Cooper pleads for Labour’s bullying right-wing entryists to be allowed to stay
Standing up for the bullies: Yvette Cooper.
Entryism – it’s an ugly little word, describing the infiltration of a political party by members of another group, with the intention of subverting its policies or objectives.
It is a process that has hindered the Labour Party severely over the past 20 years or so as, under Tony Blair and later leaders, the party was joined by increasing numbers of right-wingers whose thinking was more closely aligned with that of the Conservative Party than traditional Labour values.
Now these entryists are claiming their Tory-lite attitudes as Labour’s true position in a desperate attempt to hold onto their positions and stay on the political gravy train, amidst fears that Jeremy Corbyn and his supporters will “purge” them from the party. Here’s The Guardian on Tory-lite Yvette Cooper:
Yvette Cooper called on Corbyn to condemn suggestions by some of his supporters that they intended to purge those who did not believe in his policies from the party should their candidate win the contest.
Cooper said: “I am deeply troubled by those who say they want a victory for Jeremy to be the start of a process to deselect hard-working councillors or MPs they believe are too rightwing. Years of fractional battles have no place in our party – they would be a betrayal of Labour’s values and of those who depend on us to stand up for them. Jeremy and his campaign should condemn this kind of sectarianism that is being practised in their name.”
Look at the wording. These right-wing councillors or MPs are “hard-working”, according to Yvette. Really? This Writer does not consider it hard work to support the policies of the Conservatives with only minor differences.
Would you like to know the policies of these right-wingers regarding the sick and disabled? The plan is to continue pushing them off of incapacity and disability benefits using the utterly discredited work capability assessment which ignores the advice of medical experts in favour of a tick-box computer game – and to do nothing that might arouse the attention of the right-wing press, which they fear.
When This Writer challenged one of them over this attitude, in the run-up to the election, he threatened me with legal action.
These people are no more than playground bullies. They victimise those who are weaker than them, while running scared from anybody who is stronger. And let’s remember that victimising the disabled is the lowest, meanest demonstration of power.
Purge them? They should be flushed down history’s toilet.
Source: Jeremy Corbyn wins economists’ backing for anti-austerity policies | Politics | The Guardian
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Spot on jeff3
If you want to see how/why the right retains power, take a look at the Spanish civil war, the right despite their differences, and factional leaders being taken out by other members of the right, they still came together in the end, while the left fought each other while the enemy was at the gates. I understand there were other reasons, the role of the church and monarchy etc.
I support JC and will vote, when my ballot comes??? But boy does he have a fight with the right wing of the party, and there really are many who are just not Labour, in any shape and form. Ms Cooper for one. We as a nation have moved so far to the right, but do not think so.
Gusman Jones, I’ve thought on that for sometime. I suspect it’s because the right-wing seek power and greater wealth, rather than policy and principles. Therefore, in the end all that matters is that they retain power and increase their wealth; ideological battles are about a means to these ends and as such can be dispensed with. New Labour are, as you’ve noted, a contemporary example of such practices. It is why every time the Conservatives move further to the right New Labour finds it not a problem to shuffle along after them. The left tends to want to give wealth and power to the majority and as such obtaining power is the means to achieving that end. Consequently, they will continue to fight on over the best policy needed to achieve greater power and wealth for the majority; rather, than drop the policies and take power and wealth. As with so many things it is being necessary to be prepared to strike a balance between fragmentation over the nth degree of detailed policy differences and retaining\creating the cohesion necessary to gain power and implement agreed policies. On this last point Corbyn is already making sensible statements. Finally, one thing to be noted about Ms Cooper’s comments – at least she’s not threatening to set-up a Social Democratic party mk2, which might indicate the right-wing media have not offered her (and the other non-Corbyn candidates) their undying support and that degree of hubris could work in our favour.
