UNISONActive is an unofficial blog produced by UNISON activists for UNISON activists. Bringing news, briefings and events from a progressive left perspective.

Tuesday 29 September 2009

Mandelson and the madness of crowds

As far as taking leave of collective senses, yesterday’s conference standing ovation for arch neo liberal Lord Mandelson was on a par with the infamous 1992 pre-election Sheffield Rally. The vainglorious Neil "Well, all right! Well, all right!" Kinnock and a loyal mass hysterical audience deluded themselves that a Labour victory was inevitable. But they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheffield_Rally

What can explain the Labour conference love in with Mandelson? The architect of New Labour and its embrace of the free market, flexible labour laws, the Murdoch media empire, US imperialism and not least a disastrous subservience to City interests? Only 24 hours earlier the career politician stated to the Sunday Times magazine that he’d willingly serve a Tory Government! http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6850863.ece

And in case anyone has forgotten Mandelson is adamant that the Royal Mail will be privatised in due course "there is therefore no prospect in current circumstances of achieving the objectives of the postal services bill. When market conditions change we will return to the issue."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/jul/01/royal-mail-mandelson-part-privatisation

If ever there was a case of being careful what you wish for