There is a complex background to all that is happening over in Chatham, with Labour having lost one member of the council through resignation under something of a cloud, and his two ward colleagues having now resigned from the Labour Group.
This, by the way, brings the total Labour representation on Medway Council to just ten of the 55 seats — under a fifth. These moves have almost halved their Chatham representation from seven to just four: three in Chatham Central and one in River ward. The other six are two in Rochester East, three in Twydall, and — most relevant to this site — one in Strood North.
I have been following developments
on my own 'blog, getting information in ahead of the field from my own sources, and trying to take a measured but realistic view on all that is happening. There is no need to repeat any of it here; but it does raise the question of Labour's future in Medway — particularly in regard to local councillors, but also (when one looks into this business more deeply) the only one of the three parliamentary constituencies where they had any significant possibility of holding the seat.
Now, I cannot help but gain a very strong impression that almost everyone now wants to be rid of Labour, and I find it hard to disagree with their sentiments. The problem arises that, if they do collapse more-or-less completely, as trends suggest anyway (see the above graph, showing proportion of seats by party at every point of change since Medway Unitary Council was created), doesn't this leave a rather skewed situation politically?
Who can take the place of Labour to represent those people and areas better suited to that kind of representation? I don't know. It wouldn't normally be the Liberal Democrats — though by studying demographics and knowing the Medway area I can see where they might be able to take over in a very few areas.
For example, they might aim to win one seat in Chatham Central, or perhaps Twydall — though electorally they don't usually do well in these wards, generally coming in at third place, behind the Conservatives in second.
No: in practice they always come third in wards where Labour has held seats in the current ward structure (I have just checked the 2003 and 2007 local election results for all those wards) so do not seem to be in a position to take over from Labour. It might be possible here and there, but it would be a poor substitute at which to aim under the circumstances.
What Medway's supporters of the Left need is a brand new party, devoid of all the "baggage" of the present Labour Group and its activists, starting with a more-or-less clean slate.
Instead of all these fringe and other minor parties that keep popping up at local election times, what is needed — both here in Medway and throughout the nation — is a new nationwide political force that will attract former Labour voters, along with those activists who are not tainted with the Labour Party of today's hugely tarnished image.
Only those who have distanced themselves from what has been going on within Labour these past several years, and not participated in campaigns during that time, need apply to join the new party.
That, I feel, is the only way to create a new and credible alternative to the Conservatives, to restore some political balance to Britain after what
The Observer's Nick Cohen describes as the forthcoming "massacre" of Labour at the General Election — as has of course already been occurring in most other elections since Gordon Brown became PM.
Without such a move, I fear that British politics will become skewed and less representative, which would be unhealthy for the nation. A lot of people think we would be better off without any left-wing parties of significance, but they'd be wrong, as history here and elsewhere indicates.
Labour is dying, though it will take another few years for them to disappear completely (if then). Before the worst of that party sets up shop elsewhere, a Left-leaning national party of integrity needs to be in place, and sharp enough not to be infiltrated by the Communists and similar who infest Labour and the public services in this country.
It needs to be dealt with
now!
Facebook
Yahoo MyWeb
Google Bookmark