Saturday, 10th May 2008
MISSED AGAIN
Oh well, there you have it. The delegates to the General Conference of Malta's second largest party swiftly and decisively made like turkeys asked whether they wanted to introduce Thanksiving to the list of our holidays.
The received wisdom is that this means that George Abela's candidacy for theleadership is dead in the water. I'm not convinced, because stranger things have happened (hey, the PN won the last election, to start with).
However, given that a) the party machine isn't exactly enamoured of the idea of Abela becoming its boss and b) the delegates were quite vociferous of their rejection of Marlene Pullicino's motion, I wouldn't bet on him, unless Jason Micallef told me not to, in which case I'd consider having a flutter.
Why did the delegates not want to let the MLP's general membership have a say in the choice of leader?
Plenty of ideas are floating around. One idea is that the delegates are jealous of their power and the status this brings, such as this is. Another idea is that they were persuaded that an election amongst twenty thousand-odd card carriers would have been a logistical nightmare, which demands that another couple of questions be asked.
Would it have been such a nightmare and, if not (and I think not) why was the spectre raised?
Who benefitted by this?
Well, the answer to the last question is easy: anyone who doesn't want George Abela to take the helm, that's who.
And who would be in this not-exactly-enourmous band of brothers, pray tell? Ah, now, let's see: people whose jobs depend on having a leader who gazes upon them benevolently, perhaps? And who would these folk be? Ah, don't tell me, yes, that's it - the very people who would have had to organise the "logistical nightmare" that would have seen him elected.
Make no bones about it, the bottom line, from where I'm sitting, is that the wider electorate wasn't the stuff of which dreams are made for a certain clique of people, precisely because it would have meant that George Abela stood a very good chance of getting the nod. So that particular horse had to be nobbled, and sharply too. The way this was done was more subtle than an MC-style letter, though.
I know that the little elves will be commenting on my take. With deathly boring predictability, they will invite me to stop trying to interfere in Labour's internal issues and then go on to ask why the PN don't open up their own electorate.
Let me get my retaliation in first, then.
To start with, the MLP have a role to play in our democracy, for all that its not so ancient history appears to disqualify it from so doing. But all that is happily consigned to the rubbish bin of history, along with many (though not quite all, yet) of the exponents of "governance a la Labour".
Once it is a component of the state, it in the interests of all of us that it is run properly, and on the record of the last three incumbents foisted on the party by its General Conference (or is that the other way round?) can it be said that the MLP was properly run?
To be going on with, as I pointed out in one of my own comments to another section of this portal (I need to get a life) it is the function of a political party to win elections.
The PN's method of appointing its leaders and functionaries has won it the 1981 election, the 1987 election, the 1992 election, the 1998 election, the EU Referendum (dead people voting nothwithstanding) the 2003 election and the 2008 election.
Labour's method, on the other hand, got them leaders and functionaries that lost it the 1981 election, the 1987 election, the 1992 election, the 1998 election, the EU referendum, the 2003 election and the 2008 election.
There will be those who cavil that the 1981 election result was fair and legal - I'd invite those of them that are not too young to know what went on in those interesting times to recall why they were interesting and what that says about Labour legitimacy in government.
HISTORY AND WHO WRITES IT
It is an axiom that history is written by the victors. It is almost equally axiomatic that the Second World War was provoked exclusively by the thuggish antics of the Nazis, led by that utter madman, Hitler and that the Allies were led by the hero Churchill, whose policies, strategies and tactics were tough but fair.
A book which I'm fairly flying through this weekend, "Human Smoke" by Nicholson Baker (only an American can be called Nicholson, of course) shakes the foundations a bit.
Written in a style I've not come across before, in anecdotes recounting particular episodes, small or epoch-making but all equally material, without narrative but in time-linear format, the book paints a picture of the Allies, and of Churchill in particular, that is un-complimentary in the extreme.
