Thursday, November 05, 2009

Leaked Labour Minutes Show Party In a Desperate State

I've been sent the minutes of the London Regional Labour Party Board Meeting from 2 November (written by Luke Akehurst), and very interesting reading they make too. Firstly, this...
Claude[Moraes MEP] has been to Washington DC where Obama administration key players made it clear they don’t want to have to deal with a Eurosceptic Tory Government here as they want to be able to deal with the EU as a whole.

Well that is cleary transparent rubbish. If it were true Obama would have appointed an EU Ambassador and not bothered to appoint one to the Court of St James.I wonder if Claude has been getting his Obama administration tips from James Macintyre...

And secondly...

John Biggs AM reported that the GLA Labour Group are developing attack lines versus Boris’ draft strategies on transport, planning and economic development.

Nowhere does it say that a Labour strategy is being developed - only a strategy to attack the Conservatives.

And thirdly...

Linda Perks reported that TULO [Trade Union Liaison Organisation] has appointed union organisers to work for the borough elections with each of the nine Labour-led boroughs and the two most likely to be gained by Labour (Islington and Southwark). They would be asking for weekend dates to get union activists out campaigning.

It is incredible that after two years of a Conservative Mayor (who they say they believe is very unpopular) and a number of Tory held marginal boroughs, that they are only targetting two Boroughs. Is that all they think they can win in May Next year?

Labour's trouble is that its activist base has been obliterated. Party workers who used to deliver leaflets and knock on doors have simply melted away, along with the party's councillor base. They know it. We know it. That's why the Conservatives are confident they can win the ground war.

22 comments:

Praguetory said...

Supporting Labour is a matter of deep personal shame.

Matthew Cain said...

I'm not sure there's much in this, Iain. So leaked minutes reveal:

a) something you disagree with
b) something which you consider incomplete
c) something which you consider to be too narrowly foccused

. . . I'm not sure that adds up to your hysterical headline.

Rather, it seems like 'shocka: leaked minutes reveal little'

Obama London said...

"Well that is cleary transparent rubbish. If it were true Obama would have appointed an EU Ambassador and not bothered to appoint one to the Court of St James."

Iain, apologies but I fear it is yourself who is speaking rubbish. Of course the US Government would prefer to deal with a British partner who is closely engaged in Europe - but:

1) the Tories haven't won the election yet, so it would be insane to change our foreign policy relating to Europe until or unless you do and;

2) there would be nothing inconsistent in the Administration appointing national Ambassadors plus an EU ambassador even if they dit prefer to deal with the EU as a whole.

Bottom line, Britain's active engagement in the EU gives the US some degree of a proxy role. That's good for us. At the end of the day Brits should decide on Europe based on their own, not the US's interests, but it seems pretty clear that the US's interest is in keeping you closely engaged. Thus, from that point of view, a Cameron administration with a Eurosceptic policy is bad for us.

Goodwin said...

Obama will have fun negotiating with Brussels for EU troop deployments to Afghanistan! He might just prefer to deal with HMG - unless or course he just wants more cooks and medics!

Victor, NW Kent said...

Did they tell Claude what the EU had promised in the way of troops for Afghanistan to replace ours if they don't want to deal with us?

Anybody can tell these sorts of tales. My second cousin who lives in Maryland knows a senator's wife - they play tennis together. She tells me that the wife told her that the senator told her that he admires David Cameron.

Want another fable? I will make them up if you wish as fast as No.10 can.

Piffle.

Newmania said...

Luke has been rather unwell Iain I am glad he is up and about even if it is in the service of evil.This is what magnificently irascible Mr. Piper had to say about Luke`s candidacy for NEC on nice Rising Sun Sen`s blog

‘ ,,...Luke has made a political career out of sectarianism. He’s made that bed, and he can bloody well lie on it. He wouldn’t get my vote no matter how many leaflets he has delivered or doors he has knocked on.
(Are you really saying we have NEC candidates who don’t deliver leaflets, work in elections or knock on doors?’) “


Mr. Piper considers him hideously right wing I would just say hideous but then he cannot be blamed for that Ginger hair I suppose

Hurf Durf said...

"Claude[Moraes MEP] has been to Washington DC where Obama administration key players made it clear they don’t want to have to deal with a Eurosceptic Tory Government here as they want to be able to deal with the EU as a whole."

