Bringing back Clause 4, Whats in it for us? Options

[On the edge]

You don't have to go back too far and Labour were the opposition party round here. Who says they can't do it again?

There are hints (shock / horror) that a good few would like to reinstate a revised Clause 4! Would that actually help? Well, on this very forum there have been calls to take the railways back into public ownership; simply because the bogus markets don't seem capable of delivering the service we want at costs we can afford. Then take utilities, we might actually be better off with the distribution networks at least being in public hands. Rural broadband might then be more than a dream.

It all depends on the model. In my view, the mistake last time was to equate public ownership with centralisation. This time there are suggestions it should be localised. So far so good. The only hesitation I'd have is our very own local 'public management' experience. Step,forward NTC! However, if words like cooperative and agency were added to the mix - who knows, a brighter future?

Anyway, right or wrong, at least Labour are trying to come up with a real and different vision; not just a different shade of blue and a mine is bigger than yours approach to policy!

[On the edge]

I think that's quite right. In fact, the biggest issue with politics today is that all parties are saying and selling the same thing. There is no choice; so in effect, the winner is the party which had the most physically attractive leader. It's been quite interesting to hear the really quite vapid comments coming from the main stream Labour leadership contenders - no argument, just negative put downs. Exactly the way all three main parties spin along right now. The market forces model they all slavishly follow today is just as much ideology as Clause 4! A real opposition can only be a good thing; proposals properly tested for once.

[GMR]

I think that's quite right. In fact, the biggest issue with politics today is that all parties are saying and selling the same thing. There is no choice; so in effect, the winner is the party which had the most physically attractive leader. It's been quite interesting to hear the really quite vapid comments coming from the main stream Labour leadership contenders - no argument, just negative put downs. Exactly the way all three main parties spin along right now. The market forces model they all slavishly follow today is just as much ideology as Clause 4! A real opposition can only be a good thing; proposals properly tested for once.

That is the trouble with the Labour party at the present; they've got nobody outstanding. Corbyn won't achieve anything worthwhile for the Labour party, in fact he will send it backwards. The same could be said about the other 3 challengers. Nothing is 100%, but I am pretty certain that the Tories will win in 2020. And don't forgot by then they will have a new leader, while Labour with just have one of their dull faces in charge.

[On the edge]

That is the trouble with the Labour party at the present; they've got nobody outstanding. Corbyn won't achieve anything worthwhile for the Labour party, in fact he will send it backwards. The same could be said about the other 3 challengers. Nothing is 100%, but I am pretty certain that the Tories will win in 2020. And don't forgot by then they will have a new leader, while Labour with just have one of their dull faces in charge.

Don't write them off completely, they haven't abandoned all their 'Neu Labour' principles. We'll be seeing the next generation soon; the likes of Stephen Kinnock, the Benn sires, Daivd Prescott and even the Blairletts. We are still an aristocracy, and even the people's party know that.

[GMR]

Don't write them off completely, they haven't abandoned all their 'Neu Labour' principles. We'll be seeing the next generation soon; the likes of Stephen Kinnock, the Benn sires, Daivd Prescott and even the Blairletts. We are still an aristocracy, and even the people's party know that.

It might not be about "abandoning" their principles (or at least some of them) but image. Corbyn's image is old labour and that won't appeal to middle England. On top of that their fist priority will be to win back Scotland, and that won't be an easy task. Then we can add boundary changes to that equation, which will make it almost impossible for them to win the next election in 2020, oh, and did I mention that while Labour will have an old face running their show the Tories will be electing a new face for the next election.