National Executive Committee (NEC) veteran Peter Willsman was re-elected last week to the NEC in spite of the ill-advised decision by a subset of Momentum’s National Coordinating Group to withdraw support for his candidacy after the misrepresentation by the Establishment of leaked comments by Willsman at the July NEC meeting. Other left groups – including many local Momentum groups – stayed solidly behind him.
After the result, Willsman thumbed his nose at ‘Momentum’ with a pointed statement comparing its politics with that of outgoing NEC member Eddie Izzard, who has self-identified as a Blairite.
But Willsman has now issued a clarification to reassure ordinary Momentum members and local groups that his jibe was not aimed at them – but also added a new barb aimed at Momentum founder Jon Lansman:
For clarification for any comrades who may be confused – my critique of Momentum was, of course, ONLY directed at the Central Committee controlled by Uncle Jon. No one else in Momentum has any, or will ever have any, power or influence whatsoever over Momentum.
Clearly the issue is still a tender one.
The SKWAWKBOX contacted Jon Lansman for comment, who responded:
I think readers will be able to make their own judgement on the quality of Pete’s judgement and his commitment to uniting the Left on such issues as the leadership threshold and open selections.
Update 10.45pm 12 Sep: Willsman has fired back:
Uncle Jon is confused. I have made no public comment on either of those issues. CLPD EC is ìn the process of discussing them both. When has Momentum’s Central Committee discussed them and what is its views on both? I can then feed this into CLPD’s discussion.
SKWAWKBOX comment:
The Willsman/Momentum issue has highlighted valid concerns about Momentum’s democratic processes and there are clearly issues between two of the most influential of the member-representatives on the NEC.
But for the sake of the movement, both men and their supporters need to be focused on the task at hand and the needs of the project and movement. Egos and rivalries must not be indulged – nor must the movement be sidetracked by attempts to keep the Establishment media onside – and that need for discipline applies right across the board, from the NEC to the grassroots.
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