Kmflett's Blog

Labour Generations & Historic General Elections.

Matters of history rarely impinge much on for the moment media coverage of General Elections in the modern era.

That of 2019 has been labelled as ‘historic’, a once in a lifetime opportunity to elect a radical Labour Government or confirm in Office a radical Tory one. We have had that kind of choice before well within living memory, in 1983, but this post is not about that.

The first point to be made is that the Election result is unlikely to be historic in any defining sense whoever wins. Despite the fact that there is a fixed term Parliament Act which dictates Elections once every 5 years this is the third General Election in the last 4 years.

Who is to say when the next will actually be? It could be in 2024, but economic and political volatility across the world suggests it might be a good deal sooner.

The Election is probably historic on the Labour side however in the sense that it is dominated by politicians, Jeremy Corbyn, John McDonnell, Diane Abbott who may well be forever young but probably wont lead Labour into another Election, win or lose on Thursday.

As the media selectively reminds us they are Labour politicians whose views and outlook were formed in the 1970s and 1980s against the backdrop of the Labour Governments of 1964-69 and 1974-79 and that of the Thatcher period that came after that. This doesn’t mean they are living in the past rather that they have ideas and plans that were originally formulated in that era.

The same was true for the 1974 Labour Government. Leading figures in it from Tony Benn to Denis Healey had their original politics formed in the 1930s and in the immediate post-1945 period. The big trade union influence on that Government came from Jack Jones and Hugh Scanlon who had also started out in the 1930s.

If we go back to 1945 and the Attlee Government we can see leading figures in that such as Nye Bevan and Herbert Morrison whose politics had been shaped by the immediate aftermath of the First World War and the failure of the first Labour Government in 1924.

The point being that in a world where change often seems immediate and yesterday is a but a distant memory, political ideas and strategies still take decades to work through.

It’s a failure of total history (mine as much as anyone elses) that I cant reliably comment on whether the same is true for the Tory Party. That would be an interesting study

Beard Liberation Front

8th December

contact keith Flett 07803 167266

Jeremy Corbyn applauded for keeping to official beard care guidelines

The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has applauded Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn for sticking to official guidelines on beard care.

The Labour Leader posted a picture of himself in a hairdressing establishment with the words ‘anti-cuts, pro trims’

BLF policy is that cutting the beard is considered undesirable but trimming promotes good follicle health and growth.

BLF Organiser Keith Flett said, Jeremy Corbyn is a very long term supporter of the BLF and we are pleased to see that despite all the pressures of an Election campaign he is sticking to official beard care guidelines

You can vote for Jeremy Corbyn for Beard of the Year 2019 at the link below:

The Ten Point Beard Liberation Front Manifesto

No to Beardism and pogonophobic prejudice against the hirsute

Equal rights for beard wearers through a Beard Equality Act

More hirsute MPs

A 20% quota for hirsute Cabinet Ministers

More hirsute public employees and monitoring of hirsuteness levels in the senior Civil Service

Promotion of positive public images of the hirsute

A statue of the last hirsute Prime Minister, Lord Salisbury, to be erected in Parliament Square

OfCom to have a statutory duty to monitor pogonophobia in the broadcast media & issue penalties for persistent transgressors

No dress codes at work, beyond a requirement for smart appearance for public facing roles

A luxury tax on the shaving industry, the proceeds to be used to promote a diverse Britain

CAMPAIGN FOR REAL SANTAS

Organised by the Beard Liberation Front

Press release 8^th December

Contact Keith Flett 07803 167266

____________________________________________________

BOGUS SANTAS ATTACK LABOUR PLACARD IN NORWICH

The Campaign for Real Santas, which promotes Santas with genuine organic beards is intensifying its campaign after an unidentified group of ‘Santas’ who may have had bogus beards attacked a Labour placard in Norwich on Friday and caused a home owners garden wall to fall over.

CFRS organiser Keith Flett said, the genuine Santa is broadly someone of goodwill with a genuine beard. This incident is a disturbing reminder of the damage that bogus Santas can cause.

ITV Report

https://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2019-12-08/santas-blamed-for-political-vandalism-in-norwich/

THREE STEPS TO SPOT A GENUINE SANTA

1 Tug the beard of the Santa. If it comes away, then the Santa is FAKE

2 If the beard remains intact tug the beard of the Santa again. If the Santa swears then they are genuine. If they simply repeat a ‘ho ho ho’ mantra they are FAKE

3 The Campaign for Real Santas says that genuine Santas must have just the right mix of bonhomie and grumpiness and a real organic beard.

