I had need to write to a friend who has resigned from the Labour Party, this is what I wrote back.
I have been meaning to write on why I am staying, basically, it’s that the Party is bigger than one Leader. (I am not saying I don’t understand, I get depressed myself, but I still want to make society a better place).
The Party still has structures where members can have their say on Policy and probably on candidates for Councillors. The Party will need to run reselections for those seats without Labour MPs and trigger ballots for the remaining 199.
I understand that focusing on single issue politics has the attraction of relevance and success but at some point single issue politics needs a voice in Parliament and membership and affiliation to the Labour Party is the traditional and effective means of getting your voice into the chamber of the House of Commons.
The huge threat to progressive politics comes from this corrupt and authoritarian Tory Government. You can fight this better inside, even Keir Starmer’s, Labour Party than outside.
Lewisham Deptford CLP has a proud record of activity from running food banks, campaigning to keep the Hospital open, protecting our Library and to anti-racism campaigning focused on the Labour council (welcoming refugees, removing the Home Office staff, establishing a borough of Sanctuary), our MP who has signed the MPs not Border Guards pledge. Our council with support from the GLA is building more social homes than ever and they are greening our environment and improving air quality.
Lewisham Deptford has a great record at conference, proposing the Party’s policy on Windrush, and social care.
If you leave, you leave many good comrades who are determined to make the Labour Party a force for progressive change. I hope you will consider this and change your mind.
Is it too pretentious to link this,
The decision by Ken Loach to accept his auto-expulsion seems to have been a trigger for more resignations from the Party, in this case from some very long service members.
I repeat, this won’t last, although it’ll last longer if you leave.
Loach is not the line to draw in the sand.
You’ve seen it worse before, why now?
Politics isn’t a question of consumer choice, it’s about collective endeavour
There’s no other worker’s party, not even in embryonic form, at least not one that workers vote for.
I need to work on this.
Very clear and comforting in today’s divisive times. Thanks Dave
At conference, the rules were changed to abolish ‘registered supporters’. This means that with the imposition of a freeze date, the next leadership election will almost certainly only permit established members of the Labour Party to vote. If you’ve left and want that say, join a Union or Socialist society, if you can find one that you can accept or will let you join.