On-line: Join the Wall of Protest #ResistChina

On 1 October 2020, a Global Day of Action to resist the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) will be taking place in over 50 cities across 25 countries around the world and we need your support.

Free Tibet and Tibet Society, along with all those who struggle against CCP rule in the UK, will be adding our voices to the global movement. Will you stand up and make your voice heard?

Due to the current circumstances in the UK, we are taking our protest online. We will be building a virtual 'Wall of Resistance' made from all those who are willing to stand against the CCP.

We want you to do what those under CCP censorship cannot; use your democratic right to speak out against President Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party.

Join the Wall of Resistance!

Just because you can't join us outside the Chinese Embassy on 1 October, doesn't mean you can't add your voice to the Global Day of Action against the Chinese Communist Party. We are planning to build an online “Wall of Resistance” and we need your help to do it!
HOW CAN I TAKE PART?

It’s simple:

(1) Take a picture of yourself holding a flag (e.g. East Turkestan, Hong Kong, Southern Mongolia, Taiwan, Tibet) or a sign saying why we should resist China. Some examples for you to use are:

• “I want a Free Tibet", “Free Hong Kong”, “Close the camps”, “No 2022 Winter Olympics in China”

(2) Tweet your picture to @freetibetorg on Twitter using the hashtag #resistchina or email us your picture to info@freetibet.org

(3) We will collect these images and build a huge online mosaic of your pictures with the message: “RESIST” which will be shared on social media.

(4) Tell your friends and followers about the online action!

To make sure you are included in our Wall of Resistance, please send your pictures by no later than 

2 October.

More from: freetibet.org

Record Breaking Results for Moderate NEC Candidates

 

Luke Akehurst reports:

Nominations for this year's NEC elections have now closed. These nominations represent a massive improvement in our position relative to the Hard Left. I've outlined some of the key facts and figures below:

• All six Labour to Win endorsed candidates got over 100 nominations, the first time that has been achieved by the moderate slate since at least 2006, possibly ever!
• In 2018 our candidates got between 23 and 68 nominations, this time we got between 108 and 223
• Johanna Baxter’s nominations have jumped from 67 in 2018 to 160 in the April by-election she won to 223 now – the highest number she has ever had in 7 contests
• Gurinder Singh Josan’s nominations have jumped from 68 in 2018 to 122 in the by-election (he also won) to 204 now
• My nominations have jumped from 51 in 2018 to 141 now
• The hard left slate always gets more nominations than the moderates as they control an array of small CLPs. The gap between us has gone down from 130 in 2018 to 18 now
• We’ve done disproportionately well in the CLPs with the largest memberships
• We’ve done disproportionately well in CLPs where all members could attend the meeting, not just GC delegates
• If there are examples of moderate candidates getting more than 200 nominations they are before 2008 when my records start, so Johanna and Gurinder have done better than any moderate candidates for at least 14 years
• We got 30% of the OMOV vote in 2018, which would probably have given us 3 of 9 seats under STV, these nomination figures are almost 3 times better than that year
• There are loads of mainstream members who support Keir in the CLPs that nominated Hard Left candidates - their voices will be heard at the OMOV stage - but they need to turn out so the NEC truly reflects the views of the membership

There's so much to be proud and excited about from the nominations stage of this campaign, but it's all for nothing if we can't turn out our vote in the ballot in October. Being able to contact large numbers of moderate/mainstream Labour Party members is a huge part of this. If you haven't encouraged of all your contacts to sign up to our mailing list.

More info: labourtowin.org

Slade on a Sunday

One of the biggest bands of the seventies and into the early eighties was the "glam rock" band Slade. Despite my preference for the prg Rock scene there were some mainstream acts that caught my attention as a schoolboy developing a taste in music and Slade was very central to the music scene in my schooldays and beyond.

The band have released another "Greatest Hits" collection featuring some 43 singles alongside a vinyl edition with just 25 of these. Sadly from my point of view this is not arecord I'll be buying this time round as fifteen years ago I purchased The Very best of Slade which feares most of the tracks in this collection and is still available at half the price. 

If I were better off I'd be tempted to grab the vinyl version for old times sake as I prefer the format  despite the fact it far less on it. But there are only 4 extra songs in this collection so I'll personally pass but if you don't have a Slade compilation in your collection this is probably the one you should go for.

Noddy Holder was on TV this mrnng and asked to name his favourite which is Far Far Away and is not the "shouty" type of song so many people remember the band for.

Fun fact: Noddy Holder was offered the vocalists place in AC?DC back in the day but turned it down because he didn't want to desert the boys. Loyalty is such a rare commidity these days. Good on you Noddy!

Official Website: slade.uk.com

Fan Club: sladefanclub.com

Porridge Radio (My choice for the Mercury Award)

It's actually been quite a while since I've bothered taking any notice of the Mercury Awards. I was left dumbfounded when some warbling transvestite on a piano (which my friend Andy Ward always reminds me was Johnson & the Johnson's) won the competition some years back. Hated it.

In fact I've been so unimpressed by the winners I haven't taken any notice of the competition until now. By chance I switched on BBC 4 when it was playing the various entries and decided to give it a listen while I waited for Buffy to start on E4.

Most of the entries did nothing for me (including the winner) though a jazz act did catch my attention but there was one band that did captivate me and that was Porridge Radio. Now them I like and now have their album playing in th background as I type these words.

