Labour’s opponents are pushing desperately because the party is a government in waiting. It’s time for its supporters to act like it
Comment
This article was written before the suspension of Chris Williamson MP.
One thing that has become unmissable in recent months, in spite of the best efforts of the Establishment media, is that Labour’s opponents see that it is a ‘government in waiting’ – in fact the only functioning form of government that the UK currently has.
Theresa May’s years-long efforts to find a Brexit plan have been notable only for chaos and incompetence that have driven EU negotiators to distraction.
Labour’s straightforward plans, on the other hand – in spite of the best attempts of the media to ignore them – were immediately welcomed as ‘heavenly’ and eminently practical by EU leaders.
Meanwhile, the quitters’ group quit, only to lurch into a racism storm within a couple of hours of its launch – and since then has failed to provide more than an empty soundbite in response to questions about what the quitters stand for.
Apart from an endorsement of the conscious cruelty of austerity and the importance of avoiding an election, at least.
Yet Corbyn could go to the Tory-won seat now occupied by one of the quitters and draw a huge crowd, while the hapless incumbent couldn’t even get shoppers to pause for a second in her nearby ‘rally’.
But the Labour movement has a problem – a problem that exists in the very strengths that make it what the country needs: compassion, indignation on behalf of the oppressed.
Solidarity.
Those opposed to the change the movement will bring know that these features run deep in the make-up of left-wingers – and they know how to press the buttons that will generate a reaction they can exploit.
With Pavlovian reliability, the left will react.
Doing so provides the fuel and material for the next generation of attacks and ties up the left in defensive battles that soak up time and energy needed for the positive battle for change.
Or it turns the left inward, bringing the division the opponents of the left have always used to conquer.
Predictability and naivety are indulgences the left can’t afford when the stakes are so high and the prize so close. It’s time for supporters of the Labour movement to step up to the task and act based on the left’s – the real left’s, at last – future in government.
Above all, this means refusing to engage on the terms their opponents set – and focusing all energy, effort and coordination on the battles they want to fight.
Picking the fights they will win – especially positive campaigns, promoting the change Labour will bring, and attacking the Tories’s gross unfitness for office.
Labour has over half a million members. It has a policy set that is popular with an overwhelming majority of the country. And it has a party leader who speaks human.
If the left picks its battles based on these huge advantages, it wins. If it learns to ignore baiting and act strategically, it will pick those battles.
Not every wrong can be immediately righted. Sometimes we have to understand when less is more. Sometimes we have to play the long game.
Labour activist @scousegirlmedia
If the left learns to ignore its opponents’ Pavlov’s bells and acts like what it is – the movement from which the governments of coming generations will be drawn – the Establishment’s deepest fears will come true. For the sake of the many.
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Sorry, but that is an essentially meaningless article that appears to be talking in tongues. Is it an indirect way of you finding yourself unable to even address the issue of Chris Williamson’s totally unjustified suspension, Skwawky? Or is it some kind of coded message to us to endorse the pushing of a valued, socialist and anti-racist comrade under the bus? If it’s either of these things, why don’t you just say so? Then at least we’ll know where we stand. It’s OK to provide a lesson on solidarity, as long as you truly understand what that means.
#IAmWithChrisWilliamson
Strategy means choosing your battles. The AS strategy is allowing our opponenets to choose the battle for us. No one wants to throw anyone under the bus. There will be casualties. They can be helped andd restored after the war is won. The article is about strategy. It’s not gobbledygook.
I think it is an appeal to discipline and so the avoidance of self – indulgence or sloppy contributions.
For example whilst I might agree with substance of Chris Williamson wanted to say, what was the point in saying it? What was the beneficial outcome? What was achieved other than having to apologise. If it is something important to be said and with purpose, it should be said, not big – mouthed and then mealy mouthed withdrawn. The only effect was to divert attention for Watson’s previously silly interventions as well as them giving an additional platform for Mr reasonable leadership. Plain childish leftism.
“whilst I might agree with substance of Chris Williamson wanted to say, what was the point in saying it?”
Isn’t that obvious? If some don’t step up and tell the truth, the lies prevail.
It’s not difficult.
RH 28/02/2019 at 5:50 pm
I strongly recommend that you read Jonathan Cook’s latest blog in full.
The witchfinders are now ready to burn Corbyn
28 February 2019
https://www.jonathan-cook.net/blog/2019-02-28/witchfinders-burn-jeremy-corbyn/
Absolutely right on Steve. With you and also with Chris Williamson. I write to him DM encouraging him, supporting him, and this week telling him how bloody angry I am. He heard about my run in with Streeting and contacted me to see if I was ok. That’s the sort of person he is. Owen Jones & others in our so-called alternative media wouldn’t cross the road to help anyone but themselves. Time for change. TIME TO STICK YOUR NECKS OUT!!!
