If anyone still isn’t sure
Posted on
March 15, 2013 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
…about the full extent of the modern Labour Party’s complete and utter betrayal of the poor and vulnerable and its wholesale capitulation to Tory ideology, read this.
They’d “Protect the national economy” a damn sight more by providing work with a living wage so that these people can earn and pay taxes back into the state coffers.
Only £130M too. If one of their big corporate friends paid their outstanding taxes they’d soon cover that!
Speechless!
I have been linking to this through various social media today. It’s absolutely outrageous and speaks to so many problems with the British establishment, not least the ability of Parliament to be subject to no authority but themselves. I would tell Labour to be ashamed of themselves, but they’re clearly shameless.
So the rich must be incentivised to work with million pound bonus payments for doing their job properly and the poor must be incentivised to work by withdrawing their benefits if they refuse to stack shelves for free?
UK 2013 Austerity Capitalism in action supported willingly by the party of the working man.
You really couldn’t make this up…….
For any Labour voters reading this, why do you vote Labour?
Seriously, why?
I think i’ve answered my own question. A lot of Labour voters in Scotland are actually closet Tories. They know their home Party is toxic, so have taken over Labour to further their policies.
Utterly utterly disgusting.
@Juteman
Like Rev has said before, who the hell else do you vote for, the two parties that will get in power are the same, the Lib Dems turned out to be the same and the other parties are to small to get in, I’d probably vote for the Greens but I know they would never get in. So yeah we are kind of screwed over here.
Counter this Hermione………..
This has been coming for at least twenty years. Although I loath the leadership of both British and Scottish Labour and their careerist followers, I would never not acknowledge the greatness of their origins, or some of the talent they have produced over the years. This used to be the party of Hardie, Wheatley, Maxton etc. Even relatively recently they had Dennis Cannavan and John McAllion. Basically people you would be proud to be on the same side with.
Now though we have reached the stage where if a extreme right-wing Tory said “I think the starvation of certain sections of society would be a good thing, and something to be aimed for” then all you would get as a response from British Labour would be, “We think it would be a bad thing but we can’t say this becuase we have completely surrendered the political agenda, and we are not going to reverse any Tory policy when we get back into office anyway.”
@Xercies.
Isn’t the choice obvious?
Nothing else to say.
Simply takes your breath away.
A lot of Labour voters in Scotland are actually closet Tories.
From polling evidence, that’s probably got a lot of truth to it. I mean if you are a rabid Tory and want Scotland to remain in the union, there’s not a lot of point in actually voting Tory now is there. They’re complete failure at UK level and a running joke in Scotland; polling 14% at best – just a fringe party and as a result, a vote for the Tories is a vote for the SNP…
How times have changed eh!
Apropos of nothing.
It would appear interest in YesScotland.net has been running at 2.8 times that for Bettertogether.net since the 3rd of March, reaching the highest levels of interest since its launch. Presumably GERS and the silly secret story are having a massive impact.
Incidentally, I love the way better together have in their page title ‘The patriotic all party…’
When you feel the need to say ‘patriotic’ like that it’s most likely because you are not really that patriotic and worry that people will suspect this. A good analogy is calling your tin-pot dictatorship ‘The Democratic Republic of…’
I turned 18 in 2004, so the first election I ever got to vote in was the 2005 Westminster GE, just two years after Iraq. Iraq was the one issue I was really aware of and passionate about at the time, and I remember being astonished that the Tories were in favour of the war as well as Labour, thinking that they could have won the election in a stroke if they had come out against it.
Anyway, I remember being completely at a loss when I realised that there was no chance whatsoever of a party being elected who agreed with me – and millions of others – on this issue, and that if I voted for such a party, it would be a completely meaningless vote. I can’t remember whether I voted SNP or LibDem, but either way they were beaten by both Labour and Tory in my constituency. But even the despair and disappointment I felt back then, at the age of 18, is NOTHING compared to what I feel when I look at this. EVERY SINGLE UK PARTY, conspiring to retrospectively change the law and ROB some of the poorest people in our country of money THAT THEY WOULD ONLY SPEND STRAIGHT BACK INTO THE ECONOMY ANYWAY!!!!
If we lose the referendum next year then I honestly don’t know what I’m going to do. The possibility of a Yes vote really is the only ray of sunshine left on this island.