Cooper has form. She used to be known as the ‘imaginary wheelchair’ woman, here’s why; http://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/news/members-only-news/1207-even-harsher-new-esa-medical-approved
————–
Even harsher new ESA medical approved
13 April 2010
Tens of thousands of claimants facing losing their benefit on review, or on being transferred from incapacity benefit, as plans to make the employment and support allowance (ESA) medical much harder to pass are approved by the secretary of state for work and pensions, Yvette Cooper.
The shock plans for ‘simplifying’ the work capability assessment, drawn up by a DWP working group, include docking points from amputees who can lift and carry with their stumps. Claimants with speech problems who can write a sign saying, for example, ‘The office is on fire!’ will score no points for speech and deaf claimants who can read the sign will lose all their points for hearing.
Meanwhile, for ‘health and safety reasons’ all points scored for problems with bending and kneeling are to be abolished and claimants who have difficulty walking can be assessed using imaginary wheelchairs.
Claimants who have difficulty standing for any length of time will, under the plans, also have to show they have equal difficulty sitting, and vice versa, in order to score any points. And no matter how bad their problems with standing and sitting, they will not score enough points to be awarded ESA.
In addition, almost half of the 41 mental health descriptors for which points can be scored are being removed from the new ‘simpler’ test, greatly reducing the chances of being found incapable of work due to such things as poor memory, confusion, depression and anxiety.
There are some improvements to the test under the plans, including exemptions for people likely to be starting chemotherapy and more mental health grounds for being admitted to the support group. But the changes are overwhelmingly about pushing tens of thousands more people onto JSA.
If all this sounds like a sick and rather belated April Fools joke to you, we’re not surprised. But the proposals are genuine and have already been officially agreed by Yvette Cooper, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. They have not yet been passed into law, but given that both Labour and the Conservatives seem intent on driving as many people as possible off incapacity related benefits, they are likely to be pursued by whichever party wins the election.
A ‘no change’ in some aspects, I already stated I have problems of both sitting and standing for more than half an hour – but still received ‘nil points’!
40 minutes of travelling time was also removed, despite the ‘alleged’ nurse (no visible ID) repeating the correct time back to me on three occasions!
She found it somewhat incredulous it took me 40 minutes longer than the ‘standard time’ (because I had to stop on two occasions for pain relief). When the report came through my travel time had been reduced from the stated 1hour 45 minutes to 65 minutes!
I also declined the medical examination part due to already being in pain with another long drive ahead of me to get home again, so after the 20 minute quick fire question routine, she apparently decided I was 100% fit to return to work!
Last time she (same nurse) stated as I had good upper arm strength (again not tested for) and I could easily propel myself in a wheelchair if necessary!
I have osteoarthritis in both knees, both hips which is spreading to both hands, as well as two damaged discs in my lower back!
On that occasion she gave me a medical examination!
If you can’t sit or stand for long it’s now known as being ‘sitting disabled’ Google it and quote loads of it at them. I have :-) I was diagnosed with this decades ago before there was a formal term for it.
They should be purged, their morality in this leadership contest has shown their true colours, they do not care about the electorate only personal power.
Bill – that bookmark won’t work – read it here instead:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/13440413/YC_imagine_wheelchair.txt
There seems to be some confusion amongst contributors to this blog and generally in discussions between ON the right of the Labour Party and TO the right of the Labour Party.
I agree with and would prefer more socialist policies however I would far rather see a Labour controlled regime than one controlled by an ideologically driven vindictive and heartless truly right wing party.
Where I live we have a Labour Town Council, Labour County Council and Labour Government Labour AM, Labour Police Commissioner and Labour Westminster MP. Many of those elected individuals are on the right of the party and some are extremely hard working and collectively achieving great things. I argue with them in Branch, Constituency and private situations and, when it comes to a vote, sometimes I win and sometimes I lose. Either way I get behind the democratic decision of the group in public (though I may still argue in private).
No matter how this vote for leader goes I will accept the decision and continue to fight for a Labour Government and labour candidates in the Upcoming Assembly and Police Commissioner elections next May and for the Council elections in May 17 because the alternative would be a disaster.
