Scandalous assault on and abandonment of democracy
The Labour right’s changes to the party’s rules on leadership elections have scraped through 53%-47% at its Brighton conference this evening, driven by a ‘backroom deal’ between Starmer and Unison’s right-wing management to back the plan – in direct contravention of the union’s official democratic policy of always backing ‘one member one vote’ democracy.
A change to a 20% nomination threshold for candidates to stand in leadership elections even where there is a vacancy, combined with the increase to 50% for local members to make even the most appalling right-wing MP face a selection contest, effectively rules out the chance of a left-wing MP ever standing.
As Skwawkbox’s Steve Walker put it in a video released this afternoon before the vote, the Unison and Labour right have colluded to deprive members and the public of any option to vote for in a leadership election or general election except those put forward by the Establishment creatures that control Labour:
Scandalously, Unison’s delegation followed the union management’s instruction to support Starmer’s power-grab, even though the union’s official policy is to support OMOV democracy, ignoring the call of the democratically-elected officers to vote against it in line with union policy:
The statement, issued when it looked like Unison would abstain – which was bad enough but would still have allowed the rule changes to be defeated, reads:
We the undersigned are the majority of elected delegates to UNISON’s National Labour Link Committee.
We oppose any increase to the threshold for MPs to nominate candidates for future leadership elections.
A member-led union like UNISON should not approve rules intended to reduce the choice of candidates in future leadership elections.
The National Labour Link Committee previously supported the rule changes that led to the reduction of the nominating threshold from 15 to 10%.
UNISON also opposed the original proposal in the Colllins Review that the threshold would be 20% on the grounds that this would not only deny members a voice but would reduce diversity of candidates, decreasing the likelihood of women and black members being on the ballot.
The National Labour Link Committee is the sovereign body for Labour Party-related matters within UNISON, according to the UNISON Rulebook and Labour Link Operational Rules. It is not permitted under UNISON Rules for the UNISON Conference delegation to overturn established National Labour Link Committee policy and the delegation would have no mandate to do so.This is no time for backroom deals or stitch-ups to abstain on fundamental matters of democracy and equalities, when UNISON has clear established policy through its National Labour Link Committee. UNISON must oppose this proposed rule change on the conference floor.
Dan Sartin, Andrea Egan, Jane Wilcox, Tony Wilson, Libby Nolan, Lilly Boulby, Andrew Berry, Carl Greatbatch, Billy Stewart, Steve Milford, Mark Fisher.
Even with the Unison management’s collusion, the rule changes would almost certainly have been defeated without the Evans war on Labour members – saving his own skin as well – that barred a large number of left delegates from attending conference by means of summary suspensions just ahead of the event.
Analysis of previous leader elections show that only the hardcore Blairite right would have been in the contest under the new rules.
Shoddy backroom deals and a war on democracy have carried the day, demonstrating again just how diseased the Labour party under Keir Starmer has become.
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Is there anything that can be done by Unison Labour Link to make this vote void. If not there should be to go against union rules is not on. They should hang their heads in shame. Yet somehow I doubt they will and regard this as an achievement.
I hope the Unison executive suspends these crooks
I think a rerun of the conference might be called for cause of vote rigging, so they got the results they wanted.
I am shocked at unison’s treacherous behaviour.
Sabine
Disgraceful behaviour on the part of Unison. Do you think there is a possibility of a rerun?
No, but it was clear as day that it was rigged, appatently i today’s discussions of AS jewisch socialist comrades were not admitted nor permitted to speak.
I find it to accept that the antisemites are in the plp and leadership teams/organisations. And the party itself under stammer and evans has become a democracy free zone. We cannot take this lieing down.
I’m not, they provided a safe haven, and cushy job for Emilie Oldknow after her racism and elitism along with playing the victim when she was the bully.
Reply to Sabine
You shouldn’t be shocked by Unisons disgraceful behaviour – they are well known for it
Conference has also passed the Equalities and Human Rights Commission rule changes – by 73.64%
Yes. The words that jumped out to me were “lawyer’s appointed by the general secretary” to examine so called cases with ‘protected characteristics’.
As far as I’m concerned the ehrc is itself totally compromised for taking issue against Corbyn for ‘interference’: trying to speed up cases, and failing to mention said cases had been stonewalled. Plus ignoring Starmer/Evans many instances of interference.
HOW RIGHT WING LABOUR & RIGHT WING UNION MANAGERS TREAT MEMBERS & DEMOCRATIC DECISION MAKING?
‘They’re smiling in your face.
But all the time they want to take your place.
The Backstabbers?’
You can’t believe their absolute gall.
How do these Right Wing political creeps sleep?
In coffins, in dark tombs.
WHAT IS THE FUCKING POINT OF UNISON?
They might as well affiliate with the fucking tories, because just like them, they only care about the fucking “establishment.”
Richard: What is the fucking point of the Labour Party? Surely it’s time for something different? Throughout its history the Party has had Right-Left contention, unsurprisingly given its scope and diversity. Yet the Left always loses fighting on radical policies against a clique of political bureaucrats who fight for their positions and the chance to wield a bit of Power. and after 120 years NOTHING HAS CHANGED. Nor will it; it’s simply too cosy a wheeze, I voted Labour at every opportunity since 1970 except for 2019 when the sitting MP (V Sharma) escaped certain de-selection by a sudden rule change about time limits for de-selection before an election. As an example of local politics it STANK to high heaven. He was also a sudden believer in a 2nd Referendum. He won of course. People spoke up in outrage but their complaints were laughed at – too late Mate, the RULES were changed! I cancelled my LP direct debit on the day Starmer announced his Shadow Cabinet; it was only too predictable what was going to happen. I voted Green as representing something closer to my views.
Hopefully the Left are talking to them, they could be worth hundreds of thousands of votes. To carry on with Starmer seems bonkers.
The message should be Vote Green and the Left Alliance but never vote Tory, LD – OR Labour.
Even under FPTP the old Liberal Party disappeared as a major force in the 1920’s and did so remarkably quickly once a reasonable alternative was available. Ironically FPTP speeds the decline. So it’s not impossible to puncture the arrogance of these Rule Obsessed bureaucrats who call themselves ‘The Labour Party’. Enough of them, Be Gone!
‘For you, the class war is over’ Unison.
I had to laugh at Ed Miliband on the television praising Starmer’s integrity.
What a joke!
At the last election, Labour got 32.1% of the vote. The German SPD has just got 25.7%.
After that, similar parties in other countries have got a much smaller share of the vote.
That, potentially, is where the Labour Party is headed now.
Sabine Ebert-Forbes
Thanks, sadly I fear these undemocratic fixing from Starmer will continue until a small cabal of LP members are left.
The Independent reports “. shadow cabinet ministers who spoke to The Independent on condition of anonymity were frank about the possibility that Starmer may need two elections to get Labour into power and are pushing for him not to “do an Ed Miliband” and stand down if he fails to secure victory at the first attempt, as his predecessor-but-one did.“. Er hold on “predecessor but one”. Neatly skipping over and ignoring Jeremy Corbin with 32% of the vote who was pushed out the door as quick as possible.
Do you honestly think he would have done any better 3rd time around.