9th July 2013

Well done Andy Murray.

There, that’s said.

To be honest I have absolutely no interest in Tennis, I have played it in a bat the ball kind of way, Racquets as it were, and quite enjoyed the dashing about the court shouting Love and Deuce and even In and Out occasionally.

I enjoyed the playing but not half as much as much as I enjoyed the post match refreshments.

Especially the cold beer!

In my view, like so much of modern sport, it is overhyped and the players overpaid.

Nevertheless having said that, I have to acknowledge the determination, the professionalism and the discipline that goes into making yourself a world number one in any sport and Andy Murray has certainly achieved that, so well done to him.

As always, there is a moral to this.

The sight of the tennis player standing at the door of Number 10 Downing Street with the PM behind him, bathing in reflected glory.

What can you say?

About as little as it seems wise to comment on Falkirk, Unite and the Labour Leadership.

Of course Labour needs a much more robust relationship with working people, indeed after the smooching of the wealthy by New Labour, a period of reassessment is called for.

We have a Government with a clear agenda.

It aims with the support of the media, to reduce the State, to reduce support for welfare and to restore the busted trickle down economic theory of Thatcherism.

Rather than fighting amongst themselves, Unite whose Secretary was elected by a minority of those eligible to vote, should now be focussed on working with the Labour Party to offer a reasoned and reasonable opposition in an attempt to reduce the damage being done.

But no, instead it seeks to use under the counter, behind the scenes strategies, which effectively undermine its position and will, if not checked, hand the 2015 election to the Tories.

Unite and its leadership needs to adopt a much more rigorous approach in its strategy for proposing a socialist alternative to the policies of the con-dem Government.

There are clear justice issues here to be promoted under the broad heading of truth, justice and the Mancunian way.

Determination, professionalism and discipline win Wimbledon as we have seen and celebrated and midway through 2013, now with possibly two years to go, before the election, it is time to get serious.

People will not be bullied into voting Labour.

There has to be a reasonable informed public debate about the shortcomings of the coalition’s strategy, the demonising of some, the failure to protect others and the sanctimonious habit of always claiming to be doing the right thing.

About which any hermeneutic would observe that the word right usually implies, to the right, rather than correct or necessary.

The theories being offered to support the coalition’s forward strategy, the arguments for deficit reduction, a prolonged period of austerity, continuing unemployment facing young people; alongside its failure to boost the economy, invest in the future, build more houses etc etc.

All this needs addressing from a socialist, humanist perspective. With perhaps a reference to the need to recognise that prosperity is possible without a continuing dependence on growth.

Unite and its leadership needs to be putting its moral weight behind Labour as the only serious opposition and the only serious way of challenging the current direction of travel of the economy.

Perhaps the days of beer and sandwiches are over, that’s no longer the way that business is done.

So adopt the steely determination of an Andy Murray and settle your differences over a Ruby Murray before it’s too late.

In Falkirk you could try D’yoga, strengthening mind and body for the challenge ahead or maybe Indian Harvest in the hope of anticipating an Indian Summer in 2015.