“The latest episode in Starmer’s war on labour movement values goes beyond attacking the recognised Left, with MPs who aren’t members of the Campaign Group amongst those suspended.”
By Matt Willgress, Labour Outlook
On Wednesday, widely reported as at the behest of Keir Starmer, four MPs had the whip suspended from the Parliamentary Labour Party and three others were removed from their roles as trade envoys.
The latest episode in Starmer’s war on labour movement values goes beyond attacking the recognised Left, with MPs who are not members of the Socialist Campaign Group amongst those suspended.
The draconian measures were immediately condemned across the movement, with the Fire Brigades Union demanding their reversal.
Numerous MPs expressed their solidarity with the suspended MPs, and re-affirmed their shared commitment to fighting austerity measures which damage the living standards of millions of people across the country.
Richard Burgon expressed the views of activists across the country, saying “Challenging policies that harm our communities, that damage Labour’s support and that make a Reform government much more likely is a key role of Labour backbenchers. The Prime Minister should be listening to these voices, not punishing them.”
His thoughts were echoed by Ian Byrne MP and John McDonnell.
And Clive Lewis added that, “The issues they took a stand on – like opposing cuts to welfare support – are not fringe positions. They reflect the views of Labour members, supporters, and many former voters who now feel the party has turned its back on them.”
Independent MP and former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn expressed his full solidarity with MPs who spoke up for the marginalised and put their constituents first.
It wasn’t just figures on the Left who questioned Starmer’s latest move either, with John McTiernan – former advisor to Tony Blair – drawing attention to the flawed logic (to say the least) behind Rachael Maskell’s suspension.
Meanwhile, Arise -a Festival of Left Ideas, Momentum, Open Labour and Compass also condemned the purge, with a petition to Keir Starmer being launched.
The MPs themselves all issued statements expressing their views and thanking those who have expressed their solidarity (which can be read in full at the embedded links below).
With Labour’s support continuing to plunge in the polls – and their tin-eared adherence to austerity seemingly part of the leadership’s DNA – consistently fighting both this Government’s authoritarianism (in the Labour Party and society itself) and their policies of war, racism and austerity, the priorities for our movements in the weeks and months ahead.
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Totally disgusted by this, as I have been by many things that Starmer has done since becoming leader of the party. This terrible man is destroying the values that Labour has stood for for many many years.
I can not understand why the party allowed the reputation of Jeremy Corbyn, an honest man with qualities seldom attributed to politicians of any party, to be destroyed by Conservative crooks and the mainstream media that they control.
Starmer should be booted out immediately, along with all of the sycophants who have supported him… Bring back Labour, we need you now as much as we did when you founded the NHS in 1948. What the hell has happened that has made you abandon all that you used to be???
Any of you who have a scrap of decency in you should join Jeremy and restore some honor to the sorded world of modern politics.