Dear Which Blair,
Haven’t you learned yet that Auntie is a cynic? And that Blair is not going anywhere? As much as I would love for the bastard to be expelled, let’s be realistic. Not a single Labour MP has had the balls to support impeachment – why the hell would emails from you and your mates make them change their mind? They didn’t when war actually started. And even when we had the chance, not a single pro-war MP was deselected.
Unfortunately buddy, you’re not alone. Former independent MP Martin Bell is trying a similar ‘will-fail’ tactic – he’ s trying to get Blair’s opponents in Sedgefield to unite around one anti-Blair independent. The Tories and Lib Dems just laughed in his face. Which is what Auntie is doing now at the ‘I Won’t Vote Blair’ website. (It’s not exactly an eye-pleaser; its webmaster would do well to take a peek at this month’s ‘Guerilla Guide‘.)
What worries me most is the crap response on the site to the FAQ, ‘Won’t we just get Gordon Brown, Michael Howard or Charles Kennedy instead’? ‘Probably. This is about democracy.’ Yeah, well, maybe if the left tried to focus on providing an alternative then we might not think we were voting in vain. Or fought for good ol’ proportional representation so our votes counted. These things won’t come soon (or ever), Auntie despairs, so why not use your energy to fight Blair and co at next year’s G8 in Scotland? Otherwise, you could just foment revolutionary hot air for another four years.
#236: The War Racket: Palestine Action on shutting down arms factories ● Paul Rogers on the military industrial complex ● Alessandra Viggiano and Siobhán McGuirk on gender identity laws in Argentina ● Dan Renwick on the 5th anniversary of Grenfell ● Juliet Jacques on Zvenigora ● Laetitia Bouhelier on a Parisian community cinema ● The winning entry of the Dawn Foster Memorial Essay Prize ● Book reviews and regular columns ● Much more!
And you choose how much to pay for your subscription...
Tower Hamlets Labour Party is deeply hypocritical in its treatment of marginalised people and women of colour, argues Tasnima Uddin
The term represents a wider establishment discourse which is being used to guide the UK in an increasingly conservative direction, argues Daniel Eales
As the local elections get underway, Red Pepper's Simon Hedges shares his own experiences with the trials and tribulations of electoral politics
As the Nationality and Borders Bill becomes law, Sabrina Huck attempts to decipher whether Labour's immigration policy offers any promise of change for the better
Huw Beynon reviews the life and legacy of one of the most influential labour leaders in recent times
A new book exposes the gap between the Welsh government's radical rhetoric and reality, writes Leanne Wood