17/11/2020
Open Letter to Left Organisations
November 2020
From: the Labour Left Alliance
To: Momentum, LRC, DLO, LAW, JVL, Socialist Appeal, Socialist Resistance, Campaign for Socialism, Welsh Labour Grassroots, Socialist Campaign Group of Labour MPs, left TU leaders
Dear comrades,
It is clear that the Labour Party is once again facing a major crisis.
Under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, Labour had become the biggest political party in Europe, with half a million members. In two successive elections (including, despite media distortions, in 2019), Labour under Corbyn won millions more votes than in the previous three under Miliband, Brown and Blair respectively.
Since Keir Starmer’s election, the left has suffered unremitting attacks. A leaked secret report has exposed years of wilful sabotage by racist party officials; Rebecca Long-Bailey, Corbyn’s sole surviving ally in the shadow cabinet, who had won 135,000 votes, has been sacked; and now Corbyn himself has been abruptly suspended from membership of the party. As a result there has been a haemorrhage of party members leaving in despair; and Labour’s new general secretary is attempting to stop party members even from discussing any of these issues (though we continue to point out that there is actually no ‘ban’).
If ever the left needed to link up and agree a common strategy, it is now.
We are writing to you in a genuine spirit of comradeship. It is regrettable that we were unable to present a united front in elections for the National Executive Committee, and we are anxious to overcome any obstacles to future co-operation. The Labour Left Alliance is a genuine broad alliance bringing together socialists from a wide variety of political backgrounds and traditions. It is in this spirit that we seek to build unity in action around a joint platform to campaign within Labour for the following elementary democratic goals: namely…
The unconditional reinstatement of Jeremy Corbyn’s membership
Rejection of the EHRC report on the basis that it is biased and largely unfounded in its conclusions.
Any appeals against suspension or expulsion to be heard in an unbiased and democratic manner.
The right of Labour Party members, branches and CLPs to discuss all related matters
Open selections for all Labour Party public office holders
A new clause four that re-establishes a commitment to socialism
We hope you will accept this proposal in the spirit in which it is intended. We suggest meeting, as soon as possible, to prepare the way to campaign together for these objectives.
We are looking forward to hearing back from you soon.
In solidarity,
Organising Group, Labour Left Alliance