A response from the Rosa Luxemburg wing of the Labour Party

Written By: - Date published: 3:55 pm, April 15th, 2020 - 60 comments
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According to Stephen Mills on Nine to Noon yesterday, Jeremy Corbyn’s resignation as Labour leader will only be mourned by “the microscopic Rosa Luxemburg-worshipping far left sect in New Zealand.” His outburst was deliberate, gratuitous and way over the top.

His vehemence reminded me of other friends in UK Labour who could barely constrain their apoplexy when Corbyn’s name was mentioned. Mills talked of Labour “coming to its senses” where the Englanders spoke of “the adults in the room.”

Interestingly also yesterday the 858-page report of the investigation into anti-semitism in the UK Labour Party arrived in my inbox. It describes in some detail how senior officials in the party actively worked against Corbyn in the 2017 election to the point of hoping he would lose. Treachery took the place of solidarity.

According to Mills, the main reason why Corbyn achieved one of Labour’s best-ever election gains in 2017 was because of the ineptitude of May’s campaign. Nothing could be further from the truth. Corbyn was tireless, and drew huge crowds to his rallies the length and breadth of the country. The Manifesto “For the Many not the Few’ was one of the rare ones that was a widely-read, much-cited vote-winner.

The 2019 campaign was different. The determinant was always going to be whether it would be fought over austerity or Brexit. Labour was caught in two minds over Brexit and compromised; the LibDems wanted a midwinter snap election, thinking Jo Swinson would be Prime Minister, and winter put an end to any chance of rallies. “Get Brexit Done” was a runaway winner.

Corbyn did make mistakes no question, partly because he was too nice a bloke. Anti-semitism was a smear, and there he compromised where he could have condemned. He was also not ruthless enough in dealing with those who briefed against him for so many years.

But he did bring the Labour party membership to heights not seen for many decades, and the manifesto policies will still be core to Labour’s future. The irony is likely to be the accident of Covid-19, that will turn Johnson’s party into true one-nation Tories, stealing all Labour’s clothes. With over four more years to go before an election this could be another long time between drinks for UK Labour. Time to dust off John O’Farrell’s “Things Can Only Get Better.”

But back to Mills and the “Rosa Luxemburg-worshipping far left sect.” I had to look her up – she was shot as a revolutionary socialist by the SPD Freikorps. I’m not a revolutionary and nor was Corbyn, but we would probably both agree on her best-known aphorism “Freiheit ist immer nur Freiheit des anders Denkenden” – “Freedom is always and only the freedom of those who think differently.”

The vehemence of those who opposed Corbyn has always puzzled me – he is so reasonable and mild, albeit stubborn, that it couldn’t be anything personal. The 2017 result showed that it wasn’t about electability. So it has to be about policy ideas.

My anti-Corbyn friends are people who are involved in policy development, or policy-making. “For the Many nor the Few” wasn’t particularly radical, it just wasn’t conventional.

Stephen Mills does speak frequently about convention; in the interview he mentions “the conventional view that National is better at economic policy.” It’s never been true, but it has become a mantra, and when I look back over the years one I have heard repeated in Labour circles more times than I care to think about. It has become self-imposed Labour’s manacle.

In the post-Covid times perhaps the best response from the “Rosa Luxemburg-loving sect” in the Labour Party is to say that it is definitely time for us to think differently about economic policy.

It has been thirty-six years since I found a typewritten draft of the Treasury’s neo-liberal manifesto “Economic Management” on the Labour Party office photocopier the Monday after the election win.

It’s now way over time for a Kiwi version of “For the Many not the Few.”

60 comments on “A response from the Rosa Luxemburg wing of the Labour Party ”

  1. Thanks Mike – what is wrong with revering Rosa Luxemborg?

  2. Chris 2

    A priority must be to destroy the myth around Labour's economic management versus National's and for the truth about that so-called question to be widely accepted. The right have successfully manipulated public opinion about this for decades. It might seem like just one issue amongst many, and how to deal with it is another matter, but it's one that is crucial therefore must be fixed.