Every time that I read stories like this it makes me ashamed to have been a union shop steward and labour activist for 10 years .
One of the few things keeping the labour party afloat is the money that they receive from the trade union movement . Surely at some point the trade union movement must ask themselves why they are still donating money to an organisation that no longer represents their interests or the interests of working people .
O/T Rev Stu, I see there is ten days to go with the appeal. How much has been raised, and do you think we can reach the target?
A moving story from a man who worked in the DWP published at YesScotland:
Henry’s anger, however, is not driven by political preference or ideology, but because he knows at first-hand what it is to be a victim of Westminster’s mishandling of – and now ruthless assault on – the welfare state.
“We need to step back and ask ourselves whether this is really the kind of country we want and is there not a better path for us to follow?’
http://www.yesscotland.net/henry_leads_battle_to_halt_westminsters_attack_on_social_protection
@SilveryTay
So how can Trades’ Unions be persuaded to cut their losses? The so called Labour Party is a disgrace.
@ Juteman
‘For any Labour voters reading this, why do you vote Labour?
Seriously, why?’
I have given up my membership recently and IF this story is true
they will be losing my vote……………no i wont ever vote for the snp
i will just join the growing none of the above.
anyway i am off to find out the background of this story
Remember Niko a vote for independence is a vote to change the style of government which brought us vile policy such as this. Its not about party and never was, its about how we choose to be governed.
Albalha The only way that I can think of is for T.U members to withdraw from the political fund ‘ that would hit the labour party where it hurts . I gave up on the T.U completely ‘ I got sick fed up being told we had to accept poorer terms and now was not the time to rock the boat . The other thing was that the union I was in was more interested in recruiting new members rather than looking after the members we had ‘ it was always recruit ‘ recruit ‘ recruit . A lot of T.U are nothing more than recruiting centres for the labour party ‘ it is amazing the amount of union activists who were around when I was a shop steward and are now m.s.p.s & m.p,s for the labour party . These are people who used to go on marches protesting about privatisation within the N.H.S who now say the private sector are doing a good job within the N.H S . They have sold their soul for westminster gold .
Niko, you don’t ever have to vote SNP. Vote Yes next year, then throw your support behind whichever emerging party in the new Scotland best chimes with your ideology.
@Morag-
Hear hear.
Love is all around…
Nicostatos
There could be a place for you over at LFI
You probably have at least thought about it.
Time for a rethink?
David Smith says:
15 March, 2013 at 3:28 pm
They’d “Protect the national economy” a damn sight more by providing work with a living wage so that these people can earn and pay taxes back into the state coffers.
Only £130M too. If one of their big corporate friends paid their outstanding taxes they’d soon cover that!
Yes Sir. And either, but preferably both would as should support our societies rather than seemingly hell-bent on demonising the undeserving whilst demolishing any notion of a universal commonweath for richer or poorer equally.
Looks like the Labour party has left Nicostatus
PS. Nico all the best regarding the grandweans.
@Nikostratos
It was after the Iraq war that I stoped voting Labour, I would just turn up and wasted my vote, then someone talked to me about the Green party, I checked out out their manifesto and there was very little I disagreed with. Its worth a look from any Socialist.
Isnt it about time Britannia waived the rules.
Niko: no i wont ever vote for the snp
I have lent my vote to the SNP. I may do so again. I’ve also lent it to Margo M. I may lend it to the greens. We shall see.
All credit to Nikostratos if he sticks to his principles on the New Labour party and no longer gives them his vote. I feel some sympathy for him too.
It is not a pleasant experience to find out something you have honestly supported and given your hard work to for a long time is… not what it was.
Hi all
I haven’t posted for a while but have been reading the articles. Thanks Rev and others, there is much to read and think over. This most latest one got me thinking about WHY it is that despite every reversal of Labour’s past principles; despite the hypocrisy of one rule in London and another in Edinburgh; despite the pathetic behaviour of Labour MSPs/MPs; despite their new allegiance with the Tories; despite their support of Tory attacks on the poor, disabled, and disadvantaged; despite these and much, much more Scot’s voters seem to still be prepared to vote for them.
What am I missing here? (OK, I accept that most of these are brushed under the carpet by the MSM and their cronies at the BBC in Scotland, but really, what are people thinking!).
