The thoughts of Chairman Roy

Labour Reform recently interviewed Roy Hattersley for their journal Labour Review. Here are some highly selective highlights.

"Tony Blair does not want to find an improved form of democratic socialism. He wants to find an alternative to socialism. And his version of modernisation isn't really modernisation at all".

"What I find quite extraordinary about the current 'reforms' is that the Party seems to be endorsing and enjoying them".

"I believe it (the Third Way) is the only philosophy in the modern era where people have found the name first and tried to find out what it means afterwards... it is quite farcical for the PM to say 'I believe in the Third Way and I am having a seminar to decide what it is".

"I think that the PM's philosophy is not to have a philosophy...he wants to take the politics out of politics".

"What he (Blair) really believes ... is that men and women of goodwill, character and integrity, sit down together, and discuss problems without any ideological bias. It's an honourable position. I also think it is a nonsensical position. Because whether they know it or not, they've got an ideological bias".

"We must not let the 1992 election defeat be misinterpreted as the last stand of redistributive socialism ... You don't have to abandon socialism to be elected".

"The Labour Party remains the best vehicle there is for achieving the sort of society we want. It may not be achieving it at the speed we want. It may not be achieving it at all. But there is no better vehicle. And what you ought to do in these circumstances is not do less with the Labour Party but do more. And people should be in the Labour Party trying to nudge it forward".

Labour Review is available for £1 from Labour Reform, Suite 5, Marquis House, 2 North Street, Winchcombe, Glos. GL5 45W.

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