Those who do not remember history

[shewhomust]

Do you suppose that any of the Labour Party's current hierarchy and administrators remember that the party used to have something called 'members'?

Or that those members left - at first a trickle, then a flood - when they realised that New Labour was not the party they had joined, or worked for, and that Tony Blair's policies were not an elaborate smokescreen, which were necessary to get him elected but would then be dropped, and the party would return, maybe not to its socialist roots but at least to some kind of leftism? (Yes, people really used to tell me that).

Perhaps they (the current party) think that all those members ceased to exist once they had left the party, vanished in a puff of smoke?

Because now the party has declared that it thinks there should be a left-wing candidate in the leadership election, and that the leader should be chosen by people who broadly support the Labour Party, even if they aren't currently members -

- and they seem to be surprised at who is paying £3 to accept that invitation.

This thought brought to you by the Department of Definitely Not Liveblogging the Labour Leadership Election, Because Once You Start, Honestly, Where Would You Stop?

Comments

[lil-shepherd.livejournal.com]

Indeed.

I swore at the end of the Blair/Brown era that I would never vote Labour again, because I trust New Labour as I do adders fanged. I could be tempted back by a party that had regained its soul.

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

I was a member from the age of 16 and left over Iraq and the Kelly Affair.

I won't be signing back up............