  3. AB 3

    Don't worry too much about Stephen Mills. He seems like a nice enough guy, but is uniformly dull and seldom a match for the incandescently evil Matthew Hooten. Also, it's Mills that's the extremist. He's a quiescent enabler of a radical right-wing status quo – whereas those who were disappointed by Corbyn's loss are the real conservatives. And the genie's out of the bottle in any case, and nothing Stephen Mills says can stuff it back inside.

  4. barry 4

    Unfortunately history will record that Corbyn was an unelectable far left anti-semite who dragged the Labour Party into obscurity for a decade. It may not be true, or nuanced, but such is recorded in the media of the time.

    • McFlock 4.1

      I don't think it will be that bad. But he compromised when he should have led.

      The main problem UK Labour has is the FPP electoral system.

  5. RedBaronCV 5

    National are better at business -not likely. They definitely are far more insecure and needy. Unless they feel like they are running the show and pushing everyone else around then they indulge in massive whining.

    We need look no further than the last couple of days when we have been subjected to massive whining campaign about coming out of lockdown that could basically be summed as as "Me me me and my poor wallet" despite none of them being on the breadline.

    The science based facts approach doesn't get a look in – and that is exactly why they are so crap at business.

    • Anne 5.1

      I think National are having another calculated "We told you so" moment. Remember, just before Jacinda A announced the level 3 & 4 lockdowns, Simon B was blithering on "we should go into lockdown". That's because he knew that was exactly what Ardern was planning to do so he got in first and tried to make it look like she was following his advice.

      My pick is, he's doing the same in reverse because he knows Ardern is likely to lower the level to 3 followed by 2 a short time later.

  6. Anne 6

    It has been thirty-six years since I found a typewritten draft of the Treasury’s neo-liberal manifesto “Economic Management” on the Labour Party office photocopier the Monday after the election win.

    Oh how interesting.

    I was no longer a member of the Labour Party in 1984 (due to the bad blood which was already apparent prior to the snap election) so I never heard about that. Was it a copy that had been sent to the LP office or was it being sent on by someone in the LP office?

    Muldoon played into the hands of Roger Douglas and co. but then he could not have had any more idea than the rest of us what the Rogernomes had in store for the country.

    I’ve stopped listening to the Monday political spot on Nine to Noon. Just a couple of entitled blowhards trying to score points off each other, although Mills is not quite as bad as the other one who shall remain nameless.

    • Ross 6.1

      Anne

      I haven’t heard NTN in years. In the past I would occasionally hear Mike Williams and Hooton who seemed to be best mates. I doubt the standard of political debate has improved.

      • Anne 6.1.1

        Oh yes, the Mike I agree with Matthew Williams.

        • Wensleydale 6.1.1.1

          I always thought Mike Williams was just a figment of Hooton's imagination and Nine To Noon was basically him just talking to himself.

          • Anne 6.1.1.1.1

            laugh

            He exists. I have met him once or twice. He wants to be all things to all people. Not possible as I found out many years ago.

    • KJT 6.2

      A different take on Muldoons, "Think Big" from NZ refining company.

      https://www.rnz.co.nz/programmes/two-cents-worth/story/2018734102/think-big-the-sequel

      “Paul Zealand, managing director of Refining NZ which owns Marsden Point, said investing in the refinery back in the ’80s was a great decision.
      “It laid the foundations for a highly valuable asset which is providing 1100 jobs into Northland, it’s more than seven percent of Northland’s economy and it gives New Zealand a security of supply which is important in turbulent times.”
      Zealand said importing crude oil and refining it here gives us more flexibility and less vulnerability.
      And if at first glance it seems an oil refinery would to more harm than good to our country’s ambition to be carbon-neutral by 2050, Zealand said they’re looking at that, too”.

      Though, having been in the energy business, I've long known that "Think Big" wasn't the disaster Lange's Government made it out to be.

    • Mike Smith 6.3

      @ Anne
      It had been left there by Simon Walker, Labour's Comms director for the 1984 campaign. He tried for Pencarrow in 1987 but was beaten by Sonja Davies and went on to a distinguished career in the UK. He was close to Douglas and the Treasury team. I had started working for the Party a week before Muldoon called the snap election. I took a copy and gave it to others but we were always on the back foot – it was a coup.