I have been a member of this party for over 40 years through some very dark times and difficult political struggles and I have often been out of favour, particularly under New Labour. But I have stuck with it and the party has moved back in the correct direction from my point of view though we still have a way to go.
Many of the supporters of all the candidates for leader have talked about leaving if their political opposites prevail. Fine go, in fact if that’s the way you think then GO NOW. The Labour Party is more than its leader and more than Westminster. We need Labour at all levels and we need people to work hard year after year to raise funds to knock on doors canvassing and delivering leaflets and information. We need Union members to defend workers rights in the face of deliberate attempts to erode those protections from bad employers.
If you won’t do this then what are you doing in a democratic organisation (ok there are faults but work to improve the process). If you intend to quit cos you didn’t win then you don’t fit with my idea of the party SO GO.
If you’ve only joined to get a vote in the leadership election and don’t intend to do anything else then thanks for your money but GO.
We don’t need political hangers on we need activists. That’s how we win elections despite the Tory propaganda machine and how we get to do more things like introducing the National Minimum Wage, investing in International Development to help make the countries of origin of those seeking to immigrate to Europe more prosperous so it is in the people’s interests to stay and work for their share and many other positive advances of the last Labour Government (again there were things I’m unhappy about egPFI).
So stay or go but if you stay, no matter what side of the party you’re from, accept the result, get behind the party, don’t argue in the national or local press but by all means argue behind closed doors and Fight For Labour Victories at all levels.
Personally, I will not get behind three candidates who are at best Tory lite and at worst to the right of the Tories.
I am so glad to have found this site, and others, where people are so disgusted at what is happening to our country, although it is sad that they are needed.
I cannot believe how inhumane the Establishment has become and how the general public buys into the rhetoric spouted about ‘scroungers’ etc. and how much further will they go?
I saw my local (newly elected)Labour MP the other day, who used to be a cheerful person, always ready to speak to supporters. She is now unsmiling and unapproachable every time I see her. Is that her feeling shame? I wonder..
The Labour Party should really be ashamed of itself as there is no way they can justify what they have failed to do over the last five years.
The fact that they have not opposed any of these draconian measures means they agree with them and that means they are not a Socialist Party anymore.
I do hope JC wins and creates a credible opposition.
Labour HAS opposed the Coalition Government’s (and now the Conservative Government’s) draconian measures. All you have to do is check through previous articles on this site to see that. Also see the comments by senior Conservative politicians who say Labour opposed every measure they introduced on social security, for example (the Tories called it welfare but that’s their pejorative term). Labour’s controversial abstention on the recent Bill was a conscious attempt by right-wingers in that party to avoid having this label attached to them again.
I stand corrected Mike. I get hot under the collar.
Thank you for bringing things to our attention.
One point, the use of the word ‘welfare’ cropped up under Blair or Brown.
“Welfare” has been used for decades. Who invented the term “welfare state”? It has fallen into usage as a pejorative under the Conservatives.
Mike, I distinctly remember Gordon Brown using ‘welfare’ in a negative, American style, context. It was under a Labour government that ‘benefit’ became ‘welfare’.
Benefit sanctions were also well on the increase under Labour, too.
It’s not worth arguing about.
i do not understand this. Yvette Cooper is only the SHADOW secretary of state for health and pensions, as such she is in opposition to the present government not part of it., surely she cant approve or otherwise any such thing?
She’s the shadow Home Secretary. The comment about here as secretary of state for Work and Pensions referred to decisions she made in 2010.
Bill – that bookmark won’t work – read it here instead:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/13440413/BAW_YC_imagine_wheelchair.txt
Yvette Cooper, the woman who’s leadership campaign is heavily funded by a Tory?
http://www.buzzfeed.com/solomonhughes/yvette-coopers-biggest-donation-comes-from-an-ex-tory-donor#.dsEr4PRxa
Entryists – another 21st century touchy-feely term for those in my day described as fifth columnists.
Corbyn needs to invite the whole of the TUSC to join with Labour, To help remove the right wing from Labour,
The whole Labour party needs to be purged, like the whole of the establishment needs to be too!