‘We are fighting for the very soul of our party’ – an array of unions, MPs and member organisations demands emergency action to save Labour from Starmer’s ‘untenable’ attack on members
#ReclaimDemocracyRecallConference – this is the hashtag of a newly-launched demand made by unions, MPs, NEC members and party members. Below is their statement.
‘WE WANT OUR PARTY BACK!‘
Labour MPs, Party Members, some members of the National Executive Committee and Trade Unions including the Socialist Campaign Group of MPs, UNITE, the Fire Brigades Union, the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers’ Union, Don’t Leave Organise and Momentum, have come together to launch a campaign for an emergency ‘Recall Conference’ of the Labour party.
‘THERE IS A CRISIS WITHIN OUR PARTY‘
Discussion in local Labour Party meetings has been suppressed; motions banned; scores of activists suspended; and anger and disillusionment is exploding across our lay membership across the Party. Members are leaving in droves and many more are expressing frustration and dissatisfaction at the attack on democracy and free speech. Many members are saying it doesn’t feel like the Labour Party anymore.
‘THERE IS A WAY OUT OF THIS CRISIS: PARTY DEMOCRACY‘
Labour’s National Executive Committee does have the power to call such a conference. There is no practical obstacle to holding such a conference online as the Party is already planning to hold this year’s Labour Women’s Conference online and last year’s TUC Congress was held online. It is the only option open to us to resolve this crisis, reunite the Party and win elections.
National Conference has the necessary authority to deal with this untenable situation. We cannot simply wait until September’s Annual Conference as the situation is too serious. We need to hold an immediate special recall Labour Party conference that can restore the freedom of speech and debate, allow CLPs to operate freely, reaffirm and reclaim party democracy.
Ian Hodson, National President of the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers’ Union said:
We have a real battle on our hands. We are fighting for the very soul of the Party and are confident we have the bulk of the membership behind such a move.”
The power to recall conference is governed by the Labour Party Rule Book, contained in Clause VI of the Constitution Rules and gives the National Executive Committee power to recall Conference. Labour’s annual conference is the supreme policy-making body of the Labour party
The group is asking members as a matter of urgency to take the following motion to meetings of their Constituency Labour Party and branches of affiliated organisations: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1klQM3mj_rEZr1Tdv9Vr_C-9wvXtmNunH/view?usp=sharing
The FBU executive has made a similar statement feeding into the campaign.
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#ReclaimDemocracyRecallConference – I wonder if it will go viral?
Has the General Secretary approved this? Apparently it won’t go ahead without his say so.
A very welcome development. We will have to see if it has the legs to run, I certainly hope so.
Got my fingers crossed but can’t see it happening somehow John as the NEC is packed with a majority of the right of the party.
Foggy took your advice a few days ago on unite community,keep posting and totally agree with your NEC kangaroo courts.They should have a mandatory drugs test and hand over the smart phone before every mtg.and that was with the so called left wing dominated NEC kangaroo courts.Now the right is in control maybe a breathalyser test as well…!
Likewise Foggy.