They can go suck eggs. And actually make a decision about Afghan strategy so British troops don't have to die just to prop up Obama's dithering.

Matthew Dear said...

I think it's a bit disingenuous to suggest that they're targetting only two Boroughs. They may only think that they have a realistic change of winning two, but they are clearly targetting nine.

Unknown said...

There has been a US ambassador to the European Union (or to the European Community) since 1961. President Obama nominated William E. Kennard as Representative of the United States to the European Union, with the rank of Ambassador, Department of State, on August 6.

golden_balls said...

leave iain alone he comes up with these dramatic posts which any reasonable person would dismiss as froth every so often.

He still hasn't even commented on the
departure of daniel hannan.

Luke Akehurst said...

Er... they weren't minutes and they weren't leaked - they were my report back on the meeting - leaving out anything confidential - to the people who elected me and sent to several hundred people.

Anonymous said...

On the London boroughs, you're reading the memo wrong.

They will targeting those two borough with activists from the safe London boroughs that are already Labour (Newham etc)

This is nothing new, it has gone on at every election.

Matthew Dear said...

Ah no - I'm a twit. Sorry. You're a better speed-reader than me.

Paul Halsall said...

Iain,

You are probably right on this issue, but ( ;) )

1. This is a matter of swings and roundabouts. Any extended period of Tory rule will see an increase in Labour and Lib Dem councillors.

2. Labour is not alone in a disconnect between activists and the national party. Many potential Labour activists are just digusted by the right-wing technocratic anti-working class "New Labour" government. But equally, even though Cameron is (in my opinion) right to accept the EU, the eurosceptic and libertarian activists will be just as disappointed.

Gareth said...

The US would like a united Europe but my reasoning is counter-intuitive.

A fully connected Europe is no threat to the US standing as sole superpower. Too many politicians, too much bureaucracy, too little action. too high a cost of living. We would never be a credible competitor economically or politically and already represents a fantastic market for buying US goods.

Jimmy said...

"Leaked Labour Minutes Show Party In a Desperate State"

Then why did you publish these rather anodyne ones instead?

javelin said...

Wait until you see the Account Book!!!

They manage their own accounts worse than the economy!!!

When the Conservatives get in and stop the Government funding Unions and Unions funding the Labour Party THEN the Labour Party Ltd will go t!ts up!!!

You're right to comment on the LibDems they will be the next opposition - by default.

Andrew said...

This idea that once the EU is properly structured, the White House will be able to deal with Europe as a unified bloc who internally agree on everything is, I'm afraid, all too real.

Of course, it'll never work and the Americans are crazy to expect that it ever will. Even if a common position is agreed, the French will always dissent from it.

In 100 years we'll be no less divided on issues that are external to Europe, on which America is increasingly demanding unity and even servility.

Even though the big 3 agree about Iran, the neutral countries will always shudder at any (quite necessary) bellicosity.

Anonymous said...

Obama administration does not like Eurosceptic Tory govt. Obama's "yes, we can " has become "no we can't" looking at the recent elections they had over there. Obama should better concentrate on his promised deliveries. His popularity is dipping fast and if he is not careful, he will become another Carter, a one term president. As for Claude, the "immigration with no caps proponent", he is all wind.

Anonymous said...

Fantasy Iain, I rejoined shortly after Murdoch issued his endorsement. And there's more . . .

What are you going to tell them about your history of tory puffs when we win the next GE?

It was Chameleon's fault, he got the referendum issue wrong?

Or the wicked socialists leaked you duff info 273 times?

Nich Starling said...

And labour are trying to win boroughs where thir main opposition seems to be the Lib Dems so they seem unable to attack the Tories.

Perhaps labour voters hould be made aware that come the big fight, Labour prefer to attack Lib Dems, not Tories.

Unknown said...

Iain's understanding of how White House diplomacy operates seems to be a little sketchy, although he's very confident on it. What on earth gives him the idea that the appointment of a UK ambassador bears any significance on the question of US vs UK/Europe relations? Ambassadors - especially under this administration, in which the WH has a strong grip on foreign policy vs State - play little or no substantive role. Indeed, the jobs tend to be handed out as rewards to campaign donors. To my mind it's enirely plausible that the Obama White House would prefer to deal with Europe as a bloc rather than with the UK, and thus find Cameron's euro-scepticism a nuisance.

Whether or not that's significant to our domestic politics is another matter.