Wow, is this the Skwawkbox ‘let’s through Chris Williamson under the bus’ moment? Shameful, utterly shameful.
About time. And brilliant. Thanks Steve. Strikes the right note. But it is probably too late to undo the damage done- this should have been emphasised time and again two years ago instead of falling into traps set by opponents. It is hard to keep one’s mouth shut when one is angry and hurting. But this is a long game and long term thinking, plus united discipline is what we need to armn ourselves with – then smile in adversity and smile politely at opponents. (They don ‘t like it).
Hmmm – thinks – does he mean the ‘B’ word or the ‘A’ word?
If it’s the ‘B’ word I can probably manage that.
If it’s the ‘A’ word I might have, quite coincidentally, just pissed on those particular chips…
Skwarkbox strives to entirely depoliticise the EU issue. The “customs union closely aligned to the single market” is fine because it is welcomed as “heavenly” and eminently practical by EU leaders.
To have EU leaders welcome a proposed Labour solution is the absolute kiss of death. These people are the class enemy. The Council and the Commission are complete neoliberals who favour permanent privatisation and a supranational constitution based on the fundamental rights of the corporation.
Taking the EU out of the class struggle and pretending what we need is whatever is “sensible” and “practical” and “heavenly” to the capitalist combined politico-economic elite is not thinking wisely or strategically. It is merely a denial of the class struggle and a capitulation to neoliberal capitalism.
The very fact that 1945 style sectoral nationalisation is impossible within the single market construct should be enough for the Left to completely rule out any arrangement “closely aligned to the single market” – unless the proposal explicitly brings back national control of public ownership and state aids.
What has changed is not so much the EU (although it has changed, becoming legally more committed to marketization and therefore anti-nationalisation over the decades). What has changed more is a Labour Left many of whom are now essentially little more than Guardianista left-liberals. They increasingly accept the structures of neoliberal capitalism instead of wanting to replace them with a democratic socialist economy – a new society based on planning and public ownership.
Besides, Jeremy’s EU solution is now rather beside the point given that the brand-new strategy is to demand a second referendum. The real aim is to overturn the referendum result in gross violation of Labour’s own manifesto. There is no reason to tolerate this in silence merely because our leader “speaks human”. A Corbynista government which merely implements neoliberalism won’t help “the many”.
Whilst this is quite true, it is forgetting the realty of a Labour Party full of radical liberals who are in love with the ‘Workers Liberation Union’ that goes by way of the EU. A message to build a grass root democratic organisation. To tread on their romance with an authoritarian rejection of feelings is not a success for any message either.
Venezuela is not in the EU. What makes you think a left wing government here would be exempt from US and World neoliberal attack?
The special relationship?
In five years the employment landscape may already be dire enough for people to question old beliefs.
Thanks for that – even if it should be seen as the statement of the bleedin’ obvious.
The issue of strategically picking battles was, I think the matter in hand …..???
This is nonsense. You win nothing by demoralising your base. Chris spoke for those of us sick and tired of being branded anti-Semites just for being members of the Labour Party by our opponents while our leaders sit on their hands handing out concession after concession.
This “strategizing” was the reason Milliband handed the Tories a majority after 5 years of austerity. I thought the Corbyn project was supposed to be different? If we are going to concede our core principles just to win power, what’s the point?
Don’t be demoralised. But, (as the article suggests), think strategically. The LFI have a strategy. It is to divide and exhaust us all. You cannot beat strategy with tactics. We have to be strategic: Strategy means choosing your battles. The AS strategy is allowing our opponenets to choose the battle for us. No one wants to throw anyone under the bus. There will be casualties. They can be helped and restored after the war is won. The article is about strategy. It’s not gobbledygook. Unite and fight. Take casualties on the chin. Don’t leave them behind. But focus on the strategy of our opponenets and come back for the wounded, when we have won the war. I’m sure it’s what Corbyn needs of us now. Don’t feed the enemy’s strategy!
Don’t feed the enemy’s strategy? Jeez, what is wrong with you people, have you never heard of solidarity? Have you never been a trade union member? When a comrade is under attack you stand by them, you shield them, you protect them. Right now Chris Williamson is under a massive smear attack and he needs solidarity not meaningless faux strategy advice. I tell you what though, this latest attack on the left has certainly exposed who are genuine lefts and who are the fakers – Owen Jones, Novara, and judging by this article Skwawkbox too. That’s the problem with ‘media’ as whole though isn’t it, too many middle class lightweights who run a mile when the real battles start.
Can’t help it’s all part of the deflection being done in the PLP. You have remember for some of these it’s the livelihood at stake if the fall the wrong side of the argument. They won’t risk it and that almost makes Tommy Robinson look respectable in comparison.