LABOUR PARTY NEC MEMBERS
Chair: Margaret Beckett MP
Vice Chair: Alice Perry
Leader: Sir Keir Starmer MP
Deputy Leader: Angela Rayner MP
Treasurer: Diana Holland
Chair of Equalities: James Asser
Shadow Frontbench: Jim McMahon MP
Shadow Frontbench: Jonathan Reynolds MP
Shadow Frontbench: Jo Stevens MP
Shadow Scottish Frontbench: Richard Leonard MSP
Welsh Labour Representative: Carwyn Jones AS/MS
Young Labour: Lara McNeill
Disabled Members: Ellen Morrison
BAME Labour: Carol Sewell
Div. I – Trade Unions: Mark Ferguson (Unison)
Div. I – Trade Unions: Howard Beckett (Unite)
Div. I – Trade Unions: Andi Fox (TSSA)
Div. I – Trade Unions: Pauline McCarthy (Bakers)
Div. I – Trade Unions: Michael Wheeler (Usdaw)
Div. I – Trade Unions: Wendy Nichols (Unison)
Div. I – Trade Unions: Andy Kerr (CWU)
Div. I – Trade Unions: Tom Warnett (GMB)
Div. I – Trade Unions: Jayne Taylor (UNITE)
Div. I – Trade Unions: Kathy Abu-Bakir (GMB)
Div. I – Trade Unions: Ian Murray (FBU)
Div. I – Trade Unions: Mick Whelan (ASLEF)
Div. I – Trade Unions: Joanne Cairns (USDAW)
Div. II – Socialist Societies: James Asser
Div. III – CLPs: Johanna Baxter
Div. III – CLPs: Nadia Jama
Div. III – CLPs: Yasmine Dar
Div. III – CLPs: Luke Akehurst
Div. III – CLPs: Ann Black
Div. III – CLPs: Gurinder Singh Josan
Div. III – CLPs: Laura Pidcock
Div. III – CLPs: Mish Rahman
Div. III – CLPs: Gemma Bolton
Div. IV – Labour Councillors: Nick Forbes
Div. IV – Labour Councillors: Alice Perry
Div. V – PLP: Sir George Howarth MP
Div. V – PLP: Margaret Beckett MP
Div. V – PLP: Shabana Mahmood MP
https://labour.org.uk/about/how-we-work/national-executive-committee/whos-on-the-nec/
We will be able yo tell from the language john. It gives exposes the priorities beneath ie “keep things calm”, “sort things out”, “work with…”, “Labour was always a broad church” rubbish, “we must work together”, “UNIFY for a Labour victory”. QUESTION – How can one “unify” with the likes of Falconer et al who see the tragedy of Covid-19 as an opportunity to profit???
After September 11 tragedy, Bliar’s spin doctor boldly said the same sort of thing i.e. “THIS IS A GOOD DAY TO BURY BAD NEWS”. Unambiguous, ages ago now, and LORD Falconer and another SIR Starmer ally all those ages later says the same obscenity. The Question must be repeated, what is it on the “Left” that even now prioritises some woeful pathetic craving to “work with” committed OPEN wicked creatures??? So much so that despite an opportunity to “impeach” Blair for war crimes, handed to us by Alex Salmond, the Shadow front bench absented themselves.
I hope for the best, but just as across the pond, with VAST social media activity, money and sound policies in the main, Bernie Sanders pulled out TWICE. TWICE.
John we have an existential problem. It will not be fixed until we face it and deal with ALL basics.🚨🚨🚨
Signpost, given that you whinge and moan and complain and castigate the left on a daily basis, and apart from a couple of months or so when you disappeared – you have been doing so non-stop for over a year now, the following – which I just posted in an earlier thread in response to ‘M’ – is ALSO addressed to YOU, amongst others:
M, I just finished reading your post, having only got so far before doing a search on Novara Media etc, and I see that you TOO are spouting the falsehood about socialist MPs not having the guts to leave the party ‘and fight from the outside’. If you are suggesting that they sit as Independents, I don’t suppose it escaped their notice that when Chris Williamson stood as an Independent in the 2019 general election, he got the massive total of 635 votes (1.35% of the vote). As for ‘fighting afresh from our own party’, well given that they haven’t got the ‘guts’ to leave and do so – and given that a number of regular every-day posters have been slagging them off practically every single day in practically every single thread for the past two or three months – why don’t you all spend your time doing something constructive instead of forever whinging and moaning, and get your OWN socialist party together, because if you REALLY wanted to try and change society for the better, then you wouldn’t waste your time on here forever complaining, you would ACT and put your money where your mouths are. It’s easy to criticise, so come on then, show us all how it’s done!
Don’t hold your breath folks!!
Start with what is the aim, what do you want to happen and how do you get there
This sounds like
‘We want Temporary Embarrassment, Evans and PLP to stop being horrible to us’
The internal report changed everything and this is the lefts response
u r spot on Doug. There is not so much a reluctance to grow up and act, but a culture of not even seeing it as a possibility. You’ve been one of the few urging people to stay so we can act. Surely it is now more difficult for us who remain to get numbers ie votes to support the least worst options etc. Without self-awareness some say they will rejoin when we get a leader they can support. And some say it with lots of anger abuse even though they are hardly the type any one should need.
