[Peace-discuss] Fw: [socialistdiscussion] Galloway wins Bradford

[David Johnson]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: JOHN PICKARD 
To: socialistdiscussion at yahoogroups.com 
Sent: Friday, March 30, 2012 6:44 AM
Subject: Re: [socialistdiscussion] Galloway wins Bradford


  

It certainly represents a big blow to the Labour leadership. Galloway has produced one of the biggest-ever (if not the biggest-ever) swings in a by-election. Leaving aside the fact that the Tories and Liberals were completely blown away, the LP tops are desperately trying to fashion some excuses. It was funny listening to Harriet Harman on the radio this morning talking about the 'Bradford' effect and parrotting some 'bandwagon' effect, as if 'bandwagonism' was the latest political fad. The fact was that Galloway slammed the record of the previous Labour leadership on Iraq and Afghanistan - and that rubs off on Ed Miliband and Co too - and, even if Bradford has a higher than the national proportion of Muslims, it would have had an echo in any area. 



What was even more significant was the fact that his was an anti-cuts programme and his radical message struck a real chord. According to the Guardian, he also campaigned strongly against the system of patronage and support for unelected 'elders' in the Asian community - just showing that a class position can cut through all that crap.With each passing month cuts that were decided months or years ago are beginning to bite and people are feeling it. Most cuts are still to come. Even the interviewer on the BBC suggested to Harman that Labour was taking its 'core' support for granted. She blustered about 'not supporting cuts in living standards' but that's exactly what Miliband has done.


Whatever Galloway's personal attributes, this victory is an important one. It will help galvanise opposition to neoliberalism in the Labour Party and will help catalyse a shift to the left in the LP and Trade Unions. I can't see his party, Respect, repeating this feat elsewhere because Galloway was personally very well known, but it will give the local LP a fright.


Mobile: 07772515377



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Felicity Dowling <feldowling at yahoo.co.uk>
To: "socialistdiscussion at yahoogroups com" <socialistdiscussion at yahoogroups.com>; maggie lewis <maggie.m.lewis at googlemail.com> 
Sent: Friday, 30 March 2012, 7:46
Subject: [socialistdiscussion] Galloway wins Bradford



  

      The victory for George Galloway in the Bradford by election is a real suprise
      He's an anti woman, religious reactionary.But thats not what people have voted for.
      Labour ( and from what I'm told some elements of the trade unions) are v reactionary in Bradford. The politics of the large ( but not majority by any means) muslim community have been enmeshed with Labour.Clearly Galloway has made a big appeal there. Anti war issues are important  but so is unemployment and this foul government
      All that aside, a left alternative to Labour has been elected overwhelmingly,trouncing all the other parties
      the times they are a changing.... and lets remember our comrade Pat who was a socialist MP for Bradford back in the day.
      Sent from Yahoo! Mail on Android 





__._,_.___
Reply to sender | Reply to group | Reply via web post | Start a New Topic 
Messages in this topic (5) 
Recent Activity: a.. New Members 1 
Visit Your Group 
 Switch to: Text-Only, Daily Digest • Unsubscribe • Terms of Use.
 
__,_._,___
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.chambana.net/pipermail/peace-discuss/attachments/20120330/a999bed8/attachment-0001.html>