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Written by Austin Mitchell
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04 June 2007 |
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Dear Party Member
As I was unable to get to the last General Management Committee because of a Public Accounts Committee visit, I`m sending this note on the Leadership Election out by post.
On the leadership I nominated Gordon. There wasn`t, in fact, much else to do. I would have preferred an election, and so would the Party, but none of the big Blairites would stand and I didn`t think the left should stand alone because it would just be humiliated.
So we get Gordon who`ll be a more serious but less appealing Leader than Tony. When it comes down to it I think electors will prefer a concerned Leader to Cameron`s meringue.
On the Deputy, I was pulled between Alan Johnson (who most of our local MPs nominated), Harriet Harman (because a woman gives us a better balance) and Peter Hain (who`s a friend).
In fact I nominated John Cruddas because (a) he`s talking more sense, especially on housing where we need a big building drive, and (b) he doesn`t want to be Deputy PM but the Party`s elected head who`ll be a bridge between it and Cabinet. It needs to be rebuilt, re-energised and, most of all, listened to. So do the unions. That, in my view, should be the main job of Deputy Leader, who doesn`t need to be a Minister and certainly not one with the huge Department John Prescott had.
So we`re now in for five weeks with two Prime Ministers and seven Deputies. Should be exciting. But I hope it leads to a change of direction and a new impetus to shake off the accumulation of grumbles which accumulates round the neck of a Party ten years in power.
We`ve done reasonably well. But it`s time now to move forward to better, rather than endless new initiatives, `reforms` and new structures. Forward not sideways.
Sorry to go on. Now it`s your turn to vote.
Best wishes
AUSTIN MITCHELL |