I stand shoulder to shoulder with James Martin,well said sir.
James Martin: absolutely bang on.
“This “strategizing” was the reason Milliband handed the Tories a majority after 5 years of austerity.”
I think Milliband was up against the tenor of the times – but you are absolutely right that the concessions to the Tory narrative in cahoots with Ed Balls was disastrous.
The message is : never lend credibilty to your opponents. It always ends in tears. Thus my views on antisemitism (totally) and Brexit (partly) – both right wing initiatives.
Absolutely right Jed. I feel more despondent reading this article by our alternative media giant than I do reading all the crap from MSM. It is counter-productive.
There has got to be some way of keeping the heart of Socialist Labour going, at the same time as not being deflected from the main aim of a Labour government. It’s rather insulting to be described as a pavlovian dog. We HAVE TO defend and speak out for Chris Williamson and other targets of Friends of Israel etc. In fighting these battles we are learning what these people think and operate, test our own principles and build solidarity. As long as the whole movement stays together supporting our party we are the only viable government.
Hear hear.
absolutely shameful. owen jones. novara media. evolve politics. now this? who need the MSM, eh?
Borrowing your summary jed, says it all
Totally agree Jed. If this is alternative media then we’ve all lost out.
Corbyn’s Labour need to start fighting back against the pro-Israel lobby’s smears. Labour have caved over the IHRA definitions, Ken Livingstone, Marc Wadsworth, Margaret Hodge, Joan Ryan and Chris Williamson to name but a few examples.
Maybe this is all some really clever idea from the Labour leadership which will lose some battles but end up winning the war, but to me it’s just making the pro-Israel lobby stronger.
the idea that we can’t debate the scale of anti-semitism in the party and the party’s approach to is beyond belief.
Yes, an absolute witch hunt!
Indeed.
I think Sir just told us off (snicker!).
Some of us have ‘wised up’ in fact we did it a long time ago, which is why we support Chris Williamson. Who was in effect calling for the Labour Party to make it clear to the public, upon whose votes we depend, exactly why Jeremy Corbyn is being accused of anti-Semitism and the motives of his accusers are.
I personally would like to see a stronger stance taken by Corbyn on this issue. But, he is surrounded by enemies waiting to take him down. He is fighting an enormous battle fighting the Tories. I can’t imagine the task he is dealing with. I have faith in his judgement, though. Unite and fight. Choose our battles and support the leadrship.
absolutely right. If we have no loyalty to those who really are trying to bring about change for the many, then why are we even trying. Might as well lay down and act dead and let Hard Right in Labour walk all over us – which is exactly what they are doing right now.
Well I’m done, yesterday I saw for the 3rd time Labour just stamp all over party rules, process and logic allowing a lynch mob have it way to suspend another great member.
And what did this achieve exactly? did it stop the bad PR not in the least because they then moved on to attack how quickly the lynching took place and that continues today by a direct attack on the leader. So the was nothing gained and everything lost.
For me this is not any party I want to be involved with and I can not see that party having the ability to put in place the polices needed even if they did get elected. I hope I’m proved wrong.
Then on the other side you get the likes of Hodge & other being allowed the broadest interpretation of rules & proceed while Blair & other actively working & supporting other politic entries are given free access to my data. And on a smaller not these group’s supporting MPs feel confident enough to include People’s Vote propaganda in the official Labour newsletters and leave out official news & information off their materials.
I’m asked to accept this when a tweet in support of the Green party might get me thrown out of the Labour party.
I have every sympathy with you. Personally, I’m going to stay and fight, because I admire Corbyn (and Williamson, and precious few others) so greatly. But I don’t know how much longer this will be possible without completely compromising my own principles, as Skwawky himself seems to be doing – too often these days.
If we want a Corbyn-led government that will implement socialist and antiwar policies then it’s going to take a huge fight – yes, a fight – against the right. Or sooner than later we’ll run out of comrades to throw under the bus and no Corbyn project left.
It really wasn’t a rallying cry for people to leave the party. I won’t be leaving or voting any other way. But, I also won’t be actively promoting or supporting, walking the streets. Although I desperately want a Corbyn led government, a government with this current blend would in my opinion be the worst of all worlds. So till Tom Watson & Co are gone I’ll won’t be wasting my time on Labour.
If by some faint the left in the party find a back bone I’ll be the first in line for the leaflet drop. But as of yet they fail to realise they have the support of at least 400,000 of the members against at most 100,000. They CAN let these MPs go and still be the major force in UK politics but at the moment they are losing people by the hour.
Spot on.
Reportedly it was Jenny Formby that unilaterally suspended him.
Maybe in an attempt to placate the Lynch mob in the short term.