These are a Brighton based band fronted by vocalist and lead guitarist Dana Margolin. The other band members are: keyboardist Georgie Stott, bass guitarist Maddie Ryall and drummer Sam Yardley. Best described as an indy band their songs and sound make for great entertainment putting them at the forefront of the independent scene for me.

There must be something in the water in Brighton as this is the third band from the city I have taken an interest in in recent times starting with ska/reggae out fit Dakka Skanks and another Indy band Poguns, the latter actually having been around for some years but passed me by until now.

If I had been awarding the Mercury prize Porridge radio would have been my choice by far however please do grab a copy of their album Every bad, you really won't be disappointed!

Available from Amazon you can also find the band on their own website at: porridgeradio.com

Release West Papuan political prisoners now!

Press release:

Over 14 West Papuan leaders, including Agus Kossay, Buchtar Tabuni and Bazoka Logo, have finally been released. Many others, however, remain imprisoned.

In Wamena, eight political prisoners are imprisoned for their involvement in the 2019 West Papua Uprising against racism and for self-determination.

The prisoners have suffered torture and harassment at the hands of the Indonesian police. One West Papuan woman, Tersya Iyaba, has been threatened at gunpoint and sentenced to six years in prison on trumped up charges. Another prisoner, Manu Marlon Alua, was tortured into giving a false confession of arson. Most have not been sentenced yet.

Their supporters have been barred from visiting the prisoners in jail.

They need international support and solidarity! The global campaign for other groups of West Papuan political prisoners, such as the Balikpapan 7 and the Jakarta 6, was successful in securing their early release. We can do the same again.

We need our international solidarity networks to please do any of the following:

• Post solidarity statements and photos on social media;
• Write to your local parliamentarians asking them to raise the case of the prisoners in your national parliament;
• Hold demonstrations outside your local Indonesian Embassy or consulate;

The eight political prisoners in Wamena are:

1. Tersya Iyaba (female student)

2. Luki Elopere (Student)

3. Manu Marlon Alua

4. Konius Doga

5. Soni Yando

6. Yohanes Bayangge

7. Samuel Kurisi

8. Marius Wenda

Under Indonesian occupation, the victims of racism are charged and sentenced to lengthy prison sentences, whilst the racist perpetrators in the Indonesian State apparatus are left free. Show Indonesia and the international governments that back it that the world will not accept this anymore!

More information on the situation in West Papua visit: freewestpapua.org 

Starmer: Back to the future despite the heckling

 

Like many I listened to Sir Keir Starmers first "conference" leadership speech on-line in my case because the remote control of the TV had been taken away from me by she who must be obeyed and wanted to watch something else on Sky Arts. Frankly I'm glad I did for reasons that will become clear.

Starmer gave a "stayed as she goes" kind of speech which was mainstream, considered and professional which alluded to issues ignored during the previous era such as promising to take care of Britain's security as well as it's people at a time of crisis and accepted we are in a chagrining world.

Despite being a "remainer" he put the question of Europe behind and simply told the PM to get on with finalising the deal we were. The question has been put and the country must now move on. This was a clear message along with a little patriotism to the fallen red wall" that Labour was back and on their side.

In a clear message that the party was to move on from where it had been revolved around a commitment to the 2024 manifesto which hasn't been produced yet but will form the basis of the party going forward to not just the next general election but beyond to 2030. 

Most of this has been covered elsewhere but what concerned me that despite the need to make Labour electable again were the comments being thrown at Starmer on-line as he spoke from those who had come not to listen, and certainly not reconsider. 

The "heckling" consisted of chants of JC4PM, this was no longer Labour and all the usual stuff including messages from former Corbyn supporters who have left but forgotten to shut the door behind the,. There were far to many and virtually from the start.

Meanwhile Momentum seemed to have a ready prepared statement calling his speech "disappointing" because it ignored so many of their pet causes. They even claimed he didn't mention Black Lives Matter when Starmer was clear about his commitment o fight racism and discrimination. As usual the left expect a litany of slogans and promises that can never be met.

The behaviour of these hardcore leftists along with the previously reported attempts by ultra left trade union leaders to make demands and control the party for their narrow ideological outlooks shows that there remain two parties in one and only one can move forward. The Corbyn or hard left recidivists must be left behind. 

Starmer has a year before a real conference takes place when this pandemic is hopefully at an end to begin that process and hopefully implement the rules to at least exclude those who break the rules. It's even more important following the reaction of the hardcore left that they are sidelined and shown the door. They can never be allowed to take over the only party that offers hope to ordinary working people again.

Labour Conference: McCluskey & the hard left resist change

 

Normally when it comes to Labour Party Conference I do not normally comment on the main event though there have been exceptions but look at what happens around the fringes as the event is covered in detail across other media with which I cannot even begin to contemplate competing with but this year is different and it's not just down to the pandemic.

Like many activists I tend to dip in and out of conference proceedings as broadcast on the BBC's Parliamentary channel. Not so  this year, there are only on-line events and no real interaction not that conference is an exiting event. Like the trade union ones I used to attend these are mostly discussion of issues around which there is general agreement with only certain issues like the expulsion of Militant or foreign affairs to pique interest.

