Defend Democracy in Islington North CLP and the Labour Party
JVL Introduction
Keir Starmer’s vindictive feud against Jeremy Corbyn took another nasty turn with the NEC decision to grant Starmer his wish at the end of March and endorse the motion he proposed which blocked Jeremy from standing as a Labour candidate at the next general election.
It’s a further step towards making Jeremy a non-person and re-writing history to expunge his leadership from the record.
It is also an attack on all us, the hundreds of thousands motivated by Jeremy to campaign for a radically transformed, egalitarian society.
The response of his Constituency Labour Party was rightly one of outrage.
It rejected the “undue interference in Islington North, which undermines our goal of defeating the Conservatives and working with our communities for social justice” and gave full support to Starmer’s February 2020 statement, “Local Party members should select their candidates for every election.”
Like Starmer’s 10 pledges, this would seem to be another statement of principle to be shredded opportunistically when the whim takes him. And Starmer seems very prone to whims as his new campaign to turn Labour into a pro-business, pro-Nato, neoliberal, “party of law and order” suggests.
Islington Friends of Jeremy Corbyn have issued a statement on the situation they face, reposted below.
This article was originally published by Labour Hub on Mon 10 Apr 2023. Read the original here.
Defend Democracy in Islington North CLP and the Labour Party
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Would it be advantageous and would it be possible for this to be sent to every Labour CLP in the country?
Or placed as an advert in a National paper?
I’d be willing to make a contribution towards the cost and I suspect that there would be many many more willing to do the same.
This isn’t surprising news; it is in keeping with the Labour Party being run by Starmer, a man who has no principles and who seems to me to be a Tory stooge. The tactics, which include the ejection of Corbyn, are making the LP meaningless to those of us who have hope of even a slight move leftwards if it gained power.
Can Corbynites rise again on Times Radio raises the possibility of the Socialist group, holding the balance of power in a hung parliament
JC is a shoe in, so theres another one, Lib Dems could easily get back to 2010 levels, plus the SNP, a possible a hard core progressive caucus of 127 seats, easily able to dictate key changes to the future of our country
Reeves and Starmer have stated that their present approach in politics whilst in opposition is a practice run for when they are in government.
This causes me grave concern, that he will not only continue with what the tories have done over the last 13 years but will most likely endeavour to be worse than they are. Our rights and freedoms are at risk due to LP’s condoning of reactionary politics. I hold no belief or hope that starmer might change tack. Vaughan, considering starmer’s deceitful actions, his apparent lack of honesty, decency or transparency I do not hold much hope for positive change. I like Tony’s idea of sharing the Islington North motion with all CLPs and publish it in an advertisement.
We should not be surprised at Starmer’s actions.
He is a member of the Trilateral Commission and appears to be fulfilling the role that is expected of him.
That is to destroy the Labour Party as an effective platform to support the interests of ordinary people.
Jeremy Corbyn gave us hope for something better – For the many, Not the few.
Starmer offers us the neoliberal consensus and support for NATO’s proxy way in Ukraine
Excellent article. Spot on. This is about the destruction of party democracy and the creation of a top down party oligarchy system being put in place. Starmer is a Tory plant, nothing more nothing less and he is not an only destroying the Labour Party democracy, he is destroying British democracy as well for Labour is not an opposition party on his watch, it’s a party that collides and strengthens the neo liberal hegemony. In short, Labour is corrupt on his watch because the present leader is corrupt.
Doesn’t it sometimes seem as if ‘Project Legacy’ never really ended?
I support Tony Burford’s suggestions. I’d chip in, and encourage people to sign a popular newspaper petition. I myself was chucked out of the LP for merely posting on the LLA page.
It appears that Blair is still the puppet master and to attract disilusioned Tory voters/etc. we must become more like the Tories and abandon Socialist principles. Some logic? Pig’s ear and sow’s purse? What an indictment of Labour Party membership who voted these NEC reps. into office.
Am I really surprised that Labour Party activists don’t want to risk destabalising the Party by exposing Starmer for what he is – a self-proclaimed “Zionist without qualificatiion”? As such he must be understood to be a supporter of (necessarily ethnic-cleansing), colonial Zionism. This (Judeo-Christian) movement seeks to repopulate the whole of Zion, including “Palestinian Zion”, with Jews which Christian Zionists believe will pave the way for the Second Coming, (Jewish Zionists don’t necessarily believe that, of course).
Labour Party members can continue to protect Starmer ’til the cows come home, but when Ben G’vir’s elite military unit starts massacring Palestinians in driving them from their lands, will that protection then look as misguided as some of us now believe it to be?
Regarding Tony Burford’s excellent suggestion … Comment #1:
Count me in.
I too like Tony Burford’s suggestion. Dare I suggest going even further…?
Kier Starmer has clearly shown his colours (no pun intended).
I believe it’s truly time to move on. Sir Starmer certainly won’t be leaving the Labour Party, I therefore suggest the Labour Party leaves him. Why not use Islington’s petition, together with their noble history and enthusiastic activists to open a new, productive way forward for the entire country…?
My family and I were enthused by Jeremy Corbyn’s views and beliefs. So, we joined LP in order to vote for JC at the leadership election in 2015. We did not renew our membership under Starmer’s leadership.
I fully support the idea of placing an advert in a national newspaper and I am willing to contribute.
I too would support the idea of a national advert, and not just in the Guardian. In fact not in the Guardian at all. There are huge numbers of disaffected past and present Labour party members and activitists who still support the 2017/2019 manifestos and are now politically homeless, but we are invisible. That needs to change. We need to have a national profile to overcome the isolation many of us are feeling. We need to keep on working, supporting our communities at grass roots level, and with greater visibility we can convince people that, even without a new party, if we vote strategically for parties that best represent our views, there is every possibility that in a hung parliament, or one with a vulnerable majority, we can hold these deplorable people to account and influence policies and outcomes. We won’t get everything we want, but it would be so much better than we will get with either of the main parties.
Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of the Labour Party, combined with the policies he espoused, was the best thing to happen to Labour for a long, long time. His energy, compassion, courage and commitment gave hope and inspiration to so many, including me and resulted in a tremendous turnaround in Labour’s electoral fortunes in 2017; which despite the treachery of Labour staffers, the majority of the PLP, et al, came close to securing a polling victory. For daring to think outside of the ‘capitalist’ box and for reviving the ‘S’ word to the Labour lexicon, Jeremy was traduced mercilessly and viciously from within and without Labour. It was never fundamentally about AntiSemitism … it was more about AntiSocialism! For Starmer and the Labour ‘Right’ to now deprive the Islington North CLP of their constitutional right to select Jeremy, should they wish to, as their Parliamentary candidate for the next General Election, is outrageous, but not surprising … there are none as ruthless as the right-wing! I will support Jeremy in whatever way he ultimately decides to proceed the matter. Thank you, Jeremy Corbyn, for your leadership and inspiration, then and now … I stand with Jeremy Corbyn for Peace, Justice and Socialism ✊️