New leader demonstrates party’s optimism

Published: 7 October, 2010

• THE large Camden contingent at the Labour Party conference in Manchester has returned reinvigorated and united in our confidence in the new generation which now leads our party.

Ed Miliband’s frank admission that New Labour got it wrong on both Iraq and civil liberties should reassure many of those in Camden who turned their backs on the Labour Party.

Many are now rejoining the party.

New Labour started as a reforming, restless and radical party. Its achievements are impressive.

However, it became more and more like a new establishment.

Our new leader has set out his values, his idealism and his optimism for the future. His Labour Party now needs to debate the policies required to address the issues which our generation knows that we must confront: climate change, our role in the world, an aging society, economic competence and a fairer society in a global economy.

We also need to develop a new type of politics to rekindle the trust of those whom we represent.

In the short term we must campaign against the cuts which the ConDem alliance is going to impose in Camden.
While we recognise the need to halve the budget deficit over the next five years, the ConDems are cutting too quickly, too deeply and too unfairly.

They are also failing to tackle the culture of City greed, the cause of the economic meltdown which now confronts us.

Of the three mainstream political parties in Camden, it is now only Labour which will campaign against the savage cuts which the ConDems will announce on October 20.

It is only the Labour Party which has the optimism to take on established thinking and reshape our country for the next generation.

I invite anyone who wishes to join that debate about our future policies and to campaign to maintain what Labour has achieved in Camden to join the Labour Party at www.labour.org.uk
Cllr Nasim Ali
Leader of Camden Council