The only real highlight to this weeks under-reported affair will be Sir Keir Starmer's leadership speech which I hope does get broadcast on the telly as for one will be watching. He has done much to restore the party's credibility after the disastrous Corbyn era but it will not an easy ride as The Times (no link £) reports today:

"....in a shot across Sir Keir's bows, Len McCluskey, general secretary of the Unite union, told the Labour leader that if he did not listen to the left he might "steer the party on the rocks".

A veiled threat by any standards.

Matt wrack of the FBU also warned Starmer off "watering down" the radical policies still in place after the party's darkest hour.

I'm sure hard pressed subscription paying union members will be impressed by the antics of their leaders when the need to build a Labour Party that can actually deliver rather than shout ideologically correct platitudes from the sidelines needs electing more than ever.

Despite his campaign pledges which frankly are not exactly the ten commandments which can and should be as the situation demands it Starmer has made it quite clear that what will count is the Manifesto that the party goes into during the 2024 election.

The fight to  reform Labour has only just begun Keir Starmer has made the right moves so far and is tackling the antisemitism problem that his predecessor allowed to fester inside the. party. Even as I type these words despite the departure of many of the "three-pounders" and the return of so many driven away under the previous regime the recidivist left is preparing to ensure that it's delusions are retained. 

The old broad church model of the Labour Party has broken since the Corbyn era. There are now two Labour Parties. One hard left and the other moderate to centre. There remain many in between who need to be won over from the old ways, but change the party must. 

What once worked is no longer fit for purpose. The deliberate attempts by the far left to simply take over Labour and turn it into a hard left organisation demonising others left a a bitter taste to many long term supporters and activists.

These were people who had spent years condemning Labour as the enemy standing against the Party in strange little groupings such as Respect or the (now revived) Trade Union ans Socialist Coalition brought alien and intolerant practises and ways of conducting debate, if you can call it that as with them it was simply this is it if you oppose it you are just Red Tories or in the pay of Zionists.

No longer can the party allow these types to hold CLP's and members to ransom. Politics is not and never has been monochrome. Yet for those that came it was just the one way or nothing. Co-existence cannot continue.

Starmer should begin by firing a warning shot across the bows of the left by simply implementing the rules to expel and exclude members of the entryist organisations all hidden in plain sight. No longer should groups like Labour Party Marxists or the AWL be allowed to stir trouble through the front organisations they create such as Labour Against the Witch Hunt or even the supposedly independent Momentum itself riddled with entryists.

Many of these political popinjays have left and many others are considering doing so. Showing the parasitical groups the door may encourage the less serious to depart and others to reconsider their ways. There will be protests mostly vexatious but the message to the electorate would show that Labour has kicked the cuckoos out of the nest and has begun to change into the modern social democratic party it needs to be to actually deliver what working people actually need.

Global Day of Action against Chinese Communist Party: 1st October

 

On 1 October 2020, a global coalition of groups will be participating in a Global Day of Action to Resist the CCP in over 50 cities in 25 countries all around the world.

Free Tibet and the Tibet Society, along with supporters, will be participating in this Global Day of Action and we need you to get involved too! We are planning both an online and physical action. So whether you are in London and want to come and protest outside the Chinese Embassy, or anywhere else in the world and want to add your voice to ours with an online show of defiance, you can be involved.

Join our online action

Join our physical action

From Tokyo to San Francisco, London to Mexico City, Ulaanbaatar to Vancouver, thousands of activists from all over the world will come together to stand up for the rights of Tibetans, Uyghurs, Hong Kongers, Southern Mongolians, Taiwanese, Chinese and all those in the struggle against CCP rule.

This Global Day of Action marks the 71st anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). It is a day that is annually observed and celebrated by President Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

We want to resist this day.

Since the founding of the PRC, the CCP’s human rights record has been appalling. In 1950, the newly established PRC invaded Tibet.

The CCP’s crackdown against democracy and human rights has intensified across China, and we are witnessing a gross increase on the assault on communities living under its rule

• Occupied Tibet is one of the least free places in the world
• Millions of Uyghurs are detained in mass internment camps
• Loss of fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong
• Erasure of Southern Mongolian culture and language
• Detention and disappearance of countess Chinese lawyers, feminists and activists

In addition to the repression of people under its rule, the CCP’s aggressive foreign policy and lack of transparency has proved to be a threat to global security. This is evident in its dangerous attempts to suppress information about the coronavirus outbreak, its intimidation and geopolitical bullying of Taiwan, its increased military expansion in the South China Sea and its role in deadly skirmishes on the India-Tibet border.

It is up to us to resist this future, by finding common cause and pushing together for freedom, human rights and self-determination for those under CCP rule.

To build a better future, we must push our governments to resist the CCP.

This protest will take place between 4pm and 7pm on 1 October at the Chinese Embassy, 31 Portland Place London, W1B 1QD.

Further information:

Free Tibet: www.freetibet.org

Uyghur Solidarity Campaign: uyghursolidarityuk.org

Prelude to War: The RAF 1936 - 1939 Martin Derry (Pen & Sword)

 

Images of War: Prelude to War The RAF 1936 -1939 by Martin Derry (Pen & Sword) £15.99 Paperback

One of the most interesting and fascinating periods in modern history is starts in the thirties with the rise of fascism, the Second World War and the beginning of the Cold War as Communism rises as a new threat to democracy. Alongside the political and warfare accounts lies a story of technological change and development. All this factors shape and influence the world we live in today even if times are changing and new threats arise.

