Brown reclaims Labour

McDonnell’s challenge collapses
as MPs display weakness of Labour Left

Despite months of exhausting work building support at grass roots level and in the trade union rank and file, John McDonnell’s attempt to challenge Gordon Brown for the party leadership collapsed before the deadline for nominations – for lack of support among Labour MPs.

318 MPs signed up to support Brown, leaving McDonnell well short of the 45 he required to get on to the ballot and force a contest – even after the belated withdrawal by Michael Meacher of his pointless bid to become a “centre left” candidate.

The support for Brown combined the career vote of MPs jockeying for ministerial and other posts and the opportunist vote of those wishing to be seen to back the winner: but the readiness of so many MPs to lend their backing to the continuity candidate – the man behind many of the worst aspects of New Labour – also reflects a chronic weakness of the left in today’s Labour Party.

The weakness was compounded by the leading trade union bureaucrats who decided long ago that they would pin their hopes on Brown making a few concessions if he were re-elected, and confine any gesture of opposition to backing the right wing’s favourite left-winger, Jon Cruddas, for the deputy leadership.

Whatever favours or concessions the union bosses may have hoped for, it is already clear that Brown, while claiming to be “humbled” by his crushing victory, is getting set to put the boot in to public sector workers and public services – pressing home precisely the policies he has put in place as Chancellor in the last ten years.

He will rebuff UNISON and other unions seeking to improve the miserable 1.9% pay increase Brown personally imposed on health workers: and he will drive forward the reactionary market-style reforms in health, education and elsewhere, along with job cuts in the civil service.

His victory underlines the futility of left wing dreams that members and union leaders could somehow together “reclaim the Labour Party”: that scenario now has no credibility for the foreseeable future.

The only hope for the resurgence of a socialist opposition outlining a consistent and progressive alternative policy is through the regroupment of forces outside and to the left of Labour, in which Respect must begin to play a crucial role.