I'm no historian, for all that I wish I had the time to take up history as a discipline, so my perception of the way the war was won comes more from the populist than from the academic. This is a direct result of the first axiom to which I referred, leading to the propagation of the second one.
Let there be no mistake, lest Holocaust-deniers such as Norman Lowell and delusionals of his ilk start crowing, Hitler was an out-and-out thug and his policies inhuman to the extreme, rendering him one of the few people for whom the death penalty, had he not chosen the coward's way out, would have been too good. It's just that this book has brought into sharp focus for me, and a bit abruptly, a concept that should have been self-evident, had I bothered to think about it. The Allies were guilty of brutish behaviour too.
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Comments
Now that you mentioned 'meritocracy' in your reply to ABC - I hope that the MLP's selection of a new leader will also be based on meritocracy.
Unfortunately the one backed by the internal, behind the paraventu machine at the MLP HQ will not cut it since the other four outsmart him and possess far more experience. Furthermore they do not sport the same silly smile as he does ala Jason.
@ Dr. Dalli
You were so lavish labeling Dr. Sant as a brilliant economist.
I hope you have some statistic which backs you up. From my several years observation of his periodic economic forecasts, I have yet to find one which he guessed right. For crying out loud, he kept flogging the halving of the surcharge when in front of his very nose the price of oil was increasing daily knowing very well that every dollar increase meant that our government had to pay that much more!
He may have a wall plastered with degrees and diplomas but he sure lacks a business acumen.
@ IT - I hop as much as I like. I am free and therefore I live and not merely exist.
@ BOTH - get real and talk about the message and not the messanger. Now let us know how your own medicine tastes.
Bury the dead, Peter? Maybe we have only learned from the best ... I know of no other country that keeps mentioning the war ad nauseum :) ... sorry, did I mention the war? you started it!
:)
And even more than that with the French!
To counterbalance the three pathetic cases you mentioned relating to alleged PN injustices perpetrated on your relatives due to their political beliefs, I can furnish you with tens of cases where well-known Labourites never had it so good, career-wise, under various PN Administrations. Probably you are not aware of that well known quip in Maltese stating that:
" Intom (PN) tiggvernaw u ahna (MLP) niggwadanjaw "
I wonder what proof you possess about the "thousands of Maltese" whom, you allege, are suffering gross injustices due to their political beliefs. If this was the case, the Tribunal for the Investigation of Injustices and the Ombudsman's Office would be overstretched to clear the extraordinary number of cases to be dealt with!!
On March 8, it was precisely for that reason the majority voted the NP back to govern.
In the first instance I totally agree with you.
In the second though, sorry I do not. It has to do more with the state of mind that have took hold of the MLP than anything else.
Let the dead bury the dead.
It is the present and future with which you should be concerned.
Just to depart from all the bickering / hysterical reactions to your latest blogtribution (that's ITsavvy for contribution you philistine) and seeing as four days have passed since you last
made yourself heard, I was wondering whether the Chelski debacle on Saturday has passed through your system yet.
Your predictions regarding the Blues pipping the Reds at the post seem to be valid only locally (thank God) so give up on any aspirations to Nostradamus fame.
Oh and by the way, please, please, pretty please with a cherry on top, predict a home win for Abramovich's boys on the 21st. possibly by means of a penalty in the 96th minute (on the basis of history repeating itself).
Judging by your recent form, the OT gang might just do another Double.
Dear Ms Abdilla,
The labour party should not blame anyone for its misfortunes, but itself. If Dr Alfred Sant wasn't leader of the opposition in this last election, the labour party would surely be in Government. Dr Sant should have stepped down ones and for all after he lost the election following the European Referendum.
Dr Sant might be a brilliant economist and an excellent writer, but he is surely an atrocious politician. As a politician, Dr Sant was very exclusive and he made too many powerful enemies, particularly in the media. We all hope to see some changes with the new leader.
Chi e' causa del suo mal pianga se stesso Ms Abdilla.
