A visit to Nadia Whittome MP's Facebook Page

 

"Labour antisemitism must be confronted – with 

nuance, clarity and empathy "

Nadia Whittome

Following the decision of Nadia Whittome MP to defend the EHRC and look after the welfar of a clearly upset Jewish member of the Labour after what she even as someone from the left of the party described as a "hostile atmosphere" I decided to look at her page. Nadia has published an article on Labourlist in which she considers Corbyn's remarks "ill-considered" (an understatement in the circumstances) but wants the man reinstated. She then goes writes:

......I am concerned that many Jewish members feel unwelcome – and, yes, unsafe – as a result of the way that debates relating to antisemitism are often conducted and handled at CLP level. We have a duty to protect the wellbeing of all Jewish members and ensure they feel welcome and included in everything we do in our local parties. After all, how democratic can a debate or discussion be said to be if many Jewish members do not feel able or safe to attend in the first place?

Tackling antisemitism and implementing the EHRC recommendations must be at the forefront of our minds and form a bare minimum in terms of the basis for any further or related discussions. The position of our ‘side’ of the party, or short-term accumulation of political capital, should not come into it.

This was far too much for the "Corbynistas who launched tirades of abuse against her both on Facebook and Twitter including much that that would be considered antisemitic itself nd certainly were in serious denial of the problem. For theis left-wing MP attempting in her own way for a solution was just sheer betrayal to them.

I chose to congragulate her on her brave stand which it is even if I disagree with her over Corbyn and probably other issues. Labour should be broad enough to allow differing points of view but experience has shown us that this political current around Corbyn has a very narrow vision that even other leftists fall foul of (There are a couple of frankly unecessary references to the Alliance For Workers Liberty (AWL) who almost alone of the organised left actually recognise left-wing antisemtism exists.

I decided to reply to a small number of respondents even though I knew it would be a pointless exercise. One comrade told me that Israel was a European colonial settler state and refused not just to recognise Jews but even described me as white wiping out half my personal heritage as only my mother was Jewish hence the surname. Imagine doing that to any other member of an ethnic group.

However what really summed up the problem for me was an exchange with someone called Debashis De. He demanded I respond to the following point:

....he Netanyahu- Gantz issue is about mistreatment of the Palestinians and the continuation of the Nakba where they are annexing and making homeless INNOCENT palestinians, this is not happening the other way around. Before talking about Iran will you answer whether you think that is right or not?

I duly responded and expanded my response to allow for debate to reach some kind of common ground:

I oppose Naetanyahu & the settlements policy. Disagreeing with Israeli GOVERNMENT policy has never been considered antisemtic. I oppose the demolishing of Palestinian homes, the firing of missiles from Gaza and the knife attacks promoted by Fatah through pension payments. I want a peaceful and two state solution. Labour delegates singing "From the River to the Sea" is a genocidal slogan and unacceptable.

By the way you mention the Naqba are you aware that more Jews were displaced and thrown out of Arab countries during that conflict than Palestinians. Where are all the Jews in Algeria these days etc .....? The conflict caused more than the displacement of Arabs.

What I dislike about the left is the singling out of Israel and the refusal to face up to other human rights abuses which you have rightly condemned. So why are two supposedly left-wing Labour MP's (Corbyn & Dar) allowed to praise a revolution that has led to Iran becoming one of the worst human rights abusers in the world. A question you need to address to them.

This was the reply:

Zionist extremists, like other far-right extremists (like nazi's and neo-nazi's) and Islamist extremists have caused hurt and continuing unhappiness, and division. This has been backed by Hegemonic powers who exert influence through their military industrial complex. The International Left in Labour and outside Labour have always opposed this and will always continue to do so. Jeremy Corbyn has dared to speak out hence an establishment based on power and privelige want to silence him. But as with Palestine, injustice and oppression can never be looked the other way or trying to demonise others. Free Palestine, without Fear or Favour....

Absolutely no attempt to address the points raised and consists of just ideological tropes and slogans. A clear inability by the individual to be able to engage in serious dialogue. These people only care about the line and like their mentor Corbyn are unable or unwilling to actually resolve anything because it is actually beyond their ability to cope. Protest and ideology is all they know.

It will never be possible to achieve any kind of unity in the party with these types of individuals. It will always be their way or the rest of us are just Tories/Traitors/Zionists/other. (Take your pick)
 

Kerry-Anne Mendoza's Twitter account suspended (Updated)

 

It seems that the provocative attention seeking editor of The Canary (no link, considered a hate site) has had her Twitter account suspended. This foul woman who left the Labour Party before she was expelled for antisemitsm has continually issued Tweets that deliberately target the Jewish community.

