They say she’s a token. They say she won’t win, but hey she’s got a nomination for leadership of the Labour Party. Diane Abbott has got where she is against the odds. For all their women-only short lists – black only short lists were pushed aside sometime back against Many Labour Party members’ wishes – it now looks extremely depressing as a group of 40 something white males, all tainted by New Labour in some way, show themselves to be the face of modern Labour. As I said before, why not bring back Blair. While New Labour can’t get rid of his ghost, once again there’s a division between those who represent a discredited elite and those who want a fresh start. Diane is the only alternative.
Diane herself I believe has articulated her candidature well with a clear analysis of reasons for standing now. She is showing courage and determination in the face of an entirely cynical and discouraging general belief that we are stuck in a rut. We have returned to an apparent dominant position where everyone running the country is white, male, privileged. If the ConDem coalition looks that way – one honorary woman in cabinet (like Thatcher’s Cabinet – Reagan thought she “was the best man” there!) then Labour looks alike. That’s been the problem that New Labour copied Thatcherism right down to privatisation, wrecking the country’s real wealth by substituting jobs in manufacturing with jobs in the finance sector. This acts more as a leech on resources but contributes nothing of substance.
We should be grateful to Diane for coming forward right now. The depressing thing is that if (to most when) she is knocked out of the competition then we revert to the norm. We know that in spite of decades attempting to bring in equality we have not progressed one iota in our ruling sector. As she made clear herself Diane will force some crucial debates. Unfortunately because it’s the Labour Party it will not challenge the underlying problem that it is Capitalism’s inherent features which have led to crisis. When and if there is a recovery that will just recycle itself. We, the public need to gain control of banks, the economy, not let it be cut because the elite group says we must to save their skin. They created the problem and should pay for it as the people of Greece above all have recognised. Diane won’t or can’t change all that, but at least it’s a good start.