I recently read an account of the use of the old Bi-plane during the conflict which illustrated the technological backwardness at a time of the development of the Jet engine, the cruise missile (V1) and rockets in the form of the V2.

Even the air to air missile made its appearance during this conflict and yet one of Britain's major naval/airborne victories in the Mediterranean had depended on slow lumbering canvas covered Swordfish aircraft.  

I remain fascinated by the aircraft that were available just before and at the outbreak of war and  how the worlds air forces morphed into modernism with the ME 262 and the Gloucester Meteor aircraft by the conflicts end. 

This book by Martin Derry covers the RAF's pre-war aircraft many of which were obsolete by the time they entered service. Yet many went on to serve in the war. During the Battle of Britain there were still 4 squadrons of Gloucester Gladiator biplanes and two the even earlier Gauntlets. Fortunately the RAF had developed modern fighter planes in the form of the well known and highly regarded Hurricanes and Spitfires that saved the day.

This volume is an album of rare and photographs from the thirties featuring the virtually unknown and forgotten types that served the cash strapped RAF up until rearmament gathered pace. Divided into four sections the majority of course being fighters and bombers.

 

Photo: By Tony Hisgett CC

As late as 1937 the Hawker Fury was still being delivered to the RAF, a fine aircraft at it's inception but woefully inadequate for modern warfare as faster and more heavily armed monoplanes arrived on the scene.

The Gauntlet a more modern biplane still relied on syncronised machine guns firing through it's propellers. The first aircraft to go beyond this basic armament and have more guns was the Gladiator.

British bombers were no better than the fighter force with slow lumbering under-protected types such as the Friary Hendon (a night bomber), Harrows (performed better as transport aircraft during the war and then the more modern types such as the Blenheim MK I which was faster than most British fighters when first flown.

The beginnings of more modern bombers came with the introduction of the Whitley and much more successful and familiar Wellingtons. Yet at the outbreak of war much reliance was made on the under-powered and vulnerable  Fairey Battle a single engines monoplane bomber that was simply shot down in huge numbers.

One must not forget the Empire where other older types served such as the odd looking Victor Wellesleys. 

Coastal command also gets a short chapter where the more familiar Sunderlands and Beauforts would eventually appear but this volume covers far too many types to be covered in one short review including the Avro Anson which I recall as an Airfix kit from my early teens.

Photo: CC Oren Rozen

This is a book that can be either read in one go or as I tend to do with these albums dip in and out when the interest arises. A fascinating tome that helps explain the conflicts military aspects as war begins.

A Rosh Hashanah Message: It's been a difficult time to be Jewish

 

Antisemitism is not new and is one of the oldest prejudices in existence. Fuelled by religious bigotry and sometime economic jealousy and in more modern times part of a world conspiracy to control the world through either capitalism or communism depending on which end of the political spectrum the hate originates from the nonsense of the world Zionist conspiracy has its supporters ranging from the far right to the far left and amongst Islamists all seeking to blame "the Jew" for their failures.

At one time when growing up in a small market town in Surrey back in the sixties antisemitism was really only prevalent amongst a few cranks on the far right plus a few ignorant followers of religion. One friend of mine could never make her Irish Catholic mother realise Jesus was Jewish not a Christian. A theological prejudice.

In the seventies there was a rise of antisemitism as the National Front took off and for the first time I received telephone threats from one of their supporters whilst still living at home. That threat was beaten off as people mobilised and fought back against the racists who mostly attacked Black and Asian people.

Yet as the eighties opened the theory of anti-Zionism began to take hold on the far-left. At first it simply criticised the Israeli state a two state solution was still on the agenda at this time despite the efforts of some. However anti-Zionism soon morphed into something else and by the nineties was clearly more than that.

The origins of anti-Zionism clearly lay on the racist right of politics with its talk of a world wide conspiracy with Jews controlling the banks, the media, being behind everything as a malevolent force. The Tsarists forgery The Protocols of the Elders of Zion helped establish this conspiracy theory. The left were never immune to such prejudices. The anarchist Bakunin was a rabid antisemite and Marx was no better referring to one of his opponents as a "Jewish Nigger".

The anti-Zionist movement in Britain has always been riddled with cranks. Whist not all anti-Zionists may be antsemitic it goes without saying that all antisemites are anti-Zionists. 

This all came to a head with the rise of Jeremy Corbyn and his movement. Corbyn a self confessed friend of the genocidal Hamas and Hezbollah organisations and with a long history of anti-Zionism brought with him the worst the left has to offer like who saw the world through one issue that of the destruction of Israel. No compromise just war, terrorism and a complete disdain for that Jewish people whether they lived in Israel or not.

Jewish MP's like Lucian Berger faced rabid antisemtism in her constituency along with threats that no one should have to face in a decent society. Her old Constituency labour Party remains a hotbed of pure racism and hate that remains to be dealt with.

Corbyn has finally "gone" though he won't shut up and Keir Starmer has begun to deal with the problem of racism in the Labour Party but there is so far to go. Even now former Corbyn supporters try to deflect the issue whenever raised showing their inherent racism is still existant. The party has a long way to go before it is a place where members of the Jewish community can feel safe. 

