Labour Party

Labour Party conference: bursts of anger, but much silence

30 September 2006
The Blairites and Brownites fiercely debated their ambitions by leaking copiously in the media. Meanwhile on the floor of conference you’d hardly have guessed for much of the time that anyone had any doubts about the direction of New Labour and its key policies.

Letters

30 September 2006
Two sides of New Labour How sickening it was to see the Blairite clones signing a letter asking for the prime minister to stand down.

John McDonnell: support for left wing leadership challenge

23 September 2006
John McDonnell MP has launched a left wing challenge for the Labour leadership.

Dissent ruled out of order at Labour conference

23 September 2006
In an astounding example of crushing democracy the arrangements committee for the Labour Party conference moved on Thursday to stamp out dissent.

Clement Attlee's 1945-51 government: when Labour's best wasn't good enough

16 August 2003
Tony Blair's government is now the longest serving Labour administration. The media has made many comparisons between Blair and Clement Attlee, leader of the 1945-51 Labour government. For many in the Labour Party the achievements of the Attlee government, with its creation of the welfare state and nationalisation of key parts of industry, are the high points of the party.

An audience with Tony Benn

02 March 2002
"This is not political – this is entertainment," said the man who refused my leaflet for the Stop the War demo. Then as if to confirm his point the tannoy system announced, "The Tony Benn show will start in five minutes."

Now even loyal MPs like Frank Dobson are turning on Tony Blair

26 January 2002
LAST WEDNESDAY Tony Blair jetted in on a brief visit to England. While quite at home in the company of dictators, warlords and George W Bush, Blair soon felt in need of protection from his own backbenchers. One minute you can be a great international statesman, a war leader in almost freakish control of your party.

Yes, I knew Chas & Dave

15 December 2001
Charles Clarke, chairman (unelected) of the Labour Party, last week declared his love for the US under George W Bush. In his youth, he admitted, "I was a strong opponent of the foreign policy of the US," and campaigned over issues such as US support for fascist states in Greece, Spain and Portugal, US support for dictatorships in Latin America, and the use of US troops in Cambodia and Vietnam.

Shivers down the backbone

24 February 2001
Labour's spring conference in Glasgow last weekend was a chance to see what is going on at the heart of the Labour Party. It brought together 3,000 Labour members from all over Britain to hear a series of speeches and, for all practical purposes, to hear the leadership launch the election campaign.

The good reasons to dump Keith Vaz

10 February 2001
Keith Vaz, the junior Foreign Office minister, is the latest leading New Labour figure to be hit by accusations of corruption. He certainly enjoyed the company of rich people as much as the disgraced Peter Mandelson did.

Does Brown back Old or New Labour?

10 February 2001
You can tell an election is on the way. Last Monday's Guardian signalled that Gordon Brown is planning a £3 billion package aimed at families with children. Some believe there's more to this than just the usual hustling for votes. Roy Hattersley argues the New Labour project was already dead before Peter Mandelson's fall:

Old Tory sleaze and hypocrisy

03 February 2001
New Labour was falling apart last weekend. The leaders of the project that was supposed to have transformed politics for all time were tearing each other apart. New Labour's sleaze is a result of the way it has sold itself to business, put company chiefs at the centre of decision making, and allowed firms to rake in profits from the NHS.