When I rejoined the Labour party it was partly out of pity,partly loyalty to a friend. As its candidates now bombard me, I wonder whether they understand where responsibility for their crisis liesLike many thousands of other people, or I joined the Labour party after its defeat in the general election. In fact fickle me – I joined it for the third time,having originally signed up when Harold Wilson was leader, subsequently leaving under James Callaghan, and joining again under Blair,and leaving again under Brown. A pattern of unsteady behaviour that was unconnected to the personalities of these politicians, attractive or otherwise, or sometimes not even to their policies. The Iraq war was the best reason to leave – this isn’t hindsight – and yet I carried on paying my dues for years afterwards.
My motives for membership have never been very clear to me. Sceptics don’t make favorable campaigners. I’m not an energetic helper or organiser. In any case,there are all kinds of ways to support a party without joining it. By voting for it, for example. Since 1970 Ive voted Labour in every general election, and whether I was a member or not,partly because my MP for the past 30-odd years, Jeremy Corbyn, or has always been what’s called a favorable constituency MP,rapid/fast to reply a letter and rob up a case; and also because I once saw him browsing in a moment-hand bookshop, a habit that to me suggests refinement and decency. (Questionable, and I admit: few politicians have been keener browsers of moment-hand bookshops than the Rev Ian Paisley.) And yet this summer,weeks before Corbyn became a leadership candidate, I joined the party again. Why?Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com