lord of the blog

« Draft Children Contact and Adoption Bill | Main | Terrorism »

Friday, March 04, 2005

Today in Parliament

The Today in Parliament programme at 11.30 tonight (Friday) on Radio 4 will include an interview with me on the role of the Chairman of the  Parliamentary Labour Party.

Unless they cut it for something more jazzy!

Thanks Clive - your blog enabled me to catch your contribution to the programme

You look better on radio :0)

Thanks Clive I listed to your piece thanks to BBC online:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/mainframe.shtml?http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/radio4.shtml?fm

Scroll down to:

Today in Parliament Click on FRI

Go forward 15 minutes when the programme has finished loading.

I fear this was a lost opportunity for the BBC given its proposed new mandate announced earlier this week to explore the role of PLP chair in the wider context of citizenship.

Is there a link between possible excessive deference on the part of PLP office holders to the Executive and the loss of Labour Party members on the ground?

What is to be done to redress the balance in an age in which all political parties crave greater public involvement in party politics?

Hi Clive,

Are you Backing Blair? See

http://www.backingblair.co.uk/

Plus, here's a great site for all patriotic Labour supporters:

http://www.dontvotemilburn.co.uk/

Excuse the typo in the last post, I listened to Clive on Radio 4's Today in Parliament.

On a more serious note there is a ding-dong going on Tom Watson's blob about protest voting. I happened to re-read Clause IV it's worth sharing in full:

"Clause IV – Aims and values
1 The Labour Party is a democratic socialist party. It believes that by the strength of our common
endeavour we achieve more than we achieve alone,
so as to create for each of us the means to realise
our true potential and for all of us a community in
which power, wealth and opportunity are in the hands
of the many not the few; where the rights we enjoy
reflect the duties we owe and where we live together
freely, in a spirit of solidarity, tolerance and respect.
2 To these ends we work for:
(a) A DYNAMIC ECONOMY, serving the public interest,
in which the enterprise of the market and the
rigour of competition are joined with the forces of
partnership and co-operation to produce the
wealth the nation needs and the opportunity for
all to work and prosper with a thriving private
sector and high-quality public services where
those undertakings essential to the common
good are either owned by the public or
accountable to them
(b) A JUST SOCIETY, which judges its strength by the
condition of the weak as much as the strong,
provides security against fear, and justice at work;
which nurtures families, promotes equality of
opportunity, and delivers people from the tyranny
of poverty, prejudice and the abuse of power
(c) AN OPEN DEMOCRACY, in which government is
held to account by the people, decisions are
taken as far as practicable by the communities
they affect and where fundamental human rights
are guaranteed
(d) A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT, which we protect,
enhance and hold in trust for future generations.
3 Labour is committed to the defence and security of
the British people and to co-operating in European
institutions, the United Nations, the Commonwealth
and other international bodies to secure peace,
freedom, democracy, economic security and
environmental protection for all.
4 Labour shall work in pursuit of these aims with trade
unions and co-operative societies and also with
voluntary organisations, consumer groups and other
representative bodies.
5 On the basis of these principles, Labour seeks the
trust of the people to govern."

Clive - how is trust going to won back the way we are being governed by No 10?

nice thinking indeed

Name:

Email Address:

URL:

Remember personal info?

Comments: