaster of the Labourhome site which Labourlist was set up to rival. It's not therefore much of a surprise to find Alex Hilton and Labourlist taking a critical view.
Hilton is just really peeved off at not being the Labour New Media advisor. Still a twat, though.
Trevorsden: Brown's apology for McBride's thought crimes was in far clearer and more useful terms than Cameron's apology for his Watford PPC who was convicted of 75 CRIMES.
Including tyre slashing and graffitiing "paedo" smears.
Labour will be trying very hard to purge such people. Other parties should try to do the same. Proactively if possible. Most of us know where they live.
I still think many of the problems we observe are down to the electoral system which puts political power into the hands of the few rather than the many.
I read on Saturday that the demonstration which prevented the Tolpuddle Martyrs being sent off to Australia comprised 100,000 people. Could you imagine having a demo that big now without modern communication systems? Democracy was alive then in a way that it is moribund now.
Sadly, smeargate & expensesgate will detach people even more from politics in general. Yes the Labour Government are coming off worst at the moment - but wait for that to switch if the Conservatives win.
Let's have:
1) Annual general elections
2) Proportional representation / electoral reform - with open lists so that the parties do not control who gets elected - the people do
3) No more 'whipping' and an end to grace & favour & bullying by all of the party whips
4) Every MP to have an AGM open to all constituents
"but allegations have surfaced"
"said an ex-Cabinet minister"
Let's have some names and attributed comments, otherwise this is just more rubbish to be discounted.
LabourHome is growing up.
Alex should be applauded.
Leave em to it Iain.
Keep counting down the Sunday Express clock to the next election!
It brings a tear to my eye watching socialists bitch fight...
I have a ++Leaked Memo++ from the Labour party on the subject of political blogging
come have a look
http://what-they-wont-tell-you.blogspot.com/
call an election NOW
"Keep counting down the Sunday Express clock to the next election!"
If there is one petty reason why I want to see Labour win the next election, its so excuses for media outlets like The Daily Express feel they are in a minority. I wouldn't use that paper for scrap!
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