Notes

The Organic Santa of 2019 will be named on December 18th

The Campaign for Real Santas is organised by the Beard Liberation Front

Boris Johnson discovers he ‘likes’ football.

The Tories have made an Election ‘pledge’ to provide funding for grassroots football to promote a bid for the UK to host the 2030 football World Cup.

The funding of course just replaces some of the money the Tories have cut from this area since 2010.

Johnson has also given media interviews underlining his love for football but as many will know, he is a politician who is incapable of telling the truth

Sonia Purnell author of the best biography of Johnson, Just Boris writes of his attendance at the South African Football World Cup (in an earlier bid to get a future World Cup for the UK):

‘no great football fan himself, he is more of a rugby man’.

details

The Conservatives are pledging to invest £550m in grassroots football as part of plans to back a UK and Ireland bid to host the 2030 World Cup if they form the next government.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the investment would “transform lives with a legacy to match the 2012 Olympics”.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2019-50695211

The Ambridge Socialist- General Election Manifesto 2017

The Ambridge Socialist

69 years of the class struggle in Borsetshire

December 8th

Election Manifesto 2019. An Ambridge For the Many not the Few

What the Ambridge Socialist said about the May 1997 General Election

The Ambridge Socialist Editorial Board has drawn a Manifesto for the 12^th December Election based on practical issues that could mean that Ambridge is at last for the many not the few

Enforce the Living Wage in Borsetshire

Turn the Bull over to community ownership

Nationalise Brookfield without compensation and introduce the Grundys as custodians

Introduce a seven day a week half hourly bus service Ambridge to Borchester

Set up a task force to bring forward proposals for a sustainable Ambridge.

End BBC bias against the proletarians of Ambridge

Erect a statue of Joe Grundy on the Village Green

Start a substantial programme of genuinely affordable house building on land expropriated from Borsetshire Land

Ambridge Socialist Editor Keith Flett said, we are certain these will be popular proposals with voters and the red flag will soon fly over Borsetshire

In Other News

Brian tells Phoebe BL’s offer on Rewilding is Greenwash but Pip pushes ahead

Leonard & Jill are going away for Xmas

Russ has been purged as Director of the Ghost Stories and Lynda has stepped in

Also: Josh, Johnny, Bella, Helen, Lee

Beard Liberation Front

Media Release

8^th December

Contact Keith Flett 07803 167266

Survey shows majority of beard wearers prefer not to vote for a clean-shaven Prime Minister

The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has said that special General Election research it has commissioned, shows that a majority of voters with a beard prefer not vote for a clean-shaven Prime Minister.

The research was carried out face to face, via telephone and social media on 4-6^th December in north-east London.

The findings were clear in that 65% of beard wearers who responded to a BLF survey said they could not trust a clean-shaven Prime Minister.

The news come as Tory candidate for Mansfield Ben Bradley regained the Parliamentary Beard of the Year Award on Friday.

The Beard Liberation Front says that while the last Prime Minister with beard, Lord Salisbury in 1902, was a Tory there remains a view amongst the hirsute that the Tories are not a beard friendly party.

BLF Organiser Keith Flett said, our research has shown that most beard wearers wont back a clean shaven Prime Minister. In the last week of the campaign Boris Johnson has it all to do if wants the hirsute vote.

Beard Liberation Front

Media Release

7^th December

Contact: Keith Flett 07803 167266

Tory Ben Bradley’s Parliamentary Beard of the Year victory shows the way for first Prime Minister with a beard since 1902

The Beard Liberation Front the informal network of beard wearers has said that Ben Bradley, the Tory candidate for Mansfield on December 12^th, has won the 2019 Parliamentary Beard of the Year poll.

Mr Bradley got around 75% of the vote with Mr Corbyn second on 20% with Stephen Kinnock a distant third.

Ben Bradley won in 2017 when Jeremy Corbyn didn’t stand but this is the first time he has beaten a full field of contestants.

The campaigners say that they hope Mr Bradley’s decisive victory will lead the way to a more beard friendly Tory Party with even Boris Johnson deciding to give up shaving.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has won the Award 8 times in total in 2001, 2007, 2011, 2012 (shared), 2014, 2015 and 2016. He was declared not eligible in 2017 to give newer Parliamentary beards a chance but won again in 2018

The Award is not about the politics of the beard wearer but about how well they have deployed their beard in public during the year, particularly in Parliament.