Most of us never thought that we would see such hate raise it's head on such a scale especially in the UK of all places. Yet the hard/far left has adopted antisemitism in it's outlook. The demonisation of one country above all others, the of the term "Jewish privilege" as if we're all rich and haven't suffered discrimination, pogroms and murder. No other ethnic group wold be treated like that.

I have been described as a "self confessed Jew" amongst other things by people of the left. Not those I would expect this kind of talk from. How long would one of these comrades get away with talking the same way about Blacks or Indians? Jews however are fair game to the comrades. The horseshoe model of politics meets. 

In practice there is no difference between communism or fascism and let'snot even start on Islamism which the left has capitulated to in the name of so-called anti-imperialism. Iran is never condemned for it's barbarism. Indeed Corbyn and the leaders of the misnamed Stop the war Coalition appear on the regimes TV channels and at rallies of their supporters as did one Labour NEC member Yas Dar.

Meanwhile gays are hung, women are imprisoned for not wearing headscarves tortured and raped as are trade unionists, political activists and members of religious minorities. Not a word of protest. Iran sponsors war and terror across the Middle East reviving old imperialism. Silence.

Fortunately the news has been less bleak as the UAE and Bahrain sign peace treaties, Chad opens a diplomatic mission in Jerusalem and more to the chagrin of the left's war mongers and the corrupt Palestinian leaders who have become multi-millionaires on the back of their own peoples poverty.

The time has come for peace and more than that antisemitism to be pushed back to the fringes and out of decent society forever. The far left are harbingers of hate. The likes of the SWP, the various entryist organisations and the quislings of the JVL need to be kicked to the sidelines where their hate can fester in the bedrooms of the deranged rather than in the Labour Party.

Let's make this New Year be a New Beginning. Stand up, Fight back. Kick Racism out of Labour and elsewhere forever!

Shalom Aleichem.

NEC Election deadline & current state of nominations

The deadline for CLPs to nominate NEC candidates is fast approaching on 27 September.

We know that there are over 200 CLPs with nomination meetings scheduled in the next two weeks, so this is going to be an exceptionally busy and important period.

We are delighted to announce today that Labour to Win is recommending support for George Lindars-Hammond for Disabled Members Representative on the NEC. George is Cabinet Member for Social Care in Sheffield, a GMB member, and a passionate disability and Labour Party activist.

Please try to secure your CLP’s nominations for George, for incumbent Treasurer Diana Holland, and for our recommended candidates for the nine CLP representatives:

• Luke Akehurst - NEC member 2010-2012, former Chief Whip of Hackney Council and parliamentary candidate in Essex and Hampshire
• Johanna Baxter - NEC member, Cunninghame North CLP Chair, Scottish Executive Committee member
• Gurinder Singh Josan - NEC member, antiracism campaigner, Vice Chair of Sikhs for Labour, Sandwell Unite branch secretary
• Terry Paul - Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Services on Newham Council and former PLP Campaigns Officer
• Michael Payne - Deputy Leader of Gedling Borough Council & Notts County Councillor; Deputy Leader of the LGA Labour Group
• Shama Tatler - Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Property & Planning, Brent Council

Note - this is not necessarily the order you should preference the candidates, we'll send more detailed voting instructions closer to when the ballot drops.

In the interests of ensuring a politically pluralistic NEC, and to ensure gender and regional balance, Labour to Win is only standing six candidates itself, and also urging its supporters to vote for three other candidates, from the left of the party:

• Ann Black – Independent Left - NEC member 2000-2018 as part of the Centre-Left Grassroots Alliance, South East Regional Board Member, Secretary of Oxford & District Labour Party
• Theresa Griffin – Tribune Group - MEP for the North West Region, 2014-2020
• Paula Sheriff – Tribune Group – MP for Dewsbury, 2015-2019

If you're a Labour Councillor, we also recommend you get your Labour Group to nominate both of these candidates for local government representatives:

• Nick Forbes - Leader of the LGA Labour Group and Newcastle City Council, incumbent NEC member
• Alice Perry - Islington Councillor and LGA Labour Group Deputy Chief Whip, incumbent NEC member

How is the battle for nominations going so far? 

The headline figures are that Momentum are ahead, but not by an insurmountable margin given there are hundreds of CLPs still to nominate. Our candidates already have more nominations than in 2018, with two weeks to go, and Momentum have lost many of the CLPs they won then. Here are the numbers from Friday, with our nine recommended candidates in bold:

Laura Pidcock Momentum  83

Ann Black Open Labour 81

Yasmine Dar Momentum 68

Gemma Bolton Momentum 67

Mish Rahman Momentum 65

Johanna Baxter Labour to Win 61

Nadia Jama Momentum 60

Gurinder Singh Josan  Labour to Win 59

Ann Henderson Momentum 56

Luke Akehurst Labour to Win 45

Theresa Griffin Tribune 38

Jermain Jackman Open Labour 36

Michael Payne Labour to Win 35

Terry Paul Labour to Win 31

Shama Tatler Labour to Win 30

Paula Sherriff Tribune 25

Crispin Flintoff Independent 16

Roger Silverman Labour Left Alliance 14

Vince Maple Independent 12

Liz McInnes Tribune 11

Cameron Mitchell Independent 11

Alex Beverley Independent 11

Another 12 candidates also have the required 5 nominations to get on the ballot.