Dr Anthony Dalli, Ph.D. (Oxon.)
@ Joe Vella.There are countless occasions in our lives where we offer counsel,advise and criticism to members of our family, committees we sit on, at our place of work,to church ministers as well as to the political party we belong to. On many of these occasions we are faced with contempt instead of gratitude. Life in general is like that... are you telling me that it is different within the PN camp? Do you seriously want us to believe that besides their political credo Nationalists are a different specie than Labourites? Anybody believing that has the problem of racial prejudice. It would also sound like somebody saying that the people from Mellieha are smarter than the people from Mosta or vice versa.
Moreover, people are generally suspicious and tend to look for ulterior motives. Imagine a reverse situation where the PN is undergoing the process which Labour is going through at the moment,would anybody within the PN take heed to any suggestion made by any of us?
You will need a lot of convincing powers to make you look credible if your answer had to be yes.
Strategies are made to strengthen a position position and to weaken the adversaries'. Are the PN strategists so naive to offer spiritual advise to the Labour Party under the excuse of constructive criticism? Yeah sure.
I do undertsand your plight Ms Abdilla. ABC does too but he conveniently plays the loss of his memory card. I remember my friend Andrew crying just like you are doing now when he was treated in the same manner in bygone history. As much as I denounce any form of violence, today's game is so subtle and refined that it is the worst one can get. ABC is just lost in his political prejudice and pay-back mode, which makes him a lost soul in democratic terms. Please forgive him, as he knows not what he is doing.
With regards to AB-C comment I have to give him his due,my earlier comment may have led one to interpret it differently. The gist of my argument was self criticism however the part that Andrew responded to may have been understood that I was referring to criticizing our opponents. Fair is fair. But I think the result was a bit funny that's all.
Charles, I don't know if it is you or me that is misintepreting AB-C post.
I believe that AB-C is referring to the HOOLIGANS that in the past ran rampant in Malta and beat everyone in site that didn't agree with their political point of view. Well I said, not AB-C, so take it out on me.
Charles, individuals like you only get thrumped by the Kingpins that sit at that Red Glassed Building in Hamrun. Now don't take it literally. Everyone that have offered some kind of constructive criticism to them have become a Persona Non Grata within the labour movement. What a shame.
Our 1947-59 Constitution was the Mc Michael's. The Blood Constitution was enacted in 1961 and replaced by the Independence Constitution of 1964. Hope I got it right this time.
I have been around on Maltese groups for years and must admit that I have been detested by some Maltese despite my protestations that I love the islands and the people.
How do I perceive myself? I am an Englishman deeply interested in Malta.
I know your history but I have trouble with recent names in politics out there.
I try to present an external view of Malta..
Personally a left-wing, Catholic monarchist that regretted the failure of integration.
I am certainly no apologist for the British Empire though since I was a Child of Empire
it must have left its mark.
My hope is that Malta, being a small racially-distinct entity
would make its mark in the Mediterranean and beyond.
Thoughts of integration with either Italy or the UK being dashed
Malta must make it on its own-though under the umbrella of the EU.
One might wonder why the EU accepted Malta and at this point
the stance of MLP looms up.
Actually I see little difference between the main political parties of
Malta. the UK or the USA for that matter
So it is down to personalities and here I must rely upon the opinions
of you good folk
The Blood Constitution relates to the 1964 Independence Constitution and not as you erroneously quoted. It was dubbed after the head of the commission that drafted the constitution Sir Hilary Blood.
"Just for the record, the only reason "Nationalists" USED TO BE reluctant to speak out in public was that they would more often than not get thumped for their trouble. Mr Buttigieg and his like never had this problem, of course - lucky them."
I've clashed with Peter countless of times some years back but that's what he likes to do. Mess around with Maltese heads and rile them up a little which we have to admit does not take much.
