Top Labour official suspended

Submitted by AWL on 1 July, 2020 - 7:41
Emily Oldknow

Novara Media reports ( bit.ly/novarareport) that half a dozen former senior Labour officials have been suspended in connection with the party’s leaked report on antisemitism (and in fact a wide range of other issues).

This includes Emilie Oldknow, who was reported to be Keir Starmer’s choice for new General Secretary of the party until the leaked report made that impossible.

A Labour NEC (National Executive) member told Novara:

“Almost three months since the leaked Labour Party report, which exposed racism, sexism, discrimination and bullying by senior officials in Southside, justice is finally being served.”

Given Starmer’s general contempt for the rights of Labour’s membership, this is surprising as well as good news. It has not been widely reported. We should make it known as widely as possible to help ensure justice and party democracy are served.

Labour reopening still stalled

Constituency Labour Parties (CLPs) are still instructed not to have decision-making meetings except on such matters as approving annual accounts. After the May meeting of Labour’s National Executive (NEC), we passed on a report that the NEC had promised plans for reopening CLPs. That wasn’t accurate: a recent report from the CLP reps on the NEC records that the matter was raised but no decision made. We still need to increase the pressure to wake up Labour! Sign the statement: bit.ly/w-u-l

Labour: stay and fight. But for clear politics!

Momentum’s National Coordinating Group election closed on 30 June, the day we go to press. We backed the candidates endorsing Momentum Internationalists.

On 28 June the Forward Momentum grouping organised a “Stay and Fight” rally. About 500 people attended over the course of the meeting, 360 at the height.

But the meeting lacked politics.

Talk about organising in communities, building trade unions and supporting campaigns is important, but here it smacked of platitudes.

John McDonnell spoke about the sacking of Rebecca Long-Bailey, but added little to this discussion. Some of the exchanges in the chat box reflected conspiratorial and reactionary politics on Israel.

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