BLF Organiser Keith Flett said, the last there was a Prime Minister with beard, Lord Salisbury In 1902, he was a Tory. We’re hoping Ben Bradley’s decisive victory in the Parliamentary Beard of the Year poll will see a resurgence of that tradition

Parliamentary Beard of the Year 2019 shortlist

Chris Elmore (Labour)

Lord Tony Greaves (LIbDem)

Lord Hylton (Crossbencher)

Jim McMahon (Labour)

Nadhim Zahawi (Tory)

Ben Bradley (Tory)

Barry Gardiner (Labour)

Stephen Kinnock (Labour)

Alex Cunningham (Labour)

Stephen Crabb (Tory)

Jeremy Corbyn (Labour)

Andy McDonald (Labour)

Crispin Blunt (Tory)

Andrew Gwynne (Labour)

Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour)

Recent winners

2011 Jeremy Corbyn

2012 Jeremy Corbyn/John Randall

2013 Julian Huppert

2014 Jeremy Corbyn

2015 Jeremy Corbyn

2016 Jeremy Corbyn

2017 Ben Bradley

2018 Jeremy Corbyn

2019 Ben Bradley

CAMPAIGN FOR REAL SANTAS

Organised by the Beard Liberation Front

Press release 7^th December

Contact Keith Flett 07803 167266

____________________________________________________

CAMPAIGNERS WARN ON BOGUS BEARD SANTAS

A genuine Santa

The Campaign for Real Santas, which promotes Santas with genuine organic beards, 2019 initiative to promote real Santas with genuine beards by warning people to be aware of absurd false bearded Santas at the busiest pre-Christmas shopping weekends is in full swing.

The Campaigners say that with unemployment and under-employment amongst mature men over 50, there is absolutely no reason for anyone to use an assistant Santa who does not have a real beard.

At the same time the Campaign is also keen to encourage more female Santas with organic knitted beards.

Campaigners are urging parents and children to vigorously tug the beards of Santas they encounter as a definitive test as to whether they are in the presence of a real Santa or not.

CFRS organiser Keith Flett said, Christmas decorations and lights are up in main High Streets and Christmas tat is everywhere. Our task of exposing false bearded Santas is more important than ever.

THREE STEPS TO SPOT A GENUINE SANTA

1 Tug the beard of the Santa. If it comes away, then the Santa is FAKE

2 If the beard remains intact tug the beard of the Santa again. If the Santa swears then they are genuine. If they simply repeat a ‘ho ho ho’ mantra they are FAKE

3 The Campaign for Real Santas says that genuine Santas must have just the right mix of bonhomie and grumpiness and a real organic beard.

Notes

The Organic Santa of 2019 will be named on December 18th

The Campaign for Real Santas is organised by the Beard Liberation Front

Jeremy Corbyn & Crowds: a message from history.

Guardian journalist Aditya Chakrabortty has written a sympathetic but not uncritical piece about a moment in Jeremy Corbyn’s current Election campaign.

We’ll find out after 10pm on 12^th December how Labour have done but the question of the crowds that Jeremy Corbyn attracts will abide longer.

Its fair to say that any Labour leader whether Gaitskell or Wilson has attracted crowds at Election times but Jeremy Corbyn is different in that he attracts crowds at Election times and at every other time too.

It could be the beard, its more likely to be the policies and the hope they inspire. Its not the great oratory. Corbyn used to be Tony Benn’s representative on earth. Benn made the inspirational speeches and Corbyn supported him. Benn is sadly no more and Jeremy Corbyn is a much better speaker than he was.

Chakrabortty raises the interesting question of what the crowds which Corbyn attracts represent and what they might do. Unusually for a journalist he is spot on in referring to the leading crowd historian George Rude’s work.

These days much work on crowds is about how many can fit in a particular space- risk assessment.

Fortunately Rude’s approach was historical. He looked at who those who were involved in the French Revolution of 1789 and after were for example.

But his work didn’t go without criticism. E P Thompson thought Rude too easily overlooked reactionary elements of crowd behaviour (not a feature of Corbyn crowds) and others suggested that while Rude identified who was part of the crowd, their age, occupation etc, we still had no idea about what they were thinking or why they were there.

Broadly speaking, we still don’t. So what will the crowds who come out to support and listen to Jeremy Corbyn do after 12^th December? The answer is: work in progress. Political agency is about what people actually do not what theorists tell them they should do.

Perhaps Britain will become more like France with the gillets jaunes and this week’s massive trade union strike. Or perhaps the world will go on much the same. I hope for the former obviously but we’ll see.

