Over the last couple of posts we have seen how the larger far-left groups the SWP and Socialist Party (Militant) outside the Labour Party and Socialist Appeal (also Militant) inside Labour are swinging behind Jeremy Corbyn and in the case of the SWP attacking the trade unions. Now it's time to have a look at the smaller groups that have entered the Labour Party.
The highest profile of all these is the Alliance for Workers Liberty (AWL) a small group of around 150 activists led by veteran Trotskyist, Sean Matgamna. It publishes a weekly newspaper Solidarity. This group stand out from the other as they both recognise and oppose left-wing anti-Semitism:
Certainly “left-wing” antisemitism, expressed as “anti-Zionism”, is a malignant and powerful force on the left. Especially among the would-be revolutionary left, who on many other things say what we say.
The core of the antisemitic infection is denial that Israel has a right to exist — insistence that it is a historically illegitimate state which should be done away with if it continues to refuse to dismantle itself. A whole cluster of attitudes and positions have their roots there.
It is an infection carried by the “revolutionary” absolute anti-Zionist left into broader areas. These ideas need to be stigmatised and driven out of the labour movement. The political, intellectual and moral health of the labour movement demands no less than that....
Those who want the destruction of Israel and advocate, or would support, an Arab or Islamic war of extermination against it should not be members of any working-class or socialist party. It is necessary to educate and re-educate the left and the labour movement, to get the movement to see, reject, and fight their “left-wing” antisemitism....
Blatant and persistent antisemites should be expelled from the Labour Party. But more than that is needed.
They till support Jeremy Corbyn though and call on him to:
Wishful and wrong thinking as Corbyn is incapable of intellectually or honestly conducting a balanced view on the Israel/Palestine conflict. He is considered by many to be inherently anti-Semitic especially after his remarks about British Zionists not understanding history or irony.
For all their efforts they are accused by the rest of the left of being Zionists!
They are active in Momentum where they came into conflict with Jackie Walker and her supporters who left to create a Grassroots Momentum that seems to have died a death. The AWL are involved with the semi-official Momentum paper; The Clarion. The by-lines of leading AWL activists Jill Mountford, Janine Booth, Rosie Woods and Sacha Ismail regularly appear.
The latest issue of The Clarion has just been published and will be hawked to delegates outside the conference centre along with a plethora of other Trotskyist rags.
The group used to work under the Socialist Organiser banner which was proscribed by the Labour Party in 1992. Several of their more prominent members were expelled.
At one time the AWL were registered with the Electoral Commission as a political party however in 2015 they "de-registered" in order that their members could join Labour.
The AWL/SO has a number of well known former members including PCS union General Secretary Mark Serwotka.
My how people change......
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