If so it may have been with Chris Williamson’s agreement as he seemed re-markedly laid back after this injustice.
The main thing is to ensure that the party procedures are immediately put in motion and the matter resolved quickly (i.e. In days not years) and the NEC/NCC are not allowed to switch the charges at the last minute to one of “bringing the party into disrepute” on the basis of the negative publicity caused by the Mob leaders as happened with Mark Wadsworth.
Does it matter what excuse they give. They have failed the membership again. I never signed up to a cult & I won’t be called an anti-Semitic – I won’t called that by the Zionists so I’m certainly not going to be called it by the Labour party. They can take me to court and prove it.
“I never signed up to a cult & I won’t be called [an] anti-Semitic”
Again – spot on. The manifest cowardice is doing damage every day and elevating the extreme right and their twisted racism to righteousness.
I think that you’ve hit the nail on the head. A Party machinery that throws Williamson to the wolves isn’t worthy of a radical and principled Party.
Brilliant RH. Just brilliant.
I can completely understand how you feels. It’s sad even our alternative media appears to be throwing us all under a bus along with Chris Williamson. Owen Jones, that bastion of free speech, (ha bloody ha), who will only allow people on his twitter feed if they agree 100% with everything he says, has thrown Chris under a bus and anyone who supports Chris. Snowflake journos we don’t need. We need alternative media to see what is really happening here and reporting on it. We’re seeing the tip of a ruddy great iceberg of deceit, lies, falsehoods, hypocrisy. We’re in the bloody middle of a Witch Hunt. That’s something we really do need to take seriously. The MPs of the Left need to step up to the plate and say “Enough is Enough!” Get rid of the deadwood, Tory lite MPs who don’t give a stuff about what is happening in the real world. 120k people ARE DEAD, because of this govt. Our MPs are saying bugger all. Last week I saw one journo called Marxist dynamite. He was up against RW and didn’t know first thing of how to unravel the lies. He got stuck because he hadn’t done his homework. He blocked me because I asked him a serious question.
Alternative media doesn’t need to mimic the rules of MSM, it also needs to get ahead of the game and understand what is happening and how to totally demolish opposition, not damn well collude with them as I have seen this week.
Remember this is not a level playing field. Members are treated one way – Agree to Green Party member and be suspended: Whilst Labour MPs can abuse, lie, dox you and nothing is said or done. THIS is what we are all up against.
Chris has tweeted this
I want to thank grassroots Labour Party members and supporters from the bottom of my heart for the incredible solidarity you have shown me over the last 48 hours. My message is this: Keep your eyes on the prize and hold on because #ChangeIsComing
I am 100% loyal to Corbyn but this won’t stop until they’ve got rid of him and peeling away his strongest troops until he’s totally isolated is part of their game. The class struggle takes place everywhere and right now the sharp end is inside the Labour Party not on the useless, divided and totally discredited government benches. If CW is thrown under a bus the only solidarity that remains may turn out to be the solidarity of the graveyard.
Stay strong folks I know it’s hard to not rise to the injustice of it all, but Squawky’s right, we have to pick our battles, when we can win them, and know that in the future the impossible is possible. Solidarity.
“we have to pick our battles”
… which doesn’t entail running away when the going gets tough.
Labre
Or the solidarity of the gun.
Seriously.
Are you not allowed to mention Chris’s name now. He has supported you through thick and thin and you abandon him? Nice.
Just like Owen Jones, so it would appear. This, to me, is even more shocking than his original response:
https://off-guardian.org/2019/02/28/owen-jones-unpersons-chris-williamson/
Jones is just a self serving weather vane. No real commitment to anything but himself, as some have remarked you don’t want him by your side in the trenches.
Maria – you have hit on a criterion that I often use : Who would you want in the trenches with you?
… and neither Tom Watson, nor the naively childlike Owen Jones fulfil the criterion (and not many of the PLP in general pass the test).
And, as a follow-up, Maria, the same image has been used by Jay Blackwood in an article posted on the JVL website :
“If I was facing real antisemites on the street I know who I’d rather have fighting alongside me. It wouldn’t be useful idiots like Hodge, Watson or Miliband. It would be real anti-racists like Chris Williamson and Marc Wadsworth”
https://www.jewishvoiceforlabour.org.uk/blog/the-attack-on-chris-williamson-in-context/
The “anti anti semitism” warriors use Labour rules with utter cynicism. They know that Labour has to suspend anyone accused of a rule breach – e g their attack on the excellent Mike Sivier, made just before council elections in which he was standing as a councillor. He had no time to rebut them. This pattern is endlessly repeated.
The danger now is that an election could happen at any time and Chris would be ineligible to defend his seat. It’s vital this is dealt with swiftly.
