“Welcome to the Jeremy Corbyn fanclub”
by Alan Bolwell
On Monday 25th January around 50 Hastonians gathered in The Jenny Lind to express their interest in Momentum, a National group that has set up a Hastings branch thanks to local Labourites Kay Green and Tariq Persuad Parkes. The event was an opportunity for people to meet and see if there would be enough interest to start a local group. Evidently there was.
Momentum formed as a result of Jeremy Corbyn’s landslide victory in the 2015 Labour Leadership contest, and the consequent doubling of Labour membership over the past 6 months from around 200,000 to 388,000. Locally, Battle Labour Party reported an increase in membership from 18 to 240, the Hastings branch has more than doubled the 474 subscriptions and membership now stands at 1100.
Momentum was created with the aim of building up support to secure Corbyn’s appointment as Prime Minister in 2020, encouraging local campaigns that relate to his agenda and Labour party policy. The main campaigns nationally: to renationalise railways, create environmental and social jobs, oppose war in Syria and oppose cuts to working tax credits. Currently active campaigns include increasing voter registration, opposing the Union Bill and supporting the Junior Doctor’s strike.
If Corbyn is to be successful in forming ‘a new kind of politics’ it will have to be of the kind that his followers would demand: democratic, grass-roots and progressive. Momentum sells itself as the machinery that will be able to facilitate direct democracy behind the back of the current Labour body politik which institutionally bars such ‘bottom up’ parvenue.
This explains the need for Momentum as something separate from, yet connected to, the Labour Party. It is a safe space for Labour members to meet who share the experience of being a left wing Jeremy Corbyn supporter without having to debate fundamental issues like whether or not to support military action in Syria, whether to renew Trident, or cut welfare spending. Momentum supporters are in broad agreement on these issues.
To understand the logic that drives the resistance and outright phobia of Jeremy Corbyn from the right-wing of the Labour party is to understand the importance of the aspiring middle classes living in certain swing seats; it is these voters who matter, and no others.
It is apparent here how the philosophy of Momentum is opposed directly to this mantra. If all people matter, and if everyone has a say, then the Labour party cannot build a political vision based on a top-down manifesto catering to an incredibly small section of the electorate.
“We must win the machine, undo what Blair did, and give the party back to its members” said one attendant at the Hastings Momentum meeting.
It is yet to be determined whether Momentum will help influence or divide the Labour party. Established members from all echelons of the Labour party are liable to resist any ground up re-organisation for fear of losing their current stature. For as absolute power corrupts absolutely, the most acute amount of power corrupts most acutely.
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Hi Alan,
Interesting creatively written piece for which many thanks. Just wanted to mention that I thought while the piece is very good it is not quite right in my view. Of course it is difficult be entirely correct because Momentum is still in development. There are for example imminent developments on making Momentum a member-based organisation. Also -not sure about metaphors used about ‘behind the back’ which could be misinterpreted. I presume by ‘parvenue’ you meant new kids on the block causing ripples in the Labour establishment? Momentum does not in my view eschew debate, but tends to be more like-minded than a Labour Party that is in transition and which for example still contains many many Blairites – people who believers in trickle-down economics ( as long as it trickles down to them) and also waters down traditional socialist policies to the extent that it has been difficult to tell the difference between Labour and Tory. (Mandelson and Blair would say that is a good thing and is the only way to lead to power. I say it is subterfuge that leads to power for people like Mandelson and Blair and their accolytes. It distances them from experiencing life as led by the majority.) I am a Labour member, a Corbyn supporter, but I do not for example agree on everything to do with Corbyn’s stated positions regarding terrorism and some foreign policy issues. I also think that the Labour leadership needs to engage more with us and the opposition and be much smarter and responsive on rebuttal with the media. I believe Momentum is necessary because it is the one group if it grows and is sustained which is strong enough to tell the PLP that if they try and succeed in deposing Jeremy Corbyn, (or whenever Jeremy steps down in the years ahead), that Momentum is there to elect another left wing leader. I would not like to believe that Momentum eschews all debate at all-that would make it an automaton- I think that is wrong- but I am also aware just how much energy and unity has been dissipated by the left over the past century through ttacking each other rather than focusing on persuading others to join them and focusing on the real enemy -the Conservative Government and its friends among the 1% who own most of the wealth. Momentum is a broad church of people who do not have to belong to the Labour Party(although it would be great if they did) but they also want more action and wider links with communities and are prepared to get things done and have been most active, and in their infancy, helped get Jeremy elected. Finally, the national Momentum meeting this week decided Momentum will become a membership organisation, and supporters will be asked to sign up and they should not belong to any other Party other than Labour or the Co-operative Party.
Hello! Thank you for your response and apologies for my late reply.
I think you may be correct in your interpretation of my use of the phrase “behind the back” and “parvenue”. I intended to indicate that Momentum are coming into conflict with established Labour party members, both those that differ ideologically, such as Blairites, and those that are simply affronted by the newcomers.
In fact, it is hard to see where we disagree!
I realise that a lot of Jeremy Corbin’s supporters are too young to remember the election of 1983 but I remember it. I’d love to think that the British public have grown kinder and less pro-war in the last 3 decades (and therefore more likely to vote “left wing”) but I don’t think they have. Jeremy lost the 2020 election when he said he would not press the nuclear trigger.
I’m sure that being capable of mass murder has traditionally been a quality desirable of a primeminister, but hopefully the present doesn’t need to be like the past!