      • Anne 6.3.1

        Thanks for that Mike Smith.

        It is very interesting for me because I have quite a story to tell about those times too. I have waited in vain for the right person to happen along that I could tell it to, but so far it hasn't happened.

  7. Morrissey 7

    Mills has been making ignorant statements about Corbyn since at least January 2016….

    https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2019/05/never-thought-id-say-this-but-bring.html

    • Wayne 7.1

      Based on electoral results, it seems Mills was way more accurate than yourself.

      I appreciate you are continuing fan of Corbyn, but it seems to me by choosing Kier Starmer the UK Labour Party has also rejected Corbynism. There is no way that that the new leader will retain full on Corbynism. He going to move toward the centre.

  8. Most businesses dislike expenses: rents, wages, taxes.

    National despise wage earners, (wastrel non entrepreneurial types) who cannot dag a sheep or milk a cow

    Wage earners are only one end of a spectrum of useless, bludging homeless non capitalists stealing money from respectable capitalists.

    National always keeps wages low and always reduces taxes. That is "good economic management" according to the business interests that fund national coffers and have cosy relationships with Chibna.

    Meh

    • BArely Here, or There 8.1

      Did you see Ross Meurants latest self promotional piece? ahhh, what a lifestyle.

  9. Peter Bradley 9

    Corbyn like – Sanders – was right on almost every social and economic policy he put forward. His defeat proved only how ignorant and easily manipulated working and middle class voters are in the UK. Like a herd of subservient feudal peasants doffing their caps to the local lord and voting to protect his interests against their own.

    "Wouldn't want to inconvenience you, my lord, by funding our health system properly or taking care of low income workers."

    "Would hate for you or your friends to lose tax payer subsidized investment opportunities in rail, education, health and the postal service – my lord."

    Corbyn was despised by middle class liberals because he was so ordinary – no fancy degree from Oxford, no time spent on the board of some bullshit charity and not a guest at the correct dinner parties in London.

    "But I don't like Corbyn" or "what about Brexit" was the pathetic whine of the UK's Northern working class. What a bunch of f*cking tossers.

    UK voters deserve what they get – to suffer in over crowded hospitals, to know their children are working themselves broke on zero hour contracts and to watch their tax dollars get paid out as dividends to private shareholders in public infrastructure.

    The fact that the UK is now implementing much of Corbyns economic platform – including nationalizing the railways and increasing public service funding – is really all you need to say. Corbyn is right, the voting public – and middle class liberals like Mills – are wrong.

    • Anne 9.1

      The fact that the UK is now implementing much of Corbyns economic platform – including nationalizing the railways and increasing public service funding – is really all you need to say. Corbyn is right, the voting public – and middle class liberals like Mills – are wrong.

      QFT.

    • millsy 9.2

      IMO Johnson's government will end up being seen as more left than Tony Blair's was.

      • Barfly 9.2.1

        It may well end up that way – not intended but societies actions to survive the pandemic could very likely require it. Is this a herald for the return of 'Social Democracy' ?

    • Marcus Morris 9.3

      Well said Peter. I concur on every point.

    • Molly 9.4

      Agree. The pushback from those within the Labour Party who were appalled by Corbyn's popularity was appalling in itself. Not improved by progressive commentators and political reporting after the 2017 election.

      The issues regarding anti-semitism and Brexit were used without shame to remove Corbyn, a principled man from getting anywhere near the levers of power. The only benefit is that it showed the very thin veneer of many so-called progressives in the Labour party.

  10. Brilliant Mike.

    I will never listen to Stephen Mills again without thinking about his dumb comment on Corbyn. Mills' credibility has gone for me-he is politically much closer to Hooton than the wonderful principled Corbyn.

    Starmer is starting to look a little too much like Blair already-hope I’m wrong.

  11. Observer Tokoroa 11

    The Thing about England

    The Thing about England, is that it thinks the rest of the world is scum.

    It is completely bathed and saturated in its own wonderful Lords and Ladies. It is wrapped up by a tidy Queen who loves dogs and horses. And the little english people , like slaves, go along with it.