______________________________

Things to bear in mind

• The final ballot is by Single Transferable Vote so it will award seats roughly proportionately between the factions – the days of one grouping taking all nine seats are gone.
• Any increase in our representation from the 2 of 9 seats we already hold strengthens the mainstream majority on the NEC as a whole.
• Over 100,000 new members who joined the party to vote for Keir, Lisa or Jess didn’t get a vote in the February NEC by-elections that saw Gurinder and Johanna narrowly win. They can now vote. And the Hard Left keep complaining that many of their supporters have quit the party …
• With every week of nominations, our position has got stronger compared to Momentum’s.
• Over 80% of the CLPs nominating our candidates are gains we didn't win in 2018.
• We are doing best in CLPs with All Member Meetings where the new members can vote, and Momentum are mainly holding on where there is a delegate GC system – AGM cancellations due to the General Election and COVID mean some GC delegates were elected at the height of Corbynism in 2018.
• We are doing best in the CLPs with the largest membership that will have the most voting members in the final ballot while many of Momentum’s nominations come from small CLPs.

Please redouble your efforts to get our team nominated by your CLP if it is one of the majority that hasn’t met yet, we are within touching distance of an important victory!

Luke Akehurst

Secretary Labour First
@lukeakehurst

Sanction Iran: Global Athletes Protest over execution of Navid Afkari

The Iranian dictatorship has been facing regular protests from it's citizens which have been brutally put down by the authorities and participants have faced stiff penalties including imprisonment and torture. The latest atrocity came was the execution of one of their world famous wrestlers Navid Afkari who had taken part in the protests.

The clerics decided to falsely charge him with murder after extracting a "confession" under torture. which carries the death penalty under their extreme Islamist regime. Navid was executed yesterday 12th September.

Global Athletes issued the following statement:

Labour NEC Candidate Jo Bird awards Corbyn title of "Honorary Jew" for being "villified" at LRC AGM

One of the organisations that organises the hard/far left inside the Labour Party is the long established Labour Representation Committee founded back in 2004. It's current President is John McDonnell and has an irregular journal Labour Briefing (one of two journals claiming that name due to a split in the editorial ranks). It has a number of affiliated organisations including local Labour Party and Trade Union branches.

The LRC also allows the affiliation of non Labour Party organisations providing they do not stand candidates against the Labour Party in elections though why would anyone in Labour want to be influenced by the pro North Korean New Communist Party or the antisemitic Socialist Fight organisations?

 

The LRC also contains members who have actually been expelled from the Labour Party including the rumbustious Tony Greenstein, Gerry Downing, Stan Keable and Jackie Walker. However with the rise (and decline) of the rival Momentum organisation the LRC has stagnated despite attracting high profile participants to it's on-line meetings including Unison General Secretary candidate Roger McKenzie.

However this years meeting saw the Jo Bird a Candidate for Labours NEC (in the Councillors section) who has previously attracted attention for her antisemitic comments managed insult a whole community by awarding Jeremy Corbyn (the man under whose leadership led to the rise of antisemitism on an unprecedented scale) the title of "Honorary Jew" for the "vilification" he received.

This was a deliberate and malevolent slur to provoke the Jewish community. Given Keir Starmer's stirling efforts in trying to repair the damage done to relations between Britain's Jews and the party under Corbyn this was sheer provocation that cannot be ignored and Jo Bird must be suspended by the party immediately and taken off the ballot. She is not fit to represent any party let alone Labour.

Of course she wasn't the only one to have to continue attacks on the Jewish Community. Graham Bash (the partner of Jackie walker) and editor of Labour Briefing told the AGM that:

“we gave too much ground on anti-Semitism”

Of course Bash being a member of the Quisling Jewish Voice for Labour group will no doubt fall back on his ethnicity to defend his position. The JVL use this expression that they are seen as the "wrong type of Jews" when it is the vast majority of Jews that are seen by the antisemitic left as the "wrong type of Jews".  The JVL represents a tiny minority of British Jews and some of them only identify as being Jewish to cause mischief.

The LRC may not be an entryist  formation but the presence of other political parties, expelled members and many of the worst the left has to offer puts it beyond the pale. A new reformed modern social democratic Labour Party will have no need for these professional sectarians.

Further reading on the JVL:

The following is an excellent in-depth from JVL Watch which monitors the antics of the JVL.

JVL: A Vehicle to normalise antisemitism

CND & Stop the War Campaigns share platform with defender of Chinese oppression of Uyghurs

 

The revival of old East-West rivalries has seen many former supporters of the Soviet bloc side with Putin or Xi Jinping despite an end to both Soviet communism and the transformation of China into a state controlled capitalist economy paying mere lip service to their Marxist legacies. Both countries have become expansionist and developed imperial ambitions and this hardcore of leftists seem determined to back these dictatorships against the democratic West.

The leaders of these so-called "peace movements" have long been one-sided in conflicts taking place around the world particularly in the Middle East where the StWC protested about Western intervention on behalf off the democratic forces and rallied to the support of the Assad regime never condemning either Syrian or indeed Russian bombs as the fell on civilians indiscriminately. 

