The Labour Against the Witchhunt (LAW) campaign group has been protesting today outside Labour’s ‘Southside’ HQ, where Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) has been meeting. The protesters been calling for a clear-out of Labour HQ staff whom they blame for what they believe are a series of politically-motivated suspensions and expulsions of Labour members.
The protesters have been condemned by some members and observers, who say believe that the group is intimidating Labour staff.
The protest has featured a red banner carrying the logo of Momentum Brighton and Hove – where several of senior LAW figures are based – alongside LAW’s own livery:
This has been the subject of hot dispute today among Momentum B&H members, many of whom were unhappy about their group’s banner appearing at the protest and believe it hands a propaganda opportunity to the mainstream media and other opponents of Momentum.
The SKWAWKBOX contacted Momentum’s national HQ to ask whether the group had Momentum’s permission to use a banner bearing its logo. The answer was brief and emphatic:
No they do not.
LAW has stated that it did not ‘use’ the banner, which they say was brought to the protest by Momentum B&H members. Other Momentum B&H members have said that the group did not agree to the banner’s use at the protest, but this is disputed by some locals.
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You’d be better off spending your time investigating and exposing the way Israel is manipulating the Labour Party instead of making mealy mouthed attacks on people who’ve already been targeted by Regev and co with the help of McNicol. Tony Greenstein is a gobshite but he is not an anti-semite andy more than Ken Livingstone is: here’s a better journalistic take in which Richard Kuper of JVL explains what is going on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uBggxsVAsA&feature=share
Why do you say that Tony Greenstein is a gobshite? What did he do for you to describe him as such?
Does the article say anywhere that TG is an antisemite?
Don’t be mealy mouthed SKWAWKBOX,you know exactly what you are doing and saying.So Lansman didn’t give permission to use his banner,so what?Do you think it is OK Lansman made Momentum a private company do you?As for the “intimidating staff” nonsense,thaty it straight out of the Blairite book of tactics,please stop it.
You couldn’t be more wrong. The article in *no* way suggests Greenstein is an antisemite. The ‘intimidating staff’ is quoting critics, not agreeing with them.
The article is not about Lansman making Momentum a private company. This blog is critical of Momentum – and Jon Lansman – where appropriate too.
Words matter. Please read them.
labrebisgalloise?
It’s a good idea not to directly insult people eg. ‘x is a gobshite’. I agree with the rest of your comment. Tony Greenstein has run a brilliant campaign revealing the anti-Corbyn clique inside the Labour NEC and supporting other people who have been falsely labeled as anti-semitic by them. LAW & Momentum & The Labour Party & SKWAWKBOX.
the whole of this article is a lie and it should be taken down. The banner is from Brighton & Hove Momentum. 3 members of whom came to the lobby. It was discussed beforehand on the Brighton Momentum Cttee page.
It has not been ‘the subject of hot dispute today among Momentum B&H members’ today.
Furthermore we do not need the permission of Momentum’s unelected dictator Jon Lansman in order to display it.
We also did not call 4 a clearout of LP staff. I did however call for Witchfinder General Sam Mattews to follow his leader Iain McNicoll.
Shame on you. You have carried nothing about the false antisemitism witch hunt, you failed to contact LAW and went instead to Lansman.
Excellent response Tony. Can I re-post your comment? I’ll assume yes 😉
You make it up as you go along, Tony – and you’re always ready to leap to conclusions and fling accusations.
Skwakbox, you should be better, you normaly are… if the witch hunt succeed then they’ll come for you. Don’t forget that these are human right activists from the first hours, we owe them respect. Their views should be included in this post btw, then we can call it journalism.
Their views have been.
We should all be supporting LAW and not criticising them.
As for “labrebisgalloise” using insulting and disgusting language against Tony Greenstein, a tireless fighter against the Zionists in the Labour Party who are trying to destroy Jeremy Corbyn, it is despicable and unforgivable.
Criticising is a right and a duty we should never give up, most of all with the people we apreciate. Insults however should stay out of discussion that is for sure
There’s kinda of unwritten agreement between us ( MOmembers) and MOHQ. They don’t consult us and we don’t consult them.