We need to MAXIMISE the number of right wing Labour MPs who leave the party.
We need to flush our toilet into TIG.
https://news.sky.com/story/more-labour-mps-perilously-close-to-quitting-admits-tom-watson-11650754
Danny
Which is why Corbyn has to make a major speech standing his ground and defending Chris Williamson.
That’s the only way to do it now…
Wow! I’m impress to read how things cannot be said openly, including by “fearless journalism” Is that what transparence looks like in UK. In my opinion this talk is the mother of all talks because it touches the most important topic there is; freedom of speech. So if labour pretends to be a reflection of society but a society where we need to weight every word we dare to pronounce in order for it to be never wrongly interpreted, well we know where that will lead us and that isn’t a project worth fighting for to say the least.
Yet the BBC politic live can say about Corbyn;
“He supported an anti-Semitism painting” – defended street art.
“Welcomed Hamas as his friends” – although what that has to do with anti-Semitism I don’t know. Surely it’s able to be at war with Israel without being anti-Semitic.
““He supported an anti-Semitism painting”
Which is the perfect example of the sort of fabrication that has become taken-for-granted truth in the shamefully suibservient media.
I don’t think the apologies that we mistake for reporters or correspondents are capable of seeing the reverse racism inherent in taking as gospel any old garbage if the source claims to be Jewish – whilst, at the same time ignoring ‘the wrong sort of Jew’ as defined by the Board of Deputies nexus of undemocratic scammers.
And remember where we are, Labour have agreed to appoint an independent person (at the cost of the members) to go over all the closed complaints simply because some people think not enough members were kicked out the party the first time. This is never ending, no matter what the party do and until they grow some balls it will continue.
antoine1982thariax 28/02/2019 at 1:29 pm
Jonathan Cook’s latest blog sums up the situation
The witchfinders are now ready to burn Corbyn
28 February 2019
“McCarthyism” is a word thrown around a lot nowadays, and in the process its true meaning – and horror – has been increasingly obscured.
McCarthyism is not just the hounding of someone because their views are unpopular. It is the creation by the powerful of a perfect, self-rationalising system of incrimination – denying the victim a voice, even in their own defence. It presents the accused as an enemy so dangerous, their ideas so corrupting, that they must be silenced from the outset. Their only chance of rehabilitation is prostration before their accusers and utter repentance.
McCarthyism, in other words, is the modern political parallel of the witch hunt.
https://www.jonathan-cook.net/blog/2019-02-28/witchfinders-burn-jeremy-corbyn/
I encourage you to read the whole article because it examines the current situation in some depth
Yes. Someone referenced Cook’s article above. It is excellent.
Thanks to you both.
Yes, Steve. All who are concerned about what is happening should read Jonathan Cook’s article, as well as that by Asa Winstanley that you have linked to in another post.
They are excellent analyses of what is actually going on : the sort of investigative journalism absent from the MSM.
They are also important in putting to bed any notion that this is a little local spat.
Read also the links that appear in it.
Very good article.
That is a corker Antoine. An absolute corker!!!
Just today I saw a tweet from RW Labour MP telling people if they put a hashtag: Stand with Chris on her timeline then they could unfollow her. A lot of us asked her who she was – I’d not heard of her – so I said I wouldn’t follow you if it was the last thing I did. Then lo and behold on comes Tracy Brabin saying This MPs tweet was absolutely right. People were aghast and sheer cruelty of these MPs.
Antoine is absolutely right if we give up right to free speech then we really will usher in 1984 only worse.
What the leadership has to do is to learn to think in terms of a social movement, a mass party. Without one there is no hope for Labour in future except as a variation of the mild reformism , within the system, of Blairite politics.
To break the system open, to defy the Establishment from MI6 to the monarchy, from Brussels to NATO and to bring real change, radical change, the party has to stop seeing the world through parliamentary eyes and look at things from the position of the street.
Sacking Williamson might have advanced some minor tactical agenda but it is going to decimate the people’s army, culling the best and the most committed in order to postpone the reckoning with Watson, Mosley and all the forces behind them.
The time for parliamentary fetishism is passed. The urgent task is to gather in again all the tried and true old militants-Galloway, Livingstone and the thousands like them- and build the party into a million members, ready to march, to defend Venezuela, for example and to occupy the bureaucratic torture chambers of the authors of the horror story of Universal Credit .
I completely agree. Here’s a good article on that exact subject:
https://www.counterfire.org/articles/analysis/20172-labour-can-end-its-internal-war-at-a-stroke-become-a-socialist-party
Sorry – but, angry as I am, pointless empty rhetoric just doesn’t have any relevance.
Christ! (or Jehovah! – or Whatever) – if the Party can’t get to grips with the most obvious right wing scam, it isn’t going to cut the mustard in terms of revolutionary fervour!
