Thanks to UNISON Scotland, Labour Against The War and Tribune

I just want to give out my thanks to the support that the campaign has received in just the past few days.

I know that everyone involved in the campaign was delighted to read the kind words in Tribune: "But by a simple measure of what they stand for in defining the task ahead, their representation of what the left and the party wants and desperately needs and their tireless campaigning around the country to both listen and convey their message of hope and renewal, John McDonnell and Jon Cruddas deserve a place on the ballot paper." I want to pass on my thanks to the Tribune team.

Yesterday, UNISON Scotland's LabourLink decided to unanimously endorse the campaign. Once again, a huge thanks for the support. I promise to continue fighting for key UNISON policies - such as for an end to privatisation of our public services, an end to pay freezes, support for a real living wage, and the restoration of trade union rights.

Today, I attended leadership hustings organised by Labour Against The War, Labour CND, and Labour Action for Peace. It was great to meet so many activists who have fought with such determination over the years for a foreign policy based on peace and solidarity. I was also extremely pleased that the campaign received the near-unanimous support of those who attended. The fight for an end to the occupation of Iraq and against renewal of Trident goes on.

From the beginning, this was always supposed to be a grassroots movement. I think that we've all achieved a lot over the past few months. After so many years of defeat for the left and for the labour movement as a whole, I am really beginning to sense a new mood of confidence out there.

Once again, my thanks for everyone's support.

We need to raise our game

Please find below an article that I wrote for Guardian's Comment Is Free following Gordon Brown's campaign launch:


We need to raise our game

Political artisans will have appreciated the professional technique of Gordon Brown's launch and the careful crafting of the speech. Like Tony Blair's farewell speech yesterday it was modest rather than boastful about the last 10 years.

Nevertheless if we are going to win a resounding victory at the next election, we are going to have to raise our game: to inspire people once again. This has to go beyond vague promises to listen, garnished with hints of change.

People certainly want substance not celebrity, but this substance must comprise a policy programme that not only acknowledges but corrects the mistakes of the last 10 years, and that offers new policies which reflect the real world we live in, not the political bubble inhabited by residents of Downing Street.

The problem with Brown's speech is that it does not accept the current reality. Therefore it does not make the right prescriptions that would represent the radical break needed to rescue Labour's electoral fortunes and inspire our supporters.

With a few minor policy tweaks, Brown's speech came across as largely business as usual on most of the key issues of the day. He identified many of the key issues including Iraq, the NHS, housing, child poverty and the alienation felt in our communities. We all largely agree the agenda, but his policy responses barely moved us forward.

On Iraq, there is no commitment on withdrawal and while the daily bloodbath of innocent Iraqis continues, inaction is not an opportunity. The illegal 2003 invasion had little to do with liberating Iraqis from Saddam Hussein's dictatorship. Instead, the real freedoms and benefits were destined to go to corporations like Halliburton and others that stood to gain from the privatisation of the formerly state-owned Iraqi economy. Withdrawal would mean not only ending the military occupation, but also the economic occupation, so that Iraqis can rebuild their society with our support not our dictates.

The hints at further "reform" of the NHS will alarm both patients and staff alike. We need to arrest the damage that PFI has reaped, plunging trusts into debt and causing cuts in jobs and specialist units. We need an NHS with fewer managers, fewer contractors and more power (rather than choice) to patients - with the input of the real experts: healthcare professionals.

On housing, the chancellor acknowledges the crisis in affordable housing, but said nothing about how he would resolve it - as chancellor he has acted as a block on council's managing and building up the social housing stock. The solution is to give our councils control over social housing so that they can enter into dialogue with their communities about addressing local housing needs, and set a clear target for the hundreds of thousands of homes that we need to build and refurbish over the next five years.

There was an acknowledgement of the rise in child poverty. However, even in this core economic area, Brown offered no solution about how the economy over which he has presided must now be changed and how to now meet our target of eradicating child poverty.

I have drawn together a vision for 21st century socialism, Another World is Possible, which sets out a coherent programme to address all these areas and others such as the environment, the workplace and crime. While Brown offers the market as the solution, we are offering people greater democracy and control over their own lives.

Full list of signatories

As promised, the full list of signatories is now online. I want to thank everyone who added their name. As you can see, support for this campaign exists right across the labour movement - councillors, trade unionists, NEC members, elected party officers, campaigners, students and grassroots party activists.

