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January 11, 2006
Representation
God bless the Labour Party and affirmative action. According to the Party's latest email to members:
Labour has a long track record on equality issues. We have the highest number of women and ethnic minority members in the UK Parliament than all the other political parties put together. Labour first introduced positive action back in 1997, and since that time has continued to use positive action in selection procedures at a parliamentary, devolved and local government level. We are very proud of what we have achieved so far - but we know there is more to do to ensure the country's governance structures truly represent the communities they serve, not only in terms of women and ethnic minorities but in terms of age, class, sexuality, disability and religion.
Now assuming I was sufficiently motivated to put myself forward as a prospective candidate, I suspect that my personal circumstances might just prove to be a hinderance. Somehow I doubt that the Labour Party would like a white, middle class, married hetrosexual as a parliamentary candidate. Though maybe as a southerner now living in Yorkshire I might qualify on ethnic grounds.
The real problem with Labour's invitation lies in the closing sentence:
but we know there is more to do to ensure the country's governance structures truly represent the communities they serve
As a consequence of Labour's policy on devolution, Scottish MPs (amongst others) can vote on legislation that only affects England (Tuition Fees anyone?).
As a consequence of our electoral system, Labour has an overall majority of 66 MPs on only 36% of the vote.
As a consequence of the current electoral system, it takes nearly twice as many votes to elect a Conservative MP as it does a Labour MP.
In spite of massive opposition to the invasion of Iraq, Blair went ahead.
In spite of massive opposition to ID cars, Blair persists.
In spite of widespread outcry and objections to the erosion of our civil liberties by new anti-terror legislation, Blair persists.
In no way, shape or form has Blair and New Labour improved representation of communities at a national level. And this email once again displays the sheer arrogance of New Labour. After all, if Blair and Co had truly been interested in representation, then they could have stuck by their 1997 manifesto commitment to proportional representation rather than leaving the Jenkins Report to gather dust.
The question I can't help asking is why the Labour Party feels it necessary to send such a communication to its members. Unless, perhaps, it is finding it increasingly difficult to find potential candidates prepared to toe the line, and thus a trawl through the membership for suitable victims persons.
Posted by Clive on January 11, 2006 4:28 PM in the category Labour