Contamination

Two related items today, both concerning Tony Blair and the New Labour brand. Firstly, the news that three former Blairite ministers - Byers, Hoon and Hewitt - the latter two having tried to stab Gordon Brown between the ribs a short time ago - have been suspended from the Labour Party. Byers told an undercover team that he was " like a cab for hire." This follows on from last night's programme on BBC 2 about trust in politics and how it can be regained. There is no doubt that this is a serious blow to Labour's reputation and is another stain on the New Labour brand. Granted that these three were standing down at this election anyway, but the sheer venality displays everything which is wrong about so many MPs in both the major parties and illustrates the corruption which has entered the heart of British politics. No wonder so many interviewed on last night's programme said that they had no trust or belief in politicians.

The system must be radically reformed and this can only be done by those who have had no links with this appalling catalogue of shame. Many of the changes which organisations like POWER 2010 want have already been backed by the Green Party. The public are truly fed up with the antics of these arrogant and sleazy MPs and desperately want to be represented by people of integrity and conviction.

Polly Toynbee wrote this morning in the Guardian on the heels of the scandal about the former ministers all being Blairites and how Blair had contaminated everything which he had touched or been close to politically. She expressed this as an attitude of mind about being 'filthy rich' and living the gilded life. Now we discover that Blair has consultancies with oil companies who carved up the Iraqui oilfields. And hot on the heels of the events in London comes news from the European Parliament of an attempted arrest of Blair by an Irish journalist there. http://euobserver.com/9/29739

Blair must now be increasingly nervous that he could be picked up at some point and charged with war crimes. With his wars and his culture of cronyism and sycophancy to the rich, Blair has done enormous damage to the political culture of this country. But the door was first opened by Thatcher and he merely followed down the same route. Mandelson comes from the same stable as Blair and is at the heart of the Labour election project.

The Tories will carry on the same tradition, it is in their blood. The time is long overdue for a new politics, a politics of hope and conviction. Labour had it once but lost it a long time ago having failed to notice the warning that a long spoon is needed when supping with the devil. It is very reminiscent of Oscar Wilde's story 'Dorian Gray' where the shiny surface hides the decay and corruption beneath.

There are still some Labour MPs of honour and who have shouted from the rooftops and refused to be lobby fodder, but they can be counted on the fingers of one hand. The brand is contaminated. The Greens and some others on the Left, such as Salma Yaqoob,  are needed as never before to breathe new life into politics in this country,