I was asked today who I wanted to be the next Labour leader. I replied Diane Abbott. The question was re asked "Who do you want out of the serious candidates". Now the correct response to this rephrased question would have been a punch in the face, but I'm a pacifist. Diane Abbott is a Cambridge graduate. She was the first black female MP. When she first became an MP, she was regularly asked if she was a cleaner. My guess is that to have got to Cambridge and become the first black female MP, she'd probably have to have been about 20 times as good as many white male mp's. She hasn't played the game, which is why she's a backbencher and she hasn't sold out. She got pilloried for sending her kids to private schools, but her response was one I respect - "Yes it may be hypocritical, but I want the best for my children".
Diane has all of the attributes I want in a politician, clever, honest, decent, witty, principled and pragmatic. She tells it how it is. Some may say "Labour could never win with Diane Abbott. Why? because she's black, because she's female? Well they said Thatcher couldn't win because she was female and Obama couldn't win because he was black. They won. Diane would be the perfect antidote to the Cleggerons. I don't want to live in a racist or a sexist country. I want to take pride in the fact that we as a nation rise above such things. John McDonnell aside, all of the contenders are, shall we say cut from a similar sort of block. They offer no choice and no hope. They won't take the Labour party forward and they won't take the country forward either. The Conservatives had twelve years under Thatcher where they actually had someone who was committed to Conservative policies, had the balls to challenge the status quo and had no care for who she upset. I couldn't stand the woman, but I admire her drive and conviction. I believe that only Diane Abbott will offer the Labour party such drive, honesty and passion. If they really believe in their principles they will choose her. If she wins she'll do for Labour what Thatcher do for the Tories.
They should choose Diane Abbot, but won't. Because the Labour party is a deeply racist party. Worse than the BNP because of their hypocrisy. The fact she's been dismissed as a non serious candidate and she's been described as not intellectual enough says it all. One good thing that'll come out of the leadership contest is that African, Asian & Caribbean people would now have to think of reasons for voting Labour. I suspect they'll come up with none.
ReplyDeletePossibly so, but do we want the Party to stay that way? Let us do something to make the party more egalitarian and support Diane.
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