Gordon Brown has made his first intervention in the Labour leadership contest and told the party it has an “obligation” to select somebody who can lead it back into power (source). His unedited speech:

Whether his speech is ‘pro’ or ‘anti’ Corbyn, I leave readers to form their own opinion – on what I believe all readers will agree: it was an impassioned speech, although those of the right will undoubtedy be able to pick holes galore in the content.

Gordon Brown spoke of many things, among which:

(i) people feel insecure as they realise they are on a runaway train – is that not what representative democracy is; in that once elected the winning party can, in effect, ‘steamroller’ through parliament that which they wish while the people can do nowt to stop it? Cure: adoption of The Harrogate Agenda.

(ii) Nationalists want to ‘bring power back home’: unfortunately the people of nationalist beliefs fail to realise that bringing power back home is but to bring power back to their local political elite – not to them. Cure: The Harrogate Agenda.

(iii) Quoting a former Labour persona: Where is the power and how can we (the local political elite) get hold of it – to the detriment of the people? Cure: The Harrogate Agenda.

(iv) A movement cannot be a movement unless it is reaching out to people. Question: So where is the Harrogate Agenda and just how is it presently reaching out to people? An open question to the apparent leader of The Harrogate Agenda, Niall Warry: what say you? (and please just don’t talk about ‘workshops’).

It would be possible to change this address round and imagine a Conservative politician giving this speech from his political viewpoint – and the difference would be? Zilch! All he would be doing is exactly what Brown has done – telling us that only a political party can decide how our lives should be led.

Readers should remember: there is only one source of power and that there is only one form of demoracy and that both can only reside in the hands of the people.

Politicians need to accept both those tenets; and then – and only then – will they begin to fulfill their position in society!