Call for expressions of interest. Names of those applying will be included in a preliminary poll of Labour members to create ‘slate’ that truly represents member majority
Despite the best efforts of everyone involved, the recent problems and failure to agree a left ‘slate’ of candidates for the current by-elections for two member representatives on Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) have brought into sharp focus the shortcomings of the left’s ‘legacy’ system for identifying the best candidates for the party’s majority left to unite behind.
But in the summer, all nine member representative positions on the NEC are up for re-election, to take their seats immediately after September’s annual conference in Liverpool and play a vital role in Labour’s future direction.
So it’s time to do something different, time to revolutionise the process and open it up for all members on the left of the party who want to participate to have a genuine chance to do so, to ensure that the NEC reflects Labour’s grassroots.
The SKWAWKBOX is inviting those who want to serve the movement as members of the NEC to register their interest by emailing democracy@skwawkbox.com. The window for expressions of interest closes Friday 14 Feb at 7pm.
Once registrations have closed, those who have registered will receive instructions on information required to participate in the shortlisting ballot and then a schedule for that ballot will be published.
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One of the main problem of having affiliated groups in the Labour party is that an invitation such as this will be swamped by puppets of Momentum,Labour first,JVL,progress,uncle tomcobly and all his mates..The real problem of the Labour party is that the broad church is so wide that the roof is coming in .On a personal note I am weary of the constant battle to retain any form of socialism and whilst I applaud trying and recognise the work squawkbox do in keeping us informed for me the last election was the last chance for socialism.in the Labour party.On the same subject of factions and the non socialist leadership election it’s again an attack on the general secretary of the Labour party regarding Data protection and blaming her for their own criminality in hacking the Labour party database.Trust a knight to blame the victim which is us the membership and the Labour party.Starmer is issuing press releases in a scattergun approach to saving his neck .and his leadership ambitions.No wonder The DPP were glad to get rid.!.I suppose he thinks that if a burglar breaks into your house and slips on the rug then its the houseowners fault.and they should be prosecuted for criminal negligence…..Trust a lawyer?and wait until you get the bill? IT will make your eyes water ,just as it will if he wins the election of the Labour party.leader.
I was just about to shut down my PC Joseph when I spotted that you’d responded to my inquiry yesterday about which council you were a councillor on, but you omitted to mention such, and finished by saying ‘No Comment’. I’ve asked you now at least six or seven times during the past five months or so, and I really can’t understand why you are unwilling to say which council it was. Why is that? What possible reason could you have for not telling me?
Get to bed Allen,its far too early for you.The rest will do you good and dont worry..be happy ☺.regards comrade…
Joseph, exactly is the point if giving up? Blair has not given up. Twatson & Starmer did NOT give up. They remain like a stinking persistent slime. They have nothing to offer and they don’t give up nor sow despondency amongst their cesspit. WHY should we give up??? Give up and you gift easy victories to the slime that us Blair Starmer & Twatson.
should read What exactly is the point of giving up…
Came across this amusing parody of the ‘Punchgate’ episode earlier:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/dec/10/photo-fake-tory-punch-tweet-storm-boy-hospital
Just remembered that I’d forgotten to check something out regarding what Maria said (in a thread yesterday) about the Green Party. In an extensive put-down of the Green Party she said the following:
‘Green politics, totally lacking serious joined-up socialist politics , is a dead end which has always led Green Parties to collaborate with austerity – as the Green led council in Brighton did – with Caroline Lucas even organising scabbing via organised rubbish collecting by volunteers to undermine the dustbin collectors strike against the Green Council’s wage cutting demands!’