Barrel bombs, chemical weapons all ignored in the name of what the comrades define as "anti-imperialism". The StWC and other left wing groups also campaigned against arming the Kurds fighting a war against the genocidal ISIS terrorists

In the Yemen these activists condemn the assistance given to the legitimate government by Saudi Arabia and other pro-Western Arab states whilst ignoring the role of Iran, the country that as part of it's strategy to gain hegemony in the region encouraged the Houthi rebels and armed them to conduct war.

The connections between Stop the War leaders Lyndsey German and John Rees are clear to see. Both these individuals work for Iranian propaganda station Press TV. This station now banned in the UK was notorious for it's editorial bias and the broadcasting of an interview with a victim of torture under the supervision of his torturers.

Don't mention the £20,000 picked up by former President of the StWC one Jeremy Corbyn...

So their latest enterprise should really come as no surprise (though frankly it does) that these groups are sharing a platform and promoting the views of Victor Goa a defender of the Chinese actions against the Uyghur Muslims. In this they are backed by the Socialist Action group* consisting of Ken Livingstone's former GLC Lieutenants including John Ross. 

It has become well documented that the Uyghurs are facing severe repression and are being "reeducated in what can only be described as concentration camps. Yet Goa denies:

"You may call it repression, or you may call it educational or training schools' teaching methods."

"..this is not a concentration camp" and the government is dealing with extremism and separatism... In Xinjiang there is no denying there is an increasing level of radicalisation,"

This event is part of a campaign to blame the US for "starting a new Cold War" which includes it would seem not just the covering up of of Chinese expansion in the South China seas seizing Islands contested by all it's neighbours and sword rattling about invading Taiwan. Let alone the continuing savage occupation of Tibet.

Victor Goa an apologist for the Chinese Communist Party is presented as a "peace activist" covering his role as Chinese state lackey covering for their crimes against humanity in the Xinjiang province.

The time has come for the Labour and trade union movement to cease supporting and start disaffiliating from the Stop the War Coalition which is nothing but a vehicle to push the agendas of oppressive states and dictatorships in China, Iran and Russia. . 

Further Information:

   

Uyghur Solidarity Campaign: uyghursolidarityuk.org

Free Tibet: www.freetibet.org

Socialist Appeal, Carol Taylor-Spedding and a complaint from Socialists of Colour

 

The Trotskyist group Socialist Appeal is running a group of three candidates alongside the misnamed Grassroots Alliance of hard-left activists to try and take control of the NEC. They do of course face an uphill struggle though the other hard left candidates do need to have an eye kept on them.

Socialist Appeal of course is one of the entryist organisations that exist inside Labour in breach of party rules and I have previously covered the group in detail (see link at end of page). The former remains of Militant is running one of it's leaders (Roger Silverman) alongside Alec Price and Carol Taylor-Spedding who is currently under investigation by the party after complaints from the organisation "Socialists of Colour".

It should be noted that two other NEC candidates faced complaints. Labour List reported:

The anti-racism group, which organises within Labour and outside of it, sent a series of questions to each party member who has put themselves forward for the internal NEC elections currently taking place.

After the responses were provided to the activists and published in full on their website, Socialists of Colour complained to Labour about the statements of Brian Precious, Carol Taylor-Spedding and James Chespy.

A Socialists of Colour steering committee member told LabourList: “A number of responses to our questions we disagreed with but could be put down to political difference. However, there were some that entered into clear-cut racism and antisemitism, which Socialists of Colour do not in any way endorse.

“Responses that warranted content warnings for their antisemitic and racist content included the defence of Jackie Walker, who was expelled from the party for antisemitism, the denial of institutional antisemitism, perpetuating conspiracy theories and comments around certain communities being more predisposed to commit crime.

“We are also deeply worried about the erasure of antisemitism especially in the face of the EHRC investigation into the party. Some of these issues have been picked up by the party, with Brian Precious’ original candidate statement being taken down due to antisemitism and then replaced.

“It is evident that party vetting processes when it comes to candidates are not thorough enough and do not have conclusions that effectively hold candidates, or people who should not be candidates due to their racism, to account.”

Socialist Appeal who have joined the ranks of the enablers of antisemitism make it clear that:

This group has reported Carol to the party. The complaint is now being investigated, potentially jeopardising her candidacy. We stand with Carol...

It's all a "witch hunt". Trouble is there are plenty of witches or more accurately antisemites and racists on the hard left of the Labour Party and outside and this group and its supporters should be expelled as soon as possible.

Meanwhile Roger Silverman tells us:

My priority is to restore the morale of Labour Party members. Too many are leaving in despair – despair at Labour’s election defeat, and even more so at the rightward shift of the leadership under Keir Starmer.

I'd say the it's quite the opposite. Morale has increased as has membership as Keir Starmer restores Labour to the mainstream. The departure of the hard left who did so much to wreck the party and destroy the broad church that it used to be is no loss at all.

Further Reading

Labour's entryist groups: Socialist Appeal

The RMT Union at breaking point

 

It seems that in-fighting between the leaders of the RMT union has reached crisis levels as the hard left dominated National Executive continue to undermine both the General Secretary Mick Cash and the Assistant General Secretary Michael Lynch.

The following letter outlines the situation and shows the effect that the activities of the hard left have had on one of the unions leading directly elected members. The involvement of the rather unpleasant Steve Hedley comes as no surprise.