@Peter,
I do not know anybody in high echelons in Malta and far less in the UK so I feel a bit out of my depth here between you and this Buttigieg fellow. However, having said that, I don't think you need to worry about the rest of us. I'm on the left and you can say anything you want about Malta, Maltese and what have you. Well on second thoughts I have a few of those myself ... including that we just feel a bit big maybe cause we sit on a little rock :)
You are generous gentlemen.
One of my experiences with Maltese political parties was a few years back when I was doing some research for an American academic who could not make it to Malta. I needed to speak to party officials. I 'phoned in for appointments and then duly presented myself at the specified hour at the respective headquarters.
At Pieta I stood in the narrow street looking at the blue building and was swiped by the wing mirror of a fast moving car. Recovering my composure I went in to be confronted by a group of men all smoking furiously and who regarded me with suspicion and said there was no one available to speak to me. I stood my ground and eventually had a very brief interview with a lawyer who had just arrived from court. I was highly impressed by his direct manner and what seemed to be an honest appraisal of my subject. I saw recently that he was appointed to government for he was Jason Azzopardi. I forecast a bright future for him.
Up at the red shack at Hamrun I was welcomed by a pleasant young lady who offered me coffee. Once again there was a problem finding someone to speak with me but eventually a young man came down and answered my questions. He appeared to take offence though at my observation that the small size of Malta was an extremely significant factor in its dealings with the world at large . He indicated that the interview was at an end and I did not get his name. I had been treated at length in earlier years down at the Macina at Senglea.
I have made my way into various institutions in Malta searching for information and the best reception I ever had was at the Curia in Floriana.
Just for the record, the only reason "Nationalists" USED TO BE reluctant to speak out in public was that they would more often than not get thumped for their trouble. Mr Buttigieg and his like never had this problem, of course - lucky them.
Dear Peter
Lack of tact is common amongst us so you do not need to be apologetic about it. With regards to your position in this debate I feel that the fact that you do not reside in Malta does not minimise your freedom of expression. Our news and media feel free to comment and criticise what goes on in the British political arena so why should any non Maltese resident be deprived.
Because I am a bit of an anglophile and also the grandfather of a Brit I tend to understand the British mentality a little more than the average Maltese. That makes me understand the British attitude to politicians and their politics is very different than ours. Politically and religiously we border on extremism. I have good friends in the high ranks of both the British Conservative and Labour parties that publicly criticise their own camps. In the local theatre you will very rarely witness that and practically never in the PN. Traditionally the MLP is a great ally of the UK Labour and therefore very influenced by its behavour. The PN on the other hand are influenced by the Italian model which I utterly detest.
Labourites in Malta are more prone to speak their mind in public, PN supporters have a different tendency. Note the bloggers they support each others point of view even when it is sheer stupidity.
Having said that, I ask you to carry on with your valid contributions here but please bear in mind the two different approaches being British and the polarized Maltese.
Peter, you are only half right, in that there is only certain section of the Maltese society that takes it personally if you disagree or offer constructive criticism to them. That section of maltese society seems to be the Left .
Charles I am somewhat miffed.
I cannot recall precisely what black I put up but I admit to having put up quite a few.
I was hoping to remain neutral regarding Maltese politics but you have put the boot in..
I am a life-long Labour supporter in the UK but have floated on a couple of occasions. You appear to know of me though I cannot recall you.. I have to plead my memory is failing now I am in my eighties
I wish the Left would gain power in Malta but the MLP past and present does not impress me. I have met every MLP leader since Boffa and was introduced to Alfred Sant, who was with KMB and Joe Mizzi, outside the Labour club in Birgu that I once frequented. I admire Sant but the burden of MLP’s history swamped him.
I do not like the Nationalists one bit but at least they function.
It is very difficult for a foreigner to speak clearly when dealing with Maltese for you take offence so easily. The UK comes i n for its share of criticism in Malta though.
