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Questions of principle factional stuff is a zero sum game,” says Jon Crud- mon] Women addressed us,” he recalls. “They das, sat in his parliamentary office. The Labour MP were trying to buy bolt-cutters to cut the fences at for Dagenham and Rainham’s ideology is difficult Greenham Common, but anytime they turned up at to pin down. One person close to him describes a shop anywhere near, they were denied the right him as “not of left or right – a floating voter in to buy them. So, each Campaign Group member the Labour Party”, while new MP Lisa Nandy says agreed to buy one set of bolt-cutters and donate he’s “distinctly different from the shadow cabinet to the Greenham Women. Which we duly did!” mainstream”. A lazier description could be ‘soft left’. Now, other left-wing clusters are overshadow- There’s nothing soft about Cruddas, mind. ing the Campaign Group. MPs Kelvin Hopkins and He’s raw London Labour – a man who took Grahame Morris along with Dr Éoin Clarke have on the BNP and won. He crashes his feet recently established a new left-wing Labour think onto his desk and wheezes with laughter. tank called GEER UK (Gender, Environment, Equal- clockwise from opposite page “Labour became a party of centralised ity and Race UK). It has been dubbed a possible Tony Benn in 1961; Hugh Gaitskell government,” he says, “but it’s at its best when ‘Red Labour’ alternative to Maurice Glasman’s Blue was a hate figure for the left when part of broader alliances, dating back to Keir Labour. Separately, former Tony Blair was a small child; May Day march in 1975; Diane Abbott Hardie. The pressure will come from outside Labour leadership hopeful MP addresses an Anti-Racist Action the party. The solutions aren’t going to be, Michael Meacher has founded conference in September 1992; Jeremy Corbyn MP (2nd left); Jon Cruddas as Ed Balls might say, ‘endogenously created’. a new regular meeting in Parlia- MP during the deputy leadership They’re broader movements and ideas.” ment for those on the left. It has contest in 2007; Ronnie Campbell But the idea of creating ‘broad alliances’ on the attracted some new Labour MPs. MP in his previous life as a miner left, across parties and including outside interests, Lisa Nandy, part of the 2010 is not new. Radical left thinker Ken Coates spent intake, says: “I’ve never been to The supposed blocking of Labour four decades trying to give greater coherence the Campaign Group, but I ex- left candidates, and lack of career to militant left politics. In his 1971 book, The pect that Meacher’s group pulls prospects once they enter Parlia- Crisis of British Socialism, he wrote: “What is really in broader sections of views than ment, means that there’s been a the former.” Nandy herself has “hollowing-out” of potential leftie been described as “one of leaders, as one MP put it to me. the few left-wing members” Lawson agrees: “People like Tony Until the left can discuss Benn emerge in conditions that create what New Labour did, Benns – the militant shop steward examine and understand movements, the alternative economic strategy of the 1970s. A mixture of ide- what went wrong, we’re as and social forces combine to create never going to work out was removed from the Labour candidacy short- the circumstances. You may get rogue We’re in the middle of a profound identity crisis.” what goes right next time list. In 2010, he accused the party of “engineer- figures today, like George Galloway or Lawson adds: “There are deep-seated ing” the shortlist for Stoke-on-Trent Central, Ken Livingstone, but they don’t have problems with what New Labour did, and now Tristram Hunt’s seat. Other stories include the same resonance that a Benn might.” until the left can discuss that, examine and required is for all socialists to ask themselves how Victoria Street Labour staff applying pressure Upon being elected Labour leader, understand what went wrong, we’re never go- they propose to put their ideas into practice… It against local selection of left-wing candidates. Ed Miliband declared, “I am a social- ing to work out what goes right next time.” remains very plain that all the socialist organisa- “They don’t want trouble-makers,” says ist”. But are his credentials enough to Campbell and Clark are dubious about a union tions together need an alliance, not only with the one Labour MP. “There are aspects of it that justify the title ‘Red Ed’, or is his colour fading? Cruddas, once darling of the left, stood as a with other