Vintage footage of former Labour MP and ex-miner Dennis Skinner taking down centrist idol Neil Kinnock carries a message current Labour leader Keir Starmer badly needs to take on board.
When Kinnock boasted at a 1981 Tribune conference fringe about his supposed bravery in continuing when he claimed he was on a left-wing ‘hit list’, Skinner laid some working-class truth on him:
Those who know and care what politics is really about – life and death for millions – don’t worry about incurring the wrath of opponents. They know being in Parliament is a privilege – and consider being on political hitlists as nothing more than a sign they’re doing the job right of standing up for those who face real hardship and conflict.
They don’t tip-toe down the middle of every road in terror of taking a position someone might not like.
It’s a message Keir Starmer, whose approach to opposition has been to avoid actually opposing whenever possible, badly needs to take on board.
The SKWAWKBOX needs your help. The site is provided free of charge but depends on the support of its readers to be viable. If you can afford to, please click here to arrange a one-off or modest monthly donation via PayPal or here to set up a monthly donation via GoCardless (SKWAWKBOX will contact you to confirm the GoCardless amount). Thanks for your solidarity so SKWAWKBOX can keep bringing you information the Establishment would prefer you not to know about.
If you wish to republish this post for non-commercial use, you are welcome to do so – see here for more.