    England is the only nation on earth for the English. It never thinks of what it did to India. Or to its scandalous numerous colonies. It pushed itself into 90 different Nations.

    Never has it apologised for its Empire of Destruction. Nor what it did to the Blacks and Browns. It detests both those. It tried to Kill the Scots. It did even Worse, for the Irish.

    So Corbyn was Different . He was and is a principled man. An outlier in a weird jaundiced population.

    In short, he tried to stop the Slavey that bends its knees to the wealth of the Lords and Ladies. Who basically do nothing from Birth until Death.

    England has no genuine concept of Democracy. Not now or Ever.

    • Stunned Mullet 11.1

      Fine diatribe of nonsense OT – very Ben Eltonesque.

      So if as you say 'England has no genuine concept of Democracy. Not now or Ever.'

      Would you care to provide an example of a country (or system) that does.

  12. Gosman 12

    If Corbyn wasn't so friendly with thoroughly unpleasant people with anti-Western views then perhaps he would have been regarded as harmless.

    • Molly 12.1

      It's a shame that despite your many years and comments on TS, you continue to comment via smears without context or links.

      "Anti-western" – in what respect?

      "Thoroughly unpleasant people" – if you care to elaborate, perhaps this can be put into context.

      "Harmless" – to whom? Those that actually cause harm? Surely that is the intent of morality and integrity to stand up (and perhaps cause harm) to those that do not concern themselves with the rights of others.

      • Gosman 12.1.1

        Hamas and Hezbollah are very anti-Western

        • Brigid 12.1.1.1

          What a hopelessly ignorant comment and ridiculous generalisation. Hezbollah are little interested in 'western' things (what the fuck exactly is 'western' anyway) and identify with Hamas as much Canadians do with Americans.

          For fucks sake go and get yourself some learning Gosman.

          • Gosman 12.1.1.1.1

            Western is the civilisation and culture that is prevalent in NZ.

            • adam 12.1.1.1.1.1

              Western is the civilisation and culture that is prevalent in NZ.

              No it's not. And only a racist would argue that it is.

    • Morrissey 12.2

      ????

      How ignorant, even malignant, you are. no

  13. Tiger Mountain 13

    Jeremy Corbyn made the strategic mistake that is so easy to see now. Instead of trying to cover all bases and pleasing few, he just needed to say “we will respect the Brexit Referendum result”–and–“My Labour Govt. will comprehensively trash Austerity and deliver x…”.

    Agree with Peter Bradley @9. It is not fashionable to blame voters, but how can you not implicate the pasty poms and their slow shuffle towards Boris and his Prorogue? that, and their anti democratic very old school FPP system. Bernie Sanders, and Mr Corbyn will both likely see their platforms implemented by others in the next few years.

    Stephen Mills on RNZ is a non event, like centrists that post and comment on the Standard. Their lack of enthusiasm in favour of bland, risk averse, neo liberal managerialism may enable careers, but does little useful service for the working class of this country. Rogernomics was indeed a coup by a another name, and until the NZ Labour Party deals with Roger’n’Ruth’s legacy, and breaks the neo liberal consensus with the other Parliamentary Parties, not much progress will be made on the NZ underclass, housing and poverty.

  14. God forbid that I would ever agree with Gosman but he/she is correct. Corbyn's name was toxic on the doorstep to all the party canvassers. One of the big turnoffs for the voters was his lack of patriotism add to that the anti-semitism problem and the anti-nuclear stance. It seems strange to New Zealanders but British Labour has traditionally supported Trident. An anti-nuclear stance will not win the treasury benches in the UK. The British are not a nation of pacifists! It is evident that the party saw Sir Keir as far more electable than Corbyn mk. 2 – Rebecca Long-Bailey.

    • Morrissey 14.1

      God forbid that I would ever agree with Gosman but he/she is correct. Corbyn's name was toxic on the doorstep to all the party canvassers. One of the big turnoffs for the voters was his lack of patriotism

      ??? How did he lack patriotism?

      add to that the anti-semitism problem

      ????? The Conservative Party is rife with anti-Semitism. The Labour Party was, and is, not. You don't have a clue. Here, in contrast, is someone who does….