parties, especially the Lib Dems. “If this effective single-issue pressure groups for civil are absolutely horrible. It’s a really cruel busi- Ronnie Campbell is not enthusiastic about candidate in the 2007 deputy leadership contest progressive alliance thinks that the Liberals are any- liberties and welfare rights, but with the arche- of the latest intake. She concedes that she could ness. Why would people on the left want the amount of red in Ed. “He’s a right-winger,” and received 19.39 per cent of the vote, more where near standing with us, you just have to look at typal organisations of labour, the trade unions. be defined as “soft-left…. slightly left-of-centre”. to put themselves in that position?” he says, “not left, in any sense of the imagina- than any other candidate in the first round. Harriet what they’re prepared to vote for,” Campbell says. “It will become necessary for some brave souls But, she maintains, definitions of left and right “The party machine is very good at overseeing tion. I haven’t got a problem with Ed. He was my Harman eventually won, but Cruddas’ strong show- Clark agrees: “It’s a big mistake to talk about to start again, and seek to coalesce in the wilder- do not reveal much about where people in the the selection process, scandalously so,” says Lawson. second choice. It just wasn’t much of a choice.” ing – he was eliminated in the penultimate round a progressive alliance as a headline policy. We ness, with all these people who want to be socialists, party sit: “The left/right spectrum is less helpful “This is supposed to be the neutral civil service of But Lawson sees potential in Miliband’s – prompted The Sun to question ‘Why Labour is need to get our own message clear. Concen- believe in creating a democratic movement in now than it’s ever been.” Why is Nandy one of very the party and it’s far from it. It’s in the pocket of its approach: “He’s too cautious, too careful, lurching left’. Yet, he ruled himself out of the 2010 trating so much fire on the Liberals in the last which they can argue while building together, few self-identified left-wingers in Parliament? It own bureaucratic space which is conservative with but his instincts are right. Wanting a more election because he wants to influence policy. year, while it may have been enjoyable for and are not afraid of a difficult, and possibly could be partly due to allegations that the Labour a small ‘c’ and makes sure no one gets through who equal world gets him out of bed. The dan- I ask how that’s going. He sees potential in some, has been a complete waste of time.” long, haul.” It rings true for someone like Lawson Party machine actively blocks potential left-wing is going to upset their closeted view of the world.” ger is, he’s not moving far or fast enough.” building a left that brings in external social move- Tony Benn, a prominent force of radical 40 years later. Yet it still has not materialised. MPs. “I’d never been for selection before Wigan,” Katy Clark, MP for North Ayrshire and Arran, He concedes: “Maybe I see what I want to; I’ve ments and other parties. Does it suit Labour to politics, once suggested: “The Labour Party Certainly, pressure for radical reform is low says Nandy. “And there was very little input from says that the party is prejudiced against the left grown up with him politically. He broadly wants to pursue an alliance with the Lib Dems? He replies: has never been a socialist party; it’s just always within Parliament. The most prominent left-wing anyone in the party. That was a lot to do with even when they get elected. “People were punished go in the direction Compass does, which is why we “Some will go, ‘But, oh no, we’re Labour’. People had socialists in it”. The current left of the party grouping is the Socialist Campaign Group, but it’s there being so many going on at any one time.” politically for taking a stance. There’s no doubt backed him. Most ‘soft centre-left’ ingredients are know that we’re Labour. Steady as she goes, then. is a straggly mix of visions and directions. no longer a serious thorn in the side of the party. Corbyn is blunter about Nandy’s se- that’s happened to me. I’m the only member of the there, but they’re not sharp enough, or resonating.” Maybe it’ll drop in our lap. I don’t think so. And Certainly, the ‘hard left’ is becoming more difficult Former MP and member of the Group Bob Clay lection. “They didn’t want her. No way. 2005 Labour intake who’s never been offered a job.

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