Back off, Meacher!

What the hell does Michael Meacher think he's playing at? This fake-left poseur has announced that he's standing for Labour leader on a supposedly "centre-left" platform. He claims to have more support from MP's than the genuine left-winger, John McDonnell who announced his intention to stand months ago. In fact, neither of them has anywhere near the 44 nominations required to get onto the ballot paper, but there is simply no evidence that Meacher has more support than McDonnell, even amongst MP's.

The most likely effect of Meacher's campaign will be to damage John McDonnell sufficiently that neither of them get on the ballot paper, giving Brown a clear run.

As for Meacher's claim that he is somehow "more credible" than McDonnell: well, this comes from someone who voted for the war in Iraq, foundation hospitals, cuts in lone parent benefit, tuition fees, etc, etc. He supports wacky conspiracy theories about 9/11 (the CIA was behind it!) and owns approximately a dozen homes. Crucially, he has virtually no rank and file support anywhere in the labour movement. McDonnell, on the other hand, has been endorsed by ASLEF, the RMT, FBU, Amicus Unity Gazette, the T&G, CWU and Unison Broad Lefts, Welsh Labour Grassroots, Scottish Campaign for Socialism and the Labour Representation Committee - not to mention CLP's and union branches across the country.

What you can do:

1/ Write a letter to the Guardian and/or Mirror, explaining why you're backing McDonnell and calling for Meacher to back off.

2/ Email Meacher at meacherm@parliament.uk - asking him to back off and / or to support McDonnell.

3/ Write to your local Labour MP - go to www.writetothem.com

4/ If you've got a blog, write what you think about Meacher and/or leave comments on other blogs. Do a search for "Michael Meacher" at search.blogger.com to find posts about this.

Meacher's vainglorious act of conscious or unconscious sabotage against McDonnell must be stopped.