A group of Labour supporters has come together to produce a new book addressing what works and what doesn’t in social media activism to spread the real Labour message – and correcting the skewed Establishment narrative. A press release by the group explains:
Get The Tories Out! is an impressive book of topical political commentary, written by a group of Labour Party members and supporters. This collection of short essays is rapidly gaining public attention, and independent media coverage.
The Conservatives won the 2019 General Election, with a majority of 80 seats, while Labour were reduced to 202 MPs, the party’s smallest total since 1935. This was largely due to the loss of support in areas that voted to leave the European Union – with people disaffected by Labour’s switch to the second referendum policy.
The scale of Labour’s defeat in 2019 is unparalleled in our lifetimes. Or is it? The significantly low level of seats masked the fact that Labour won 10,265,912 votes at the latest election, two and a half years on from 12,878,460 people voting for a radical programme, shaped by Jeremy Corbyn and a mass membership, during 2017.
The 2019 Labour vote total was higher than in three other elections in the current century – 2005 (Labour majority), 2010 (hung Parliament led to Con-Dem coalition), and 2015 (small Tory majority). Labour’s vote in 2017 had been exceeded in only four previous General Elections, those of 1950, 1951 (a defeat despite winning a higher popular vote than the Tories), 1966, and 1997.
The 2017 Election brought an increase in the Labour vote compared to the previous such contest of 3,531,187. This was the second largest gain of votes in Labour’s history. The biggest leap occurred in 1945, when Labour won power with 3,982,758 more votes than in the preceding election. With elections on hold during World War Two, the poll prior to 1945 had been held a whole decade earlier, taking us back to the 1935 result.
These figures suggest that talk of an existential crisis for the Labour Party is premature. Without the concern from 2016 leave voters that Labour was abandoning them, combined with the massive mainstream media attack in 2019, Labour could have repeated the historically high vote of 2017. That vote had removed the small Tory majority in the House of Commons, when Theresa May, and her numerous Blue Tick supporters with Ipads (who masqueraded as journalists), thought she was on course to increase it.
The current crisis for Labour is largely a false construct from the opponents of our party. Sadly this narrative is being amplified by the misnamed “moderates” in Labour. Their zealous nostalgia for Blairite Neoliberalism attacked the resurgent left during 2016, with the “Chicken Coup” and “Labour Purge”, notorious failed attempts to break Corbyn and his supporters.
The months since our 2019 defeat have seen an enormous amount of positive activity. There have been inspirational ideas about rebuilding support for the Labour Party and Socialism. Many of us strongly believe the Tories will fail to deliver on empty pledges they made to win the Election. The Conservative Party have little or no interest in the working people who lent them votes to “Get Brexit Done”. Months before Boris Johnson came up with his slogan, we were saying “Get The Tories Out”. Actually we were often using #GTTO, one of the popular hashtags introduced by Rachael Swindon, a woman who has been a massive influence in putting the Socialist message into British social media.
The strong advocacy of continued radical Socialism in the Labour Party, as the best way to challenge and defeat the Tories, gave Andrew Godsell an idea. He suggested, in January 2020, that we should capture some of this excellent content, in a cheap paperback.
The response was very encouraging. In the next few days, excellent pieces were sent to Andrew, who put a summary of the developing plan on his Blog. Over the course of a few weeks, more pieces arrived. Meanwhile exchanges among the growing group of writers, via Twitter and email, produced new ideas for content, including some great memes to illustrate the book.
Little more than a month on from the original idea, Get the Tories Out! was published. This enabled the book to be part of a debate on the future of our party, during the Labour leadership election then in progress. The plan was to produce an expanded, and updated, edition after the leadership contest concluded, and this arrived in June. It is a literal Labour of love, with the contributors offering their pieces for free, and a cooperative publication on a non-profit basis – hence the bargain price!
The pieces in the book explain the experience and views of individual campaigners, who are working with others – both online and in the real world – to build the collective strength of our movement. Amidst the dark days of Boris Johnson’s Premiership, here are strong messages of hope, as we analyse the reasons for Labour’s historic defeat, and show the way that a radical mass movement can regain the political initiative from the Tories.
