From David Tut

Sunday, 17 July 2016

If I was to go to work Monday morning and find that the people I worked with didn't like the way I did my job or even as a person! I would never get out of bed but for some reason Jeremy seems to have is head stuck in the sand. I think the man is an honest and trustworthy man but not a leader for a modern forward looking Labour Party so could the local and nationwide supporters of a Labour Party that is sinking fast get their spades out and dig him out of this mess.

From Roger O'Doherty

Sunday, 17 July 2016

Calderdale Momentum continues to meet. We had a successful meeting on 14th. Our next open meeting is on 28th July at the Orange Box in Halifax when Rebecca Long-Bailey MP, the new shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury will about Labour's New Economics.

Momentum welcomes non members who don't support a rival party.

We will be looking for volunteers to campaign for the re-election of Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader.

Calderdale Momentum is easy to find on Facebook for further information.

From Michael Prior

Monday, 18 July 2016

Perhaps the best route is not only to meet at the Trades but to join it. That way you not only get a vote in the leadership election at lower cost than the £25 supporter fee but get a reduction in tickets and beer.

Yes really, this is not a Green Party joke, well not entirely for it does suggest that the Labour Party is a seriously weird organisation and that it really is time to examine political structures in this country and how, realistically, we can unite to defeat the Tories. Progressive Alliance anyone?

From Allen Keep

Tuesday, 19 July 2016

I wasn't aware you could vote in the leadership election by virtue of being a Trades Club member. Is that true? (Hope so!)

From Gary W

Tuesday, 19 July 2016

As I understand it; any person that was already registered as being a Trades Club member at the beginning of 2016 will get a vote in the Labour leadership contest. Those who joined the Trades since then will not.

From Michael Prior

Tuesday, 19 July 2016

Yes it is true though as pointed out you have to have been a member since January.

From Allen Keep

Tuesday, 19 July 2016

Excellent! I have been (and long since). Owen Smith you lucky boy! (just kidding).

From Allen Keep

Tuesday, 6 September 2016

Registered with the Labour Party to vote as a member of the Trades Club but still not had a ballot paper. Any other members had theirs?

From Gwen Goddard

Tuesday, 6 September 2016

I haven't.

From Dai Hallgarth

Thursday, 8 September 2016

I haven't.

From Andy G

Thursday, 8 September 2016

I haven't either - but my wife has!

From Andy G

Monday, 19 September 2016

Further to my previous post on this subject, I am pleased to report that I have now received my Labour leadership election e-vote and have voted accordingly.

From Joe Ridley

Tuesday, 20 September 2016

That's great news Andy. I'm relieved the voting system has been sorted out and you've all got the chance to vote for Jeremy, helping to ensure that me and my children won't have to endure another Labour government again for at least a generation.

From Freddie B

Tuesday, 20 September 2016

Best way to get a vote is to email The Labour Party to say your voting for Owen Smith and they send it next day. Had emailed 5 times before I sent that email. Funny that!

There's going to have to be a big shake up of Labour if Jeremy Corbyn doesn't win this. I can see him forming his own break away party. Hopefully underhand tactics from his own party won't be able to stop him then.

From Allen Keep

Tuesday, 20 September 2016

Got my vote at the 11th hour and JC is another very small step closer to leading Labour. Glad you're pleased Joe, just hope your children don't have to return to selective education for the benefit of the few and that the NHS will still be able to look after you when you're old.

From Joe Ridley

Wednesday, 21 September 2016

Thanks Allen for your concern. With respect to your two narrow points: thankfully my children are either entirely, or shortly to depart from the awful education system offered locally. One has achieved a good university place that demanded three A's at A level, and another is studying for A levels at another evil institution that selects based on achievement and ability. He too will hopefully go on to study for a degree at another elitist and discriminatory institution that only permits students with specific results. And before anybody claims that my children's results are a result of the education provided, please don't get me started.