Guardian article and extract

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/dec/06/corbyn-still-plays-the-crowds-but-spirit-of-2017-remains-elusive

Local Labour councillor, Steve Sweeney, breaks into a grin as wide as the River Calder as he remembers organising a meeting for the Labour leader at Hebden Bridge in May 2017. Over a thousand came to that one rally, so impossibly many that Corbyn had to go outside to deliver his speech a second time. Some latecomers wanted in so badly they stood in the river. “I can’t imagine they caught a word.”

“Perhaps no historical phenomenon has been so thoroughly neglected by historians as the crowd,” wrote French scholar George Rude in his classic The Crowd In History. Whether at Bastille in 1789 or Peterloo in 1819, the “faces in the crowd” were considered not as a “living and many-sided phenomenon” but “an abstract formula”. The activists who thronged in driving rain at Sheffield last month to cheer Corbyn as he went on Question Time: Leaders Special were not doing anything half so dramatic, but they and others have been deluged in condescension.

To much of the press, they are little more than “Corbynistas”, bovine hordes lowing against the ideologically impure. Yet those grassroots supporters have called the past half-decade better than most in the Westminster village. As insiders laughed at his leadership chances, it was the growing crowds that showed he was a serious contender. When Labour MPs demanded Corbyn quit, his biggest support came from the crowds mobilising outside parliament.

Against press onslaught, Corbyn’s supporters have been his defence. When the polls look poor, his crowds have served as a reminder that anything is possible. For Corbyn himself, they show that he heads a “social movement”. Over the last few hours of this historic election, their role will be vital. And if Labour lose badly on Thursday night, then one big question on Friday morning will be who and what Corbyn’s crowds will accept.

One thing is clear: they are not to be taken for granted. The crowds this campaign would delight any other politician but by Corbyn’s standard they are typically smaller and older. Cold, wet evenings are no friend to the outdoor epic meeting, and the Labour leader is no longer the promising up-and-comer he appeared to be at Glastonbury two years ago. Yet senior advisers still puzzle over why his dire personal ratings have not enjoyed anything like the boost they got in 2017.

BBC bias & the Peculiarities of Boris Johnson

I don’t listen to BBC news on the radio or watch it on TV (I do look at the news website). I’m on the left and I find much of the news as reported slanted towards the right.

Does this mean the BBC is biased? Not necessarily. It could just mean that I don’t like hearing views that aren’t my own.

Actually though, whether I do not, as a trade union officer, hearing views that are not my own and dealing with them professionally is part of what I do.

There are several points to be made here.

Firstly part of the problem I have with BBC News (and indeed much of the 24 hour news culture) is that somewhere along the line it has become acceptable and commonly practiced by at least some journalists to add their personal views to a news report. They of course can have their own views but they are also meant to be professionals who keep such views for other times.

Secondly and more complex is the question of whether the BBC is biased towards the Tories. Currently I think it is (see my Guardian letter below 6.12). However it is a matter of institutional bias. There is an assumption towards the Government of the day, and against change, until change happens.

This attitude has deep historical roots in British culture and can be found in many areas where change is discussed. If there is no clear agreement on change then whoever is presiding will rule in favour of keeping the status quo.

Whether this remains appropriate in 2019 or whether a change is required is worth discussion.

It is certainly what lies behind BBC journalist Andrew Neill empty chairing Boris Johnson (5.12) for failing to appear for a pre-Election TV interview.

Neill made it clear that in every other recent election all party leaders had been interviewed and this was seen as part of a democratic practice of calling them to account,

In other words Johnson had stepped outside of the parameters which indicated that his Government would get treatment as that of the existing status quo.

Letter 6^th December

Peter Oborne is right to call out Conservative bias in the BBC’s election coverage (In this election, the BBC has let down those who believe in it, Journal, 3 December) and likely to be right too in his assessment that the reasons for the bias are institutional, beyond the prejudices of a few well-known reporters. Put simply, the BBC tends to be more sympathetic to the status quo and the government of the day than political change.

Yet behind all that lies the hard work of thousands of professional BBC employees out there reporting and producing news on a wide range of matters that the printed media no longer often does.

As with the gender pay gap at the BBC, perhaps it’s time for those at Broadcasting House to listen more to their employees and their trade unions and less to the politicians of the moment.

Keith Flett

Link to full letters:

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/dec/05/the-bbc-cannot-dodge-accusations-of-tory-bias