There's a meme that says "Every time you click on The Canary the truth dies" which is an accurate way of describing her website renowned as a "false news" and frankly hate filled place. 

Describing the Jewish Labour Movement as "white supremacists" is a disgrace and shows that even Jews who oppose the current Israeli governments policies in the "occupied territories" are subject to abuse. the conference also held sessions on anti-Traveller prejudice and highlighted the oppression of the Muslim Uyghurs.

Mendoza has appeared on Richie Allen's radio show, a man who not only works for conspiracy theorist David Icke but hosts Holocaust deniers on a regular basis. It is an extreme right wing platform that she has used and exposes her politics as clearly racist in intent.

Mendoza is no friend of the Palestinians she only Tweets to spread hate and stir conflict. She is nothing but a fraudulent and quite malevolent schmuck.

Update:

Since publishing this post Mendoza has attempted to set up at least two further accounts both of which have been suspended.

Fight antisemitism. Fight Racism!

Nadia Whittome MP Statement on Constituency Suspension

Photo: By David Woolfall

 
Rumours of problems in Nottingham East Constituency Party were confirmed in a BBC report yesterday:

The chair of a Labour group has been suspended after a motion at an online meeting described as "clearly out of order" by the area's MP was passed.

The Nottingham East CLP broke party rules with a motion calling for the restoration of the whip to Jeremy Corbyn, the BBC understands.

One Jewish party member said he felt the atmosphere was so "hostile" he had to leave.

The Labour Party said it took "all complaints seriously".

The local and left-wing MP Nadia Whittome issued the following and very welcome statement on Twitter in support of the party implementing the EHRC report and promising to assist in making the affected member was safeguarded at party events.

Keir Starmer will be speaking at the Jewish Labour Movement Conference later today.

Labour Representation Committee joins the attack on Keir Starmer

One of the larger hard left organisations inside the Labour Party (though not an affiliate) is the Labour representation Committee currently led by John McDonnell MP (President) and Matt Wrack (Chair).  This conglomeration of factions has been around for a couple of decades but it has continually moved leftwards  especially in the run up to and the tenure of Jeremy Corbyn as labour leader.

Unlike even Momentum the LRC allows members of other political parties to join it's ranks o the proviso that they do not stand candidates against Labour. It's led to presence of the now publicly split Socialist Fight whose leader Gerry Downing was kicked out of the Labour Party and his rival Ian Donovan who thinks that there is "an international Jewish bourgeoisie" echoing the false Protocols of Zion the tsarists forgery which influenced amongst others the Nazi's. 

Ironically Donovan was a former member of the Communist Party of Great Britain (Weekly Worker) expelled for antisemitism..... of course ironically or hypocritically depending on how cynical one wishes to to be then set up Labour Against the Witch Hunt to defend those expelled or disciplined for antisemitism. 

Also present in the ranks of the LRC are the ultra Stalinist New Communist party who back the the most oppressive regime in the world, North Korea. Just some samples of the flotsam and jetsam of the far-left that exist on the fringes allowed into an organisation led by someone who was no less than Deputy leader of the party under Corbyn. 

It should come as no surprise that the LRC are joining the current left offensive against Keir Starmer. Commenting on the walkout of the far left from the NEC, the LRC laughably quoted the following:

"We have decided not to remain in the NEC meeting today in order to show very clearly how factional the decisions of the current Labour leader have become. We will be returning to future NEC meetings to be the legitimate voice of the membership and to continue to demand that the party unite and reject the current factional approach of the leader."

The call for "unity" something they didn't want when they were in power preferring to drive out their opponents by any means necessary. No one will ever forgive or forget the intolerance, bullying and racism that destroyed the old broad church Labour used to be. An example comes from one of their supporters who writes:

....starmer and his 5th column who should not be even in the labour party point-blank never mind leading it.

Another who writes under the LRC's defence of Steve Bell's antisemitic cartoon about Keir Starmer being in the pocket of "Zionists" that The Guardian refused to publish says:

Since the new Editor was imposed on the Guardian by the deep state, a few years back, it has lost its Liberal values and now does what is told

It's no wonder that the far left so easily share conspiracy theories and worse with attitudes like this. Perhaps they should ask their New Communist Party comrades for a holiday under North Korean observation. That'll show them a true "deep state". Interestingly such garbage is also believed by the far right who don't like Jews Zionists either.

