For what it's worth: The musings of Ms G.

"Could it be? Yes it could, something's coming, something good....if I can wait!"   (Leonard Bernstein: from West Side Story) Something is happening. Something big and important and exciting. Something that has been enthusing ordinary people of all ages, colours, creeds and persuasions all over the country. It feels new, it feels strange but also somehow very familiar. It's rough around the edges and incomplete. It's inspiring, it's reassuring, and perhaps what is best of all, it scares the living bejasus out of the previously complacent Establishment. I am old enough and cynical enough not to get taken in by fads, cults, fashion, etc.... I have always been highly doubtful of the motives and motivations of the majority of politicians - the spin, the fancy suits and the soundbites have never held any sway with me. That said, I am wise enough to recognise 'the real thing' when I see it. And contrary to what his detractors want everyone to believe...

My blogging has fallen by the wayside in recent weeks, mainly because every time I start writing something, another bizarre, more compelling and noteworthy episode unfolds in the crazy world of the Labour Leadership Election. I started trying to put together a single source of rebuttals to those criticisms we are always hearing about Corbyn, ie that he:  is unelectable; unpatriotic, anti-semitic, 'hard left', doesn't connect with voters etc. It very quickly became clear however that we have moved beyond these unfounded arguments that only the hardiest trolls are still intent on broadcasting. I then started on an enthusiastic piece about the influx of new members to the Party, the Corbyn supporters who bring a range of voices that we haven't heard in British politics for a very long time. Also the MPs who represent these voters, for example the wonderful Angela Rayner, shadow Education Minister who speaks candidly and openly about her working class background, one...

A few words about Trolls First, I want to tell you a true story. Some years ago I did a bit of evening bar-work in a friendly little Liverpool pub with a good mix of students, locals and a number of regulars. One quiet Tuesday evening, I was on my own behind the bar when a very smartly dressed little old man walked in. He ordered half a bitter and a whisky chaser and asked me, in clipped South African tones “What sort of pub is this?” Not entirely sure what he meant, I replied that it was just an ordinary northern pub. He laughed to himself and shook his head. Minutes later, one of our regulars, a young man of West Indian heritage came in and I noticed the old guy eyeing him suspiciously. “ YOU boy! Where are you from?” he demanded. “I’m from Liverpool” came the reply “No! I mean where do you COME from? Where were you born?” “I was born at Walton Hospital in Liverpool!” The old man was again laughing to himself. I exchanged ‘a look’ with the regular as he ...

Let's get this out of the way first of all as a brand new blogger: I am a socialist, always have been, always will be, would never vote tory. When I say 'socialist' I mean I support the policies and principles of Jeremy Corbyn and respect his mandate as Labour Party Leader. So now any tories or Neo-liberals who have stumbled across this in error - please feel free to leave and never return, no hard feelings. ---------------------------------------- I went to bed last night having just recovered from being referred to as a 'Nazi Stormtrooper' in an article by Michael Foster - millionaire, 'new Labour' funder, crony and icon of modern socialist values. The article, amusingly enough, was in the Daily Mail.  I surmised that they have long been awaiting an opportunity to air some of their extensive photographic library of Nazi propaganda. They must have been rubbing their hands in glee when Foster tipped up with some psychotic style ramblings. This slur (and ...