Hazel Blears Must Go!

The decision by Salford New Labour Party apparatchiks last night to vote down two motions of no confidence in local MP Hazel Blears (by almost 3 to 1) and thereby effectively endorse her as the Party's candidate at the next General Election is a political act that may well mark the beginning of end of the Labour Party has a political force in the city. This since it demonstrates entirely how completely out of touch New Labour is with its traditional working class supporters, many of whom earlier in the day formed orderly queues in Swinton and elsewhere in the city to sign the petition demanding she should stand down as an MP.

The fact that Labour has taken no heed of the overwhelming local outrage at her own involvement in the MP's expenses claims scandal, as well as the fact that a great many locals now believe that the Government has little concern for the worsening plight of ordinary people in the city might also prove to be a pivotal point in the development of what might replace Labour and become the new political force on the 'Left' in the city!

Indeed, Labour's endorsement of Blears last night throws down the gauntlet to all 'Left of Labour' politiical organisations, socialists, trades unionists and community activists living in the area. They can leave that gauntlet on the ground and choose do nothing, the result of which could be a mass abstention of Labour voters at the General election which might let the Lib-Dems, the Tories, UKIP, even the BNP or some 'celebrity' interloper like Martin Bell get in, or they could all choose to stand candidates representing their own particular group or stand as individuals and divide the opposition to Blears from the Left, which would likely yield the same result, or they could come together to promote the idea of standing a single 'People's' candidate - someone who would be a true champion of interests of the ordinary working class people of Salford, and around whom everyone, including former Labour voters as well as those on the left, could rally and seek to get elected instead of Hazel Blears.

A discussion is already underway in Salford on what needs to be done! The "Hazel Must Go" campaign to boot out Blears before the General election should certainly go on, after all she'd stand to get a bigger pay out if she can hold out until the General Election even if she were subsequently kicked out by local voters, something which really does add further insult to injury to many living locally.

Plus the Hazel Must Go Campaign, if its support can be broadened to include local trades union organisations and all the left political organisations and community groups in Salford might provide a sufficient initial organisational framework through which to work in terms of developing a principled pro-working class alternative to Blears & New Labour in the City in the short term as well.

However, what is ideally required is the organisation of a really big open meeting, a 'Salford People's Convention' or something like that, perhaps sponsored by the Hazel Must Go Campaign, the local "Salford Star" magazine, the Salford left Forum, the Unemployed Centre in Eccles and a good spread of local political and community organisations, etc, which would discuss the question of whether or not to field a Salford 'People's' candidate, and if so, on what political platform or basis that candidate would stand. Also if that were all agreed, how such an election campaign would be financed, and how to best go about the democratic selection of a candidate.

In terms of a political platform - the demands and themes of the People's Charter would seem a perfectly adequate platform to me, since the Charter is already endorsed by many trades union branches and by most Left organisations, and a simple endorsement of that would eradicate the need for any bickering on the issue. A local dimension could be added to it specifically relating to the needs of the people of Salford, as is already being done in nearby Wigan as the basis of a Borough wide Left of Labour electoral alliance in the 2010 local elections, and an open city wide discussion on what should be included in such might likely generate added impetus and support to an election campaign.

Anyone who endorses the agreed platform (whatever is ultimately agreed on) and who feels that they would fit the "People's Champion" bill should be encouraged to put their names forward. The same should apply to local political organisations, trade union branches, and community groups who should also be invited to make nominations. A democratic selection process should then take place involving everyone prepared to pledge themselves to help the campaign and make a minimal financial contribution towards it (say £2) as well as obviously, to vote for the duly selected candidate, whoever it is, on election day.

Whatever the precise procedure is adopted would obviously need to be agreed by people in Salford at the outset. It would hopefully include all candidates being able to circulate statements freely, the staging of open hustings, and should there be more than a half a dozen candidates, perhaps a run-off of the top two candidates if a majority was not achieve after the first ballot like, they do for the French Presidential elections.

So long as everyone is happy with the procedure it doesn't really matter. They key thing would be to try and make sure everyone feels that they have been involved in the process of selecting the candidate, that whoever is selected is considered the best candidate by the most involved in the campaign, and that everyone should support whoever it is who is finally selected come the elections.

I urge those on the Left in Salford to pick up the gauntlet thrown down by New Labour and take the road of fielding and supporting a single 'Left of Labour' People's candidate to boot our Blears at the next General elections, unless of course they can do that earlier, in which case to defeat any other candidate fielded by New Labour.

Photo and report by Stephen Hall

Join the facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=93440498698&ref=ts