Some of the authors are familiar figures on political Twitter, with Rachael Swindon contributing two chapters. We also have pieces by Wolfie, Chelley Ryan, Rick Evans, Gayle Letherby, and Elaine Dyson. Andrew Godsell has been writing about politics and history for many years, with “Why NOT Trust the CONservatives?” being his most notable book in this field. The editor has found it a delight to read a lot of great material from emerging left Tweeters, deservedly building a good audience. Besides essays by twenty different authors, the book includes suggestions for further reading – dozens of Socialist and similar books, plus independent media websites and radical Blogs are listed.
Hopefully increasing numbers of people will be enthused to read the book, and share our message.
Thank you
The 148-page book is available in paperback form under ISBN 9798617341746 for a price of £4.99. For more information contact Andrew Godsell on spergera@gmail.com.
The SKWAWKBOX received no reward or incentive of any kind for this article.
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I am ready and willing to be convinced,and not too proud to be proven wrong in letting my membership lapse.I really thought that after many years the party and the people had seen the light of a coordinated Struggle for the working-class and the Democratic socialist labour party to come together..
When I pointed out to Nathan Yeowell ( Director of Progress), Gurvinder Singh Josan ( Labour First and newly elected member of the NEC) and some of the “ moderate” members of my local CLP straight after the 2020 GE , precisely some of the points raised in the article . For example, in the 2010 New Labour lost 90 Seats, and was down to about 8,500,000 votes compared to the approximately 10,350,000 votes in the this election and we won 30 seats in the 2017 GE( the first time in decades Labour had won seats), they went into apoplectic denial and tried with bluster to dismiss the gains Labour had made under a democratic socialist leader.
Moreover, they attempted to deny that the U.K. wanted socialist policies such as a renationalised Railway which benefits the commuters not the shareholders and CEOs. The accusations of being Red Tories stuck in their craw most of all. But that is exactly what they and the knight of the realm are. They are the second face of the business party which they and the real McCoy Tories belong to!!!
It should make interesting reading
The reason for the election result in 2019 was definitely Starmer 2nd referendum, to deny this is ostrich like, but that appears to be the policy of the right.
I would modify that slightly to read “one of the main,if not the main reason” otherwise I agree steve.
That is very clearly true. However, I also believe the election was rigged as well, to stop Jeremy Corbyn from becoming Prime Minister. We need to get Idox, with their former Tory MP, Peter Lilley as one of their managing directors, out of the election process.
#GTTO: the obvious question this gem of wisdom begs is; how?
Labour can win the next GE. But the answer is not in writing essays or thinking up ‘hashtags’ ( what is a hashtag? a lapel badge once upon a time).
The way Labour can win the next GE, the only way as I see it, is to recognise its greatest asset; its new leader. In the short time he has been in post he has managed to make Johnson look bad. Tories see it. Voters see it. Starmer is impressive at PMQs. Johnson is not. Playing the buffoon worked with Brexit and against Corbyn but when there is a real crisis to deal with, Johnson just has not got the ability. His leadership qualities are non existent. Cummings being the perfect example of not leading.
We live in scary times. Its going to get a lot worse come winter. Furlough cannot last indefinitely. There is coming, mass unemployment. Jobs, millions of them, well paid jobs disappearing as I type. Another spike in the virus is inevitable as the lockdown is eased and the seasons change from summer to autumn. People live in fear, they are right to do so.
Soon the media will turn on Johnson. If things get as bad as I think they are about to get I think he may be gone this year.
If so, and Starmer carries on as he has started it is not too fanciful an idea to imagine that the Tories would ask him to play a part in ‘unity’ government.
How does that scenario sit with Skwawky and the flock?
We have been here before with Tony Blair being the Knight in shining armour to save the Labour party and he almost destroyed it with his legacy. We don’t need another Knight . We need a democratic socialist Labour party leader not some one whose has been bought and paid for by the establishment and the right wing oligarchs in the US.