Its interesting. It seems to me a little odd that left wing Jeremy Corybn supporters feel that they need a ‘safe space’ where they don’t need to debate issues like whether we should be bombing ISIS, whether to renew trident, or how to manage public spending. I may be missing something, but isn’t there something worth debating here? Debating can improve your own understanding of the issues that are being debated. The accusation is often made that Momentum are a mob who are determined to take over the labour party and shape it in their own image. Given that it is only a small minority of the wider electorate who currently share these positions and values, the people involved in Momentum need to think further than just fighting internal battles within the labour party. It seems to me that unless they can persuade the electorate more broadly of their mission, they will be consigned to ultimately being little more than an unfortunate footnote in the history of the British Labour party.
As a former Hastings and Rye LPYS Secretary in 1986/87 and now a CWU Union Safey Rep may I contribute here. I wish Monetum well but nationally, we have seen sincere Socialists expelled from Momentum for daring to raise that all Labour Councillors now have the option to oppose all cuts and should consider taking this road. Indeed, the Trade Union and Socialist group of Councillors in Southampton have presented a needs based budget that has as its aim, buying time to organie with other Labour Authorities, a mass Anti Austerity Movement. UNITE & UNISON local authority committees nationally, now have an official position to oppose all cuts. When this position was put before the Bristol Momentum open meeting, a majority of lay members present supported this position. It was then that the national Momentum leadership decided to expel the Socialists rather than take the hard matter up of putting said policy nto Labour Councillors in the city. We have also seen how the mandatory reselection of MPs (first raised after the experience of Ramsay MacDonald and the National Government in the 1930’s, then used in the early 80’s to challenge those MPS who were moving to support the then SDP) and failure to challenge the likes of Hillary Benn and Tom Watson who were actively organising against Cobyn. In short, Momentum was set up to build support for Corbyn amongst those Trade Union members who were not members of any Party, or who had been repelled by Blair and Brown and had left Labour to join other organisations, for example the Greens or Trade Union and Socialist Coalition or, unfortunately, UKIP. I went around actively urging CWU members to vote for Corbyn as per CWU policy. I continue to support Momentum but as a member of the Socialist Party, am no longer welcome by the national leadership. Other campaigners in other organisations or none at all could be won over too. But asking people to be Labour or nothing will dissuade sincere campaigners from getting involved. So, can Momentum now see itself as looking to open up Labour to those who are natural allies but members of other organisations like myself, or will it be closed and simply focus on elections? I hope it can reclaim Labour like the Labour Representation Committee hopes. Who knows, Labour would see its membership increase even more should that be the case. As Engels said of Robert Owen, the founder of the Co Op Movement, “he dared to dream”. Can and should Momentum allow the involvement of sincere Trade Unionsists who are involved in other Socialist Organisations or looking to move from the Greens back in? Anyway, I’ll continue to support Momentum any which way I can from here. Fraternally, Steve W
The above should read “As a former Hastings and Rye LPYS Secretary in 1986/87 and now a CWU Union Safey Rep may I contribute here. I wish Momentum well but nationally, we have seen sincere Socialists expelled from Momentum for daring to raise that all Labour Councillors now have the option to oppose all cuts and should consider taking this road. Indeed, the Trade Union and Socialist group of Councillors in Southampton have presented a needs based budget that has as its aim, buying time to organie with other Labour Authorities, a mass Anti Austerity Movement. UNITE & UNISON local authority committees nationally, now have an official position to oppose all cuts. When this position was put before the Bristol Momentum open meeting, a majority of lay members present supported this position. It was then that the national Momentum leadership decided to expel the Socialists rather than take the hard matter up of putting said policy nto Labour Councillors in the city. We have also seen how the mandatory reselection of MPs has now been dropped (first raised after the experience of Ramsay MacDonald and the National Government in the 1930’s, then used in the early 80’s to challenge those MPS who were moving to support the then SDP). There has also been the failure to challenge the likes of Hillary Benn and Tom Watson who were actively organising against Cobyn even after his decisive mandate. In short, Momentum was set up to build support for Corbyn amongst those Trade Union members who were not members of any Party, or who had been repelled by Blair and Brown and had left Labour to join other organisations, for example the Greens or Trade Union and Socialist Coalition or, unfortunately, UKIP. The idea was to consolidate Corby’s victory both in and outside of Labour. For example, I went around actively urging CWU members to vote for Corbyn as per CWU policy. I continue to support Momentum but as a member of the Socialist Party, am no longer welcome by the national leadership. Rather than tackle the issue of the Blairite caste in the Parliamentary Labour Party, they move against the very Socialists who worked for Corbyns victory alongside Labour and non Party members in that campaign. Other campaigners in other organisations or none at all could be won over too if Momentum opened up again. But asking people to be Labour or nothing at point of expulsion will dissuade sincere campaigners from getting involved. So, can Momentum now see itself as looking to open up Labour to those who are natural allies but members of other organisations like myself, or will it be closed and simply focus on elections? I did ask that question and was told I would have to give up my SP card. I hope it can reclaim Labour like the Labour Representation Committee hopes. Who knows, Labour would see its membership increase even more should that be the case. As Engels said of Robert Owen, the founder of the Co Op Movement, “he dared to dream”. Can and should Momentum allow the involvement of sincere Trade Unionsists who are involved in other Socialist Organisations or looking to move from the Greens back in? Anyway, I’ll continue to support Momentum any which way I can from here. The SP advocates that TUSC not stand against any Labour candidate that opposes ALL cuts. I am sure that there are Labour candidates that want to campaign on such a platform but who will be shouted down by the national Momentum leadership. There are I am sure, Labour Councillors who can no longer support cuts but feel isolated. The task that Momentum could play in building an anti austerity movement with these councillors is on the order of the day now. Unfortunately, it is still the case that where individual Labour councillors have dared to oppose the Labour line, they have been suspended from their positions. Momentum needs to back these councillors too. Fraternally, Steve W