Former Labour front-bencher is, for many on the Labour left, the epitome of centrism – all the more so for his grandstanding speech supporting Britain’s bombing on Syria. A speech that is applauded by cheering Tories is not something most Labour members will consider a win – nor is his part in the 2016 ‘chicken coup’, when he was sacked by Jeremy Corbyn before he had chance to resign.
Most Labour members will therefore applaud the news that Benn’s Leeds Central CLP (constituency Labour party) remained entirely left at its AGM (annual general meeting) last week. The left won all the CLP’s officer positions at its November 2016 AGM.
Leeds Central members told the SKWAWKBOX that not only were all positions won by left candidates, but that in many cases they won uncontested as the right did not even bother to stand.
Other signal wins in recent weeks include Harriet Harman’s Camberwell and Peckham and the previously staunchly right-wing Hampstead and Kilburn.
The battle to mould local parties in the image of the majority of members continues and will be harder in some places than others, but such an emphatic left ‘hold’ in the CLP of a figurehead of centrism is a cause for celebration.
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Hilary Benn with all his well educated articulacy, kept the Tories in power in 2017. He and other centrists may never recognise what damage they have done. Blinkered self avancing careerists largely our of touch with.poorer socially and economically pressured people they are supposed to represent. They believe a centrist Party can win votes from the Tories. But times have changed and years of austerity (which many centrists voted for) has damaged the country & people so badly, that allied with the disastrous Brexit means we may not ever fully recover. They stole the Labour Party and changed it in their own image. We are gradually getting it back.but my God it will be a longer and harder slog than anyone knows. And we must be disciplined and keep our eye on the prize, for we are the only challenge to extremist populism .
Good news but a lot more work to do in Bomber Benn’s constituency of Leeds where the City council tried to shut down a Media on Trial event by pressurising (two?) venues to change their minds and refuse to host the event without good reason after taking the booking, one, ironically, on world press freedom day. Scroll down. https://www.mediaontrial.uk/
The event went ahead in the grounds of an Islamic community centre, in a tent.. So much for free speech, which is being crushed slowly but surely in so called democratic ‘free’ UK. Two academics were speakers, so even academics are being supressed. For anyone interested the individual speeches are here, beginning with Prof Piers Robinson.
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=media+on+trial+leeds+2018+videos&qpvt=media+on+trial+leeds+2018+videos&FORM=VDRE
I see this,my original, post has appeared out of the ether into which it disappeared when I pressed post comment! Apologies for two similar posts, feel free to remove either one Skwawkbox. Two links did for it I expect but no message it had gone to moderation showed as is usually the case.
Great news but it appears there is a lot more work to do in bomber Benn’s constituency of Leeds. The City Council recently tried to shut down a Media on Trial event by pressuring (two?) venues to cancel the booking, one being the City Museum, ironically on world press freedom day. Two academics were speakers, so even academia is being supressed when it questions media narratives, especially when it comes to western wars that rely on almost wall to wall propaganda to misinform British/western public and political class to ensure egregious wars go ahead as planned.
For anyone interested here are the speeches.
https://www.mediaontrial.uk/media-on-trial-leeds-2018/
The ‘Great Men and Women of History’ thought (and some still perhaps think) that they are the adults and members are children despite perhaps little evidence of original thinking on their part?
But left wing democratic socialists should be disciplined; I am not interested in deselecting but more interested in supporting and in selecting left wing democratic socialists as you would expect.
Perhaps you should consider this too?
Solidarity!
just another very greedy one who really shouldn’t be in a Labour Party its time he was gone