Having been on so many Maltese groups and forums where there were sometimes a British or two I have had to abandon them one by one (as have the other Brits) because we could not speak our minds or because the residual anti-colonialism has driven us away
As far as I am aware I am the only Brit contributing here but I recognise that my position is dodgy - though I admit I am not the most tactful of individuals..
@Kevin Zammit by comparison to what is dished out here my comment was not flippant,maybe a little political sarcasm that gives slang its characteristic flavour.Perhaps a good sense of humour,is that so bad? All told it gave you an excuse to rebuff a rebut. Attack is the best form of defence........
@ Peter Prictoe. Not so long ago you insulted the whole of the Maltese population but I do not wish to go into detail,you know what I'm on about. Now you are trying to gain the respect of 49% of the Maltese with your unwarranted remarks against the Labour party supporters.
Before trying to ridicule the Malta Labour Party you ought to keep in mind the following: Labour,like all political parties in the world is currently going through a very natural negative trend. Please do not worry to much about it as unlike the PN its votes trend is parallel and the present difference is very marginal. No need for a major surgery here. Moreover,with all the bull about the PN being serial winners, it may come to you as a surprise that since the Blood constitution of 1947,out of 14 general elections 7 were won by the PN, 6 by Labour and one was a coalition government. Does that make Labour insignificant?
I'm not sure why you're so hung up on the labour party in england. I don't think the conservatives would be that bad really, after all do they really diverge? Unions are broken up, little indistry left anyway. Maybe less spending on health but let's face it, ll the money that has been thrown into the NHS and very little iprovement to show for it. I think it would probably be healthy to starve them off a little and light a bit of fire under them.
You're flattering us now when you compare Malta to the UK ... I see you have not lost you're wiley ways :)
See ABC? I actually can be reasonable!
Apart from that, for true democracy to reign supreme, I would have expected that all Maltese citizens would have been allowed to vote for the Deputy Leaders, the General Secretary, the President, the National Executive and perhaps even have a say in Party policy and direction too.
Joking apart, I do support Joseph Muscat as leader and no, I'm not a delegate if you should wish to ask. However, I still see George Abela as a very valuable politician. This extraordinary motion was nothing more than a lose-lose situation for the MLP and a gaff by GA. However I do not agree that GA is out of 'the game'. He may not be elected as leader but he would do well if he were to return the MLP fold. Therefore I expect that an invitation is extended to him by the new leader whoever that may be and that he accepts it. After all he is the vanguard of inclusivenesses.
Thank you Kevin
Yes indeed it is a different era and I am aware of the work of John Busutil but I still look for individuals who demonstrate a spark of originality and that mysterious property charisma.
Here in the UK we thought Brown would bring his own spark but it was a damp squib
PN moves majestically through still waters whilst MLP is in rough weather that no one seems to notice We know who is likely to emerge as numero uno but it is a poisoned chalice-poisoned by the baggage of recent history.
Again in my country Labour has coasted along whilst the Conservatives have been trying to find a leader who can make his mark. Now the skids are under UK Labour through lack-lustre Brown and the Opposition might win (Crewe actually) by default. Your situation in Malta is somewhat parallel for whilst PN is somewhat supine, MLP is floundering in search of a leader. Unlike the UK, however, the party in power in Malta can sit tight and grin.
Moreover the glass house tenants are so hard headed, they will never take your advice and no matter how you try to explain things to them, the hard core is resolved and there to stay.
They claim that the MLP is the most democratic party in Malta, yet faced with a proposal to extend voting powers to the fee paying membership, they panicked and voted it down. All kinds of excuses followed including the famous one that only one small party in the whole of Europe allows the card carrying members to have a say in choosing their party leader. This proves that the MLP continue to be followers not leaders. The real reason is that they do not want to take the risk of having a forward looking politician like George Abela to take control.
And before a few diehards remind me that the NP elect their leader very much like the MLP does, I would want to point out that such a motion to grant voting rights to the general membership has never been presented and therefore they have little reason to comment thus far.
