Quote:
Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington
Yes, but where are those politicians now JCB....
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Unfortunately , Margaret , they are an extinct species .
The longest serving Labour leader ( 1935-1955 ) , Clement Attlee , was the greatest Prime Minister ( 1945-1951 ) of my lifetime .
In difficult times he presided over a Government whose achievements were to make this country more just and fairer than at any time in its history .
He wouldn't stand a chance if he were to put up for Labour leader today .
The press would have a field day with this left-wing socialist .
He had no flair . He had no charisma . He was no good at public relations .
But what he did have was a steely determination based on the traditional values of the Labour Party to pursue policies which were unashamedly Socialist . The 1945 Labour manifesto said : " The Labour Party is a Socialist Party, and proud of it. Its ultimate purpose at home is the establishment of the Socialist Commonwealth of Great Britain - free, democratic, efficient, progressive, public-spirited, its material resources organised in the service of the British people. "
When the electorate returned a Conservative Government in 1951 , Labour still succeeded in gaining 48.8% of the national vote compared to the 44.3% achieved by the Conservatives .
Ever since Socialism within the Labour Party has been in decline .
Labour Prime Ministers , Harold Wilson , Jim Callaghan , Tony Blair , Gordon Brown , have been more concerned about getting Labour into power with little concern about what to do when in power . The result has been Conservative Labour Governments devoid of traditional Labour Party values and policies .
I see no possibility of the Labour Party being resurrected . New Labour , call it what you will , is here to stay , so we had better get used to it .
I don't like to say that , but it just happens to be the case .