Mark Steel on the Deputy Labour Leadership election

Thanks to Ellis Sharp who spotted this article by Mark Steel on the campaign to be deputy leader of the Labour Party. This bit is still relevant:

'That's a splendid achievement by the Labour Party to assemble such a bunch of candidates for the deputy leadership. Because nowhere else could you gather together six different people, and find they all support the war in Iraq and think Tony Blair is a marvellous bloke...

Many Labour members are terrified that any hint of disunity will make them unpopular, so it's best to get behind the new leader, no matter what he says or does. Because then the voters will say: "They may have cost hundreds of thousands of lives, but at least they all went along with it"...

So even the election for deputy leader is pointless, as all the candidates agree about everything. Not one mentions the war, the decline in membership of 200,000, the record low turn-out, nothing. Instead Hazel Blears said: "The strength of Labour is when we're in touch with people's concerns." And Harriet Harman replied: "We must renew the party and rebuild the confidence and trust of the British people." Maybe Peter Hain will chip in with: "I think the British people are people." Then Alan Johnson will intercept: "Hmmmm, British people," until there's a hustings with all six yelling "people" and the loudest is the winner.'