Anyway, I did a search so as to try and find out a bit more about it all AND verify what Maria said, and came across the following clip from a Daily Mail article:
Caroline Lucas, MP for Brighton Pavillion, joined strikers on the picket line to show her support.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2343216/Brighton-covered-rubbish-binmen-strike-seven-days.html
Just came across this Guardian article which takes a light-hearted look at the local political scene in Brighton at the time, and an insight into the minority led Green Party council. Here’s a taster:
Then came the infamous bin strike. Kitcat’s administration had resolved to belatedly bring the council into line with equal-pay legislation, but the process was handed over to council officers, rather than being worked through by politicians. As some saw it, he was washing his hands of responsibility for the proposed outcome – pay cuts of as much as £4,000 for some of the council’s rubbish-collecting and street-cleaning workers. The result was a week-long strike, and strange scenes indeed: rubbish piling up in the streets and businesses being warned against clearing the streets themselves by a mysterious outfit called “the Brighton and Hove Talibin”. [Caroline) Lucas supported the strikers; Kitcat was apparently nowhere to be seen.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/dec/15/greens-blown-it-in-brighton
Re your reply Joseph, which I just this minute saw when I posted this, can you tell me why you won’t tell me which council it was, and why you won’t tell me why you won’t tell me why you won’t tell me which council it was? It’s just that I did an online search and found absolutely nothing.
You look for muck everywhere Allan even amongst socialist comrades….Many on here could inform you but I hope they keep stum just for the fun allan ..I wonder why I wont tell you…maybe I am unhinged?or maybe you should work a bit more..it’s all out there but unfortunately for you nothing bad but definetly not boring.
Allan Howard, Lucas never actually ‘supported the strikers’ in any way, other than a cynical verbal throwaway line , but actually organised scabbing to pick up rubbish ! The two-faced Caroline Lucas both expressed empty ‘support’ for the Brighton council bin men ( in dispute with her own Green Party-led Brighton Council – hiding behind a bogus ‘equal pay’ excuse to implement massive pay cuts ! ) AND organised a scabbing ‘community rubbish pick up day’ too ! A totally dodgy politician is Caroline Lucas. There is no doubts about the strike-undermining scabbing she personally organised – it was well documented at the time , https://libcom.org/news/caroline-lucas-green-scab-17062013
Alan Howard; Yes Jason Kitcat. A blast from the past. Crazy name, crazy green, crazy guy. Jason still has a website (https://jasonkitcat.com/about/) and which is the most self-regarding one I have ever, ever seen, Samples; “Hello, I’m Jason Kitcat. I am a really experienced, digitally-savvy organisational leader who is calm and resilient under pressure. I have experience in the public, private and third sectors. I love helping organisations to imagine & build internet era public services. I’m passionate about local government, technology and public policy. I used to be a politician, but I’m taking the pills daily now……..Jason is half English and half French-Canadian. He is married to Ania and together they have two daughters, a son and a rather demanding little Coton de Tulear doggy……..”
And on Comrade O Keefes stellar career championing Labour Local government. Odd, but like you, I find no trace on this on the web, not even under Brighton or on Ho Chi Minh City. FWIW, I have done time on Cleveland County Council, a local (Loftus) Parish Council and a Unitary Borough – Redcar and Cleveland. And, yes, references are there on the web. I am happy to be open, as would anyone else. Why, then, is not Brother O Keefe ?
Hi Joseph, glad to see you’re still withstanding the interrogation – first time you were questioned I remembered which council you’d mentioned – but only because I knew the area a little bit, having lived in the next county.
Pretty place 🙂
Allan, if you haven’t solved it in 24 hours you’re off the case.
There are Tories committing real crimes out there.
The two-faced Caroline Lucas both expressed empty ‘support’ for the Brighton council bin men ( in dispute with her own , Austerity-implementing, Green Party-led Brighton Council – hiding behind a bogus ‘equal pay’ excuse to implement massive pay cuts ! ) AND organised a scabbing ‘community rubbish pick up day’ too ! A totally dodgy politician is Caroline Lucas. There is no doubts about the strike-undermining scabbing she personally organised – it was well documented at the time , https://libcom.org/news/caroline-lucas-green-scab-17062013
Apologies Maria, it was jpenny of course.
jpenny, could you tell me what your source was re the rubbish collection ‘scabbing’ you spoke about. I did a search and couldn’t find anything.