Just came across this very interesting and informative article on the LabourPartyMarxists website:
http://labourpartymarxists.org.uk/momentums-loose-cannon/
I freely admit to having vanishingly little and definitely less knowledge of this fight than any of you – but I don’t see that Steve has taken sides in the piece?
Presumably to be aware of the event and the banner complaint he will have been contacted by someone who does have a dog in the fight.
Steve seems to have sought out both or all sides’ views and given them space with what looks like impartiality to me.
Other issues are obviously more important than entitlement – or not – to use the Momentum banner but surely that fact can’t in all fairness be used to criticise an article purely about a complaint regarding use of the banner?
If I’m missing something please set me right. No sarcasm intended for once.
I am entirely in accord with the comments made by internal affairs.
‘Intimidating staff’? Who? Those in the picture?
Err…..ok then.
The HUGE point being that LAW is not MomentumBH.. MBH brought their own banner to the lobby using their own minds. This distancing piece has a momentum HQ instruction all over it. Attacking LAW as an obvious ‘How dare you give MSM an open shot by appearing in photos with a perfectly legitimate local group banner’ sub plot.. is a disgrace.
‘MBH’ didn’t though. A couple of individuals did, to support the LAW protest. Is this Tony, or Sally? Because both of them have been quick to through ‘Momentum HQ instruction’ nonsense around – and both have been just as wrong as whoever this is. And as bloody stupid, frankly – if you’d bothered to do a search on Momentum/Lansman on this blog before commenting, you’d know that both have been the subject of criticism here where appropriate, just as much as LAW’s ill-timed protest on Tuesday, which was made worse by the presence of a Momentum banner. The right-wingers thought Christmas had come early
Haven’t the whole of the Left been under attack from the entrenched Right and hasn’t Skwawkbox been in the vanguard of the fight to kick them out?
I’ve felt weaponised anti-semitism slurs myself but hasn’t the landscape JUST THIS WEEK changed considerably for the better – or do you think all the Blairite-contrived suspensions will be allowed to stand under the new management?
Would Momentum have been as effective a force without Lansman – and if not where would we be now?
If Steve did make a mistake – and I’m by no means convinced – hasn’t he earned ANY credit for his years dedicatedly slogging away?
The left’s strength is surely our unity of purpose – might not whatever the fuck THIS is just snatch defeat from the jaws of imminent victory?
David, I stand in solidarity with Steve and you and Jackie and Tony.
Of course Steve is worthy of credit, the guy is a bloody legend in my view.
But nobody is perfect and I happen to believe this article was misconceived for the reasons I have given, that’s all.
Have to agree with David here , and I think we are all on the same scale of support for what SB does for the left.
OK perhaps SB got this point wrong but as a one man band he does brilliantly and has been a godsend for the left as a balance to the Blairites and Tories MSM spin and lies .
The real issue is not one of permission to use a momentum banner or not ( trivial as far as I am concerned ) BUT what the old NEC under McNicol and the disciplinary committee has done to many many members .Now under new management one hopes that will be rectified ASAP with Jackie/Tony et al , will be welcomed back to the fold .
In solidarity with all
What was the B&H FB committee vote?
We’re B&H rank and file asked OMOV?
All Left should be reinstated but from evidence on a few of the more well known if theirs were academic papers some would perhaps have to resubmit!
Deliberate attack JC Labour – Right Wing Israel Govt, Tory Jewish Leaders UK, Right in Labour (first because losing global PR battle, second and third for own ends)?
Have we really three protagonists – Right outside and in Labour, and bourgeois socialists outside and in Labour (socialism FOR when many of us want socialism WITH).
Final thoughts we should beat all these by ideas and debate and perhaps you will only win working people to your ideas by being honest.
Agree S Box doing great job and we are all human, we don’t always get everything absolutely right!
John Thatcher – Jon Lansman resigned from the Momentum company on 11/1/17.
Forming a company is not necessarily a selfish act.