Analysis comment

Akehurst’s ‘chilling’ list exposes ‘Stalinist’ double standard

Labour right-winger’s tweet re Corbyn-supporting councillors triggers outrage

Luke Akehurst, secretary of right-wing pressure group Labour First, has triggered a horrified reaction from Labour supporters by tweeting that a letter signed by hundreds of Labour councillors provides a ‘useful list for future reference:

Akehurst’s comment – heavily ‘ratioed’, giving an idea of its unpopularity – was criticised variously as ‘chilling’, ‘sinister’, ‘threatening’, ‘dangerous’. ‘McCarthyite’ and putting the safety of councillors at risk when they are out campaigning. It was also described on multiple occasions as ‘Stalinist’.

Aaron Bastani is correct, Akehurst does. He has a long and recent history – dozens of tweets at least – of attacking any attempt by the left to organise to replace right-wing councillors or MPs as exactly that:

Earlier this week, Akehurst told the SKWAWKBOX that deselecting MPs – or councillors – is ‘destructive’:

Deselecting an MP is an inherently extreme and controversial move. If it happens anywhere it will damage Labour’s reputation locally and nationally and could lead to seats being lost if deselected MPs choose to run as independents.

I’m not in favour of deselecting councillors either. Generally it is a destructive and divisive thing to do and there are always enough vacancies through retirement to accommodate fresh talent.

He was contacted again for specific comment on his ‘useful list’, but had not responded by the time of publication.

SKWAWKBOX view:

While it’s surely hard to imagine the Labour right being hypocritical, or using any term of attack for convenience or expediency, it does look a little like Mr Akehurst is applying double standards.

It’s difficult to believe, but could it be possible this is part of a widespread phenomenon and not merely a one-off – and that when Labour right figures complain to the media it’s merely a cynical form of politically-expedient abuse?[¹]

[¹ Tongue firmly in cheek.]

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47 comments

  1. That twat thinkin’ he’s the next peter lilley or summit?

    …just as effin’ tory, anyway.

    1. The man’s a pimple on the bottom of the Labour right. Give his views no more oxygen.

  2. Ginger hair AND thick-rimmed glasses. He’s just GOTTA have been bullied at school.

    I refuse to believe otherwise.

    1. Ad hominems based on someone’s inherent appearance should have no place on this site. Shame on you Toffee.
      Criticise him for his actions not his looks.

      1. It’s a pity you shit, lad.

        Otherwise they’d put you in the waxworks.

      2. Simon…Toffee uses typical northen humour that cheers many a day!do you not understand a wry sence of humour?…..Lighten up a bit or you will get buried i!

      3. “typical northen humour”, Joseph?

        You mean the sort of humour that typifies Corbyn as a befuddled old’un in a track suit past his prime ?

        ‘Northern’ – be buggered. I live here. Another bit of type-casting. Shall we do Northern Ireland next? 🙂

    1. Stalin after Lenin was the ultimate and most extreme bourgeois socialist (taking the power for themselves and telling people how to run their lives) carried on in Eastern Europe – a socialism FOR and this is what killed ‘socialism’ we still have it today in North Korea and China. But I am an optimist, grassroots, bottom up, participatory, left wing democratic socialism (as it was always meant to be) a socialism WITH can win with JC.

      1. Bazza not all communism failed I spend most of the winter in Asia and travel around ,having a lot of friends there and still after 6 years living there I still learning the difference in culture ,respect and Face…….China are a massive influence and are not easily written off as failed communism neither are Vietnam,Cambodia and Laos,all are expanding for now and there are worrys regarding China’s continuing support,but the government that are there despite all the difficulty is preferable too the explotation of rampant capitalism in the west.Many remember French colonialism British and finally the horror of American Imperialism and the bombing of countrys in the carpet bombing of the whole region….not just Vietnam…..Yes I think we must not wright all communism off just because American Imperialism won in the west?

