Christian Wakeford, the right-wing Tory MP for Bury South, has defected to Starmer's, new New Labour PLP. The fact he could do so, is an indictment of Starmer's PLP. It shows that when it comes to actual political principles there is no difference between Starmer's conservative PLP, and right-wing Tories.
Wakeford, didn't even feel the need to use the Liberals as a stepping stone, probably because he sees them as more progressive than Starmer's nationalistic PLP, and certainly because as a careerist, he hopes to line up a more lucrative future for himself joined at the hip with Starmer than he might hope for with the Liberals. The experience of Tory defectors to Blair's original New Labour, after all, saw them quickly promoted into the ranks of Minister.
Wakeford himself, of course, has not renounced a single one of the right-wing Tory policies he has supported up to this point, which might give any actual Labour member pause for thought as to how, then, his ideas are compatible with membership of the Labour Party. But, no such thoughts entered Starmer's head as he welcomed yet another right-wing Conservative into his pro-capitalist PLP, to sit alongside all of the other right-wing pro-capitalist MP's that he has stuffed into his Shadow Cabinet.
If you have even hinted at support for some left-wing outfit, no matter how long you have been a member of the Labour Party, it is enough to get you expelled from Starmer's LP, but you can be a Tory, who, quite openly stood against the LP in 2019, who has vociferously attacked Labour in the most vile terms, and yet, Starmer will welcome you on board with a full heart.
Of course, it will be interesting to see what say the long-standing members of Bury South CLP have in the matter of having one of their immediate enemies now foisted on them as their new Labour MP. On past experience, they will also be given little say in whether Wakeford is allowed to contest that seat in Labour colours whenever the next election comes along either.
No comments:
Post a Comment