I've sent out this press release tonight regarding New Labour funding. It will be interesting to see if any of the Labour AM's respond in the area. It's laughable that New Labour describe themselves as Socialists while receiving such donations from big business backers. I don't understand how so many Union's can continue to supporter New Labour. Frankly, they are supporting a party that they wish they had in an ideal reality, and not the New Labour that exists today.
Plaid Candidate Slams Labour for Cash from City Asset stripper
Plaid candidate for South Wales West, Bethan Jenkins has today slammed the Labour party following reports in the Sunday Times that the Labour party has received substantial donations by two private equity investors- Nigel Doughty and Sir Ronald Cohen. Bethan called on Labour candidates in the South Wales West regions to publicly pledge that none of this money will be used by them during the Assembly campaign.
Plaid’s Bethan said:
‘These big business supporters of New Labour according to the Sunday Times donated £250,000 each to New Labour in 2006. Sir Ronald Cohen has reportedly given £800,000 to the Labour party and is seen as one of Gordon Brown’s financial backer. They have made their fortune from the private equity business which is effectively asset stripping. Trade Unions accuse private equity firms of buying up businesses and then closing factories and discarding employees, or reducing pension benefits to make a profit.
As a politician who believes in fighting to help ordinary working people, I find it incredible that the Labour party are receiving money from individuals who have made their fortunes in this line of business.
Bethan added:
The Labour party in Wales is not a separate accounting unit, which means that the money to fund their Assembly campaign in Wales will come from their London HQ. I am challenging Labour candidates throughout the region to publicly declare that they will not use a single penny of this money in South Wales West.
The Labour party say that they are happy to receive donations from people and organisations who share their values. It just goes to show how right wing the Labour party has become if they consider asset strippers to share a compatible view on economic prosperity and social justice.”
Notes
South Wales West region covers Swansea West, Swansea East, Gower, Neath, Aberavon, Ogwr, Bridgend constituencies
Labour are quoted in the Sunday Times as saying ‘The Labour party receives support from many individuals and organisations that share our values of economic prosperity coupled with social justice.’
Unions claim private equity firms are funding Labour to avoid a tax clamp down. They currently enjoy tax concessions of only 10% tax on capital gains
Sir Nicholas Cohen is founder and former Chairman of Apax partners and is estimated to have a fortune of £260m. Apax bought into Focus, the UK’s 3rd largest DIY chain for £120m. The company was last week put up for sale with debts of £280m. Apax reportedly doubled their money on the investment.
Plaid Candidate Slams Labour for Cash from City Asset stripper
Plaid candidate for South Wales West, Bethan Jenkins has today slammed the Labour party following reports in the Sunday Times that the Labour party has received substantial donations by two private equity investors- Nigel Doughty and Sir Ronald Cohen. Bethan called on Labour candidates in the South Wales West regions to publicly pledge that none of this money will be used by them during the Assembly campaign.
Plaid’s Bethan said:
‘These big business supporters of New Labour according to the Sunday Times donated £250,000 each to New Labour in 2006. Sir Ronald Cohen has reportedly given £800,000 to the Labour party and is seen as one of Gordon Brown’s financial backer. They have made their fortune from the private equity business which is effectively asset stripping. Trade Unions accuse private equity firms of buying up businesses and then closing factories and discarding employees, or reducing pension benefits to make a profit.
As a politician who believes in fighting to help ordinary working people, I find it incredible that the Labour party are receiving money from individuals who have made their fortunes in this line of business.
Bethan added:
The Labour party in Wales is not a separate accounting unit, which means that the money to fund their Assembly campaign in Wales will come from their London HQ. I am challenging Labour candidates throughout the region to publicly declare that they will not use a single penny of this money in South Wales West.
The Labour party say that they are happy to receive donations from people and organisations who share their values. It just goes to show how right wing the Labour party has become if they consider asset strippers to share a compatible view on economic prosperity and social justice.”
Notes
South Wales West region covers Swansea West, Swansea East, Gower, Neath, Aberavon, Ogwr, Bridgend constituencies
Labour are quoted in the Sunday Times as saying ‘The Labour party receives support from many individuals and organisations that share our values of economic prosperity coupled with social justice.’