  3. Fat Chris Evans….Yer just a fat Chris Evans…

    (Put me on yer ‘list’ too, beaut)

  4. Luke Akehurst is mentioned as a close ally to Israeli cause by Shai Masot in the Lobby.

    This despicable individual even decries his own party for taking action against him, he might fool most that don’t know him, but not those in his own party.

  5. Just had an email from Labour on AntiSemitism. It’s full of absolute nonsense and seems to have been heavily spun by Zionists. Take this paragraph.

    “Labour is a political home for Zionists and anti-Zionists. Neither Zionism nor anti-Zionism is in itself racism”

    This is typical of the wooly thinking in so many parts of the Labour Party because of the heavy infiltration of Zionists like Akehurst. They are still trying to frame the debate in their favour.

    I checked various dictionary definitions of ZIONISM.

    They all amount to:- “ZIONISM is the POLITICAL movement to establish a Jewish home in Palestine.”

    If that’s not the definition of colonisation I don’t know what is.

    No doubt Akehurst would support it.

    1. All your previous posts on “Zionism” and anti-Semitism have shown you quite clearly to be either an active anti-Semite yourself, Jack T, or simply a deliberately destructive , cynical Troll, constantly using crude old ” Zionist conspiracy” tropes to confuse the members in our party who have fallen for exactly the crude anti Jewish narratives that do, unfortunately, still infest sections of the Left. This divisive nonsense is precisely the target of Labour’s excellent new mini site on anti-Semitism https://labour.org.uk/no-place-for-antisemitism/?utm_source=bsd&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=LPAntisem&source=20190721_LPAntisem&subsource=bsd_email

      Jack T is a hopeless , and quite sinister, case, but many other regular , avowedly pro Corbyn, socialist, posters on here need to view our new site urgently. And more of the posters on here need to call out Jack T for his constant peddling of divisive anti-Semitic tropes and memes.

      1. jpenney, you exhibit perfectly the characteristics of Zionists who are trying to destroy the Corbyn Labour Party. Any criticism of Zionism is met with ad hominem attacks and a conflation of Zionism with Judaism in a pathetic attempt to intimidate critics by launching the anti-Semitism missile.

        Take a look in the mirror, the anti-Semitism is coming from your own camp who pulled out all the stops to get Chris Williamson suspended and Jews such as Jackie Walker and Tony Greenstein expelled from the Party.

    2. I agree Jack. Most people who ask me to to explain the difference seem to accept it when I explain it to them.

    3. Jack T I havnt Jack…..still waiting …You must be on the LIST Jack…try not to worry.I will try to think of it as my little red book,bit like the catechism that ch mao adopted from the Catholics!

  6. Stalin was Far Left ie a Communist, Akehurst is anything other than far left if comparisons are to be made and Akehurst And his ultra right wing 5th Columnists led by Tom Watson Margaret Hodge, The Board of Deputies for British Jews and Jacob Rees Mogg it is not Stalin,These Facist’s delight in labelling anyone supporting JC as Loonie Leftists, Communists, Anti Semitic, Racist, A danger to British Security etc etc. The above mentioned are not comparable to Stalin they are Comparable to Netanyahu and his Facist State or dare I say Adolf Hitler And Benito Mussolini Yes I suppose I Dare Say because no one in a position of Authority will put their heads above the parapet and call the Tories (The Ultra Right Wing Blairites of the New Labour Party Now Defunct) The wrongly titled Board of Deputies for British Jews they are nothing of the kind they are all self serving Zionist Charlatans Attacking a Man they are not fit to breathe the same air Jeremy Corbyn. I say this as a Scot and a supporter of our Independence from the Ultra Right Government of England NI and traitors within the Labour Party If you the English Working Class And Middle Class it’s the 21st Century why do you even have a class system anyway. If you do not get off your Arses and start supporting the only Politician and Party who can Save You England and NI Jeremy Corbyn and The Labour Movement then I pity you for the fools you are and you are going to get what you DESERVE.