Still McDonnell and friends have begun their contribution to the restoration of the failed fabled messiah with the following meme on their website.  Democracy? These people don't even believe in it. Ask one whichever one of the hereditary Communist dictators in Pyongyang is still alive what that means and pray you don't get carted off to one of their gulags....

The far-left's real agenda: Not unity, No Compromise but civil war

 

Since the election of Keir Starmer, the publication of the EHCR Report and the subsequent suspension of Jeremy Corbyn we've heard a lot of talk from the far-left about the "need for unity" yet these are the same people who told those of us who dared disagree with the former "Dear leader " that we should "go join the Tories". They were not interested in "unity" then so why should they be now?

First of all it's worth having a look at Anne Black's note from "that" National Executive Committee meeting held the other day. She is hardly a "right-winger" by any standard being very much part of Labour's albeit more traditional left:

When Margaret was nominated as chair, some members announced that they were leaving because of Keir Starmer’s factional approach. Their tirades went way beyond anything I ever heard NEC members direct towards Jeremy Corbyn or any previous leader, though some said this had been a pattern of increasingly discourteous behaviour since April.*

I could gently point out that factionalism is not new. I was replaced as chair of the disputes panel the day after three new Momentum members were elected to the NEC, and Keith Birch was removed as chair of the equalities committee a few months before the end of his final NEC term. But that’s democracy. I was neither surprised nor upset, and it certainly never occurred to me to walk out immediately after being elected on a platform of representing members.

(You can find her full report here: annblack.co.uk/nec-report)

Meanwhile two of the hard left groups have made their intentions clear. The Labour Left Alliance publishes this comment (and related article) from the entryist ex-Militant Tendency group Socialist Appeal on it's Facebook Page:

The right wing are not ‘comrades’; they are agents of capitalism within the workers’ movement. They are the ‘enemy within’. They are big business infiltrators, whose job it is to keep the party safe for capitalism. This is what guides their actions, nothing more.

How can we have any kind of unity with people who think like this? This attitude is not new. Lee Rock one of the LLA's members told a friend of mine in the PCS union some years ago that I was not to be trusted as I was an MI5 agent. 

It's amazing how these people view the world. It's all about conspiracies. About "them", the "establishment" and don't forget the "Zionists" control the media and the banks is a view widely held on the far left these days. 

No wonder these people don't think about how their actions can so easily be not just perceived as but become actual antisemitism. The far-left like Corbyn because it's all about slogans and constant protest without responsibility.

So where does the Labour Left Alliance see this all going? In a response to a question by Lee Rock who asks what concrete proposals Socialist Appeal make the answer given was clear:

Mass mobilisation & grassroots organisation, a campaign to stay and fight, not for unity (read as "more compromise") but to kick out the right wing saboteurs.*

That's clear then.

Oh and meanwhile the comrades have written to the rest of the far-left and the unions to fight Keir Starmer. 

_______________ 

Notes:

* My emphasis 

Labour NEC member promotes the Socialist Party (Militant)?

Photo: twitter.com/BeckettUnite

This week saw a walkout by the far-left on Labour's National Executive Committee. One of the individuals involved was none other than Howard Becket who is also Assistant General Secretary of Unite. Seems he's been busy promoting the Socialist Party at their annual bash albeit on-line due to the pandemic Socialism 2000.

The Socialist Party are one of the fragments of the old Militant Tendency that plagued the Labour Party back in the eighties and became infamous for sending out redundancy notices to Liverpool Council workers by taxi. That led to Neil Kinnock's famous speech. Militant remains a proscribed organisation no matter what name it takes and the Socialist Party still use the the  Militant logo. 

The Socialist Party are one of the two main organisations that form the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (the other being the RMT union). This organisation has stood candidates against the labour Party in both local and general elections.

According to The Socialist newspaper :

"..the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) national steering committee has set out the core policies TUSC candidates will be committed to fight for in next May's local council elections."

So one must ask what Beckett thinks he was doing (personal capacity or not) at this event undermining  Labour to a rival organisation that has announced it will be standing candidates against the party at the next election?

The Socialist newspaper also reports:

Howard Beckett, Unite assistant general secretary and Labour NEC member in a personal capacity

This week we have had an announcement that 5.5 million public sectors workers can expect a pay freeze. Again, workers told that they must pay for this crisis. And where is the voice of Labour? Where are our arguments that it is time to tackle the Tories and talk of nationalising those businesses?

We have a Labour leadership determined to trounce Corbynism. Determined to make a stamp that they are a new leadership and in doing so have created a civil war within the Labour Party that sees the attempt to exit Corbynism, and, in doing so, exit socialism itself from the Party.

