To my own amazement
NARCISSISM WARNING
This is all about me.
I don’t join things. I hate joining things. I literally didn’t join Substack for quite a long time because I hate joining things. I constantly struggle to renew memberships because the whole business of being part of a group for and to which I am in some way responsible is horrible.
On Sunday I joined the Labour Party.
I expect to be thrown out at any moment for just generally being rubbish, which is another thing I hate about groups: what if they don’t like me?
I PARTICULARLY don’t join political parties because LOOK AT THEM. There is no political party that is not essentially embarrassing. I joined the Greens a few years ago as a brief attempt to participate in politics in a positive way. Why the Greens? Because HELLO have you see the world? Well, quite. So I joined the Greens and as soon as I did I got access to the full website which they wisely keep behind a digital curtain and it was just Babylon. Pages and pages and pages on the welfare of circus animals and a very short section on energy generation. Number of circus animals in the UK? Literally double figures. But sure, hug it out. Renewables can wait. (Oh, excuse me, I’m being told they can’t. Whodathunk?)
So I let that one lapse and I said I’d never do it again.
But on Sunday I joined the Labour Party because in the end you have to stand somewhere and that’s where I stand. People have to eat, heat their homes, get healthcare, get education. There needs to be a “we” again. And yes: we need a Green New Deal.
I will not be taking questions about whether Keir Starmer is a proper leftist at this time. I will discuss that during his second term. Thank you for your understanding.