‘Momentum Renewal’ has launched its ‘grassroots’ slate for the elections to Momentum’s National Coordinating Group (NCG). It contains twelve politicians, two former Momentum staff, two people who work for MPs, four current NCG members and one former member.
Momentum Renewal is organised by a cadre of ‘fixers‘ linked to the stacking of a number of parliamentary selections in the north-west of England and beyond, though their names do not appear in the group’s ‘strategy panel’. Insiders told the SKWAWKBOX before it was launched that it was a ‘front’ for Momentum founder Jon Lansman and that he had agreed not to stand for re-election to the NCG in return for ‘Renewal’s support for his continued candidacy for Labour’s National Executive Committee.
Now other insiders have confirmed to the SKWAWKBOX that these reports were correct. One, who asked not to be named, said:
Your reporting on Momentum Renewal has been correct. It’s basically a Lansman front, with that whole clique involved and the ‘renewal’ slate is full of people close to him, including many who hold or held positions under him.
‘Momentum Renewal’ was set up in apparent reaction to the emergence of ‘Forward Momentum’, a group not aligned with Momentum’s existing structures that has put forward its own slate of left candidates.
Jon Lansman has previously told the SKWAWKBOX not to contact him, which means that under the IMPRESS code he could not be contacted for comment about the allegations of his involvement and deal.
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The ludicrously mis-named ‘Momentum Renewal’ is indeed merely the existing, careerist, self-serving, Lansman crony claque cynically and dishonestly rebadging themselves to try to carry on running Momentum in its existing de-politicised, vehicle for a few opportunists, way. But what about the challenger, ‘Forward Momentum’ lot ? Do they represent a viable major shift in political (rather than merely procedural) direction by Momentum – such as to build a socialist mass movement within Labour to fight the now triumphant neoliberal Right, AND, actually even more importantly, win back millions of working class people lost through key disastrous policies adopted in our 2019 Manifesto – particularly the dominant uncritical pro EU sentiment, even demands to delay Brexit, and unconditional support for ‘Freedom of Movement’ (ie, unlimited labour supply) ? Have a wee look at the many pro Forward Momentum articles on that AWL front site ‘The Clarion’, and it becomes abundantly clear that the politics of the Forward Momentum crew is exactly the Left Liberal, totally middle class moralistic rubbish that lost Labour the 2019 General Election https://theclarionmag.org/ !
The totally middle class liberals of Forward Momentum still want to delay (and reverse if the only could) Brexit (and have no criticisms of the neoliberal EU at all !), and still want that middle class liberal , and indeed neoliberal, shibboleth of ‘unlimited freedom of movement’. So all the guff about ‘democratising Momentum, is irrelevant – this rival bunch of middle class opportunist careerists is really POLITICALLY indistinguishable from Lansman’s dire crew. Neither has anything to offer politically to build a Left current within Labour with any membership outside the usual middle class Left Liberal bubble . Neither faction display a scintilla of genuine socialist politics . That core socialist concept of major interventionist state-led PLANNING of the economy, including labour supply, is of no interest to these pseudo ‘radical Lefties’ – instead vacuous homilies about the bogus ‘freedom’ of workers across the globe to be carried endlessly around the world at the behest of market forces, never departs from self-interested middle class liberal priorities which actually merely serve to guarantee the availability of limitless ever-cheaper labour supply for their nannies, plumbers, barristas, delivery drivers, Uber taxi drivers, etc !
Any socialists seriously thinking the Left Liberal opportunists around Forward Momentum hold out any prospect of converting Momentum into a real Left mobilising vehicle – with any chance of getting to grips with the now totally in control again Labour Right – and re-connecting the Labour Left with the wider working class , particularly in our old heartlands, is seriously deluding themselves. The Labour Party is now fucked electorally forever , and at breakneck speed is now being converted into a simulacrum of the US Democratic Party. The crap politics of the Corbyn Circle and its utter cowardice, wasted the opportunity of the 2015 – 2019 ‘Left insurgency’ – alongside the harsh reality that the hundreds of thousands of ‘Corbynites, in the main turned out to be naïve middle class Left Liberals, with crap moralistic,identity politics-obsessed, priorities, and Momentum provided NO socialist political education to change that, just the shallow Liberal platitudes of the dire Left Liberal ‘World Transformed’ joke pseudo radical politics shows.
There is no longer any point socialists staying in Starmer’s corrupt tory-lite Labour Party . Only ‘Left’ careerists and the terminally over-optimistic and gullible can think otherwise.
jpenney, what’s a Zionist such as you doing extolling the virtues of Socialism, it’s incongruous!
