Activist agenda: Momentum's "policy primary"

Submitted by AWL on 23 March, 2021 - 11:08
Momentum policy primary advert

From 24 to 31 March, Momentum is holding a “policy primary” — an all-members’ vote-out, by single transferable vote [vote here], to decide what motions Momentum sends to Labour Party conference. Workers’ Liberty are supporting Momentum Internationalists’ recommendations:

• The Build Back Fairer motion on social measures to restore working-class health and safety, rights at work, and living standards, in the pandemic and as it fades, passed by North East Momentum, Stevenage Momentum and Southampton Momentum

• The motion from the Uyghur Solidarity Campaign on ethnic cleansing in Xinjiang/East Turkestan and supporting the Hong Kong democracy movement

• The “Migrants Welcome” motion submitted by Labour Campaign for Free Movement and Lesbians and Gays Support the Migrants (plus local groups) calling for support for workers who refuse to implement deportations or Hostile Environment measures, replacing Settled Status with an automatic “Right to Stay”, and re-entry into the European free movement area

• The motion from Free Our Unions and the Fire Brigades Union (plus local groups) calling for the abolition of all anti-union legislation

• The Global Climate Justice motion from North East Momentum and other local groups.

The Build Back Fairer motion indicates a series of concrete, practical emergency measures that the movement should take up — such as the right to isolate on full pay and the banning of zero-hour contracts. A Zero Covid motion vying for priority in the same area mentions almost no specific measures. More here

This online-only policy primary is a step forward for Momentum democracy in comparison with the way things have been run from 2017. However, it is still run on the liberal-technocratic basis of an email ballot. Restoring a real activist democracy based on local groups remains a priority. More on the Momentum Internationalists website here and here.

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