@Niko
Take time, and look at every side of the argument. Don’t just read what you usually read, look at what the “opposition” to Labour are saying. The net is not perfect at all, but in amongst the dross, there are some genuinely interesting and valuable information.
I gave up on Labour after the agreement to follow the USA in their war in Iraq. Before that I was already having doubts over their dilution of the social welfare programmes. Despite the minimum wage (good idea – wrong level … too low), they were giving with one hand and taking away with the other. The tax credit was a backhanded support to companies unprepared to pay a decent living wage – it should not be the role of Government to continually underwrite a miserly employer, IMHO.
Labour, I still think, had a wish to do the right thing, but allowed themselves to be led by the nose by the “Market” and became too enamoured by their ‘friends’ in business and the 5% of the country that owns most of the wealth. T. Blair was the epitome of everything that was wrong with Labour. No principle that couldn’t be bought and sold; no policy that couldn’t be changed for their (Labour’s) political benefit. Sod the voters, the system (FPTP) allowed Labour to win on decreasing popular votes and there was NO real opposition as the Tories were perfectly happy with the thrust of what Labour were doing.
Sorry, I am ranting. Good luck to all. Vote YES and then vote for a Political party with ideas FOR Scotland, and that will be responsible TO Scotland. After Independence, vote Green, SSP, Labour, Tory, even LD. It doesn’t HAVE to be the SNP!
Our vote, our choice, our Government.
Niko, the only way to get a real Labour party back in Scotland is to vote yes in 2014.
those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it.
A small excerpt from League of Gentlemen by Adam Curtis. Deals with the 80’s, but could easily be about today
Truly this is a shocking move for Labour. To be in thrall to such punitive legislation as this, straight from the pen of Ian Duncan Smith of the Tory party, makes plain for all to see how much Labour have abandoned socialism and the poor. If you are unwell or poor right now, then Ian Duncan Smith is akin to beelzebub himself, and Labour are cheering him on.
Witness this story;
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/capable-of-workrelated-activity-partially-blind-thalidomide-victim-with-brain-tumour-fights-atos-decision-to-force-her-to-attend-interviews-and-put-together-cv-8536873.html
Yet Labour are seen in Scotland to work hand in glove with the very same Tory party which is inflicting such suffering and misery on thousands all over the UK. At FMQ’s, Lamont and her Tory chum Davidson, work as a tag team, week in, week out, banging on about nonsense, rather than confront what the Tories are doing. At Westminster Labour argue over technicalities (6k tuition fees instead of 9k tuition fees, FFS!!), whilst seemingly unable or, more likely, unwilling to offer a different way forward. They have no vision, and have abandoned the very people they falsely claim to serve, in their pursuit of party glory and personal gain.
The late (and great) socialist Jimmy Reid, of upper Clyde shipbuilders fame, stated it most eloquently, when after leaving Labour for the SNP, simply quipped ‘I didn’t leave Labour, Labour left me’ Given recent events, I reckon this morning there will be a great many in Scotland and rUK, who will finally realise they have been sold a dud, and that Labour has left them too.
It is rare for me to agree with David Cameron, but he did get something right this week in PMQ’s, when he referred to Labour as a bunch of ‘champagne socialists’. I do believe, for once, Mr Cameron hit the nail squarely on the head.
A vote for independence, is a vote to move Scotland forward from the two party state hedgemony that is blighting lives around the UK. Then and only then, might we see a truly socialist, truly Scottish Labour party.
Vote YES in 2014 for a better Scotland.
Anyone catch the News at Ten story on this last night? Powerful 4-minute piece on the inhumanity of forced labour for non-criminals, and a government deeply cynical about the rule of law.
Some kind of VT glitch, however; they kept mentioning some Bad Country and its backward ways. I didn’t spot IDS and all the officials wore uniforms and looked sort of foreign. Still, mistakes aside at least the state broadcaster had the courage to report this.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/b01r6tw1/?t=16m31s
James gallacher @ 3;55 pm ;-I would tell Labour to be ashamed of themselves, but they’re clearly shameless.
NOT ALL are James, things really are changing, for all of the SNPs members, only a few will be aware of this. but Labours few members (in comparission) in Scotland will more aware. things are changing