by Dan Hodges
We’re off. Boots on the ground, leaflets through the letterbox. The Labour movement is marching again, back on the campaign trail.
But while we throw ourselves body and soul into the battle to wrest our town halls and regional assemblies from the government’s grasp, a question. As we enter this election campaign, does anyone know why we lost the last one?
I don’t. Like every one else, I have my own pet theories. Assumptions. Random thoughts, shot through with the lack of objectivity and rationality to which we all succumb when the political party we’re close to relinquishes power.
The very first piece I wrote for Labour Uncut was my analysis of our defeat. “The Labour right must shoulder the blame”, ran the headline. Hmmmm. Fair to say I’ve been on a bit of a journey since then.
That’s not to say that there aren’t things in that article I still believe to be valid. The failure of banking regulation. Trident. Tuition fees.
“It was not the ‘usual suspects’ of the left”, I roared, “but the undisciplined out-riders of modernisation doing the damage”. A journey indeed.