QUESTION – From where and how will their preferred leader suddenly appear??? By magic??? Who will nominate them, vote for them??? We have a deep problem when noisy angry can’t even see their odd implication that those of us committed must battle against the Right who did not leave, then the empty noisy lot will rejoin when things are good. What sort of solidarity or comradely use is that??? 🚨🚨🚨
I let my membership end due to labours Ableism problem but stuck with being a long term member of Unite community so as I could still have a future labour leader vote ( it also doesn’t feel so dirty paying my dues directly to Unite).
I wouldn’t rejoin the labour party as a member even if JC took the reins back again due to their Ableism.
Don’t think I can even bring myself to vote for them now.
The huge hole in your, and that covid 19 denier, ‘Doug’s’, argument, signpostnotwindchimes, is that (as the entire four year ‘Corbyn Insurgency ‘ era of 2015 to 2019 showed) no matter how many Left Wingers are in Labour’s rank and file membership, and despite a small number of supposed ‘Left’ MPs (amongst the corrupt Right Wing majority) , the Right Wing careerists who people all levels of the Party machine, and the Right MPs and corrupt Right Labour Councilors, will ALWAYS fight any significant advance to the death (of the Party and its electoral chances). So staying in Labour to fight on is simply a mugs game for the naive and deluded and historically ignorant, like yourself and ‘Doug’.
How many times does the pathetic, supine, Labour Left have to be so easily smashed by the Right (so far , in the 1930’s, the 1960’s the 1980’s and the recent ‘Corbyn era fiasco) for Lefties to grasp that ‘broad church’ Labour can NEVER be a vehicle for Left advance ?
What’s your solution oh wise historically knowledgeable one jpenney ❓ ❓ ❓ . . . Brilliant . . . best of luck. I genuinely look forward to your success especially with being a pleasant person to work with ☢️☢️☢️
Jpenny’s off again! Yet ANOTHER ‘the left are useless’ rant! Well if yur so clever and superior jpenny – and given that the left have been useless for decades according to YOU – why do you spend yur time ranting and raving on here when – if you REALLY care and want to change society for the better – you could form a left-wing socialist party – along with the OTHER moaners on this site – and show us how it’s all done. I mean given what you say about the left in just about ALL your posts, it’s hard to understand why you didn’t do so a long time ago. Are you just gonna spend the rest of your life harping on about left-wing MPs etc, or are you going to put your money where your mouth is and ACT?!
No? Thought not!!
Signpost, did you feel the same way when left-wing members left the party in droves after Blair was elected leader, and especially so after his WMD Big Hitler-type Lie etc and the invasion of Iraq? And given that like jpenny yur forever castigating the left, why don’t you get together with him (and a few others on here!) and form a new socialist party and show us all how it’s done.
No? Thought not!
PS Re jpenny spouting about the Labour left being ‘so easily smashed by the right’, I couldn’t help but notice that he omits to mention the massive great big elephant in the room – ie the corporate media and the semi-corporare BBC – but for whom Jeremy would have undoubtedly won the 2017 GE and be PM now. But it’s such a trivial point it’s hardly worth mentioning is it jpenny?!
Yeah, it’s all down to Corbyn and the left being so useless isn’t it, and nothing to do with the lies and falsehoods and smears in the tens of thousands of newsppaper articles and TV coverage on their news programs during the past five years or more!
Hmm…..
I took foggys advice and approached unite community which is a firm footing to remain in the working-class movement for the ordinary people.The bonus is in belonging to a Opposition to the government’s plans.and possibly being able to vote for whatever token gesture the PLP deem suitable to vote for.Not great,but it is better than nothing ,on offer in the Labour party.All we have to do now is stop the cancer spreading from the establishment Labour party.
Wanted
Individual who has an appetite for ripping the heads off ‘Red Tories’
Horrible nasty bastard who can do this sort of thing in their sleep
If this is you, please apply to what’s left of the Labour party 🥳 🙄 🤔 😀 😅
Doug, what u call “Horrible nasty bastard” need not be. We need people willing to be grounded in the real world, not floating behind some cloud shrouded mountain. People… not a person, people we need people like yourself in touch with reality as humans are not as we hope they should be.