Of course the leadership issue will be over on June 5 (one would hope) and I do not anticipate you having any difficulty coming up with MLP related topics after that date. They are such an entertaining bunch!
It is a different era that we live in Peter ...
We once had a bone to pick with the EU on a blanket software patent law that large corps. with big budgets were trying to sneak in on us in the same way they did in the US. It does not benefit the small to medium enterprise at all. Anyways, long story short, EFF contacted us to get in touch with our Maltese MEPs. The objectivity and professionalism that Simon Busutil showed was just fantastic. Thanks also go to Casa, Mifsud and Grech for answering our emails but Simon answered every single email we threw at him. We've bragged about this with everyone ever since, so I'm little surprised that he's one of the most sought after within his party.
I certainly hope that politics becomes more about results.
Just a short note to C Ripard.
I think you're sleeping on the wrong side of the bed when you quoted Chelsea could teach SAF a thing or two about pressing and defending....who won the Premier League ???
Who's been the longest manager in any given club??? I rest my case.......
I do hope that your feeble mixture of sarcasam, irony and probable double talk not intended to flippantly flick me aside like so much insignificant voting material?
Your breed has just one sort of tail and it ain't straight ....
Charles the only thing you should be concern about is the current state of the MLP. And Jason Micallef and his company, certainly offer no comfort.
And no, Ripard, Man U's goals do NOT count double in Moscow.
I do not think that events in the British Parliarment are of great significance in Malta for as ever it is the small size of the Maltese set up that is significant.
Chelsea almost won... like Labour almost won. Oh I'm loving this!
I wonder which is more likely - Chelsea winning the League or Labour winning an election?
Bring on the Champions League - is it true United's goals count double btw?
:-D
While on the subject of size (pun intended) John Prescott's ( JP ) embarrassment to the Labour Party in Great Britain is equal in size to the embarrassment Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando (JPO ) caused to Gonzipn here in Little Malta. For all we know, maybe British Labour share the same principles as Gonzipn with regards to size,accountability, democracy and people's confidence,they are winners too and lead a sizeable country.
Which point, the Prescott point or in general?
If it is Prescott you refer to ... was he not the labour party pet boy who embarassed his protectors countless of times but never seemed to get seriously punished for it?
Michael Tabone made an interesting point that I interpret as a
comment on the relative virtues of the opposing sides in World War Two. Now I recall some dozen years back of a Maltese MP saying that the Allied cause was the lesser of two evils. Well yes I appreciate the Maltese view of that conflict that was not of their choosing but surely WWII was a just war from the Allied viewpoint?
Charles Buttigieg's reference to the term “bottom” is interesting for though the term is obsolescent in English Usage it referred to a person being one of substance or steadfast. I suspect that the Maltese usage is more earthy
Kevin Zammit impresses me greatly and his assessment of the Maltese political situation (MLP vs PN) is how I see the parties. I could say much more but will keep this brief.
Since posts came out all at once I missed your comment. But, with reference to my earlier comment.
It is pointless for you to recite to me what other countries do, especially large ones for whom political ideology is the only real way to try and cover a large mass of people. We live in a "country" that so tiny that practically one-on-one dialogue can be achieved with the government. It is because of this that I feel on the contrary democracy is being slapped in the face by the executive because we are in a unique position to be different and they do not want it to be so. To me this is looks like for no other reason that personal interest. Now if you want "us" to think otherwise then you need to come up with something better than Prescott ... especially Prescott! He is a prime example of why delegates should not be the ones to decide who leads the party.
And that is as much breath as I think I should be wasting here, if the delegates want to keep saying to each other that people like myself are few and not enough to decide an election. What can I say? How many losses can the party take?
The answer is ... as many as you want :)
@C J Buttigieg - please try to write in a more concise style. I might then read you in enough depth to respond. As it is, it's Sunday and I don't have the energy or inclination.
"It's just that this book has brought into sharp focus for me, and a bit abruptly, a concept that should have been self-evident, had I bothered to think about it. The Allies were guilty of brutish behaviour too".
