Should I stay or…
Published
by
Richard Kuper
JVL Introduction
In a fun read that will resonate widely Phil Edwards tries very hard to persuade himself that it might be worth staying in the Labour Party.
He advances many justifications, all of which he refutes as inadequate, viz
“If I stay in the party I can be part of…”
- the party that’s going to form the next government!
- the process of forming the policies of the next government!
- a movement within the party to change all this?
- the group who – at some point in the future, when the Left is stronger and the party’s internal democracy has been renewed – can say that they were here all along?
- a community of like-minded people in the local area?
- the group who persistently try to get left-wing motions through the local party hierarchy, even if the only real effect is to annoy the local elected leadership?
The “final reason not to leave, is that nobody will notice if I do, or indeed care “… but is that good enough?”
Thanks to Phil for so elegantly expressing the dilemmas the last of the left left in the party are experiencing.
RK
This article was originally published by Workers’ Playtime on Sun 24 Mar 2024. Read the original here.
Should I stay or…
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I suppose I am lucky in that my local CLP (Brent Central / Brent East is relatively lefty and relatively peaceable. You say “The trouble is, I can’t see why that isn’t just an argument for joining the party when the Left revives again.” How will the Left possibly have even a chance of reviving again if all the left leave?
I left when all four leadership candidates accepted all the BoD’s demands, including that some Jewish organizations (such as JVL) should be regarded as ‘fringe’. I couldn’t tolreate that.
FLEABITES
Because we’re creatives
We didn’t just leave the Labour Party
We took our membership cards
The new ones (with the flags)
And cut them into tiny pieces
And spelled out GAZA with them
On a canvas then posted this
On Facebook. Starmer is a monster
We are fleas, apparently
a spokesperson for the Party
described members leaving
because of Gaza
as getting ridding of fleas
I’m interested in one of your comrade’s suggestion that ‘it’s been worse in the past’. When might that have been?
Congratulations Phil on your quiet and dignified exit from that monolithic authoritocracy [if there is such a thing?]. Consider the sentence from a well known German philosopher:
“Peoples of Chorlton-Cum-Hardy Unite! You have nothing to lose but your branch and chains!”
As Tony Benn said on leaving Parliament for the last time, you will now have “more time for politics”, having left Labour behind.
“…nought availeth”(Clough). Agree with the rest.
The new Labour Party membership card is as if a sick joke. The right-wing look reflects the Starmer dictatorship and its counterproductive strategy of catching votes from electors who are essentially Conservatives. And this Labour Party of scoundrels is shamelessly taking refuge in false patriotism.
I stayed so as to fight within. Some of the members in our CLP/Branch left at different times, some left as soon as Starmer was elected and others usually left after something happened that reached their breaking point. Some have been suspended, it’s a miracle I haven’t, I’ve been campaigning against Starmer since he campaigned for Owen Smith’s Leadership challenge to oust Jeremy, he’d only been an MP for two years, he’d watched JC turn the Party’s fortunes around, doubling the membership and making the Party financially sound, with policies that were popular amongst the wider population, (they were so popular, Starmer made them his Ten Pledges to become Leader) and has dropped every one of them since.
I’ve replied to his Tweets, politely but very pointedly , reminding him and other Tweeters of what he’s done since winning the Leadership election by lying.
He’s a Liar, a Fraud, a Dictator and a Traitor to Socialism and the People. The evidence is totally overwhelming.
At the next GE, I’ll be going to North Islington to campaign for Jeremy (I’m sure he will stand as an Independent). Holborn and St Pancras is not far away, so a walk there to campaign against Starmer will kill two birds etc etc. PS many others around the Country have said they’ll be going too.
Thanks so much JVL for telling me where Phil Edwards’ writing is now to be found! Phil, I’ve missed reading you.. great stuff!
I stayed for a couple of years just because ‘They’ wanted me to leave, but it it’s pretty difficult not to feel pointless if your actually in K Starmer’s constituency. The local actions around Gaza have been much more inspiring than anything we can do inside the party or the council. PS I am hoping you can also give us some guidance on Ukraine as you have personal connections there.