Friday 12 October 2018

When comrades fall out...



The Labour left has begun the usual leadership sectarianism associated with the kind of politics they represent. Momentum and the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy (CLPD) are both running slates of candidates for some Labour Party disciplinary committee.

Momentum has some 40,000 members but the CLPD is backed by the Labour Representation Committee* (LRC). Both of the latter organisations have been around for well over 40 years and seem jealous that Momentum which has only been around forty minutes by comparison.

At first the squabble appeared to be over Stephen Marks who was a member of the Jewish Voice for Labour a tiny and unrepresentative organisation led by Jenny Manson who says she "self identifies" as Jewish to fight "Zionists". That horrible phrase "self identifies" raises it's ugly head again.

Further Momentum complain that the CLPD slate is "too South East" and they also objected to the inclusion of a former Liberal Democrat, Kaneez Akthar who has now withdrawn.

The CLPD slate appears to have been drawn up by the leadership of the group whilst Momentum sent out an e-mail asking for candidates. No voting has been taken by either groups membership which rather seems to contradict both groups claim to be seeking more democracy.

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*The LRC contains groups that are outside the Labour Party like the New Communist Party and Gerry Downing's Socialist Fight.

**The quote used as an illustration is from Sqwawkbox.

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