"Old, New, Borrowed and Blue..."

In a post on Labour List today, Joe Ottaway outlines why he feels that "Labour must reject sectional politics". I tend to a contrary view: Labour must not entirely reject sectional politics but must not entirely embrace them either.

The Labour Party is looking to the future, it is assessing where we are, how we came to be here, where we wish to go from here and what is the best route to follow in order to get there. This is a positive state of affairs, reflection, discussion and debate are all essential to the democratic process and it is right and proper that they should be favoured over policy formulations set in stone being handed down from on high.

At such a time, people are naturally going to take sides, emphasise their perspectives and priorities and point out the shortcomings of other, competing views.
Once again, this is healthy. Everybody has a piece of the jigsaw but nobody has possession of the big picture, given that, we all have to work together to figure out how all of those pieces fit together.

This will entail differing views and this will almost inevitably lead to a degree of conflict somewhere along the line. However, most Labour Party members will remain, as I do, proudly eclectic and unashamedly unaligned.

If it works let us use it irrespective of its provenance. GEER, Blue Labour, Purple Labour, Green Labour,
Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Labour. All will have areas of merit, all will have weaknesses, all represent a section of the party and all will contribute something to the Party as a whole. They all require and deserve a fair hearing