Bevin
Abso-fucking-lutely!
Galloway is the greatest orator in the country and the best leader Labour never had. Livingstone, probably the best mayor London ever will have.
Time to crank up the defiance to the MSM and Watson-supporters!
Good to see some media are not ratting on Chris: https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/b/labour-suspension-of-chris-williamson-branded-madness
I normally tweet all of Skwawkbox’s blogs, but this one I will leave behind.
We have lost at least 4 high profile Left Wingers due to a stitch up by the RW LFI Blairite Brigade with false allegations of AS.
Appeasement,to the ‘enemy within’ must STOP. Members are disgusted and horrified with the treatment of Chris Williamson, Walker and Wadsworth.
LP Members were promised more power to get involved in the Labour Party, after over 2 yrs we are still waiting. The NEC, General Secretary and Whips are not addressing our concerns. One rule for the LEFT and no rules for the Centrists who are succeeding to destroying the party
Those excellent comrades may have lapsed into comfortable self – indulged and diverted the conversations towards themselves instead of the messages they wanted communicating
Follow the money, where does their funding come from?
https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/asa-winstanley/israel-lobby-funders-back-breakaway-british-mps
“Prior to left-wing Palestine solidarity activist Jeremy Corbyn becoming party leader in 2015, Garrard donated almost $2 million to Labour under former leaders Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and Ed Miliband.
Garrard was so dismayed after Corbyn’s leadership election in September 2015, that he called in a loan of more than $2.5 million he had made to the party.
Despite leaving the party, Garrard has continued to fund individual anti-Corbyn MPs within Labour.
Garrard has also donated almost $28,000 since May 2016 to Austin – a leading supporter of Labour Friends of Israel.
As Austin explained to Sky News, “I’ve been campaigning against Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership for years.”
The official register of donations to members of Parliament shows that in 2016 and 2017, Garrard donated almost $9,000 to Ryan and more than $50,000 to Chuka Umunna and his office.
The latest register shows Garrard has also donated almost $20,000 to deputy Labour Party leader Tom Watson – who has long opposed Corbyn.
Chinn is one of the leaders of BICOM and Goldstein is chair of the Jewish Leadership Council – both are British pro-Israel lobby groups.
Chinn donated more than $6,000 to Labour Friends of Israel’s chair Joan Ryan in 2017. He donated a similar amount to deputy Labour leader Tom Watson in 2018.”
Says it ALL really. Totally corrupt!
But that’s psychopaths for you. Greedy, power-mad, war-mongering, hate-mongering, fear-mongering, deceitful, dishonest, devious and duplicitous and totally devoid of integrity and a conscience.
“STEP UP AND THINK STRATEGICALLY”
… which has been my argument all along. The problem is picking the right strategy – e.g. not adopting a mickey mouse approach to Article 50 and the referendum, or thinking that an apologetic approach to the Israeli Lobby is a sound idea …
Strategy: Get the truth out there and expose the falsehoods (about Ken and Jackie etc), and THAT in itself exposes the ‘secondary’ falsehoods where people who have defended them have been attacked and smeared themselves, such as Pete Willsman.
In other words…. get composing, and then printing, and then putting said leaflets through doors!
It seems we are fighting a losing battle, Steve’s call for a re-assessment of how we react to outside forces is sensible but I disagree that we are a government in waiting, The problem I see is how do we react to the internal forces that are wrenching our party apart. many will not rest until Corbyn has gone, 11 have gone many more need to follow before we have a group not working against us from the inside, It seems racism and AS is the tool they have that is working, strange in the MSM it only applies to those on the left, everyone else has a free pass, Williamson needs support it is a travesty that he can be suspended for his views on how we are reacting to AS which is looking more and more like the McCarthy panels.
The other problem is Brexit, Steve and I have a very left wing comrade in our constituency saying he will never vote Labour again, he believes in leave and feels betrayed by the party, I understand it is dreadful balancing act for Labour but we are not explaining to our members where we are going,
The are many free passes, Boris Johnson springs to mind. But inside th Labour? we know about the recent vile outbursts by Hodge and others but you can go back to the reaction to Gordon Brown’s comments about that woman he met. Was he suspended? had Mandy been suspended or Blair for supporting IG? If they are going hold me up to a rule I want it the same rule as them.
A rock and a hard place, exacerbated ten-fold by a hostile media.
“If they are going hold me up to a rule I want it the same rule as them.”
You really think that there’s any moral consistency in all this???
We need to support the re- instatement of Chris and the problem has always been we have a few lions at the top surrounded by donkeys surrounded by mainly rank and file of lions.
The Right in Labour can’t win by ideas so some suggest resort to procedural and potentially unscrupulous methods?