PP It was a war Andrew! You can hardly have a conflict without brutish behaviour.
I am minded of a cavalry officer
who was asked as to the function of cavalry in modern warfare
He replied that the purpose of cavalryt was to prevent a difference of opinion becoming just an unseemly brawl
I am no historian accademically only because I have other inclinations that make for better bread winners. I have tried to fill in history subjects as part of my electives though and that has taught me one thing.
History can be backed up as scientifically as you want it to be. Conjecture that is not backed up by sources and facts should be clearly outlined as such and references provided to back up claims. If these standards are maintained including a high level of peer reviews then that history is as accurate as can possibly be. That is not very different from say calculating whether a building will crumble under its own weight or not. It all depends on how much proof you can provide, otherwise even that offence to human intelligence the D'Avinci code (is Lenny's nick even spelled correctly?) would be "history based on opinion".
That apart, this MLP twist has to me a very deep meaning. I for one come from a very socialist background [albeit I think I'm the only one that is by conviction rather than fame :) ]
The way I see it and I'm sure most other floaters like myself do or otherwise MLP would be in government by now:
1 - policy differences between the 2 parties are practically non existent
2 - As long as the PN keep their noses clean and keeping in mind 1 above why should I bother change?
Even if ministers become arrogant, are the MLP executive not behaving as arrogantly as those in parliament? Now simple minded me would start to think that if this executive behaves in such a manner after such a huge loss (in my opinion loosing to a party that is supposedly way past due date is a huge loss) what will these people do once in government?
I have a good feeling that being who they are they went ahead with this sham of a vote without thinking of the consequences and they have fallen into a trap. What's new? By doing so publicly they have informed "us" all what they think of the public in general.
I firmly beleive that the executive is already on the right track to lose the next election.
His bottom line is 'don't do what Gonzipn do, do what they tell you because they are winners'. Indeed the term bottom carries different connotations even when translated to Maltese,but let's try to get serious and have some respect for others.
Prior to Friday's conference Labour was publicly debating an adventurous amendment which had not been adopted by any political Party in Europe except by one party in Italy. In Britain,the mother of Parliaments which is seen as a role model of democracy, the leader and deputy leader are elected by an electoral college made up of the constituency Labour committees, the affiliated trade unions, and the Parliamentary group. This system was approved at the 1993 Labour Party Conference and first used in July 1994, after the death of John Smith, when Tony Blair was elected leader and John Prescott deputy leader. Before 1981 the leader and deputy leader had been elected annually by the Parliamentary group.
Modern democracies and reputable organisations provide for a separation of power where several branches are created and power is shared between them.At the same time, the power of one branch can be challenged by another branch. This is what the system of checks and balances is all about and was acknowledged and celebrated by the Labour delegates with a landslide.
On Friday the General Conference was reconfirmed the highest authority in the Labour Party with power to elect and dismiss any party official including the leader. Had the power to elect a new leader been rescinded and vested to the party members, it would follow that the new and subsequent leaders will be above the General conference and in a position to dictate to it. In an extreme case of conduct unbecoming or any other reason, the party leader would then only be made to step down by the vote of the party members. A near to dictatorial situation and a painful process to go through. Is business conducted differently by Gonzipn? I think so. Would Gonzipn had gone through this democratic process if John Dalli insisted on moving the goal posts during the Gonzipn's race between friends? I don't think so.
Have to admit your reply to the little elves couldn't have been said any better. Everyone has a right to voice their opinion. Politics effects the future of the whole country and all its' people at the end of the day. I do believe however that many of the little elves mistake political parties for football teams since they present such loyal blind support.
Also I must commend you on that reference within your conclusion...choosing the better of the two evils. I wish so many more people could understand that comparison.
Job well done Andrew! Great article, I must admit I did have a few enjoyable laughs while reading this article. I look forward to your next one.