Unions claim private equity firms are funding Labour to avoid a tax clamp down. They currently enjoy tax concessions of only 10% tax on capital gains
Sir Nicholas Cohen is founder and former Chairman of Apax partners and is estimated to have a fortune of £260m. Apax bought into Focus, the UK’s 3rd largest DIY chain for £120m. The company was last week put up for sale with debts of £280m. Apax reportedly doubled their money on the investment.
8 comments:
it's laughable that New Labour describe themselves as Socialists"
I'm not so sure that NEW Labour ever described themselves as socialists. I've certainly never heard Tony Blair use the 'S' word.
In 1986 I was working for a Labour Candidate. He began his election address with "As a socialist..." that bit mysteriously had vanished between him handing it over to the borough-wide agent and the finished leaflets returning from the printers.
Well Tony Blair might not call himself a socialist but there are MP's and Am's who would define themselves as such. They are in New Labour. If such MP's and AM's are not in 'New Labour', what party are they in?
Don't forget that every political party is a broad church. There are many Labour Party MPs and AMs who either never signed up to 'New' Labour, or like Robin Cook had the guts to resign once TB cwtched up to George Bush (I mean, can you seriously call Dennis Skinner 'new' Labour ?)
There are others like my current MP who are now trying to distance themselves. Too late Mr Hain ;-)
On your main point, about taking money from asset strippers, I am in full agreement. I'm sure the genuine socialists in the party feel the same way. But they have no real choice other than to try and pull the party back from the right, just as Neil Kinnock pulled it back from the left.
I however have the freedom to move my support until they do.
If the values that they aspire to are no longer present in the Labour Party, then I see no reason why those Labour MP's and AM's should stay in the party. Cook and Clare Short are examples, yes.
Would it take a period in opposition for the socialists in their midst to 'pull the party back to the left', as the Caerphilly Councillor Ray Davies suggests?
I think a period of opposition may push the party off the rails as in the 80s. The best outcome is a hung parliament, where an anti iraq war, tuition fees and ID cards agenda can take hold and pull the party with it.
Where would disillusioned MPs and AMs go? They could go to fringe groups like Forward Wales and Respect and disappear into oblivion. Even if they joined Plaid or the Lib Dems, they would lose their platform, if for instance they represented a valley's seat that had been Labour since the Romans.
Remember the MPs who went to the SDP? Nearly everyone disappeared without trace, whereas people like Roy Hattersley stayed and pulled the party back to the main stream. It's the only effective solution for elected members.
surely if they did join us then people who have always voted Labour could see that there is a viable alternative out there, and that they don't have to vote Labour without question? It would show a clear sign of leadership. There would be nothing to say then that they would disappear from politics.....
I think if Labour AMs or MPs went to Plaid they would just be turfed out at the next election.
When I canvassed for Labour I would quite often be met with "my grandad voted Labour, my dad voted Labour, so I vote Labour" I always had to resist saying "Why, can't you think for yourself ?" even though they were giving the 'right' answer as far as I was concerned.
Although this attitude is declining, it is still a powerful force.
I was jumping for joy in 1999 when Plaid took Rhondda and Islwyn (and also when the Lib Dems took Cardiff Central, I am not party-partisan). In the case of the Plaid gains, as far as I was concerned they were socialist areas and had stuck with a socialist party. So what went wrong in 2003? As far as I understand it, Labour just seemed to be able to get its core vote out. That fate would surely fall on any defecting AM or MP.
Only rarely is a person bigger than their party.
Interesting points LeftField. I think your comments about "my father voted Labour" are spot on with the older generation but even that generation has now seen through Labour's sleaze and lies.
From canvassing on the doorsteps in a once solid Labour area, the party is losing its core vote like snow in spring.
Labour will take a hammering across Wales in May partly because of Blair, Iraq and peerages but also because they've failed to deliver here in Wales.
Labour AMs and MPs are almost all loyal careerists and won't jump unless pushed. Most are incompetent and self-important yes men and women - who'd want them to defect?
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