This is a personal view of events concerning the Labour Party this week, with a little personal background to kick this off
(Apologies this will be rather long) Coming from a working class background, our family occupying what was deemed a slum property during my childhood in the 1950s and 1960s, I guess I was always going to be a socialist. My parents were Labour voters though never party members and I followed that trend. There were always some working class Tory voters, even where we lived as kids, most for a variety of reasons including working class snobbery and an “I'm Alright Jack Attitude”. But we kids all played on the same bomb-sites, went to the same old Victorian built schools, tore around the streets playing games, washed in tin baths, if we were lucky, slept in icy cold bedrooms during the winter months and enjoyed the privilege of an outside lavatory. But we were lucky as not far from our streets the tenants in blocks of houses all shared one outside lavatory in a communal yard with one outside tap thrown in to spoil them. So for me once a socialist always a socialist I have voted Labour all my adult life though at times having to pinch my nose and encourage others to vote for "the lesser of the evils", the Labour Party. Retiring a few years ago it seemed sensible to join the Labour Party which I have always supported and put my money where my mouth has always been. It was ahead of the General Election 2015 and Ed Miliband was party leader. I had already been joining in pro-Labour tweet-storms and other social media activity as well as posting supportive blogs so what could possibly go wrong? What went wrong for me was the Labour Party in all its self-proclaimed broad-church splendour People say ignorance is bliss and that is certainly true. GE2015 was lost and Ed was the sacrificial lamb. Ed’s own MPs, many who shy away from leadership or even cabinet positions, like to virtually throw the party leader under any passing bus in defeat and so they chucked Ed as far as they could throw him. Which means it was strange to me that Jeremy was blamed when a majority of people in the U.K. voted to leave the E.U, as my M.P. Alan Johnson ran the Labour campaign. Warning bells went ting-a-ling But I digress I initially supported Andy Burnham for party leader when Ed stepped down. My thoughts were his age compared to Jeremy Corbyn rather than anything else, and I say that as a person aged mid-sixties now. But a new lesson was learned, never judge others by yourself. Jeremy Corbyn has amazing stamina and resilience. I never supported Yvette Cooper or Liz Kendall as both were just too wishy-washy and middle-of-the-road for me. I looked at those standing for Deputy Party Leader and opted for Tom Watson as best of the bunch. Like so many I truly regret that vote. Having followed the leadership race tirelessly I actually missed the new leader announcement as the health of our old rescue dog took a terrible turn for the worse. As the new leader of the Labour Party was announced we sat on our kitchen floor, with our beloved Jessie, while the vet put her to sleep. So it was a tearful day for us but nothing to do with politics. I had vowed to support whichever candidate won and I have been true to my word unlike some. However it has been an easy task to support Jeremy as Jeremy Corbyn is the best thing that has happened to British politics for many decades. He and his political supporters offer real hope for the many not the few and a chance to create a better Britain. Having watched Britain's decline over the decades he remains an inspiration to me and one of the few politicians that could reverse the decay and stop the rot. But it has not been an easy ride for Mr Corbyn or his supporters. From day one there have been accusations, smears, challenges to his leadership and enemies within the party trying their damnedest to remove him and return to the politics of Tony Blair; a man who came to the Labour Party late. For some it is as if there was no Labour Party in existence before Blair took office. So this week another crisis is reached in the Labour Party. This time a huge crisis which kicked off with claims of Antisemitism levelled against Mr Corbyn relating to a comment he made on Facebook in 2012. It is worth noting when he did not rapidly respond to the allegation made by a Labour MP she took to Twitter to ensure maximum coverage and damage. But yes 2012, so why the huge personal urgency now? Why not work with colleagues and address this once and for all? For me timing is always important when we look at allegations and try to decide if they are an opportunistic smear or made with real concerns. At the end of this blog I will share some links to this week’s events but I refuse to dredge it all up again. This is my closure on the affair, cathartic, as we look forward to upcoming elections and begin campaigning. Those safely nestled in Westminster apparently do not give a flying fig about local people standing for election this year. Timing as always matters More sacrificial lambs? There has been a plethora of nasty screenshots from closed member only Labour supporting groups flooding some twitter troll accounts for some time. If there are real and new problems real action would have been taken by now. The ruling bodies of the NEC would have acted and new procedures would already be in place. And the party machinery under outgoing General Secretary Iain McNicol have obviously left a backlog of work for newly appointed Jennie Formby. Are all the issues new and only occurring now under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership? No except possibly for the extent of in-house smears. It is notable that today, Good Friday in the U.K. the boss of Progress Richard Angell has made sure Jeremy Corbyn and his supporters are headline news for all the wrong reasons. As Angell and his side-kick Luke Akehurst have tried to undermine Jeremy Corbyn and his supporters from day one their involvement actually disrespects genuine victims of Antisemitism in my honest opinion. Until I joined the Labour Party I had no idea what Progress or Momentum was but you soon wise up. So here I stand, or rather sit at my P.C typing this blog on Good Friday, the day that Jesus Christ was crucified wondering what