While critisism of Momentum and Lansman is warranted, slagging off the 24 candidates from the Mom Renewal slate is not called for.
Forward Momentum have several people in there that should raise a few eyebrows. 4 AWL candidates that I can see. 1 former MEP who did everything in her power to change Labours position on Brexit to a remain one (also backed by AWL).
The problem with Momentum of the recent past in my view is not that they didnt run a primary or ‘democracy’, but that its politics became too involved with Westminster bubble and middle class politics.
Moosy, from what you say, Forward Momentum sounds good to me.
I guess if you’re a fellow AWL traveller, then you’re right at home there.
‘Momentum = Friends of Fiends of Israel
I sense that you are taking sides in this struggle Skwawk. I don’t think it’s a good idea: Nick Wright’s piece in today’s Morning Star is well worth a read but the salient section (amplifying points already made by other comrades here) is this:
“How then do we account for the reality that just as Labour’s two main right-wing tendencies have found enough unity with the middle ground to secure a convincing victory in the leadership and NEC elections and that Momentum is now convulsed with a struggle between factions each claiming title to the brand?
Not much purpose here is served by a forensic dissection of the superficial differences which lie behind the rhetorical stance taken by each of the Momentum platforms save to point out that little divides them in formal policy terms.
In renewing Momentum the key test of maturity is how the General Election defeat is understood and what is proposed to root the party more deeply in the working class and find a point of contact with the millions angered at the subversion of the referendum result. An additional factor bearing on the choice is the priority assigned to left unity and in this respect any list unable to divest itself of suspicion that it might be the instrument of the divisive neo-Trotskyite AWL sect has undermined its legitimacy.”
I think you would be well advised to stand back from this one and keep your eggs to put in another basket.
Here’s the full article from today’s MS.
https://21centurymanifesto.wordpress.com/2020/05/28/charting-a-new-course-for-labour/
Puerile, pseudo-intellectual bollocks – Mr. Wright couldn’t even follow the thread of his own sentence to a meaningful and grammatical conclusion.
Pretending to lay out the path to recovering lost brexiters by talking over their heads?
Yeah, that’ll work.
You seem to suggest David McNiven that Brexiters are thick. Therein, I think, lies the whole problem that Mr.Wright is trying to identify. We are not thick, we are as diverse as many other strata in British society; I will allow that, by and large, we identify as working class.
I admit that Mr. Wright is strong on analysis and much weaker on grammar and pronunciation. Whilst I abhor poor grammar and misplaced apostrophes, I find that faulty grammar can be rectified whereas faulty analysis is sometimes fatal.
Have a nice evening.
Pseudo-academics boil my piss.
One small example – how many “right wing tendencies” exist?
Two “main” clearly implies more than two. That means Labour has at least 3 right wing “tendencies” and a “middle ground” – presumably the fabled “centre” – all that plus the left?
Only the one left “tendency,” or more?
No wonder we’re fucked when our supposed thinkers either can’t express themselves or they’re hiding an abject poverty of intellect behind such gobbledegook.
Read that sentence again carefully, then tell me the word “and” doesn’t render it meaningless.
There’s much, much more but I’m already pissed off enough.
This isn’t about punctuation or grammar, it’s about clarity and honesty.
I’m arguing for language to be used purely to convey meaning instead of to feign intellectual chops and deflect criticism of flawed conclusions with academic obscurantism.
I identify as working class – as a powder coater, paint sprayer, conveyor loader, labourer – that kind of thing – I believe I’ve earned the right to describe myself as such.
Being nominally part of that audience it’s expected I won’t notice when unsupported assertion is passed off as reasoning and is constantly used to undermine us.
I don’t accuse Mr. Wright of deliberately undermining the working class – but the concepts of politics are simple enough for everyone to understand – and can be expressed perfectly well in plain language.
The language of academia is elitist in that it intentionally excludes non-academics.
The paid troll, Jack T is an anti-Semitic scumbag, hiding behind that slippery, multi-meaning, term ‘Zionism’ , always keen to throw that deliberately ambiguous and multi-meaning epithet of ‘Zionist’ at anyone as an alternative to actually debating politically. Let me be clear, I fully support the international BDS campaign to force the right wing Israeli government to cease its illegal land seizures and failure to negotiate with the Palestinian people. But, in concert with the PLO, the official Labour Party policy, Jeremy Corbyn, and most world governments, and the UN, and nearly all Labour Party members and UK citizens, I recognise the right of an Israeli state to exist, within negotiated borders. Only anti-Semitic nutters like Jack T, and the clerico-fascists of Hezbollah and Daesh, and a few nutters on the ultraleft, want the Jews of Israel (and implicitly their large minority Druze allies) to be ‘driven into the sea’, with the total destruction of the Israeli state. The defeat of Israel in any war would also lead to a nuclear holocaust in the Middle East by the way – as very nearly happened in the Yom Kippur War !