GTF
Starting with Blair
I dont know which Starner you are talking about. The one I see and hear wants to purge the labour party of the pro Corbyn left such as RLB, is totally blinkered about Zionism and frankly, has sold out to the right wing Zionist groups. He has pissed off BAME members and supporters by referring to BLM as a moment and I’m afraid his background with the CPS doesn’t give me any hope that he actually understands how the justice system impacts on Black lives. Hes also too keen to show support for Boris on COVID,in particular the early return of schools and also easing of the lock down. With this Tory lite in power I will never vote labour let alone rejoin the,party.
Cindy,
If your comment was directed at me I will try and answer your question ‘which Starmer are you talking about’.
Im talking about the one the country sees on the news on a Wednesday, when he goes head to head with Boris Johnson at PMQs. He’s only done it a few times, and whether you like it or not the fact is he has been impressive.
You guys on these sites obsess about unimportant details. OK I get it, the detail may be important to you and the other lefties on Skawkbox, but in the big picture of British politics the minutiae doesn’t matter. Infact it gets in the way. The important thing to voters is perception especially at this time of crisis.
People are genuinely worried about the future and are looking for leadership. They look at the PM and they don’t see it. The contrast between Johnson and Starmer could not be greater.
I just reread your comment and something struck me. Ask yourself what were the issues that dogged Labour under Corbyn? One in particular?
So what would you have done if you were Starmer, when, just weeks in from taking on the role of Leader of Her Majesty’s Opposition he has to handle an issue; the same issue that plagued his predecessor? Ignore it (RLB’s infantile tweet) and let the fire that is ‘Labour is antisemitic’ reignite or make an example and get rid.
The same goes with BAME. Factions are trouble. Starmer knows it.. Its called Real Politic.
What was ‘infantile’ about RBL’s tweet Richard?
And the point is of course that there was nothing remotely anti-semitic in what Maxine Peake said in her interview and, as such, it is just malevolent fascist forces at work – as it has been all along since JC was elected leader – to demonise and destroy the left in British politics.
And Starmer is fully on board with THAT goal!
Richard MacKinnon
Have you read the internal Labour report, the only real politic is getting people like you out of the party, Quisl8ngs and Bad Actors, never again
”the fact is he has been impressive.”
It’s not a fact at all. It’s your opinion.
That national unity government has had a run out already – the 2010-2015 coalition. It imposed austerity on the country and did for the LibDems. Nick Clegg, however, got his big job with Facebook out of it, so he was happy. I don’t doubt for a moment Starmer would go for the national unity government. I would expect the outcome to be similar.
GTTO…SWS
(Starting With Starmer)
Starmer and the extreme right in Labour are the problem not the solution. They’re all too busy reading Starkey to botherwith the socialist transformation of society.
What we should be looking at specifically is getting the dead weight out of the Labour Party and welcoming socialists back into a mass activist party where membership counts for something.
Richard MacKinnon I think I have to disagree with just about everything you said. You obviously have no principles and will throw everything labour stands for out of the window to get into power by which time it has transformed into another Tory party. As for his pqs he starts off ok but then fizzles out …he has no back bone!
Doug,
Im not in the party.
Allan Howard,
What was infantile about RLBs tweet?
Derek Chauvin is charged with murder. If there is a connection between the cause of death and IDF then the place to highlight the connection is at Chauvin’s trial. RLB is a member of parliament.
If you don’t understand how inappropriate, how stupid the her use of social media was I cant help you.
Yes, and if YOU don’t understand that fascist forces – both domestic and foreign – are using fake claims of A/S to subvert democracy, then it’s about time you woke up.
And neither Maxine Pearce or RLB were accusing ‘Israel’ of somehow being indirectly responsible for George Floyd’s death, and THAT is just the fascist black propagandists at work doing their usual contortions to make someone appear guilty. I mean it’s so fucking obvious to anyone who has their eyes open that it’s all part of a massive black smear campaign to destroy the left, but YOU pretend you can’t see it.
Fuck off Richard with yer fucking B/S!
Why is this book not available in digital form?