We need people who can prioritise and turn up and work with the many who are there … over half a million willing to join a party reflects many millions more who welcomed our policies. That willingness was taken for granted and squandered with back room stitch ups with bastards… wicked open bastards. WHY the spirit sapping desperation to appease bastards rather than develop self-belief, and self-worth AND technical competence to IMPLEMENT change ourselves❓❓❓
signpost not windchimes
I come from a civil engineering background where you were dropped in a field and told to get on with it
If you dont like it we will find someone who does
You dont have to like each other but you do have to work together
I’m not a civil engineer I’m not that clever, but I do have a first class honours degree in the bleedin obvious
No room for Red Tories in our Labour party
RaV
RejoinandVote
I totally agree Doug. It puzzles me those who seem proud to say they will return when Starmer is gone. Who will get Starmer gone, the birds??? This may sound harsh but as u will know from your engineering work, those for the easy ride are 1 – unnecessary. 2 – a drain on spirits and efforts. 3 – a distraction from serious work. Yes some have not thought it through, but others, if even they tried or wanted to try will never change … like the Right Wing. I have no burning intention to convert those OR the Right Wing. ps so they need neither read nor respond to my posts. My post are not meant for them❌❌❌
Point of Order
Go to British Medical Journal editorial ‘Covid19 – Social Murder’ and responses
The debate from both sides
https://www.bmj.com/content/372/bmj.n314
As it should.
Let’s see some MPs put their names to this.
Corbyn would be a good start.
So , given the control of the NEC by the Right, it definitely isn’t going to call a Recall Conference, no matter how many CLPs call for one . That is purely empty posturing by the now utterly defeated Labour Party Left . The interesting thing is what Left-led Trades Unions will do , as Starmerite, NuLabour2 , becomes ever more obviously a totally ‘top-down’, thoroughly neolibera, opportunist Tory-lite Party controlled by its re-emerging Big Business billionaire donors. A neo Blairite party determined to complete the briefly interrupted ‘Blair Mission’ to turn the Labour Party into a simulcrum of the US Democrats. A few unions may well disaffiliate from Labour anyway , the Bakers Union, the FBU ? But what will the crucial biggie, UNITE, do ?
My hope is that the triumphant, arrogant, Labour Right just keep pitilessly kicking the gormless, ” abused wife syndrome” infected PLP ‘Left’ as they lie on the floor not even daring to yelp, and the ever-deluded remaining Left lay membership – until they all decide its all over for the Labour Party as a potential vehicle for even mildly radical Left progress. This is Particularly important now, as, very soon, the new global capitalist crisis brought forward by covid 19, kicks in, and hyper austerity is once more on the agenda , with NuLabour totally unfitted to lead working class resistance. Then, and only then, with significant TU support, could an even new mildly radical Left Party be formed with any potential for mass growth. Would the craven PLP ‘Socialist Campaign Group’ leave Labour to become the initial Parliamentary reps of such a new party ? Only very late in the day I suspect, – following the herd, as all career opportunists do – definitely not leading it !
Bad Penny
For the love of God the internal report changes everything, it is set in stone no one can say any other ever again
Reply to Jpenny
Any decent person reading your latest tirade with its disgusting references to pitilessly kicking and abused wife syndrome will find it very offensive. It demonstrates remarkable callousness on your part and confirms what many of us have already guessed – you are a Tory through and through.
Whether Conferences is recalled or not, there will be a Conference sometime in the future, probably in September depending on the Covid situation. At that Conference the GS’s appointment will be up for ratification ( which I hope won’t happen) and Starmer ( if he survives until then) will be called to account for undermining party democracy, freedom of speech and for his vindictive actions towards Jeremy Corbyn and many others.
I have no doubt that both Starmer and Evans will put off the day of reckoning as long as possible but equally I have no doubt that that day will come. We just have to be patient.
In the meantime I would suggest that all the Unions withhold funding to the party or at least put in place whatever internal processes are necessary to accomplish this. If they don’t do that, nothing will change.
YouGov today. Since the coronavirus situation, would you say in general your life has changed for: better – 14%, worse – 54%, remained the same 26%.
YouGov 2 Feb. Which of the following do you think would make best prime minister? Boris Johnson – 33%, Keith Starmer – 33%, Don’t know – 30%.