So fuck off , Jack T , and your other anti-Semitic troll buddies, there is surely no place on a Left site for your regular crude anti Jewish sentiments, thinly disguised as ‘anti-Zionism’..
jpenney, I am anti-Zionist but as my Jewish friends who are also anti-Zionist will attest, not anti-Jewish.
I believe Israel should not be a ‘Jewish’ state, do you?
I believe there should be no discrimination against non-Jews in Israel, do you?
I believe Palestinians who were expelled should have the right of return, do you?
I believe there should be equal rights for all in Israel, do you?
Nathan Birnbaum, an Austrian Jew who coined the term Zionism, believed that 1) Jews were destined to reclaim Palestine. 2) Palestine is the national home of all Jews. 3) Jews are a distinct nation. Do you agree? – A particularly good Israeli Jewish friend said ‘my heritage is Russian, my only connection to Palestinian Jews is my religion, how can Jews be a nation?’
You know full well the reason that there could be a nuclear holocaust in the Middle East, it is because bloody minded Zionists, represented by Golda Meir at the time, said she would be prepared to see the would engulfed in a nuclear holocaust if Israel was on the brink of defeat. This is an indication of the ruthless Zionist mindset of which you are typical when you lash out with childish insults when challenged.
The leadership of Jeremy Corbyn was destroyed by Zionists inside and outside the Party because he supported equal right for Palestinians. Zionism is racism. If you are a Zionist, you are NOT a Socialist.
Palestine The Reality:
Ironically, Nathan Birnbaum later turned his back on Zionism in favour of Jewish autonomy in Europe. Theodore Herzle continued with his belief in Zionism which led to the colonisation and conflict which we have today.
JPenny , using sweary language and jargon does not enhance the arguement. You are rash to condemn and judge, so it seems to me.
Paid-Troll-obsessive and Shill-finder General both do protest too much, methinks
jpenney, I don’t use the Z word myself because it’s been hijacked and distorted by the far right – but it’s not inherently antisemitic and as I haven’t seen JackT express antisemitic views I’ll only call his constant harping on the word ‘unhelpful’.
I’d choose ‘Imperialist’, ‘apartheid’ and ‘racist’ to describe Israel’s present regime, as I would every other that behaves in the same despicably racist way.
I don’t know who his “antisemitic troll buddies” are either if you mean here on Skwawkbox.
Was it you or someone else who accused another commenter – I forget who – a year or two ago of antisemitism regarding the ‘blood libel’?
Having seen religion for the complete fantasy it is aged six I became atheist and paid no further attention to it – consequently I had to Google the term ‘blood libel’. Having also rejected Shakespeare I similarly had no idea of the roots of the expression ‘pound of flesh’.
As a schoolboy I’d been introduced to a book of Jewish humour which I adored. Although obviously aware of the existence of historic persecution of Jews by Christians and others I’d innocently assumed that after the lesson of the Holocaust it would never be repeated – and that a goy like me would be guilty of nothing more than a little respectful plagiarism by repeating a few jokes.
I’m more careful now, but still unwilling to study religion to avoid inadvertently offending the easily-offended and I’d still slap anyone fucking stupid for calling me an antisemite for innocent ignorance of such things.
Jews are no less racist than anyone else – I’ve overheard the term “goy” spat out by some Jews in the manner of the hard right spitting out “Jew” or worse.
I once knew a young Jewish woman who despised ‘Arabs’ so much she told me a story – on very short acquaintance – of her mother years before being approached by one demanding to know “How much for the little girl?” Maybe it was true, maybe it was just part of her education. She certainly tried to persuade me to share her hatred.
I can’t tell you how much I despise Judaism, Christianity, Islam and every other ridiculous bullshit- and hate-preaching religion.
Come, friendly virus and fall on the fucking churches.
David, I ‘harp’ on the word Zionism deliberately. It has not been distorted by the far right, they fully support Zionism and its evil intent. It has been deliberately distorted by Zionists themselves who try to claim it as some sort of benign belief. You saw a hint of it in jpenney’s bad tempered response to me when he tried to claim ‘multi-meaning’. This is the view which Zionists are trying to present to the public and which must be challenged. Zionism is racism.
