Published: May 14th 2009 - at 12:00 pm

The Common Wealth Party


by Robert Sharp    

The lives of those with distinguished World War II military careers still pepper the obituary pages, but not with the frequency that they once did. I enjoyed this passage from his obituary by Roy Roebuck:

He first arrived at the Commons with his newly awarded Distinguished Flying Cross ribbon inexpertly self-sewn on to his uniform. A Conservative MP, who was a squadron leader in the RAF police, approached. “You are improperly dressed,” he told Millington.

“If you are talking to me as an RAF officer,” Millington replied, “take your hand out of your pocket and address a senior officer as ‘Sir’. If you are addressing me as a fellow MP, mind your own business and bugger off.” He did.

Millington famously won a by-election in the true-blue Tory seat of Chelmsford, standing for the short-lived Common Wealth Party. Its objectives were “common ownership, democracy, and morality in politics.” Perhaps it should re-form in time for the Euro elections next month!?

(x-pstd)


---------------------------
  Tweet   Share on Tumblr  


About the author
Robert Sharp designed the Liberal Conspiracy site. He is the Campaigns Manager at English PEN, a blogger, and a director of digital design company Fifty Nine Productions. For more of this sort of thing, visit Rob's eponymous blog or follow him on Twitter @robertsharp59.
· Other posts by


Story Filed Under: Blog ,Our democracy ,Westminster


Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.


Reader comments


1. freethinkeruk

Very interesting and amusing; a true ‘character’ of which there seems to a shortage these days.

Talking of the Common Wealth Party reminds me of another party with similar aims. I’m not certain but I seem to recall that it was called the Labour Party or something like that, anyway, it finally died out around 1997.

2. Christopher

Having looked into the Common Wealth Party recently I was surprised that a party that represented my political convictions fairly well once existed. Their criticism of the ‘Managerialism’ inherent in Labour poltics seem particularly pertinent given the way the this government has managed those services still nominally in public hands.

Perhaps the time is right for the rebirth of a movement that valued the traditions of freedom on the left? Probably not as a party, but as a coalition of groups and individuals to sustain a broad progressive agenda and influence the parties of the liberal-left to pursue their common objectives?

Just an idle Friday afternoon thought though.

3. Charlieman

Can I slip in a recommendation for the Telegraph’s obituary pages, please? They are usually well written, hearty and report lives that deserve good prose.

Recent obituaries in the Guardian and Telegraph for John Michell, a British eccentric, were funny and illuminating. Hats off to the writers (named and unnamed) who provide such records.

I am ashamed to say I had never heard of the Common Wealth Party until I read Millington’s obituary in the Guardian.I think many people like the readers of this website would love to see this party revived,as it would give a platform to those of us who despair of what Labour has become, and who hate the right-wing extremists who are trying to grab the vote of the disillusioned.I am a Unite shop steward and am sick of the idiots among my membership who say they will vote BNP or UKIP- but in all truth if I had to fill in the political levy form today I could not hand on heart sign up to today’s Labour Party.Millington had the balls to stand up to his superiors in the RAF ,and was promoted on the spot .I can’t see that happening today in the former party of the workers.Let’s start Common Wealth again!

5. Robert Sharp

Can I slip in a recommendation for the Telegraph’s obituary pages, please? They are usually well written, hearty and report lives that deserve good prose.

There’s nothing to stop anyone recommending good obits to the daily netcast.


Reactions: Twitter, blogs
  1. Liberal Conspiracy

    New post: The Common Wealth Party http://bit.ly/gSYLi





Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.

 
Liberal Conspiracy is the UK's most popular left-of-centre politics blog. Our aim is to re-vitalise the liberal-left through discussion and action. More about us here.

You can read articles through the front page, via Twitter or RSS feed. You can also get them by email and through our Facebook group.
LATEST COMMENT PIECES
» The Boris brand is weaker than his friends think
» Nine things you can do to halt Lansley’s destruction of our NHS
» Incidents like this shame us all
» Taxpayers Alliance want to cut taxes, mostly for the rich
» We’re turning The Spirit Level into a film: help us in that goal
» I love the counter-productive attitude of right-wing commentators
» Watch out for the TPA’s report arguing for more cuts tomorrow
» The resurgence of bigoted conservatism in Ireland
» What’s the point of being ‘British’?
» The tragedy behind the Sam Hallam case
» Will JP Morgan be able to walk away from billion dollar losses?
» Labour is now even more reliant on left-wing voters






10 Comments



12 Comments



54 Comments



39 Comments



19 Comments



13 Comments



30 Comments



116 Comments



25 Comments



33 Comments



LATEST COMMENTS
» Freeman posted on Taxpayers Alliance want to cut taxes, mostly for the rich

» Planeshift posted on Frank Field wrong on workless households

» Kojak posted on The Boris brand is weaker than his friends think

» Rentergirl posted on Watch out for the TPA's report arguing for more cuts tomorrow

» Planeshift posted on Incidents like this shame us all

» Freeman posted on The Boris brand is weaker than his friends think

» Green Christian posted on TPA report quotes Bible to preach low taxation

» Not Harry Cole posted on Watch out for the TPA's report arguing for more cuts tomorrow

» Ron Graves posted on The Boris brand is weaker than his friends think

» hobson posted on The Boris brand is weaker than his friends think

» Ron Graves posted on Frank Field wrong on workless households

» Robin Levett posted on What's the point of being 'British'?

» Luis Enrique posted on Incidents like this shame us all

» Chaise Guevara posted on Incidents like this shame us all

» Larry posted on Incidents like this shame us all