😂😂😂😂
IPSOS today have the Tories ahead of Starmer infested Labour. They also have JOHNSON … yes Johnson of 108,000 approx Covid-19 AVOIDABLE deaths AHEAD of SIR KEITH Starmer☢️☢️☢️
lundial
Your post made me smile, it is absolutely spot on
14% are better off, wonder who those fuckers are
People working at home, former commuters etc. I’m surprised the number is so low.
Again…proof that Starmer is never going to be a compelling alternative.
It would be worth rejoining the Lanour Party if this attempt to reclaim democracy was successful… how incredibly tragic is it that our once great bbn movement lacked democratic principles!
All members will have the contact details of branch secretaries – would enough members emailing them requesting that a ‘Recall Conference’ motion be proposed get the ball rolling?
Excuse my ignorance – I’ve no attachment to my current location and it’s a Co-op MP so I didn’t get involved in branch or CLP business even before I quit Labour.
Corbyn-supporting motions from CLPs really got Southside’s titties twisted.
Unless demands for the recall of Conference are linked to something that similarly challenges their authority I’m guessing they’ll just repeat the ‘EHRC compliance’ bollocks, deny there’s any business urgent enough to justify an emergency Conference and refuse point blank.
They can’t prevent the Unions organising their own online “Emergency Congress-Conference” though, or stop them inviting Labour members to attend (online) – technically as ‘observers’ possibly, but able to make their views known in ‘straw polls’.
Such a ‘conference’ would have no direct power over Labour obviously, but being publicly ripped to bits, another wave of resignations and all unions simultaneously cutting off the funding – the right can’t pass that off as “a few hard left agitators.”
The more authoritarian Starmer & Evans become the more members will presumably quit – better they see them for the Stalinists they are sooner rather than later, no?
I don’t even know if the unions are of one mind over Labour’s leadership so it’s all just conjecture.
OK, conjecture and wishful thinking.
If I’m right though, such an event would leave “the management” in little doubt their days were numbered – what their response would be is anyone’s guess..
I don’t understand why nobody’s ever taken a look round the back of Southside – somebody should.
After all the unions stop giving this cult money. There all socialist MP’s stop being wimps and stand up for the membership and lastly, why are you the members staying and supporting this cult?
Yes yes I know you claim to want to stay and fight but all I see is talk talk NO ACTION. You want my help and support do something until you do the above nothing will change. Only by removing money and support can you get change continue and things will stay the same or get worse but enough worthless words already!
Restore JC get rid of this cult and remember you’re a dam socialist party then were talk but I bet all we will get is more jaw jaw.
The people listed in this appeal held an online conference yesterday from which they barred/no-platformed Bristol socialist feminist Esther Giles (who has previously and rightly been supported by SW as candidate for Labour treasurer). The the left doesn’t stand a bat’s chance in hell if it carries on like this:
https://labourwomensdeclaration.org.uk/news/free-speech-for-women-at-a-free-speech-rally
https://actionnetwork.org/events/winning-pay-rises-for-key-workers
Winning pay rises for key workers
Start: Tuesday, February 09, 2021 • 6:00 PM
During the pandemic key workers never stopped. When the shelves needed stocking – they were there. When hospitals were at breaking point – they were there. When children needed support and care – they were there.
They risk their lives every day. Yet they get paid 8% less than the average. This isn’t okay. Nurses, teachers, care workers, cleaners and ALL key workers deserve a pay rise. And we have a plan to make it happen.
Our plan will only work if you get involved.
Join the call and step up to take action for key workers.
They cared for us. Now it’s our turn to care for them
The delegate structure of Conference – and the fact that it’s only held once a year – are only necessitated by the physical constraints of venue size, travel etc.
For an online conference all-member voting would be perfectly possible – members should insist on it for this emergency recall – and then propose a couple of motions:
1. That all-member voting should be accommodated at all future conferences whether online or traditional venue based
2. That online conferences additional to a venue based Annual Conference should be held as often as required by circumstances, to allow the Party to respond quickly to the more frequent challenges of a rapidly changing modern world
It’s important to remember that it depends on what Likud thinks about it. Sorry forgot to add the Beeb and Guardian are in the list.