Cruddas: We need to be electing the people who can rebuild Labour

Our guest writer is Jon Cruddas, Labour MP for Dagenham and Rainham; here he outlines his reasons for supporting Diana Holland as Labour Party Treasurer.

Jon-Cruddas I don’t remember the last time Labour members were faced with such an array of ballot papers as the ones that will hit doormats this week. The big one is the Leadership of course. In London, I will be casting my vote for Ken to be our Mayoral candidate. We also have NEC elections and a couple of other key committees up too.

The Leadership rightly gets all the attention, but we need to make sure people cast their vote for the position of Party Treasurer too.

The next Treasurer will have a key role on the NEC. They will be vital to pushing the party nationally to think comprehensively about the direction of the party – politically and organisationally – and then put in place the resources to make it all tick.

Despite the valiant efforts of many staff, our party has been allowed to wither in the last 15 years or so. Just as Howard Dean’s 50 State strategy laid the groundwork for the Democratic victory two years ago, this election is crucial to turn that around.

We need someone with the experience and the passion to make it work – that’s why I will be voting for Diana Holland to be the Party’s Treasurer.

Her commitment to rebuilding Labour is second to none. Diana’s pitch is to think afresh about how we utilise the skills and resources of the whole Labour Movement.

The solution for the bind that the party finds itself in lies both with our members and our supporters currently outside of the party. Building the party as a movement of labour is a task that requires a lot of hard graft – widening our base is a crucial task. For the role of Treasurer that means deepening the donor pool.

Raising £1million from 40,000 people in £25 increments is harder than getting one rich fella to write a cheque, but we have to do it. And the advantage of that is that we don’t just get the resources we need, we also get 40,000 new people financially and politically invested in what we do. A Party funded by the movement is something more powerful than the sum of the donations.

I have known Diana for years, as a stalwart Labour campaigner, and as a solid Trade Unionist. Her passion for this post lies in making the party a more effective campaigning operation, and she would do that by bringing new ways of thinking to bear. She is ready to tackle the tough issues we face, and play a part in getting the party ready to take on the Tories and the Lib Dems in every area of the country when the Coalition faces the voters’ judgement in the local elections around the corner in 2011.

Members will come first every time with Diana, and I will be voting for her. I hope you will too.

http://twitter.com/tamsinchan/status/22806257512 Tam Chandler

RT @leftfootfwd: Cruddas: We need to be electing the people who can rebuild Labour: http://bit.ly/djaQx3
http://twitter.com/janewatkinson/status/22806341807 Jane Watkinson

RT @leftfootfwd: Cruddas: We need to be electing the people who can rebuild Labour: http://bit.ly/djaQx3 < precisely why you don't vote DM!
http://www.youtube.com/CRIMINALSUICIDELTD CAROLE PHILLIPS

Labour needs to go back to its socialist roots. The middle England you go for is a shrinking demographic. People did not vote Labour to get what was essentially a Tory government.
http://www.youtube.com/CRIMINALSUICIDELTD CAROLE PHILLIPS

The reason people didn’t like Brown was because we expected him to be different to Blair, but he just carried on. It was a great disappointment to everyone.
http://twitter.com/shamikdas/status/22806879233 Shamik Das

Cruddas: We need to be electing the people who can rebuild Labour: http://bit.ly/djaQx3 – @leftfootfwd exclusive
http://twitter.com/adampogonowski/status/22809292597 Adam Pogonowski

RT @JaneWatkinson: RT @leftfootfwd: Cruddas: We need to be electing the people who can rebuild Labour: http://bit.ly/djaQx3 < precise …
http://twitter.com/helen_symons/status/22809846308 Helen

As ballot papers drop, Jon Cruddas endorses Diana Holland for Labour Party Treasurer http://bit.ly/9JUuGH #diana4treasurer
http://twitter.com/gemmatumelty/status/22809944088 gemma tumelty

RT @helen_symons: As ballot papers drop, Jon Cruddas endorses Diana Holland for Labour Party Treasurer http://bit.ly/9JUuGH #diana4treasurer
http://twitter.com/jamesanthonyrn/status/22810044666 James Anthony

RT @helen_symons: As ballot papers drop, Jon Cruddas endorses Diana Holland for Labour Party Treasurer http://bit.ly/9JUuGH #diana4treasurer
John Lees

Could add that getting £1m from one TU is easier?
John Lees

I am sure that being a “solid Trade unionist” will help in broking finance from teh Unions. No need for party members. Or another trick – lets borrow borrow borrow.
http://twitter.com/rachaelsaunders/status/22810798385 Rachael Saunders