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6oOj7BzciA&feature=emb_logo

      The British are not a nation of pacifists!

      You are confusing, perhaps deliberately, more likely out of simple ignorance, the British people and the notorious, scofflaw, British state.

      • Cantabrian 14.1.1

        Morrisey your disgraceful ad hominem attacks portray blatant myopia. The fact was that while canvassing, numerous Labour candidates were trying to discuss policy and were continually thwarted because Corbyn's name came up. He was a liability. And what about the marginalisation of Tom Watson by the Corbynites? There is use in quoting idiots raving on Youtube – that is not convincing at all. I am definitely not ignorant in fact I'll wager I am a damn sight better qualified than you. If you are so correct why did Long-Bailey miss out as Labour leader? I am not the ignorant one.

        • Andre 14.1.1.1

          Don't expect a timely answer, the mozzie has been swatted to the naughty corner for a week. https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-16-04-2020/#comment-1702834

        • Incognito 14.1.1.2

          I am definitely not ignorant in fact I'll wager I am a damn sight better qualified than you.

          A friendly word of advice: these sorts of arguments generally don’t help much, particularly not with some commenters here, even when you are correct. The two main reasons are: 1) they don’t know who you are, and 2) they are always right regardless of who you are and what you say 😉

          Debates are not some kind of point-scoring competitions or, worse, willy-waving championships 😉

          FYI, Morrissey is taking a short break from TS and will be back in a week.

        • bill 14.1.1.3

          quoting idiots raving on Youtube – that is not convincing at all.

          That's true enough.

          But what would you call the person who might mindlessly refer to David Graeber as a raving idiot? You think that person should be taken seriously on any level? Hmm?

        • The Al1en 14.1.1.4

          Corbyn is a British politics version of Hilary. Hated by a lot in their own party, propped up by dodgy ruling committees, capable of eking a big vote but never as large as the anyone but brigade, and going down as a winner and a leader who never managed to win or lead.

  15. bill 15

    It’s now way over time for a Kiwi version of “For the Many not the Few.”

    Wasn't that Cunliffe's pitch? And of course, he was hammered from without and within just as…Corbyn, Sanders, Melenchon and others.

    In light of the UK Labour monkey wrenching…do people need reminding about the ABC club down here, and how in the lead up to Cunliffe's loss, some MPs essentially campaigned for their own seat but not NZ Labour?

    And surely no-one has forgotten the more or less identical moves made to jettison Corbyn and Cunliffe, and how it was only UK Labour's internal democracy that saved Corbyn – unlike here, where NZ Labour's parliamentary caucus exercises an inordinate influence on party matters. (Any word on how the democratisation of NZ Labour begun under Cunliffe is going btw?)

    And, of course, there are the parallels with Sanders, who in line with Cunliffe and Corbyn, was up against a party machinery, business interests and skewed media – media that somehow still manages to get away with touting nonsense about their "neutrality" and "objectivity".

    Over the past few years, incumbent radical centrists have won a few battles even as the left has advanced (eg – witness "permissible" political thought now-a-days to what it was a couple of years back)…and that leads to a question.

    If the political managers of liberal capitalism think that total domination's a worthy goal, then how do they imagine things will end well for them – given that they are excluding the very actors, who if even only partially successful, would serve to mollify widespread and growing dissatisfaction with current political processes and policies – and thus save their sorry arsed political bacon in the broader sense and longer term?

    Case in point. Some prominent progressives are already openly stating they simply will. not. vote. for Biden in the upcoming US elections. That puts things a good step or three beyond where things sat in the last US election where some of those same prominent progressives said they'd only vote third party in safe Democrat seats, but vote Clinton in marginals.

    • adam 15.1

      The liberal left can do no wrong. It does not need to listen to anarchists, social democrats , or any progressives for that matter.

      It would be better if the anarchists, social democrats, and other so called progressives just shut the fuck up and do as they are told.

      Did you miss the memo Bill??!?

