BLAST FROM THE PAST

Last week the man who told me back in 1984 that Gordon Brown and Tony Blair would be Labour prime ministers - in that order - was elected to replace Tony Blair for Sedgefield, back in my home county. Phil Wilson MP was one of the five original 'Blairites' - from a quite different 'left' background originally - and was someone I had quite a lot to do with at that time. We went our different ways within the Labour Party not long after that- leading to him becoming a Labour MP in his home area - and my becoming a Labour councillor here. What would have happened if I had returned north-east back in the early 80s ? Nothing different I suspect. I was never politically ambitious for myself.

Of even more interest in the by-elections last week was the terrible performance of 'David Cameron's Conservatives'. 3RD in both contests. Made me feel better about Labour's prospects than I have since late 2001.