by Pseud O'Nym

This morning brought us the news that another former Labour MP has somehow confused his anus with his mouth and was busy polluting the airways with the arrant nonsense that only our self-serving turncoat can muster. Explaining his decision to quit the Labour Party. Ian Austin MP was given to declaim that the Labour Party was now an extremist party and was controlled by the trade unions. Part of me thought as he no conception whatsoever of Labour party history?

The Labour Party was formed essentially by the trade unions as a bulwark against the worst onslaughts of the capitalist classes against the workers. Up until then workers had no rights in parliament. Now there was a party whose main aim was advocating on their behalf. The clue is in the name; the Labour Party!

Similarly, when he says the Labour Party is now extremist, part of me thinks on what sort of drugs must one be on to think the Labour Party extremist, and more importantly, where can I get some?

Under Tony Blair’s woeful leadership Labour ditched Clause Four – basically the part of its manifesto that promised to bring any privately owned utilities back into public ownership – in a bid to make it more of centrist party, more popular and less, well, socialist. Under Corbyn the Labour Party has rediscovered its proper socialist agenda, and the fact that it increased its the share of the vote at the last election was proof of its manifesto’s popularity in the country. Unfortunately it wasn’t popular enough to secure a government.

It was however the manifesto that Ian Austin was elected to parliament on and if he had any decency at all he’d resign his seat and trigger a by-election but as I’ve noted here before the very people who are calling for a second referendum believe in democracy only when it suits them.

No doubt there will be more quitting of parties, more soul searching and even more hypocrisy to follow from Labour MP’s who are only red when they’re embarrassed.