Ken Livingstone: Labour must listen to the left

Ken Livingstone
Sunday May 15, 2005

Observer

Two facts dominated the outcome of the general election. First, Labour lost 6 per cent of the vote. Second, the Tories were almost totally unable to gain support, their support rising only 0.5%. This compares with an increase of 4 per cent for the Liberal Democrats and 1.5 per cent to others, the bulk of whom presented themselves as Labour's left. Given the orientation of the Liberal Democrats at this election, this means that labour lost 10 votes to those presenting themselves as moderately to its left for every vote it lost to its right.
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The overwhelming majority of those whom Labour has to win back for a fourth term are those who ceased to vote for it because of the war, top-up fees or limits on trial by jury, not those who were attracted by the Tories. Labour's strategic task in this parliament is to regain its position as the undisputed leader of the 67 per cent of the voters that decided against the Tories. It is almost electorally irrelevant, and counterproductive, to spend time chasing those whose agenda is set by the Daily Mail.
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http://observer.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,6903,1484222,00.html

but I don't see how they're going to do it continuing on their present course. Of course, getting President Bliar out as soon as possible would be a good start but I fear Tony has moved completely to the dark side and sees the future of the country and his own future as being the same thing.