Comments on: The District Line’s problem is everyone’s problem http://www.qwghlm.co.uk/2005/05/08/the-district-lines-problem-is-everyones-problem/ Because all the other domain names were taken Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:53:48 +0000 hourly 1 By: Phil Hunt http://www.qwghlm.co.uk/2005/05/08/the-district-lines-problem-is-everyones-problem/comment-page-1/#comment-929 Phil Hunt Mon, 09 May 2005 23:43:12 +0000 http://www.qwghlm.co.uk/blog/?p=683#comment-929 You say "the old socialists have had to forget old-fashioned leftish principles like women's and gay rights", but that's not true. if you look at <a href='http://www.respectcoalition.org/index.php?ite=506' rel="nofollow">Respect's manifesto</a>, it supports: Opposition to all forms of discrimination based on race, gender, ethnicity, religious beliefs (or lack of them), sexual orientation, disabilities, national origin or citizenship. An end to discrimination against lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender people For Equal partnership and pension rights For strong policies to tackle homophobia in all public bodies For an increase in public services that meet the needs of lesbians, gay men bisexuals and transgendered people, rather than money wasted on war. You say “the old socialists have had to forget old-fashioned leftish principles like women’s and gay rights”, but that’s not true. if you look at Respect’s manifesto, it supports:

Opposition to all forms of discrimination based on race, gender, ethnicity, religious beliefs (or lack of them), sexual orientation, disabilities, national origin or citizenship.

An end to discrimination against lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender people

For Equal partnership and pension rights

For strong policies to tackle homophobia in all public bodies

For an increase in public services that meet the needs of lesbians, gay men bisexuals and transgendered people, rather than money wasted on war.

]]> By: Phil Edwards http://www.qwghlm.co.uk/2005/05/08/the-district-lines-problem-is-everyones-problem/comment-page-1/#comment-925 Phil Edwards Mon, 09 May 2005 08:38:54 +0000 http://www.qwghlm.co.uk/blog/?p=683#comment-925 <i>Labour has failed and alienated the poorest and most vulnerable people in the country, and the vacuum it has left behind has been filled. The electoral success of RESPECT and the BNP are the natural consequences of Labour ignoring the very people it is supposed to serve and protect.</i> I think there's a lot in this. It's also the best argument I've seen for RESPECT; if they can get large numbers of severely disaffected impoverished working-class voters voting for a <a href="http://www.redpepper.org.uk/brit/x-may2005-respect.htm" rel="nofollow">mildly progressive platform</a>, they're doing a lot more than most to stave off the threat of the extreme Right. That said, there is a counter-argument, to the effect that to start with the Muslim vote is taking the easy way out (for a middle-class Left which has no rpt no base in the white working class and has grown up on a diet of officially-approved multi-culturalism), and that what's needed is a left-wing alternative in places like Barking. It all depends how 'communalist' the RESPECT vote really is - which seems to be the one question it's impossible to get a straight answer to. Labour has failed and alienated the poorest and most vulnerable people in the country, and the vacuum it has left behind has been filled. The electoral success of RESPECT and the BNP are the natural consequences of Labour ignoring the very people it is supposed to serve and protect.

I think there’s a lot in this. It’s also the best argument I’ve seen for RESPECT; if they can get large numbers of severely disaffected impoverished working-class voters voting for a mildly progressive platform, they’re doing a lot more than most to stave off the threat of the extreme Right.

That said, there is a counter-argument, to the effect that to start with the Muslim vote is taking the easy way out (for a middle-class Left which has no rpt no base in the white working class and has grown up on a diet of officially-approved multi-culturalism), and that what’s needed is a left-wing alternative in places like Barking. It all depends how ‘communalist’ the RESPECT vote really is – which seems to be the one question it’s impossible to get a straight answer to.

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