“The Party has become increasingly reliant on big business donors, at the expense of small individual donations from working people either individually or via the union link. This risks changing the very character of the party.”
By Leah Jennings
In a timely and rigorous debate, Arise Festival hosted a lively event with hundreds of people on ‘The Case for Labour Party Democracy- For Members’ Rights & the Union Link.’
Metro Mayor Jamie Driscoll kicked off the event by focusing on who has power in the Labour Party. He highlighted how the big donors or american healthcare companies have been given a voice in the Party, but someone on minimum wage in the North East have not. We need a Labour government to address the issues facing the country after 12 years of Tory austerity. If we don’t, people will rise up themselves.
Kathy Bole, Chair of Disability Labour, said she saw the evil side of politics stating that disabled people have been bullied, and in some instances driven out of the Party. Disabled people, who make up almost a quarter of the people in the UK, have been at the bottom of everybody’s list. Many members can’t afford to eat or heat their homes, charge their mobility scooters or turn on their dialysis machines. But being disabled in the Party is difficult; it’s often just politicians talking. We should be the Party that cares about people. You can become a member or supporter of Disability Labour here.
Mick Whelan, General Secretary of ASFEL and Chair of TULO asks, what is the Labour Party? What is it for? Mick Whelan robustly defended the trade union link to the Labour Party as a precious cornerstone of the very foundations of the Party’s purpose. As we have seen recently, the Party has become increasingly reliant on big business donors, at the expense of small individual donations from working people either individually or via the union link. This risks changing the very character of the party.
The party should be the voice of the people who created it: working people and the trade unions. But a Labour Party which doesn’t agree with a right to strike or won’t stand up for the right to protest is not the Labour Party of workers. Cosying up to big business is a drag on the Party and moves us away from our roots. But it is more than that. It could be electorally disastrous.
Simon Fletcher gave a warning about the drift towards the machine politics tactics being used to ensure a smaller pool of opinion within the PLP at the next election. With trade unionists or local people or those with different ideas blocked from longlists and shortlists. Instead of denying this, Luke Akehurst, for example, has been clear that he doesn’t want a small number of left, trade union MPs to jeopardise the trajectory of leadership of the Party. This will shut down debate and narrow the diversity of opinion in the party that was essential historically, for example in the Iraq war.
Rachel Garnham, Campaign for Labour Party Democracy (CLPD) Co-Chair, talked about policy and how essential it is that we have a bold programme. However, this is being rolled back from the position set by the previous leadership.
The Party is now ideologically opposed to the necessary need for re-nationalisation. Indeed, the private sector has been openly welcomed in areas like the NHS. This simply would not be happening if it wasn’t for the fact that a small number of backward thinkers in London are shutting down internal party democracy. Starmer will come for the unions, like Blair tried to. We must not let this happen. That’s why it is important that the left is present in internal elections and policy process.
Jon Trickett, member of parliament for Hemsworth constituency and former member of the Shadow Cabinet, argued that the current attack on democracy in the party is being justified on a false pretext. Jon made it clear that there are elements of the senior ranks of the Party who pushed a narrative that the 2019 election defeat was due to left policies. But the truth is simpler: that Labour lost the election due to the Party’s reluctance to accept the Brexit vote. In other words, to accept a democratic result.
This may seem like ancient history, but it isn’t if the key decision makers in the party are acting under false premises up to this very day. And now, the assault on our democratic and pluralist traditions is going to hinder the Party in the medium to longer term.
We can be confident, by the way, that our analysis of late stage capitalism is the correct one. That we need to make a break with neo-liberalism.
Tonight we have planted our flag. It’s a red one. There are many of us. We should be confident in our politics, our principles and our capacity to organise in the movement.
- Join the chorus of voices speaking up for Labour Party Democracy, add your name to the “Let the members decide – for Labour party democracy” statement here.
- Over 70,000 activists are demanding that Starmer restores the whip to Jeremy Corbyn – add your name here.
- You can sign an open letter to Keir Starmer calling for “fair and just treatment for Jamie Driscoll” here.
- “The Case for Labour Party Democracy – For Members’ Rights & the Union Link” was hosted by Arise Festival on June 14th. You can watch it here; or listen on the Arise Festival podcast here.
