Labour right plumbs new depths in its determination to disenfranchise and disempower members and unions
As a supposedly democratic institution, under Labour’s rules, the party’s supreme authority is not Keir Starmer. It’s certainly not David Evans, nor even the National Executive Committee (NEC). It’s the party’s annual conference – which is why the Labour right went to such extremes to rig the vote to protect David Evans from rejection by conference in Brighton last September.
But that conference also strongly backed a motion to support sanctions against Israel because of its apartheid regime and its treatment of Palestinians. And both Keir Starmer and his then-foreign affairs spokeswoman Lisa Nandy immediately said they rejected it – and certainly did nothing to implement the democratic decision by Labour’s supposedly sovereign body.
And the right’s excuse for this arrogance?
Well, according to them – as advised to members of the NEC after this high-handed and self-entitled behaviour was questioned during a recent NEC meeting – conference is sovereign. But only when it’s actually in session.
In other words, any decision made by the representatives of Labour’s millions of union affiliates and rapidly-dwindling membership are binding – for the four or so days a year that conference actually meets. The rest of the time, Starmer and his henchpeople are free to do, say and decide whatever the hell they feel like, without regard for party democracy.
Of course, Starmer and Nandy didn’t even wait that long before dismissing the Israel sanction vote, but there you go.
Democracy has been gutted, p***ed on and cast aside by the current Labour regime. And naturally, their media pals are saying not a word about it.
SKWAWKBOX needs your help. The site is provided free of charge but depends on the support of its readers to be viable. If you’d like to help it keep revealing the news as it is and not what the Establishment wants you to hear – and can afford to without hardship – please click here to arrange a one-off or modest monthly donation via PayPal or here to set up a monthly donation via GoCardless (SKWAWKBOX will contact you to confirm the GoCardless amount). Thanks for your solidarity so SKWAWKBOX can keep doing its job.
If you wish to republish this post for non-commercial use, you are welcome to do so – see here for more.