THIS is an extract from Liberal Conspiracy’s “Our ethic of progressive blogging“, published just four months ago:

As Labour supporters, we wish to ensure that our values of solidarity, tolerance and respect are reflected in how we do politics as well as the causes we seek to serve.

It continues:

We believe that we can challenge our political opponents without always questioning their integrity.

And then there’s this:

We believe that pluralism must be at the heart of the progressive blogosphere. We believe that debate and argument are what brings life to politics. We want to promote a cultural ‘glasnost’ of open discussion within our party, to show that we understand that the confidence to debate, and disagree, in an atmosphere of mutual respect helps us to bring people together to make change possible.

Honestly, I’m loving this. Read this:

democratic politics is about … the need to continue to talk even when we disagree deeply. We believe in engaging with all reasonable critics of the Labour government and Labour Party, wherever we can establish the possibility of taking part in democratic arguments in a spirit of mutual respect.

I don’t know about you, but I’m welling up here. Why haven’t Disney based a film on this yet?

Maybe because four months is a long time in politics. This is what Sunny Hundal said yesterday about Yours Truly on… now, what was the name of the site? It’s on the tip of my tongue… Ah, yes! Liberal Conspiracy, in a piece tastefully entitled “Tom Harris: sucking up to the rich“:

Tom Harris has swallowed right-wing talking points so fully that he’s probably on the right of the Conservative Party right now.

In response to me specifically he seems to be under the mistaken impression that ‘protect[ing] the rich’ will win lots of votes. Did he even think before writing this?… What planet is he on?

Then he goes for a little slice of irony…

So it would be nice that when such initiatives are pushed, we on the left didn’t descend into in-fighting and arguments.

… before finishing with a comradely flourish:

The cohesion point excludes Mr Tom Harris of course, who may as well join the Tories given his thinking.

Ah, bless! I’m grateful that Liberal Conspiracy have endorsed their “ethic of progressive blogging”. Just imagine how Hundal might have described me otherwise!