The mainstream press has been reporting that London Mayor Sadiq Khan and his Manchester counterpart Andy Burnham have been ‘cut’ from the speakers’ programme at Labour’s annual Conference in Brighton:
Others have exaggerated this into a ‘ban’, which is not the case – the pair are simply unlikely to be included this year.
At least one publication has attributed this decision to revenge on the part of Jeremy Corbyn’s Chief of Staff, Karie Murphy, but a senior source at the leader of the opposition’s office (LOTO) tells a different story – in very blunt terms:
It’s total bollocks
The Chief of Staff of LOTO chairs the committee that oversees the conference and the committee makes collective decisions on who speaks and when.
We want time for delegates – northern voices, women, black delegates etc – not candidates or mayors speaking to promote them and their agenda.
This conference is about our manifesto and preparing for government, simple as that. It will be more engaging and exciting and the final final plans will be announced in the next few weeks.
Andy is a friend, although there were a few words with [Burnham’s Chief of Staff] Kevin Lee – he didn’t want the ‘optics’ of Andy being seen with Jeremy just after his win. As for Sadiq, Karie doesn’t even really know Sadiq but he spoke at last year’s Conference.
As Jon Lansman said on Twitter, no elected Labour representative should be upset about members having more time and input at the party’s key decision-making event – and with a better balance of delegates expected in Brighton and the party prepared for a General Election at any moment, there will be more important things to discuss.
And members from the rest of the country will welcome a wider input than simply from the mayors of two cities, great as those cities are.
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It’s time to realise that Sadiq Khan and Andy Burnham are big enough to care more about the wider interests than their personal career trajectories. The decision making process is working, labour is working for the first time since they were petrified by Saatchi and Saatchi in 1978 and 9. Fresh air not Trumps I say!
This situation can be summed up quite simply.
It is about the right wing party managers, who still control the party machinery, versus the membership and leadership, which represents the heart, the soul and the campaigning and fundraising machine of the Labour Party.
Without the membership, the party is nothing. And the membership has had enough of the right wing of the party spitting in its face.
It is time for people to decide whose side they are on: the party, leadership and its membership, or the right wing party managers who have dragged the reputation of the party through the mud and who have just lost the party the last General Election with its defensive tactics.
Without the support of the Labour Party, Sadiq would not be the Mayor of London. He is just another suit with a loud mouth. He has failed to build a single council house in London in a year. He is proving to be a useless individual. Utterly useless.
Andy hedged his bets, he foolishly believed the propaganda of the Labour right wing. More fool him.
Let’s hope they both learn from their mistakes and start focussing on returning a Labour Government to implement the Labour manifesto that has the support of 13 million people, instead of obsessing on how quickly they can climb the greasy pole for their own personal gain.
If they, and the right wing of the party, refuse to learn their lesson then they will be punished by the membership until they do. It is their choice whether they learn the easy or the hard way.
The Labour Party is a collective enterprise. Andy and Sadiq would do well to remember that fact.
Again, I would like to say that I am not a fan of Khan but A. Burnham. The difference between Jeremy and Andy B. would be solved if the two would talk and discuss the matter very deep and share their opinions for future. They do really concern future of this country and young people. I am sure if there are difference between, their opinions and ideas are from good wills. They would be a great alley for the next election which I hope will soon take place. Hoping Andy would not be excluded.
Andy Burnham here
Did not vote against the welfare bill
Did not vote against Trident
Did not vote against the Iraq war
Did not vote in favour of Iraq war inquiry
Did not vote for a transparent parliament
Did not vote against an increase in university fees 2004
Did not vote against mass data retention and surveillance
And sold the first ever NHS hospital to the private sector