Having had dealings with the far-left at various levels in the main civil service union PCS I empathise with both Mick Cash and Michael Lynch. The way these people behave does have an effect on one's health. The hard left are an extremely intolerant and authoratarian tendency with no time for dissent or any difference of opinion. It's why no matter how they define themselves a form of Stalinism is always inevitable.

Please note: You may need to increase the zoom on your screen to read this letter

Doctor Who: Missy Series Two (Big Finish Audio)

The second series of Missy's adventures finally arrived from Big Finish after to pandemic delay and worth the wait it was. Michelle Gomez is absolutely fabulous as the female incarnation of the Master and this may shock fans of the original, late great Roger Delgado but she is and will probably remain my favourite.

Psychotic, funny, playful, murderess, what else could one want from Missy and when delivered in such a perfect fashion one could almost (and I do mean almost but not ever really) forgive her death dealing attention seeking. Life and everyone one else in the universe remains a play thing to Missy.

This second set of four adventures sees Missy meet a good version of herself and doesn't like it one bit especially when she's trying to get the attention of the Doctor and finds someone else spoiling her fun. The Lumiat certainly kicks off this season with some high class fun.

Talking of classes what on earth does Missy want when she becomes a headmistress of a British Public School? Brimstone and Terror also sees the return of Oliver Davis and the far more formidable Lucy Davis from series one alongside  a guest appearance by Strax or "Potato Head" as Missy unkindly refers to him. What nefarious power does our Mistress seek?

Next up is the Gunpowder Plot plus a our Missy as she tries to change history by making the plot work. Trouble is she has the Time Police on the trail and Rita Cooper may be a rookie but with luck and a little outside intervention she might, just might stop the renegade Time Lord from turning London into a crater. Penny for the Guy in Treason and Plot.

Finally there's another renegade Time Lord meddling in history who might just be a Monk we all remember. The enemy in this very strange but oddly entertaining adventure with the thickest villains in the Doctor Who universe take a turn for the unusual as the scene is set for a third series. Did someone mention....... Ogrons and their Queen. Missy's never seen a female one and neither have we.

I really enjoyed this set as you can probably tell.  Worth picking up!

Available from: www.bigfinish.com

On joining the Jewish Labour Movement

 

Like the vast majority of the Jewish community the election of Jeremy Corbyn and the subsequent rise of unbridled antisemitism from the former far-leftists and others who joined Labour in droves to support his project alienated me from a party I have voted for and supported for decades as a trade unionist.

As a member of the unaffiliated Civil Service trade unions I had always argued for a Labour vote while recognising that the civil service unions themselves should remain unaffiliated from any political party due to need to retain an "independent civil service" which I consider an important part of Britains democratic process.

That said the main civil service trade trade union to which I belonged to for some years including fifteen as a Branch Secretary was dominated by the far/hard left in particular the remains of the Militant Tendency now known as the Socialist Party and had a General Secretary in the form of Mark Serwotka a former member of the AWL (Alliance for Workers Liberty group) who was now close to the Socialist Workers Party. 

These elements along with others were hostile to the Labour Party and spent much of their time and effort using the unions resources to get members to support various far left projects including electorally Respect and the Trade Union & Socialist Coalition. These activists were openly hostile to what they called a right wing and reformist organisation preferring to pursue revolutionary politics which after all is the aim of both the SWP and SP.

Along with others this was opposed and despite their efforts these organisations remained peripheral to members in general. Those who spoke up against this anti-Labour, hard left direction were demonised and bullied in much the same way that was seen after the rise of what became known as Corbynism. Many of these activists including Serwotka himself joined the Labour Party to deselect MPs and frankly just take it over.

I found it galling to see so many of these individuals hounding long term ordinary members out of the party and pursuing ideological mores that do not belong in a democratic organisation. Then there was the racism. Antisemitism both open and disguised. 

Since then like many others I have kept an interest in party affairs and though have not voted Labour during the Corbyn era the election of Keir Starmer and the pushing back of the hard left has encouraged me to think Labour has a future  though the party will in my view have to change. The old model of a "broad church" failed. Those we defined as "Corbynistas" proved that as they had no intention of tolerating anybody that did not te their "line".

Indeed the hard left as usual even at the height of its influence managed to fall out in internal faction fighting. Momentum once claimed over 42,000 members. Today it appears to have just 8,000. The bubble has burst. The left proved it could not live with others or even itself. 

Today many activists that I know and respect have rejoined the Labour Party. Many, particularly in the Jewish community remain unconvinced that Labour remains unsafe. Indeed recently I found my self subjected to racist abuse from a left-winger who claimed he didn't know what antisemitism was and referred to me as a "self identified member of the Jewish faith" and that I was a "Semite pushing a Semitic line"

No other members of an ethnic community would be treated and described in such a fashion. It is simple racism. Think about it. I'm "self identified Jew". We all know where that led...

I was at first shocked. The I realised that I can no longer attempt to influence Labour from the outside via articles aimed a Labour supporting pages and although I do not feel ready to join the local constituency party yet I have decided to take that first step by joining an affiliated organisation and where better than one that fights directly for the Jewish community inside the Labour Party, the Jewish Labour Movement.

In due course I will consider joining the main party but will see how this goes.

Website: www.jewishlabour.uk

Facebook: www.facebook.com/JewishLabour

Twitter: twitter.com/JewishLabour