We need to democratically choose more lions.
We also need mass canvasses getting out to directly engage with citizens plus meetings and mass leafleting campaigns to fight for diverse working people.
Here’s a poem I wrote a while back which still applies (the Right is the Hawk and the Canary is socialist Labour members):
‘THE HAWK ON THE CANARY LANDED.
PLAYING THE CHAMELION’S PART.
AND SAID I COME TO HEAL YOU.
BUT FAILED TO REMOVE THE HEART.
AND THEN THE CANARY TURNED BACK INTO A LION.
Solidarity!
Take five:
Reminds me that we are in a movement wider than the Labour Party but getting towards socialism is the way. I think every aspect is important from,countering lies by the traitors to protesting about climate change.
I’ll leave it for others to judge how helpful (or otherwise) Momentum’s contribution is
https://www.facebook.com/PeoplesMomentum/videos/822727831414432/
Arr yes Momentum, I joined but left as soon as they switch from being cheer leaders to policy makers. And now at the age of approaching 60 I’m not about to be lectured or re-educated on racism thanks.
Again – spot on. They now seem to to be at the cutting edge of futile irrelevance, like Lansman.
Tweet to Newsnight, who quoted Margaret Hodge: “I think it is absolutely crazy… that we haven’t expelled dozens of people from the Labour Party… some immediate, dramatic action of that sort is absolutely essential”
I couldn’t agree more. Packed your bags yet?
How do you “root out” antisemitism?
Is “the Israeli James Bond” Shai Masot still at the embassy and still helping with the rooting out?
Oh no, that’s right – went home after ‘The Lobby’ exposed his part in the conspiracy, didn’t he?
Tweets to Lisa Nandy and Wes Streeting:
It has been claimed by the documentary “The Lobby” that an Israeli agent working out of their London Embassy has paid British citizens to fabricate false claims of “Labour antisemitism.”
Have you ever received payment or benefit in kind from Shai Masot or any other Israeli agent?
Breaking the other jaw always beats turning the other cheek imo.
Actual evidence of AS fabrication – ie “The Lobby” – has to be the most effective counter to their fabricated accusations.
Plastered all over social media they can only ignore it and be suspected of complicity – or deny it and be proven complicit.
““The Lobby” – has to be the most effective counter to their fabricated accusations.”
… coupled with the Ch4 ‘Dispatches’ documentary that was made way before this present shit-stir.
Note that the latter contains evidence of how politicians cower before the Israel lobby and run a mile from the truth.
In some ways, the historical depth that the two make in conjunction is even more powerful.
Got a link for that Dispatches, RH?
We have more than enough support from those who can and will call out the MSM and internal enemies, who are more than willing to stand against the witchhunt
The only strategy is the handful of messages that we repeat ad nauseum from now until the GE
0.002% or 12/550,000 members
Safest country in Europe for the Jewish community thanks to JC and Labour movement
Who do we believe you the MSM/internal enemies or the JVL
Will you condemn abuse faced by the Jewish community who support JC and Labour party
I am surprised as to the nature of some of the comments this particular blog has received.
Sometimes behind the main headlines there is another issue which is the most important. .
Perhaps you could enlighten us all.
I could hardly believe my ears. As a link comment between news items the ITV News presenter actually said “Whilst Mr Watson is trying to hold the Labour Party together……..” 🤣
Now you’re joking, Steve. I don’t think any of us can any longer be surprised by the lavatory pan that is the media.
I agree with Steve right at top of this thread. Be strategic, disciplined, pick your fights? Utter nonsense. What Chris said was true. We are playing into hands of those with a huge amount of money, influence, and power, by continuing to agree we are all guilty of every crime known to man. There are groups who wage their wars every single day on Labour membership. They make up new names mimicking existing Labour members names in order to frighten, threaten and dox members; The doctor pictures of antisemitic nature & again threaten you. At present 70 Labour Party members are being threatened by second rate starlets with libel & harassment of said stars. Solicitor is member of JLM; There are networks of these aggressive and nasty people who spread lies about us all every single day. It is relentless.
Pick your fights? Which damn fight do you want us to pick? We are being attacked by Hard Right Labour MPs, day in and day out. Now we have our alternative media jumping on bandwagon to engender even more aggravation, hatred of us all. Turning their backs on us all. At present Mike Sivier is one of the very few who understands and stands with the membership.
And let us all remember this is not a level playing field: One rule for members and completely different set of rules for MPs & various hangers on. It ain’t pretty our here at coalface. We really need some support more shit from those of you who don’t have a clue what is really happening. Try and get a bit of understanding if you possibly can.
Ad this into the mix – How many right wing people spill vile all over the TV and SM? people like Hopkins or Robinson they don’t get brought down do they. BBC even invite them on, why is that? But say the wrong thing as a left wing and you are gone.
