Seanm
pfm Member
Well, reports like this are generally premised on the idea that investigating a problem, devising solutions and acting on them is actually a good way of improving things in public life. The report is far from a damp squib: it identifies big problems in the party with racism and misogyny, with the weaponisation and hierarchisation of racism and with the factional nature of the bureaucracy. Although it’s beyond the scope of the report, its conclusions regarding the “wholly misleading media representation” of the antisemitism issue - an issue that dominated media coverage of Labour for years - raises big issues about political reporting in the U.K.Ruminating on it doesn't help, it just cements division within the party. Time to move on. Much better for the comrades to focus on how they are going to win at least one UK GE. With that in mind, do you think the left can get one of its own into No.10 on a manifesto that 'pledges' to implement MMT?
The report notes that nothing has been done to address any of the problems it identifies, and offers its own detailed and thoroughgoing recommendations. I’d suggest that the best time to “move on” following this kind of report is after some efforts have been made to learn from it. The traditional time to move on is after a few mea culpas and empty promises, but we haven’t even had those, and the reasons for that are clear: anyone who counts in public life is fine with the racism and everything else, and has no intention of doing anything about it - but they do at least understand that the findings make them look absolutely terrible, and their indifference or approval even worse.
So sure, move on if you like, but there’s a direct relationship between that attitude and the kind of public life we’re enjoying at the moment.