“In Islington North, we have in Jeremy Corbyn an MP who has consistently stood with constituents & local Trades Unions. He has been on picket lines throughout the constituency & beyond.”
Islington Friends of Jeremy Corbyn
By Islington Friends of Jeremy Corbyn
As we come to celebrate May Day this year, trade unions have been making the headlines for months, with workers across a range of industries taking action to defend their living conditions amidst very high inflation, stressful workloads, and under-resourced public services. Poverty is all around as food bank use soars, and housing conditions are making people sick. Many people are living under constant insecurity with fixed term contracts at work, short term rental agreements and an inability to plan ahead.
We have a Tory Government which is also attacking the rights of migrants, and attempting to undermine our rights to protest and which has no industrial strategy or plans to tackle falling living standards.
Many workers are engaged in industrial action for the first time in their lives, and with strike action taking place in schools, hospitals, job centres and bus garages, every community is affected. Each wave of industrial action reveals more clearly how broken so many aspects of our lives are – the NHS struggling with staff shortages and a lack of capacity; qualified teachers leaving the profession and schools not being able to recruit staff in various subject areas; railways with lack of investment in maintenance and physical infrastructure. Privatisation has failed, and yet in the midst of this attack on living standards, company profits for some are growing.
It is immoral that people are going hungry at the same time that supermarkets are still making billions in profits, and that people cannot have their heating on whilst gas profits soar.
We urgently need a General Election and a government which will take action to address the deep structural issues in our communities, to provide both immediate security and opportunities for a better future. The priority has to be the many, not the few.
In this context, it is vital that we remember the Labour Party’s history as the creation of our trade unions, formed to provide a working-class voice in Parliament. We need to build a broad movement which reflects the priorities of workers and communities, and gives people real power to bring about change.
In Islington North, we have in Jeremy Corbyn an MP who has consistently stood with constituents and with local Trades Unions. He has been on picket lines throughout the constituency and beyond, supporting teachers, postal workers, nurses, rail workers, paramedics, doctors and many more.
He is engaged with community projects, directly assisting with practical solidarity during the pandemic and a great champion of local organisations.
As confirmed in the motion passed by the Labour Party’s National Executive Committee earlier in the year, he remains a full member of the party and despite having the whip withdrawn, he campaigned for our Labour councillors in the local elections last year.
His commitment to the trade union movement was reflected in a recent motion passed by the Islington Trades Council, which states: “Jeremy gets involved in trade unions campaigns, and promotes policies on behalf of trade unions in parliament and outside. He is committed to a better society for all and works hard to oppose those who try to divide us…. We have an outstanding MP and we support him in these difficult times.”
This May Day, a time of celebration of the achievements of the working class and of solidarity with those in struggle, we will be marching with colleagues and supporting the workers taking action over the coming weeks.
We will also be continuing our campaign for Islington North members to be able to have a real say in who their candidate is at the next election. The petition calling for the Whip to be restored has over 69,000 signatures and is still gaining more each day. We have also set up a petition for people to send a message of support to Jeremy and all Labour Outlook readers are invited to sign.
Solidarity and collective strength are key labour movement attributes and we will stand by our MP who has demonstrated these values throughout his 40 years in Parliament, representing our constituency and championing what is right.
It is inspiring to see the ways in which people are refusing to accept the real term cuts in pay, and the poor conditions at work. Throughout history, people have come together to defeat injustice and oppression and May Day is a time to celebrate this and to renew our own activity.
Solidarity forever!
- Islington Friends of Jeremy Corbyn is a group of Islington North residents established to stand up for our democratic rights which are under threat from the actions of the national Labour Party. To find out more about us and to sign up for our newsletter, please go to their website.
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As far as I’m concerned, Jeremy Corbin has always spoken honestly and without any intent to ever insult any persons by being racist or antisemitic towards anyone or any class of people. He is one of the most long standing members of the Labour Party, therefor the Party should be pleased and not arguing about his status within it. If I argue that President Netanyahu and his gov. are no good, am I considered antisemitic or racial? All this inter argument and division is no good to the Labour Party at such a crucial time in its history. Work needs to be done to further its obligations and promises to the people of Britain. P.S. Diane Abbott’s apology should be accepted.
I believe Jeremy Corbyn is the best Prime Minister Britain never had. However, I may be naive, but with all due respect, I think he is too good and has too much integrity for Keir Starmer’s Labour Party and should stand as an Independent. I would rather urge the Islington constituents to support him as an Independent candidate until such time as a genuine Labour Party is restored.
Solidarity with JC. Afraid Diane Abbott will be next for the ” Nasty Treatment “
Thank goodness we have very brave and loyal socialists who will always defend working people like ME. If it wasn’t for people like Corbyn and the whole left movement, all hope of a better future would be crushed. Thanks for all that you do. Allan Porter.