next? What next for the smears? What nest for the accusers? What next for Jeremy Corbyn supporters like myself branded a rabble or trots and neo fascists from people within the party and from one Tory M.P. this week Sajid Javid who took the cowards way out and did his accusing in the House of Commons under parliamentary privilege rules. And, what next for me? I commented on social media a short while ago sensing what was coming having observed trolls in action "should I renew my Labour Party membership and why?" I had lots of positive reactions and reasons to stick with it. However as I watch our own MPs, some who were helped back into office by Momentum and Jeremy Corbyn supporting activists in 2017, virtually spit on each and every one of us I wonder why bother? There are many reasons to stay but many more to quit. One main one will be to continue to support Jeremy Corbyn from within as well as outside of the party. But who knows which member will be deemed not fit to grace the party traditionally of the working class at any future date? It could well be me next if someone wants to trawl social media with the software the trolls and the party use to find a reason to remove people; or even if they do not like this blog. Of course the likes of Tony Blair and John Woodcock are allowed to stay party members while actively telling people they cannot vote for Jeremy or even telling them to vote for another party. They can also feed the media negative story after negative story and not be held to account. Seems the software used and the people reporting are very selective. So in case you are wondering:- I am not a racist I am not homophobic I am not Antisemitic I am not sexist I am not abusive I am not a careerist I am not a journo posting click bait to make money I do not yearn for any public office But I am a Jeremy Corbyn supporter? And I am angry All I do is yearn for a Jeremy Corbyn led Labour government with a great team working with him. I ask do other Labour people such as John Mann, Stella Creasy, Tony Blair, John Woodcock, Luke Akehurst, Richard Angell et al want that? I think we all know the answer to that one Will I renew my party membership? The jury is still out on that one and here is why. I have as little in common with Progress, its members, its supporting MPs, its bosses Luke Akehurst and Richard Angell and those on the right of the party as I do with the Tories or even god forbid Ukip. Until I see that change why would I want to throw my hat in the Labour Party ring. But there is a subtle difference this time. If I leave the party my vote goes with me. I will become non-political and enjoy a full-retirement at last. Eileen Kersey Please feel free to comment but note due to spammers and those darn trolls comments need to be approved before they show. Op-ed; Google The Labour Party Wednesday morning and expect a wave of negative news reports including many opinion pieces like this one.
But of course THEY get full prominence as so many are courtesy of the usual anti Corbyn suspects within the Labour Party and via the well-funded mainstream media. With a by-election and local elections a few weeks away now is not really the time for a torrent of negative Labour Party news. We have political opposites who are perfectly able to damage the party's reputation without high-fliers linked to and part of the Labour Party leading the charge. The latest furore centres around former London Mayor and Labour Party veteran Ken Livingstone and comments made last year during what looked to be a carefully crafted set up. Labour MP John Mann was on hand last year with convenient camera crew to challenge Ken Livingstone over comments made and viewed as anti Semitic. Tuesday following an NCC ruling on the affair Wes Streeting, Tom Watson, Michael Dugher, John Mann, David Miliband and a few others have opted once again to publicly attack a political party they claim to love. Watching a Newsnight clip of Wes Streeting saying his piece on their offering Tuesday night I was struck by his well polished appearance and words. There was no passion just well rehearsed words. Presumably these usual suspects had been rehearsing their next moves ahead of Tuesday's NCC ruling. Big boy of the Labour Party Deputy Leader Tom Watson according to BBC News Wednesday is 'ashamed' Livingstone still in party. Of course many Labour Party members suspended from the party last year may have similar feelings toward people like Mr Watson. Watson has also been busy on social media however as this blogger is one of many party members blocked by him online I can only quote, if I wanted to, via resources such as the BBC. Failed former Labour leadership contender David Miliband has also been quoted as he apparently "grieves for state of Labour Party." He does this from a distance as he turned tail and quit the U.K. moving over to the U.S.A. following his leadership defeat. If he cares so much about the party one has to wonder why he did not stick around and actively work to help the party win elections. Still he could not even help his brother Ed win the general election so why would he help Jeremy Corbyn who is a socialist? The Labour Party elects ruling bodies and cannot cherry pick decisions it likes. A ruling has been made. That is it end of story. As supporters of Ken Livingstone and those who would prefer him hung out to dry fill the Internet with news and views they guarantee election losses in May. The anti Corbyn brigade will somehow make any losses all about him and his supporters but negative news from fat cats within the party will cause untold damage The NCC has made a ruling and we either respect that decision or give up. The other alternative and one that looks increasingly the only way forward is the party splits. But hey I am no one just a retired woman who has voted Labour all her life, only joined the party during Ed's time, talked up the party at each and every opportunity, consistently criticised the Tory Party and who wonders why new young things in the PLP feel it is fine to disrespect and bully veteran politicians within their own party. Is it more to do with who donates the most to the party? Who has bought their way in? He who pays the piper calls the tune and all that. Final thoughts? Good luck to Afzal Khan the