It's All Doin' Me Bleedin' 'ead In, Brian

The Alliance for Workers' Liberty (AWL), in its newspaper "Solidarity" (readership definitely lower than this website) provides some interesting insights into the current state of the Labour Party.

According to the AWL, the key to the campaign for the Party leadership is to "organise local meetings".

My immediate thought is that this is just what the labour movement needs - another series of meetings. We need more meetings like we need holes in the head.

Indeed, my spoofster has previously highlighted my pleasure in getting away from Party meetings so I can down a pint in the Rose & Crown, or to rush off to attend a wine and cheese evening.

On the other hand, this is my view on Mondays, Fridays and alternate Wednesdays. I do, however, enjoy attending Council meetings on the other Wednesdays and I'm often found attending a variety of political meetings on a Tuesday night.

Then, of course, there's always CLP meetings on a Thursday. I've even been known to attend meetings that I was not invited to and I quite like to attend founding meetings of new factions. And, of course, I'd pedal my bicycle all the way to Bristol and back in order to attend a meeting with The Great Leader.

Something else these ice-pick-heads are very confused about is local activism. According to AWL, there are apparently "hundreds of thousands of disgruntled Labour members and ex-members, opponents of Blairism in the unions and Trades Councils who can help a local organisational push". They claim: "In Hackney, we've set up an organising group, which on December 2nd brought together 22 comrades willing to take a role in building support for John [McDonnell] in their unions - and in other campaigns, such as Keep Our NHS Public, tenants' organisations and Stop the War."

Well, I can tell you that this is rubbish. There aren't 22 people in Hackney North & Stokie CLP who know what day of the week it is, never mind campaign for McDonnell. As the AWL said in the article: "most local parties have withered almost the point of dissolution, so that there is very little left to fight about."

Now there you are right, comrades. Well, you're not right, I am.

But if you are looking for support for McDonnell, trades unions, public services, tenants' rights and opposition to the war - WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU LOOKING IN THE LABOUR PARTY FOR? WHICH OF YOUR OWN WORDS DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND - "WITHERED" OR "DISSOLUTION"?

So organise some meetings of your own, comrades. And if you want me to attend so you get a balanced political view instead of just the usual trot ranting, you'd better lay on some wine and cheese. If you could stretch to some foie gras, sirloin steak and claret, I might even attend on a regular basis.