As for my care in old age, I'll be relying on my own provision and in the worst case scenario, my children for support. The dead hand of the state is the worst possible option, and should be avoided at all costs.
Your beloved NHS will no longer be a thing by the time I reach old age Allen. It is collapsing already and it is just a matter of time before massive and unprecedented descaling and reorganisation will be required.
You keep waving the socialist flag by all means, but don't expect the rest of us to follow you on the road to a Venezuela style utopia.

From Eleanor Land

Thursday, 22 September 2016

Joe's post encapsulates the reason I am voting for Corbyn. I want a society which looks after everyone, not one where elitists look after themselves and sneer at others who can't.

From Brian Kelly

Thursday, 22 September 2016

Joe you say that rather than rely on the NHS you and your family will make your own provision! Does this mean you will operate on yourself if you need any surgical intervention or build your own complicated expensive medical equipment that may be required for your treatment?

I wish you well and hope you don't need the NHS. But if you do you will be very glad it is there.

I work in the NHS, one of the may reasons I voted for JC.

From David T

Friday, 23 September 2016

By a quirk, I got a vote on this. I voted JC with an aim at keeping Labour out for the time being as I think we need a strong centre right government in the post-brexit world.

Labour will need to lose another election in order to strip out the old left and be a legitimate force again.

From Paul D

Friday, 23 September 2016

I have to take issue with Joe's description of our local schools as 'awful'. Obviously, this is factually incorrect, nationally and within our own authority area. Hebden Bridge is, in fact, where families move to in order enjoy the excellence our schools offer. Riverside for example, is one of the best local schools by a country mile, even just using the narrow and partial measure of SATs at Key Stage 2. The schools are good, why pretend otherwise? Of course there are better, but not close by.

And we the community are our schools, they are public institutions, they're us, our children don't 'escape' them unless we see them as existing beyond our involvement or control. Is education something you delegate to others Joe? Why didn't you exercise your right as a parent to choose our bang average independent school? You know, the expensive one with bang average results? Couldn't you afford to back your own principles with your own cash? Were you just a bit too skint to do what you would have really liked to do and so are now retrospectively looking for blame beyond your own lack of personal wealth? It reads that way. Skint man whinges at state provision.

Oh the evil state. All those private companies huh? The ones that would wither and die without the state. Like the entire UK pharamaceutical industry, the entire UK armaments and aerospace industries. They'd be broke without a state to suck off. The state and public sector rely on each other, some may say without too much real benefit to us. So. Why do so many people who think the market in education works not actually subject themselves and their kids to it? Put up or shut up. Pay and go away. It's perfectly legal you know.

So to Corbyn. Whatever. At least he's not thick. He's not appealing to people who think everything is somebody else's fault.

From David T

Sunday, 25 September 2016

So what now? how do the PLP react? Do they split and form a new SDP, join Lib Dems perhaps or simply sit back and bide their time? The election is lost but it was anyway, even if the likes of Chukka had been brave enough to take JC on and win, I still think the election would still result in a stronger Tory win.

Reality is, we may be seeing the end of party politics now. Surely, many of the PLP and the moderate folk in the Labour party must look at their brand / party and must question if that brand represents their own thoughts on how a nation should develop? That's not to say this will be exclusive to the left. I think we will find PR may be back on the agenda because New Labour / SDP Labour, socialist Labour, Lib dem, UKIP etc will justifiably point to a healthy vote and few seats after a Labour split. Without a strong opposition, we may see the Tories openly fight and splits will become public in their ranks.

I'd like to answer an issue from Paul D's post. Private companies do not wither and die without the state. The UK pharmaceutical industry do benefit from the state in the UK but that is because of the way the NHS is structured through the state, if health provision was st up as it is elsewhere, pharma still thrives as it does in say the US for example. On the whole, UK business has suffered from state intervention, be it war or industrial intervention, we've seen so much industry disappear because the state got involved.

I do agree with him re: schools though. We all have the choice to go private and if the school is not performing, take the private option. It's too easy to blame schools. Our kids are only at school lessons at most 965 hours out of a possible 8760 hours in a year, the rest of the time parents are responsible. So, if parents are responsible for their kid's education for 89% of their school age life, it's hard to blame anyone other than the parents for failing performance.