The reality of Zionism is that it stems from the West, it’s followers have created the carnage that we see in the Middle East through their unwarranted occupation of Palestine. To try and prevent any meaningful criticism, they have also interfered in our democracy to prevent us having what could have been an incredible Labour government. Like you, many have been reluctant to use the word Zionist because Zionists have deliberately conflated it with anti-Semitism to try prevent criticism.
Do not be afraid to use the word, it has a precise meaning, don’t let Zionists try to control our language. Remember, Zionists can be of any religion or none but they all have one thing in common, which is the belief in a Jewish state in Palestine with no allowance for any other religion, it’s even been writen into Israeli law. Jews in Israel who disagree with Zionism are persecuted and beaten by the army and police. Here in the UK they are kicked out of the Labour Party, we must support them.
It would be obvious to an infant that you harp on it deliberately.
Just because a section of Judaism has for the time being found common cause with the far right in crushing Socialism ‘to save Israel’ doesn’t change the fact that it was far right retards – but only when mob-handed – that used to yell “Zio!” to instil fear in any passing Jew they felt safe in hounding.
We ALL know the situation and forswearing use of the word – in my case at least – is out of courtesy not fear.
Though I despise Israel’s actions I understand them. If I were surrounded by enemies bent on wiping me from the face of the Earth within living memory I might hit them harder than I needed to – but only if I were too stupid to see the futility of it.
The English are the original imperialists here. The ancestors of our Tories are to blame for fomenting trouble in the ME and in just about every other troublespot on the planet by the simple expedient of drawing lines on maps and shooting any objectors.
We should own our responsibility and make amends.
David, ‘If I were surrounded by enemies bent on wiping me from the face of the Earth’ but that’s not true, don’t be conned by Zionist myths.
Perhaps it would’ve been a better idea, then, for Ashkenazi Jews to stay put and not move hundreds of miles to a place where you’re “surrounded by enemies”!
No, paid troll , Jack T, with your regular dodgy obsessive posts about ‘Zionist conspiracies’ in the Labour Party, and of course your very broad definition of who a ‘Zionist’ is (ie, pretty much everyone on the globe, but a few anti-Semitic nutters like you and Hezbollah and Daesh , because that is the overwhelming consensus of opinion that whilst there are huge criticisms to be made, and campaigns to be fought to pressure the Israeli government and state to change direction, the state of Israel has the right to exist) – you are simply ant Anti-Semite hiding behind a slippery, crude, ‘anti-Zionism’. And as a regular troll, your main motivation , for your anti Left puppetmasters , is simply to feed the divisive , discrediting, toxic and damaging simplistic crude obsession with ‘Zionism’ on sections of the politically ignorant Left and ultraleft and Left Liberals. Your ideology stinks, Jack T, as does your motivation for constantly posting this poisonous twaddle. I personally fought alongside a number of by then ancient Jewish old (AJEX), ex Communist Party, ex servicemen who were also Left Zionists, during the many street battles against the NF in the 1970’s, and despite our political differences on Israel and stalinism, you are not fit to lick their boots. They were all indeed lifelong socialists and militant class fighters , and a pipsqueak troll like you has no right to question their socialist credentials you scumbag.
jpenney, What a cheek, you’ve just asked Sabine to put up an argument yet you’ve none yourself – Zionist hypocrite!
Pitiful post , Sabine ! And your totally content-less post has no answer to any of my points, Sabine Ebert-Forbes. So I suggest you put up (an argument, and some facts and counter arguments) or shut up . Seems to me that , like most of the ‘zionism’ obsessed Left Liberal ‘Left’, you know nothing about the complex subject of Zionism or anti-Semitism in its many forms and its toxic dog-whistle memes, and just want to support the sick anti-Semitism of Jack T , without being open about it. Prove me wrong by making the effort to put up and argument.
jpenney, tell me if you can why Zionism is complex and that your contention is not just another attempt to obscure the truth that Zionism is racism and should have NO PLACE in the Labour Party.
PJenny, your tirades, use of offensive vocabulary just prove the point I was trying to make. Being rude and offensive does not give you street cred in the ‘I am the world’ s best socialist’ category. I chose purposefully not to engage In the topic of your ‘discussion’ with JH (?). My post was merely to make you aware that your approach to people may be something you ought to consider reflecting on!
And I insofar my post did have content! And as an afterthought, you should consider joining up, and shaping that whatever left organisation you choose, rather than just sit around and moan and attack others. Or create your own movement. Best wishes, pet, stay well.