RT @helen_symons: As ballot papers drop, Jon Cruddas endorses Diana Holland for Labour Party Treasurer http://bit.ly/9JUuGH #diana4treasurer
http://twitter.com/livbailey/status/22811237702 Olivia Bailey

RT @helen_symons: As ballot papers drop, Jon Cruddas endorses Diana Holland for Labour Party Treasurer http://bit.ly/9JUuGH #diana4treasurer
http://twitter.com/starsparkle_uk/status/22811488029 StarSparkle

RT @JaneWatkinson: RT @leftfootfwd: Cruddas: We need to be electing the people who can rebuild Labour: http://bit.ly/djaQx3 < precise …
http://twitter.com/katiecurtis/status/22811528418 KatieCurtis

RT @helen_symons: As ballot papers drop, Jon Cruddas endorses Diana Holland for Labour Party Treasurer http://bit.ly/9JUuGH #diana4treasurer
http://twitter.com/kathrynperera/status/22811807922 Kathryn Perera

Glad to see that Jon Cruddas is also supporting Diana Holland #Diana4treasurer http://bit.ly/djaQx3
http://twitter.com/hannahblythyn/status/22811905077 Hannah Blythyn

As LP ballot papers drop, Jon Cruddas endorses Diana Holland for Labour Party Treasurer http://bit.ly/9JUuGH #diana4treasurer”
http://bestblogs.labourhome.org/2010/09/02/cruddas-we-need-to-be-electing-the-people-who-can-rebuild-labour/ Cruddas: We need to be electing the people who can rebuild Labour « The best Labour blogs

[...] More… [...]
http://twitter.com/mcgregormt/status/22813470929 Matthew McGregor

RT @helen_symons: As ballot papers drop, Jon Cruddas endorses Diana Holland for Labour Party Treasurer http://bit.ly/9JUuGH #diana4treasurer
http://twitter.com/graham_copp/status/22817320322 Graham Copp

RT @helen_symons: As ballot papers drop, Jon Cruddas endorses Diana Holland for Labour Party Treasurer http://bit.ly/9JUuGH #diana4treasurer
http://twitter.com/neilrfoster/status/22820334493 neilrfoster

RT @leftfootfwd: Cruddas: We need to be electing the people who can rebuild Labour: http://bit.ly/djaQx3
http://twitter.com/george_mcnamara/status/22832010975 George McNamara

RT @helen_symons: As ballot papers drop, Jon Cruddas endorses Diana Holland for Labour Party Treasurer http://bit.ly/9JUuGH #diana4treasurer
http://twitter.com/mcgregormt/status/22835961915 Matthew McGregor

RT @leftfootfwd: Cruddas: We need to be electing the people who can rebuild Labour: http://bit.ly/djaQx3
http://twitter.com/hannahblythyn/status/22836166568 Hannah Blythyn

RT @leftfootfwd: Cruddas: We need to be electing the people who can rebuild Labour: http://bit.ly/djaQx3
Paul Krishnamurty

Cruddas is completely right about rebuilding a mass-membership party, financed by small donations. I can’t understand, then, how he can back David Miliband, whose campaign has taken donations from vested interests like Morgan Stanley.
http://diana4treasurer.wordpress.com/2010/09/02/jon-cruddas-backs-diana4treasurer-2/ Jon Cruddas backs Diana4Treasurer | Campaigning, democracy, transparency

[...] Jon Cruddas backs Diana4Treasurer Posted on September 2, 2010 by Helen Writing on the political blog Left Foot Forward today, Dagenham and Rainham MP Jon Cruddas outlined why he’ll be voting for Diana Holland to be Labour’s next Treasurer. [...]
IoW

In this election the overwhelming majority of Labour affiliated unions are supporting Unite AGS Diana Holland.

Diana is also supported by, among others, Ken Livingstone who says: “I have known Diana Holland for many years. She has not been afraid to question and challenge, and has always stood up for members, working people, equality and justice. I am sure that as Treasurer she would be trustworthy and accountable. She would work hard to put the finances on a sustainable footing to support a campaigning, progressive party, making sure Party members are included, not excluded. In my experience, Diana is a person of honesty and integrity – the person we need as Treasurer of our Party. That’s why I’m supporting Diana Holland for Labour Party Treasurer.”

Check her out at: http://www.diana4treasurer.com
http://twitter.com/johnhalton/status/23057415901 John Halton

Inclining towards Diana Holland for Labour treasurer after reading these items: http://is.gd/eW4FZ , http://is.gd/eW4G9