It’s NOT the “wrong thing” of course, it’s the truth, and THAT is why the Smearers transform it into the “wrong thing”.
Skwarkbox, get behind Chris or I cancel my donation, you don’t get a second chance, this is the fight I am picking. I will not let a good socialist be victimised, we stand together in this party, or we don’t stand at all.
Mr Moose, you can be 100% certain that SB is fully supportive of Chris Williamson, and it would be absurd to think otherwise. Now I wouldn’t want to cast aspersions, but supposing, for example, that you were someone who was really a Blairite Tory – or even a Tory Tory – and had spotted an opportunity – on seeing the overwhelming support for CW on SB on the one hand, and the absence of any articles regarding him by SB itself on the other – to come on here posing as one of us, but with the nefarious intention of trying to stir things up, and try and create ill feeling and animosity towards Steve and Co. I mean you could even be a paid shill or a black propagandist. Do you see what I mean?
These are very precarious times – as I’m sure you are aware – and ANYONE can come under attack (and I wouldn’t be surprised if threats have been made – anonymously of course – in that regard).
Anyway, I hope you will reconsider, but whatever the case, it was good of you to come on SB for the first time ever and make your feelings known to us all.
Couldn’t have put it better, mrmoose.
I find Swawky’s failure to do so alarming.
Has he been leant on?
Amendment: …..with the nefarious intention of trying to stir things up, and try and create ill feeling and animosity towards Steve and Co, and to induce and prompt others to follow suit.
I share the sense of outrage expressed by so many in this thread. My own feelings also include something akin to despair. I can only add that, blaming Corbyn, or Jenny Formby for this is precisely one of the divisive outcomes intended by Tom Watson and others.
Statement by the secretary of Derby Trades Council on the suspension of Chris Williamson MP from Labour
Throughout Derby Chris Williamson is known as someone who stands up for working-class people, whatever their origins and ethnicity. We are proud to have him as our MP.
Chris has proven himself to be a fierce opponent of all forms of racism, including anti-semitism. He is outspoken and brave in this. As a young man in the 1970s he was an active member of the Anti-Nazi League, confronting the racists and anti-semites of the National Front wherever they raised their vile heads, and he has maintained the same position and active opposition to racism, anti-semitism and fascism ever since.
We should remember that Chris worked hard to spearhead the efforts to ensure Derby was one of the first local authorities to mark Holocaust Memorial Day.
What Chris said in Sheffield was that the evils of racism, anti-semitism and Islamophobia need to be fought and beaten wherever and whenever they appear, and that the Labour Party has done more than any other parliamentary party — and therefore should be not so apologetic about its performance in this regard — though of course there is always more to be done.
It is this that has been misinterpreted — deliberately so — by some who seek a stick to beat him with.
It is an absolute absurdity and vile travesty to level the charge of anti-semitism at Chris and everyone in Derby knows it. As secretary of the Derby Area Trades Union Council I urge fair-minded Derby people to speak up for him, just as he speaks up bravely for all of us.
Chris stands for unity, solidarity and community cohesion. Those members of the Labour Party, particularly those MPs, who oppose the restoration of socialism in the leadership of the party have failed in their many attempts to reverse this.
So they have increasingly turned to distortions and smears against the leadership — including Chris Williamson, who is their target of the day. It is they who should apologise for their defamation of a decent man and an MP who really cares for his people, whatever their heritage and background.
Moz Greenshields
Secretary, Derby Area Trade Union Council
Reads just like a Guardian fair-minded and ‘fearless’ editorial or a testimonial from Tom Watson 🙂
Great letter by Moz Greenshields – thanks for posting it.
pathetic. same as the open selection sellout. whoever in Corbyn’s office is doing this, Blair couldn’t have planted a better poison pill.
Labours strength is the membership but its the job of the leadership to support the membership. If Corbyn cant stand up for his principles ( I imagine he’s as demoralised as we are at being labelled antisemetic) then he needs to stand up and defend the members. McDonnell is now giving in to the bullies in the party. Chris Williams was the only one who has voiced the outrage we feel at the endless witch hunt. We need more people like him to make a string defence I justcwish it was Corbyn. He has been conspicuously absent when he is needed the most!
I see Skwawkbox has been specifically referred to today by Galloway – following the Rayner controversy – and not in a complimentary manner. I’m minded of this quote: “A period of silence from Ken Livingstone is overdue, especially on antisemitism racism & Zionism. It’s time he left politics altogether.” Steve, I think you owe more than silence and complicity regarding this latest plot, which the movers clearly think will lead to an inevitable checkmate in their favour – and the death rites for socialism in Britain in our lifetimes.