    1. Patrick….you can be assured that the majority of the membership of the Labour party are loyal to corbyn and I agrree the traitors are not fit to breath the same air as Corbyn..But I do not understand your comments England and NI…..meaning the occupied part of Ireland that the Labour party do not campaign in due to long standing agreement on the illegal partition of Ireland by colonial British governments.You claim to support Independence for Scotland,and that is why I believe your comments on England and N I are strange for a nationalist who supports independence and at the same time lump so called Northern Ireland in with the Labour party?….You should know that the government of Israel is not the only racist endeavour,look to the Conservative and unionist party for a racist and secratarion endeavour……but when it comes to Ireland no British system will be tolerated and never will be!

    2. “Stalin was Far Left ie a Communist”

      … just as Hitler was a National *Socialist*! 🙂

      ‘Far Left’ … meets ‘Far Right’ in the circular dance. The terms on their own mean f. all – just different snouts in the trough gabbling self-serving rhetoric…. Stalin,Hitler, Netanyahu, Karadic, Mussolini …

      Get a grip.

    1. Sabine, because if we try to get rid of a Zionist they scream “anti-Semitism” and the LP takes fright.

  7. In its own way it’s similar to the recent comments here on Skwawkbox about using the signatories to the anti Chris Williamson petition by MPs as an identifier for deselection. Both tactics by factions which are becoming more and more bitterly opposed.
    The (extremely important) difference is that only one side is making false claims of racism.
    Oh, and the MSM is portraying the wrong faction as extremist fanatics – after all, you have to be pretty extreme and fanatical to try so hard to destroy your own political party from within.

    1. Yes, the self-righteousness about the fact of identifying allies and opponents is more than a bit emetic. It was a bit like reading a moral homily from a Victorian philanderer.

      As you say, it’s the substance that is the issue. A lack of irony and a sense of hypocrisy has always been one of my charges against the right.

      Interesting that one of the comments here identifies Stalin as ‘far Left’ without a pause for breath.

      1. Even a cursory reading of any bio on Stalin would reveal a distinct lack of left leaning politics from good old Joe the Georgian.

    2. Simon….yes 👍 like the comments,but we have to be able to defend ourselves from right wing fanatics destroying the Labour party.We need a system to identify the Labour rebels and we need to deselect.It’s going to get dirty ,but we are fighting for survival and some people are going to have to know that our CLPS have a duty to ensure we deselect traitors. and see the Labour party in government.

    1. She did next day appear on Newsnight in an item of, perhaps, 15 minutes duration (a quarter the length of the notorious Panorama programme).

      1. Oh, I see that whilst I was checking out that edition of Newsnight AND where the relevant piece began, timfrom posted a link to it.

      2. But Jenny Manson was not featured in the Panorama prog and she was only given 43secs on Newsnight to defend Corbyn – disgraceful!

      3. Regarding the Newsnight piece re the Panorama program/AS, Jenny Manson (pre-recorded) is on for about 50 seconds, followed shortly afterwards by Louise Ellman (pre-recorded) who is on for about 40 seconds, and then, in the studio, two guests are interviewed – ie Dawn Foster, a Guardian columnist, and John McTernan, Director of Political Operations to Tony Blair, 2005-2007 – who are on for about six minutes, and BOTH critical of JC, and ESPECIALLY McTernan, who obviously enjoyed his stint as Director of Political Operations for Blair!

        So that’s a ratio of about 8 to 1 time-wise in favour of those attacking Jeremy, and a perfect example of the fair and balanced reporting we’ve come to expect from Newsnight and the BBC regarding ‘anti-semitism’ in the LP.

  8. If there has been mass data protection breaches by former staff then this would have been reported to the relevant authorities, the party has no choice in the matter, they have to report as soon as they become aware there has been a breach
    So at some stage in the not to distant future a fucking mountain of shit is going to come crashing down on their heads
    Or am I reading it wrong

  9. THE RIGHT WING STALINISTS ARE ON THE WARPATH!
    ‘Luke the Nuke’s very last stand.
    The Neo-Liberal Bootlicker.
    Who threw his rattle from the pram.
    With a whimp, a bump and a flicker.
    The greatest mind in the Western World.
    Yet to be discovered.
    Then he packed his bags, with his glad rags.
    And we wondered why he bothered?
    Now Luke, go and read some Left Wing books!

