House Of Twits

... with Alex Smith, Former aide to Ed Miliband; Former editor, LabourList; Co-founder, Latimer Project. Views from Camden on politics, education, business, #LDN, music, sport, USA.

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  @HouseOfTwits: Morning Alex - how's life after Labourlist?
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  @alexsmith1982: Life's great, thanks. @MarkFergusonUK is doing an amazing job at @LabourList...
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  @HouseOfTwits: Opposition seems to suit it...
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  @alexsmith1982: Perhaps. Readership's still increasing, and the site's playing a really important role in the movement. I'm really proud I was able to secure it, grow it, find Mark and then let him do his own thing with it.
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  @HouseOfTwits: Is the Labour Party still a 'movement'?
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  @alexsmith1982: Ideally, Labour should see itself as the parliamentary arm of a much broader people's movement. or, as Tony Blair said, "the political wing of the British people".
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  @HouseOfTwits: ...
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  @alexsmith1982: But at the moment, it's a long way from that. I agree with the analysis that the Labour party is almost irrelevant at the moment.
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  @HouseOfTwits: ...
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  @alexsmith1982: The party has a very, very long way to go, and some massive organisational challenges to overcome, before it's considered a movement.
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  @HouseOfTwits: you are involved front and centre in that effort - what resistance are you hitting?
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  @alexsmith1982: I spoke to a teenager around Christmas time, on behalf of Ed Miliband's office, who had been at an anti-Tuition Fees protest...
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  @HouseOfTwits: ...
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  @alexsmith1982: When I told her I was calling from the Labour Party, she told me she wasn't interested in politics.
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  @HouseOfTwits: ...
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  @alexsmith1982: I told her "I think you are -- you gave us your phone number at a political rally."
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  @HouseOfTwits: Disinterest reflects a general apathy or anger with our political culture doesn't it?
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  @alexsmith1982: It does, & there are cultural & sociological challenges all parties face; but there are things the Labour machine must change to tap into the tangible public anger.
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  @HouseOfTwits: ...
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  @alexsmith1982: The Labour Party machine as it is currently set up is averse to innovation or experimentation. It is too centralised and bureaucratic...
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  @HouseOfTwits: ...
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  @alexsmith1982: The new general secretary has to sort that out; sort out the organogram and how it uses the web to build a movement.
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  @HouseOfTwits: How do you assess Ed's PMQs performances? Improving faster than his set piece media interviews? ;)
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  @alexsmith1982: Ed's always been a strong HoC performer. We knew it would be one of his strongest plays, and it has been, in spite of 1 or 2 missteps.
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  @HouseOfTwits: ...
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  @alexsmith1982: He's performed generally above expectation in the House. Today was a particular example of how measure and detail can ambush the PM.
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  @HouseOfTwits: ...
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  @alexsmith1982: And the PM is frequently shown up as arrogant, and only fully in control when he's doing politics, rather than policy.
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  @HouseOfTwits: struggling to contain the inner Flashman?
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  @alexsmith1982: Absolutely. But regardless, Ed's failed to pin unpopular and important issues to Cameron, who ducks the punches easily, even when he's on the ropes.
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  @HouseOfTwits: What to do?
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  @alexsmith1982: The solution is also the solution to Ed's broader problems: he needs a long game, a strategy which resonates w/ the public & traps the govt
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  @HouseOfTwits: ...
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  @alexsmith1982: At the moment I'm afraid he doesn't really have that yet -- but it will come, we hope.
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  @HouseOfTwits: how long has he got to find it?
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  @alexsmith1982: Well, as long as he needs, within reason. He has time, but only so long as he is giving clear indications of the direction & some substance.
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  @HouseOfTwits: ...
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  @alexsmith1982: For all the criticism of Ed's leadership, the party knows that the alternative is further irrelevance...
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  @HouseOfTwits: You came out in support of Ed over David. A difficult time for the latter - what does the future hold for him?
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  @alexsmith1982: David is a phenomenal leader of people and ideas in many ways, and he will remain so for a long time to come.
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  @HouseOfTwits: ...
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  @alexsmith1982: he will continue to play to those strengths and indulge his interests and passions while not treading on his brother's toes in terms of commenting on domestic politics. It's a smart holding position for David...
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  @HouseOfTwits: ...
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  @alexsmith1982: But I think ultimately he will return to frontline politics in one way or another.
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  @HouseOfTwits: Rebekah Brooks has to resign, right?
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  @alexsmith1982: Any reasonable person would assume so, I think, yes. She's either inept or, more likely, according to reports, she's complicit...
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  @HouseOfTwits: ...
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  @alexsmith1982: Either way, something unforgivable happened under her watch and she's responsible.
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  @HouseOfTwits: ...
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  @alexsmith1982: But I think News International must be liable too. I expect, in court or out of it, there will be big settlements and change out of this.
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  @HouseOfTwits: What is your view on Tom Watson's use of parliamentary privilege to lay some serious charges at the doors of NI/Brooks?
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  @alexsmith1982: Tom Watson has dedicated a lot of energy, skill and passion over many months into making sure that serious wrongdoing is exposed.
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  @HouseOfTwits: ...
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  @alexsmith1982: The prime minister said the same thing at PMQs. I think Tom has done a thorough job in helping bring this case to light.
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  @HouseOfTwits: You are an advocate of harnessing enterprise for the good of all. Does that make you a fan of free schools, NHS reform and the Big Society paradigm?
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  @alexsmith1982: I'm a fan of the Big Society. It's a reality everywhere we look. Charities and social enterprise are doing incredible work across the UK...
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  @HouseOfTwits: ...
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  @alexsmith1982: But I'm not a fan of the BS as David Cameron presents it--that's just a PR strategy to try to plug holes left by good public sector jobs.
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  @HouseOfTwits: I imagined Tony Blair purring paternally when the Big Society notion was first rolled out...
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  @alexsmith1982: It's natural Labour ground; it's what we called the "Third Sector". It's not a replacement for the public sector by any stretch of the imagination.
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  @HouseOfTwits: ...
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  @alexsmith1982: Nor is it a governing strategy. People intrinsically understand that--that's why the Big Society has become a laughing stock.
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  @HouseOfTwits: Map out the next 10 years of domestic politics, in one tweet.
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  @alexsmith1982: Globally and domestically, it's impossible to do in one novel, one film, one series, let alone one tweet, except for: unpredictable.
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  @HouseOfTwits: Come on Alex, you can do it... Will Ed Balls be prime minster?
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  @alexsmith1982: My Dad's convinced he will, and I wouldn't rule it out, but I don't think it's likely.
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  @HouseOfTwits: and you - a potential parliamentarian?
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  @alexsmith1982: Perhaps. I'm not attached to the idea of standing. Parliament is only one of many ways to do the sorts of work I want to do...
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  @HouseOfTwits: ...
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  @alexsmith1982: My politics are rooted in my experience in London, so I would only ever stand in my hometown. If the opportunity arose to stand in London, & I was older & more experienced, I'd think about it, but there are other things I want to do right now.
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  @HouseOfTwits: Thanks for your time Alex.
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  @alexsmith1982: That was fun! Thank you!

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