If you want to add your name, you can email us at info@john4leader.org.uk

I'll give you an update as soon as possible.

Letter of support

I just want to thank the huge number of people who signed the letter of support in today's Guardian. I've been genuinely overwhelmed by the support the campaign has received over the past few days.

We will print the full list of names on the website by 10am today. If you want to add your name, drop us an email at info@john4leader.org.uk.

I know how understandably anxious many of you are about the leadership situation. I'll update you with the latest as soon as I can.

Below is the letter in today's Guardian:


As a range of Labour party members, councillors, NEC members, trade unionists, activists, community workers and campaigners, we are asking Labour MPs to nominate John McDonnell in order to allow a genuine debate about the future direction of our party. We believe that a coronation of Gordon Brown that excludes party members and trade unionists from having a say will be inconsistent with the proud democratic traditions of our party. Polls show that an overwhelming proportion of party members want the chance to participate in a leadership contest with more than one candidate.

We welcome John McDonnell's commitment to a comradely leadership contest based on policies, not personalities. His grassroots campaign has won huge support right across the labour movement and has succeeded in winning large numbers of people back to the Labour party. Above all, we believe that having a leader imposed on us without any democratic mandate will prove to be far more divisive than having a healthy debate, which can only strengthen our party.

Mike Wood MP
John4Leader parliamentary manager
Tosh McDonald
vice-president, Aslef executive committee
Christine Shawcroft
Labour party NEC
Elaine Smith MSP
Cllr Tony Belton
Leader, Wandsworth council Labour group
Mike Houghton
Secretary, Greater London Association of Trades Union Councils
Steve Battlemuch
Chair, Nottingham South CLP
Walter Wolfgang
Labour Party NEC
Tony Benn
And 332 others

Statement on Today's Events

Many people have contacted us to find out what the latest situation is, so I have set out below the statement we have agreed with Michael Meacher following our meeting today. As you can see from the statement, we are trying to ensure that a candidate is decided by Monday based upon the assessment of nominations received.

I'm confident that we can get there, and I am so pleased and so grateful at all the messages of support that have poured into my office. Everyone at the campaign has been really moved by this show of solidarity. Thanks.

I also want you all to know this that I am doing my best.

"As agreed, the campaign teams for Michael Meacher and John McDonnell have met to assess the level of support for each candidate. The outcome is that the issue is too close to call at the moment and a number of clarifications need to be made.

The good news for the Labour Party is that there is clearly sufficient support to ensure that a leadership candidate will come forward from the Centre-Left.

The Campaign Teams will reconvene on Monday to clarify which candidate goes forward from the Centre-Left. There will be a press conference late in the afternoon. Time and venue tbc."

Strangers into Citizens: Demonstration Today.

Today migrant organisations will be out in force on a march called by Strangers into Citizens in support of an amnesty for asylum seekersand undocumented workers. Although I will be fulfilling an earlier commitment to speak at the May day march and celebrations in Burnley, I wish to send my support to the demonstration today.

There has been alot of discussion amongst migrant organisations about whether the amnesty proposal is a good thing. Currently asylum seekers are forced into work illegally for sub-minimum wages. If they are refused asylum they are amde destitute and even though they have committed no crime they can be locked up in detention centres. I have a detention centre and a removal centre in my own constituency.

Regularisation would give them security and enable them to join with others in demanding decent pay and better conditions.

However many migrant organisations are unhappy with the Strangers into Citizens proposals. This includes many I have worked with over the years, such as the All African Women's Group, Barbed Wire Britain, Bolivian Solidarity, Campaign to Close Campsfield, Coalition to Stop Deportations to Iraq, Colombian Solidarity Campaign, Congo Solidarity Campaign, Cogo Support Project, Day-Mer Halkevi Turkish Centre, Ecuadorian Movement in UK, Latin American Community Association, Latin American Workers Association, Payday Men's Network and Women of Colour in the Global Women's Strike.

There are many reasons for their concerns, particularly that the proposal includes a list of criteria which wouold exclude many migrant such as a four year residency period and a fluent english qualification. The process envisaged w old also take two years to complete.

The Campaign has tabled an Early Day Motion in Parliament. I haven't signed tthis yet as I want to amend it to propose a more inclusive scheme and one that doesn't divide this most vulnerable community.

I am in favour of regularisation and wholeheartedly support the motives behind today's demonstration but I hope that we can all unite behind a call for regularisation for all so that nobody is excluded.