OK, just spotted your link, but I’m still not entirely convinced. She has always seemed like the real deal to me, and it does seem bizarre that she would profess solidarity with the strikers and then do something to undermine that and, as such, appear to be hypocritical. And the general feeling that I got from the Guardian article I linked to above is that the local GP councillors had splits amongst their ranks, and Kitcat definitely doesn’t come across as the genuine article. And despite all the negativity about the Greens in the thread yesterday, I’m posting a link to this BBC News article again
Green Party manifesto 2019: 12 key policies explained
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2019-50464641
PS Re Brother O’Keef, yes, one can only wonder why he is so reticent David, and it’s odd how D McNiven keeps injecting himself into the ‘dispute’, solely to cast aspersions on myself (as opposed to the person who refuses to answer a simple question!).
I wonder why you keep doing so Brother McNiven? (you wouldn’t be a Scottish relative of the filmstar David Niven, would you?)
You wouldn’t be Frankie Howerd’s auntie would you?
“I did a search and couldn’t find anything” – no shit, Sherlock.
Something just occurred to me:
As I said above, when I did a search (re >caroline lucus rubbish collection volunteers<) I couldn't find anything, but one of the articles I checked out – which had several pictures of garbage strewn everywhere – said how foxes and seagulls were ripping open the binbags full of rubbish etc, as they do of course, and I suspect that what Caroline Lucus did – if anything – was spend a bit of time with a few local GP members clearing up the mess (in several streets) that the foxes and seagulls had made, and if that's the case, then what's the harm in THAT. Then again, if you have proof jpenny that she had volunteers helping her collect rubbish bags and take them to the local council tip/recycling center, then that's a different matter.
And just to elaborate on what I said in relation to CL earlier – ie that she's always come across to me as the real deal – during the course of more than a few years I've watched various Commons debates in which she's spoken, and she has always struck me as a sincere and caring person who feels passionately about injustice etc, and I find it pretty much inconceivable that she WASN'T being sincere and is, as such, duplicitous. Yes, I know many politicians ARE, but I don't believe she is.
David Niven: In your post you say (to Joseph) that when he was first questioned (as opposed to 'when Allan first asked you…'), you remembered which council he mentioned, but then go on to say ' but only because I knew the area a little bit, having lived in the next county'. I assume what you actually meant to say is that you recognised the council he was alluding to from his description. So what specifically was it that Joseph said which led to you recognising which council he was talking about? And how can you be so sure that you are right? And why not just say which council it is that you think he was referring to? And why do you think he's so reluctant to divulge the name of the council?
I can't help feeling somehow that I won't be geting any answers to my questions. And I can't help but wonder why! Oh, right, and just in case anyone missed it, the last time I asked Joseph which council he was a councillor on, SteveH – as he so often does – injected himself into the 'dispute' and said (regarding why Joseph won't tell me) that 'perhaps it's because it's none of your f—king business'. Yep, solidarity, that's what it's all about, and it's great to see it (and SteveH 'wasn't protecting' Joseph, and he and Joseph 'often disagree'!).
Hi Allan,
Re your enquiries about Joseph O’Keefe:
I suspect that, among the reasons Joseph and others haven’t answered your questions, people might resent someone appearing to demand they prove their credentials and identity.
Based on some things Joseph has said, in a number of comments, I was able to find reference to a Joe O’Keefe, living where Joseph has said he’s lived, on several websites with a simple Google search. Various quotes attributed to Joe do fit well with some of Joseph’s predilections (especially anti-Catholic bigotry and the Lewes bonfires), although I admit that I couldn’t find/be bothered to find reference to his council career.
So, unless the trolls are playing a spectacularly long game, or they’ve decided to adopt the identity of someone in a Brighton Argus article, I’d be inclined to take Joseph at his word that he’s a real person. A former Councillor? I’m sure somebody could probably find out.