  10. Think Jeremy Corbyn has misjudged the mood of the membership. WE do not need ‘education’ on AntiSemitism – WE need a Labour Party that stands up for the membership and our courageous Jewish members that support Corbyn.

      1. Waving the white flag and promulgating a load of untruthful shambolic nonsense hasn’t exactly produced results, has it?.

  11. It is an insult to be offered anti-Semitism ‘education’ I’m sure as LP members, we are quite capable of recognising racism for our selves, as Socialists it’s what we do. This is precisely how we know that Zionism which encourages the subjugation of Palestinians is racist, yet we are told that it is now acceptable in the Labour Party.

    We don’t need to be indoctrinated into accepting the ridiculous IHRA definition. If anyone was in doubt, there are perfectly good dictionaries which can be consulted

    Zionist influence is now much more embedded in the Party than many members even thought possible.

    1. Jack T……We both know that the leadership are playing to an audience who are anti Corbyn and anti socialist.understandable considering the attempts to investigate the Labour party.We have to swallow are pride and fury at the unfairness of all of this.The Establishment are badly frightened and we know that the sanctions could be draconian.In my saner moments I can understand Corbyn and McDonald backing off from full blooded confrontation…Like you though my heart tells me to fight and attack,but that could prove terminal,Maybe we have to lose some battles to win the war…

      1. Joseph, if you know it and I know it, the rest of the ‘unwashed’ will know it, so what good is it? The bit that is most annoying is where it cow tows to Zionists, saying the LP is your political home. Political Zionists are the ones who are murdering Palestinians and stealing their homes and land.

  12. I don’t recall seeing you posting on here before Spark (yes, what a coool little user-name), and you could very well be a shill – and there’s plenty of them on here – but I think it would be more than obvious to most people that it’s a strategy – ie JC wants to be seen to be doing something pro-active. It’s funny how you initially cite Jeremy, but then go on to refer to the Labour Party, but of course what you are REALLY saying in effect is that ‘WE need Jeremy Corbyn to stand up for the membership….’ etc.

    Perhaps you could elaborate. But I doubt it somehow.

    PS What was the ‘Labour Party’ doing when it condemned the flagrant black propaganda lies spewed out by the former Blairite staff on the Panorama demolition job – do you recall what each of them was saying?! – if it wasn’t standing up for members?!

    And I assume you recall what happened THEN!

    1. Seeing as Sparky’s new on here, perhaps you should’ve introduced yourself.

      Allan Howard: Shillfinder General

      Paranoid fuck.

      1. Yes timfrom, and YOU are another shill of course. You shills don’t like it when you’re exposed of course, so all you can respond with is ‘paranoid’ blah blah.

        And I assume sparky boy is another one of your personnas , whoever you REALLY are.

        Oh, but perish the thought that the Integrity Initiative or security services would infiltrate skwawkbox – ie one of the most popular left-wing blogs – with a number of personnas so as to try and influence what people think OR – more especially – feel. I see right through you timo, and I’m gonna make absolutely certain that everyone else does.

        PS I wonder if ‘sparkybadger’ will respond to the points I raised with them, or will they just disappear completely, as they often do!

        _______________________________

        BEWARE of shills feigning to be one of us (by ingratiating themselves), but then disseminating negatives about Jeremy AND have their other personnas agree. And they are also quick to give themselves a ‘like’ or two or more to reinforce the idea that other people visiting the site agree with their negative. I will be saying a lot more about their tactics on a regular basis because ‘they’ are infesting the site now.

      2. Aaah-hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah (breath) hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!😂

        Do your worst, dickhead!

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