      • bill 15.1.1

        Did you miss the memo Bill??!?

        lol. But I'm a nice person who doesn't relish the thought of people getting hurt (much), and so reckons they might want to have a wee think about what they're likely achieving, no?

        • adam 15.1.1.1

          They won't, and they will keep backing people into a corner, all the time telling them they know best.

          • bill 15.1.1.1.1

            I know 🙂

            What amuses me is their inability to understand that Corbyn and Sanders and Cunliffe are, from a left perspective anyway, acceptable compromises.

            If they don't want to compromise short term, then they get to wear it in the long run. (Assuming there is a "long run").

  16. Morrissey 16

    Jeremy Corbyn: the leader who never led

    by Trevor Hoyle in Cold Type magazine, April 2020:

    …. The antisemitism label was hung around the neck of anybody who was deemed close to Corbyn, the aim being to pick off his allies until he was left exposed and unprotected. People who’d been loyal party members for years, including Jackie Walker, Tony Greenstein, Peter Willsman, Marc Wadsworth, and dozens more – were suspension or expelled, based on “evidence” that was flimsy, fabricated or plain non-existent.

    The corporate media, hostile to Corbyn from the start, lapped up this internecine war with relish, the supposedly impartial BBC in the thick of it. Almost every report and interview the state broadcaster ran concerning Labour was slanted to lever in the latest trivial titbit about antisemitism, no matter what the story.

    Jonathan Cook, a British journalist based in Israel, summed it up: “The media and Israel lobby may have been largely successful in recruiting British Jews and many others to their self-serving campaign to stop Corbyn becoming prime minister…”

    The Karl Rove playbook (remember him?) was bang on the money: Attack your enemy at his strongest, not his weakest point.

    Through 2018 and 2019, when these attacks were taking place and a general election was on the horizon, the despairing wail echoed on blogs sympathetic to Labour and all over left-leaning message boards, “When is Jeremy going to stand up and defend his friends and supporters against these vile smears of antisemitism?”

    Most mystifying of all was why didn’t the party come out, all guns blazing, and rebut the slurs and fake news? And what in heaven’s name was Seumas Milne, Corbyn’s communications director, doing? What guidance and sage advice was he giving his boss? None, it seemed. Just an echoing void.

    Corbyn and his shadow chancellor John McDonnell were on the back foot from day one. Instead of confronting their accusers and demanding documented instances of antisemitism, they meekly accepted blanket accusations of wrong-doing. Time and again they trotted out the same boilerplate phrases: “the Labour party doesn’t tolerate racism in any form … we will not allow the scourge of antisemitism within our ranks …” Statements so hollowed-out by repetition they became a meaningless dirge of denial everyone grew weary of.

    I’m still lost for a reason as to why Corbyn would place his trust in traitors and abandon those who supported and believed in him. I detest Boris Johnson and all he stands for, but he didn’t hesitate when he became leader and kicked out those who stood against him: doing what Corbyn should and could have done.

    Read more….

    http://coldtype.net/Assets20/PDFs/ColdType204.MidApril2020.pdf?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=new_new_new_mid_april_coldtype_number_204_is_now_online&utm_term=2020-04-15

  17. Ad 17

    Britons, like New Zealanders, will not accept radical political or economic shifts unless the circumstances demand it. We've done it in the late 1930s and through the 1940s, and that's it.

    It's foolish to think otherwise whether you're a supporter of Bernie Sanders, Hubert Humphrey, Jeremy Corbyn, or Metiria Turei. Don't waste decades of your life moaning about whether someone could-have or-would-have made it if all star clusters had aligned.

    The best that supporters of that kind of candidate will ever do is add a little policy spice to the eventual winner.

    Radical supporters who lose an election and wait for the report to show why factions broke out (factions only show when you're losing but they're always there) are looking in the wrong direction. As well as shut up, they should do just one of two things:

    – Leave the party, or

    – Lead a policy workstream for the next manifesto, with a view to becoming a staffer in a Ministerial office.

    The rest is just pointless.

    • adam 17.1

      Of so the radical far right economic shift in the late 80s was not the choice of kiwis?

      OK so asking politely to go back, how that working out…

      • Ad 17.1.1

        This recession we are going into will push that reform period into insignificance.

