Dear Les,
I offer these remarks in a comradely spirit!!
"The emancipation of the working class will be the act of the working class!"

Marx wrote that over 100 years ago because he recognised that no other class or force would usher mankind to socialism.
How to get to that place has been the century old problem since.
New Labour has consistently failed the test when it came to war,privatisation and the redistribution of wealth.

I think the answer lies outside New Labour.Its best activists have been deserting the party in droves for years now and many of its remaining socialists have been broken politically on the party wheel [Peter Hain springs to mind as does Joan Ruddock ].

I am a member of Respect which came into existence out of the anti war and social justice movement.I make no claims whatsoever that Respect [or the Left List ] is the answer because Respect along with all the other left groups has to prove itself over a period of time and in practice!!
albert