As a Labour Party NEC member he is assisting a rival party and proscribed organisation by bringing the Labour Party into disrepute.  A matter for the General Secretary to consider I would have thought. 

Luke Akehurst reports back from *that* Labour National Executive Committee

 

The mass walkout of the now minority far/hard left led by the childish Laura "I've never kissed a Tory" Piddock was all over the news. Even Jon Lansman Corbyn's "fixer" in the constituencies retorted that they should stop whining and accept Margret Beckett.  Labour's necessary civil war continues.

Luke Akehurst writes:

Yesterday was my first NEC meeting after an eight-year gap.

I wanted to give you a quick report back so that you can be confident all of us elected on the Labour to Win ticket are doing the job of representing you that you would expect.

I think I ought to have anticipated a fraught start to the meeting when outgoing Chair Andi Fox congratulated a list of newly elected list of members and perhaps accidentally, perhaps on purpose, left out my name, and then had to be reminded to grudgingly add it.

Within minutes we were into an explosive row about who should be NEC Chair. This matters, it isn’t just about effective chairing of often contentious meetings, the Chair can rule out agenda items and only be overturned on this by a two thirds majority (which supporters of the leadership don’t have, we only have a simple majority), and the Chair and Vice-Chair sit on the extremely powerful NEC Officers group, which makes urgent decisions between NEC meetings. A hostile Chair using their role negatively could really damage Keir Starmer’s ability to lead Labour effectively.

The Hard Left argued that the outgoing NEC Vice-Chair Ian Murray (from the Fire Brigades Union, not the Scottish MP) was next in line to be chair.

We argued that the principle of seniority should be restored, which had been Labour’s custom and practice for four decades until broken by the Hard Left in 2017. This meant that we nominated Margaret Beckett for Chair as the longest-serving NEC member. She first joined the NEC in 1980, whereas Ian Murray has only been on the NEC about three years.

At this point Howard Beckett from Unite and Laura Pidcock attacked Keir and the General Secretary for “factionalism” and led a virtual walkout (it was a Zoom meeting) of 13 Hard Left NEC members.

In my first intervention I condemned this extraordinary behaviour. The disrespectful and personalised attacks on Keir and David Evans and the childish petulance of the walkout really shocked me, as when I had previously served on the NEC from 2010-2012 it had been a very comradely and collegiate body. Apparently this rude and aggressive behaviour only started in April when Keir became leader. The people who walked out failed their own supporters by leaving them voiceless in the rest of the meeting. This isn’t the serious approach to internal governance that a potential party of government needs to demonstrate, particularly when under scrutiny from the EHRC.

The rest of the eight-hour meeting was quorate, friendly, constructive, and brilliantly chaired by Margaret Beckett, who we went on to elect nem con once the kerfuffle from their stunt had died down. Alice Perry was also elected nem con as Vice-Chair. Congratulations to them both. They will bring much needed calm and experienced leadership to the NEC. Margaret is an iconic figure as Labour’s first woman Deputy Leader, Acting Leader and Foreign Secretary, who brings huge gravitas to the role of Chair.

During the formal part of the meeting we agreed a new NEC Code of Conduct (clearly behaviour of members needs to improve); a process for dealing with CLP motions sent to us; an important review of Safeguarding for children and vulnerable adults who participate in the Labour Party; and gave the go ahead for an online Labour Women’s Conference from 25-27 June 2021, which will elect the National Labour Party Women’s Committee.

In the afternoon we had our “Away Day” where staff presented to us and we brainstormed ideas around three themes; Elections 2021, Engaging our Membership under Covid, and Effective Governance. We learned that Labour now has 540,000 members, a historically very high total.

We heard reports from both Keir and Angela Rayner. Keir answered questions on the forthcoming Brexit deal vote, devolution, public sector pay, Islamophobia (the party is drawing up an action plan to tackle it), local government funding, and shop workers.

After an unnecessarily and wholly inappropriately disrupted start this felt like a good beginning for the new NEC with its new pro-leadership working majority. I’m honoured that your votes have allowed me to serve on the NEC and help with the big task of repairing the party.

Also see:

I also wanted to share my colleague Johanna Baxter’s video report: 

https://www.facebook.com/579428685/videos/10158947816908686/

and my colleague Gurinder Singh Josan’s report: 

https://www.gurindersinghjosan.co.uk/nec-away-day-quick-notes-report-24th-november-2020/

Website: labourtowin.org

Iron Maiden - Legacy Of The Beast (Live Album)

The latest live and loud album from Iron Maiden was released today and showcases their performance in Mexico City last year. Legacy Of The Beast is the 13th live album from the band and continues to show their professionalism and musicianship as they play a variety of both new and old songs for a stadium full of fans.