And yes, I am aware of the irony of saying that, given that I’m only using a nickname and not my real name to comment. And, before you ask, I’m not being paid to post this (I’m signing on, in fact).
Hi Stark, Despite what you say, why would anyone who claims they were once a councillor have any reason whatsoever to not say where they were a councillor ie which council it was. And as for ‘demanding’, I have never DEMANDED that he tell me, just simply asked him, As David Walsh said, why would anyone have any reason to not be open about it. It doesn’t make sense if Joseph really was, but by repeatedly avoiding doing so he just reinforces the suspicion that he never was a councillor, and that it’s fabrication, concocted so as to impress and add weight to his comments. And surely someone who identified as Joe previously would just continue to do so, and done so when they first started commenting on skwawkbox.
Anyway, I’d be grateful if you could provide me with two or three of the links you referred to, cos I just did a search using Joe (O’Keefe), and didn’t find anything (but only put one link in a ‘Reply’, cos if you put more than one in a post, it has to wait to be moderated). Cheers
I just Googled “Joseph O’Keefe Lewes bonfire”. Several came up.
As to if he was/wasn’t a Councillor, I frankly didn’t bother to check too thoroughly. I had four job rejection emails in a two hour period yesterday, so I wasn’t in the best of moods. I’m sure more concerted digging would clarify.
Without wanting to sound rude, Allan, if you ask someone something, and on several occasions ask why they haven’t answered, it comes across as rather demanding. That’s why I described it as such.
Just seen your post Stark, having just seen Joe’s post in which he finally revealed which council he sat on. The key thing is this though: Why wouldn’t you just simply respond to someone inquiring about something the FIRST time they asked you? Doesn’t make sense, does it. Unless of course you had an agenda – ie to arouse suspicion on the one hand, and to create a situation in which the person then asks again, precisely because they DIDN’T, and so on. Now why would anyone do that?! I wonder!
Anyway, I realise that it’s just coincidence that Joseph – or Joe – should just finally happen to reveal which council it was the day after you joined in the ‘debate’ and posted a comment for the very first time, but I look forward to you getting more involved and commenting more often on here in the coming weeks and months. Were you never once tempted to before?
Lucas would turn up for a photo shoot anywhere including Brighton refuse workers who have been forced to strike under every party since Thatcher forced through privatization.Snooty lucas has no shame and I used to live in her constituency and have seen that the “buggers are all the same” Just ask the union!,
It would appear that ordinary Labour Party Members are excluded. No invitation to apply no timetable;; no literature from the ‘Secret Society called the Labour Party. Who is responsible for this lack of Glasnost & Perestroika? Does Momentum operate in such a shambolic manner?
While politics continues to be something done behind closed doors socialism will fail. Without open society – and I mean NO secrets – the many will continue to be exploited by the few.
Technology is on the brink of being able to create such a truly open society if we choose to do that – rather like a FOI request on ANYTHING but without having to do more than look it up online.
Our complete financial circumstances, our complete histories from birth, there for the asking.
Crime or any other kind of exploitation becomes pointless when discovery and punishment is certain.
With no ‘commercially sensitive information’ capitalism might be able finally to fulfil the function claimed for it by its supporters, in that ‘the best’ will prevail on merit, not advertising.
Assange for President! ( 🙂 )
NEC? No thanks. Not without complete openness and ‘minority reports’ so that alternative reasoning can be considered more widely.
If you didn’t see the latest edition of Renegade Inc on RT (yesterday), it’s well worth checking out:
WHEN THE TRUTH BOMBS
https://www.rt.com/shows/renegade-inc/480472-us-france-bombed-syria-2018/
And this also, on Aljazeera, which was news to me:
Secret Sardinia
An investigation into the consequences of NATO weapon tests on the Mediterranean island (25 mins)
https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/peopleandpower/