        With 30 years of memory dimming, it's only Muldoon's reign that makers that era seem a radical shift now. Still, fair call it was a shift.

    • bill 17.2

      If the electoral environment was neutral but contested (ie – not hedged around and pushed by powerful mono-directional forces like corporate media and corporate lobbyists), then I'd essentially agree with your comment Ad.

      But that's not how it is.

      If it was, then Corbyn would be in office. Sanders would be the Democratic nominee. Trump would never have been a thing. Cunliffe would have been PM of NZ. Macron would never have been the President of France…

      It's not about stars aligning. It's about undemocratic forces having enormous sway in the electoral process and political sphere in general.

      • Ad 17.2.1

        I'd fully agree that there are undemocratic forces at play.

        But mainstream media can enable the right candidate to frame up the right way. It's unjust, but Corbyn looked scruffy. Same with Metiria. Same with Sanders. Whereas Blair, Obama, Trudeau, Macron, and of course Ardern understood how to make that kind of framing work (at least for their first terms). Telegenic goes a really long way.

        Same now with social media. Some candidates take to it like a duck to water – Obama being one of the best and most successful early adopters. Ardern being New Zealand's most powerful by a long way.

        So it's possible to successfully overcome the media against centre-left candidates.

        Centre-left candidates can also overcome brute capital from the right. But they need to really target excellent fundraising and donors – as when Sir Bob Harvey got the money for Helen Clark's first and second terms. His art auctions really brought out the centre-left bourgeoisie and had great nights doing so.

        I agree with you it's always harder for the left to overcome undemocratic forces.

        But it can be done.

    • Mike Smith 17.3

      @Ad

      "We've done it in the late thirties and that's it"!!

      What do you think is happening right now – massive disruption throughout the world, unemployment in many countries like we haven't seen since the last depression. The signs have been there since the GFC and Covid has just ripped away the plaster.

      Business as usual isn't going to cut it, even in our bubble.

      Right now Labour needs another Savage, not business as usual.

  18. Corey Humm 18

    Completely agree with everything you've said here, we need

    Still…

    I'm glad Corbyn is no longer leader.

  19. Gerald 19

    Why does RNZ keep Hooton and Mills on the air? Time for a change and to get some new opinions from a variety of contributors.

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    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Keep safe on our roads this Easter
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Cost of living support for over 1.4 million Kiwis
    About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Tenancy reviews for social housing restart
    Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary plan halted
    The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Cutting all that dam red tape
    Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track.  “Dam safety regulations ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Drought support extended to parts of North Island
    The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Passage of major tax bill welcomed
    The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Lifting economy through science, tertiary sectors
    Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
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    2 days ago
  • Government announces Budget priorities
    The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says.  The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government to consider accommodation solution
    The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government approves extension to Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care
    Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says.                                         “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • $18m boost for Kiwis travelling to health treatment
    The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says.   “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM’s Prizes for Space to showcase sector’s talent
    The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Concerns conveyed to China over cyber activity
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government.     “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry
    Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function.  The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Brynderwyns open for Easter
    State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Speech to the Infrastructure Funding & Financing Conference
    Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Parliamentary network breached by the PRC
    New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ to provide support for Solomon Islands election
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ-EU FTA gains Royal Assent for 1 May entry to force
    The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union.    “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • COVID-19 inquiry attracts 11,000 submissions
    Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says.  “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Families to receive up to $75 a week help with ECE fees
    Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Unlocking a sustainable, low-emissions future
    A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says.  “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Chief of Army thanked for his service
    Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders
    25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government commits nearly $3 million for period products in schools
    Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Speech – Making it easier to build.
    Good morning, it’s great to be here.   First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning.  I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Pacific youth to shine from boost to Polyfest
    Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • 2024 Ngarimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarships announced
    ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to Breast Cancer Foundation – Insights Conference
    Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Kiwi research soars to International Space Station
    New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to the New Zealand Planning Institute
    Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Support for Northland emergency response centre
    The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed.  “Northland has faced a number ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Celebrating 20 years of Whakaata Māori
    New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Some commercial fishery catch limits increased
    Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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