excellent Labour Party candidate standing in the Gorton by-election. Good luck to all the excellent Labour Party candidates standing in local elections around the country. We have our work cut out particularly with Article 50 in mind and political opportunism from the Tory party and the Liberal Democrats and now our candidates have public party division thrown in for good measure. If we fail in the May elections there may be many reasons including KenGate. And if we fail we fail some of the most vulnerable and poorest people of our country. Related reading and more; https://www.change.org/p/jeremy-corbyn-mp-apply-fairness-in-the-labour-party-treating-senior-members-and-ordinary-members-equitably http://www.thejeremycorbyneffect.com/jeremy-corbyn-blog/the-dear-tom-watson-emails-and-a-quest-for-fair-and-equitable-treatment Monday the Daily Mirror is reporting "Jeremy Corbyn's advice to Labour MPs receiving online abuse: 'Ignore it'." The Mirror claims that Corbyn has said he receives more abuse than anyone but has denied the level of abuse is being ramped up during the leadership election race 2016 and is now worse than ever. Whether the Mirror report is insinuating Corbyn and or his supporters are responsible is not clear. If you use social media, or as it ought to be renamed sometimes anti-social media, sooner or later you will experience nastiness. It could be vile, spiteful, dangerous, silly and more. In some cases it should be reported to Twitter or even the police but the extent and level of abuse is relevant. Jess Philips has previously bragged online and in the mainstream media that as a new MP she told Diane Abbot MP to f**k off. She has since apologised but once said words cannot be unsaid. If you can dish it out expect a reaction, and probably an unpleasant one. The murder of MP Jo Cox in June was a lesson to us all. Hate can sometimes spill over into the real world with terrible consequences. But those who cry foul when it is non-existent or exaggerated belittle those with genuine concerns. And people like Jess Philips, happy to tweet a vile Dan Hodges Daily Mail piece about "Kill Vampire Corbyn", undermine any real issues. Philips has had some terrible abuse thrown at her online which is wrong but so have many others. Sometimes abuse comes out of nowhere and the mute or block button will need rapid use. Contacting the site support may also be necessary including filing a report. But those using unspecified online abuse to undermine the Labour leadership election are playing a silly and potentially dangerous game. And the Daily Mirror spinning yet another story with Corbyn as the villain of the piece does not add up: Several MPs and party figures have been forced to increase security at their homes in recent months after being sent threatening messages. Jess Philips a Labour Birmingham MP said via Twitter social media, July 28, "Locksmith spending 6hrs to make my home safe. Think about how my kids feel next time you mock."
But why publicise that with an image of her home? Perhaps this is what Corbyn meant by "ignore"? Supporters of Mr Corbyn have been called a fan club, rabble, dogs, Trotskyites and Nazi Stormtroopers by some with links to the right wing of the Labour Party but that seems to be accepted as OK. As you sow you tend to reap. Except in the case of Corbyn. Jeremy Corbyn does not do personal attacks but is verbally attacked time and time again. The Mirror Monday spins a tale of nothing into something and manages to attack Corbyn yet again. Isn't that abuse? http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/jeremy-corbyns-advice-labour-mps-8636983 The word was changed from Kill To Dump but http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-3660328/Labour-dump-vampire-Jeremy-Corbyn-DAN-HODGES-says.html Monday Jewish Labour have tweeted their decision to support Owen Smith in the 2016 Labour Party leadership race.
It is a two politician race between the incumbent Labour Party leader and the challenger Owen Smith MP. Sunday a leading Jewish Labour Party donor Michael Foster hit the mainstream media with a report damning Corbyn supporters as Nazi Stormtroopers. Some believe his report was simply a way to make some money as he faces court costs following the legal action he lost; an attempt to keep Corbyn off the ballot. Why is that important to this story? Jewish Labour's earlier tweet included a link to this story from April 13, 2016: "The Jewish Labour Movement, with help from supporters in the Labour Party will be proposing a change to the Labour Party rulebook calling for stricter rules and sanctions to be placed upon members who have made racist, antisemitic or islamophobic statements. BBC News covered the proposed change today. Jewish Labour Movement National Chairman Jeremy Newmark also appeared on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme today to advocate the rule changes which will be proposed by members across the country at local constituency meetings before the June deadline. If you you think that your CLP would like to consider supporting the rule change you can download the rule change motion by clicking here. If you have tabled the motion at your branch or CLP please let us know by emailing: [email protected] For further queries please contact [email protected] or tweet us at @JewishLabour." So what about when the boot is on the other foot? Corbyn supporters responded angrilly to Foster's damning terminolgy Sunday. But at time of writing Owen Smith, party deputy leader Tom Watson and party General Secretary Iain McNicol have been noticeable by their silence. Formal complaints have been lodged. But when vague allegations of anti-Semetisim were made earlier in the year against some party members the mainstream media were all over it like an infectious rash. So where is the outcry levied at Foster and the Mail for calling young, old or is that ALL Corbyn supporters Nazi Stormtroopers? Instead Monday the Huffington Post opts to cover the Smith nomination with "Jeremy Corbyn’s Response To Claims Of Anti-Semitism ‘Fuelled Jewish Members’ Support For Owen Smith." That may or may not be the truth. Having tweeted Jewish Labour for a responce to Foster's abusive words we await a response. |
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