Unite behind Keir Starmer to cleanse Labour’s shame
Published
by
Richard Kuper
JVL Introduction
Last week Len McClusky, general secretary of Unite the Union, made a strong statement following the leaked internal Labour Party Report.
It is more important than ever that there is a full enquiry into the political sabotage and the cynical, abusive and factional conduct the report exposes.
McCluskey stresses that transparency and accountability need to be key in Labour’s response – and his confidence that Keir Starmer and Angie Rayner will be guided by these values.
This article was originally published by LabourList on Wed 15 Apr 2020. Read the original here.
Unite behind Keir Starmer to cleanse Labour’s shame
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Comrades, we have just suffered the greatest kick in the teeth socialism in this country has ever experienced. We all have good reason to question our failings and why the electorate showed us such little support.
Well, here’s an idea. We wuz robbed!
If you, like me, prize democracy and hold it as the most precious right any state can achieve then, also like me, you must have wondered what went wrong when we had the greatest ground roots socialist intake in the party in generations.
Ok, let’s wake up and smell the toast burning. No nation can call itself truly democratic if a handful of billionaires and media moguls can usurp and pervert that democracy by openly lying about those they find a threat and sending a tidal wave of propaganda out with the sole intent of hijacking the democratic process. Why has nobody challenged the lies that stole the election. Is it not treason to undermine that democratic process and why did we not challenge the blatant lies spread by the far right including the government. Why were there no court challenges? Libel cases? Counter allegations? When foreign powers threaten to influence the democratic elections here and in other supposedly democratic nations we are quite rightly furious and call for international action but when our own politicians and their friends do the same we stand by impotent and silent. We have to win back true democracy in this country. If there were a ‘factual information act’ that made it illegal to make any statement in an election without irrefutable evidence proving what they say then half of our present government would be in prison now.
Democracy is worthless if it has no protection in law. When you think we fought the most devastating war in history supposedly to save democracy where is it now. In the pockets of the most wealthy and powerful hidden from and denied to the working class.
Elections also are worthless when the process is already bought and paid for.
Unlike Len… Les is not “confident” in Keir Starmer, nor “Angie” Rayner.
They need to be made to understand, that this is a massive test for them.
We have the right to demand that people who deliberately undermine Labour candidates and misuse party funds face justice.
I am truly surprised that JVL have bothered to publish this utter nonsense. I will not be tweeting this!!!
Presumably the last paragraph is tongue-in-cheek. In which case McClusky must look like an overfed hamster.
Taking sides on this issue makes me too angry. I am thankful and relieved to read what Len McClusky says. I just want Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner to try, in good faith, to deal with the situation, keeping true to Labour values. Let us see what they can do. I personally support them in their endeavours.
Oh come on Len, you know only to well what went on in the party and who was behind it ,if as i feel this report is turned the other way you use some of the money given to your union to fight these ratbags in the court and see them get their just deserts.
“Transparency and accountability will be key. I am confident that Keir Starmer and Angie Rayner will be guided by these values.” They weren’t apparent when as DPP he oversaw the failure to deliver proper accountability to Ian Tomlinson’s family, or to the family of Jean Charles de Menezes. His support for the circus currently extraditing Julian Assange goes further than Boris Johnson’s. They say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but every time I see Keir Starmer’s he reminds me of the school prefect who never made it to head of school but enforced the rules far more diligently than the person who did – not so much wedded to the status quo as welded to it. The only confidence I have in him is that he will never – ever – put a foot out of line, or do what he is not expected to do, such as challenge the existing state of affairs. Len McClusky must be desperate if he thinks otherwise.