The Beginning
''It's a beginning, that's all.''
An admirable summary from Prof. Geras about the launch of the Euston Manifesto last night, which I attended. Good speeches all round with a special mention for Alan Johnson who, I thought, did the best job of rooting the Manifesto and its ideals in the real world and crystallising its opposition to the demagoguery of Galloway and his acolytes.
I see this as a long term project - I can see it igniting a debate in the mainstream left which will rage for a long while to come. Our opponents are legion and hysterical but, in time, we can hope that, thanks to the efforts of all the first rate people involved, the sort of reasoned debate the Manifesto calls for will win out in the end.
In conclusion - Great Start, much still to do, everything to play for.
-posted by Adam
(quick rant against the train system - On the way back to Birmingham I was fined £54 by some t****r conducter on a power trip because I got the 9:10 a.m train and not the 9:40. a.m one. Ok, so I didn't go and check if my saver return ticket would be acceptable at the ticket desk, but give me a break here. I had slept (badly) on my friends (very hard and dirty) hall of residence floor for less than 2 hours and wanted to go home. Goddamned privitised New Labour claptrap. No spirit of public service!)