Starting off with Churchill's speech there are a total of 16 tracks across this double CD which comes with booklet, mini poster and even stickers which I'll figure out where to put later! Not sure the NHS will appreciate such things on my rollater but I digress...

All of the songs will be familiar to fans of the band and it's worth remembering Iron Maiden were actually formed on Christmas day way back in 1975 and are as fresh and entertaining now as they always have been.

So since it's Friday night here' Flight Of Icarus to give a flavour of the concert from which this album was produced!

Website: ironmaidenlegacy.com

__________________________

More music with a timely re-release from Porridge Radio over at: Howie's Corner (Original blog)

Jewish Labour Movement issues warning to members about intimidation & bullying

 

This is anti-bullying week and the Labour Party is demanding that the full report into Priti Patel's behaviour is published in full. At the same tie Gordon Brown has made it clear to Jeremy Corbyn that if he wishes to return to the party he has to issue a full apology for allowing the rise of antisemitism and the alienation of the Jewish Community from the Labour Party.

This morning I received a disturbing message from the Jewish Labour Movement which shows that the behaviour of Corbyn's supporters is a major concern:

We are alarmed of the growing level of harassment and intimidation taking place within Party structures, which seeks to further diminish and deny the scale and impact of anti-Jewish prejudice. These have taken the format of motions condemning the Party’s actions in responding to the EHRC and subsequent events. In some cases, local Party officers have defied instructions by the General Secretary and allowed incompetent business to be discussed, or to continue to issue statements which undermine the Party’s ability to respond to the EHRC and create additional liabilities for the Party.

Since our decision to refer the Labour Party to the Equality and Human Rights Commission in 2018, we have taken a consistent position that the Labour Party’s disciplinary processes are broken. The EHRC’s report provided categorical evidence of discriminatory unlawful acts against Jewish members. The Party must publish an improvement plan by 10 December and if it fails to act on its commitments, JLM will not hesitate in urging the EHRC to use its statutory and legal powers to obtain relief from discrimination via the courts.

This weeks' events have demonstrated that many of the lessons from the experiences of Jewish members over the last five years are yet to be learnt, and that the recommendations of the EHRC’s report have been ignored by the parts of the Party responsible for overseeing their implementation.

Until yesterday, JLM Officers were in regular formal dialogue with the Labour Party on a programme of engagement ahead of the creation of the Party’s improvement plan. This is now under review as we reassess our confidence in the existing structures. We have made clear to the Party that amongst other measures, we expect and anticipate:

• an immediate confirmation and timetable for the implementation of the independent process for handling disciplinary complaints relating to antisemitism.
• a suspension of NEC Antisemitism Disputes Panels hearing new cases for action or referral. We anticipate that all new complaints should be determined by an independent process.
• accountability for the findings of discriminatory unlawful acts committed by the Labour Party against Jewish members, including but not limited to individual actions against those responsible for exposing the Labour Party to significant liabilities, which are prejudicial and grossly detrimental to the Party’s interests.
• the immediate implementation of a code of conduct and register of political and sensitive interests for Agents of the Party, including members of the National Executive Committee, to be operational no later than the NEC Away Day on the 24th of November.

The battle against antisemitism and frankly intolerance and bullying in general remains a major task for decent Labour Party members. The far/hard left has turned large sections of the party into places where dissent, discussion and tolerance of differing viewpoints from their own is pushed aside. 

The time has come to reclaim the Labour Party in light of the EHRC Report and institute major reforms. At the same time party rules against those in breach of the constitution by various entryist groups is implemented and the party is made into a mainstream politcal party.

The old broad church has been broken ironically by the so-called left who now call for "unity" after not just driving out huge numbers of moderate members and alienating a whole lot more as "red Tories" or worse. The time has come for the party to grow a pair and deal with the real problems that exist within the Labour Party.

Join the Jewish Labour Movement: www.jewishlabour.uk

Censorship at Christmas time..again

Photo: By Source, Fair use,

It seems every time I open the paper, turn on the news or click on a link there's some story about how this or that old programme or song has either upset someone or as in this case might upset the delicate ears of a few self entitled young people with the use of certain lyrics:

BBC Radio 1 will not play the original version of Fairytale of New York by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl this Christmas, because its audience may be offended by some of the lyrics.

The station said young listeners were particularly sensitive to derogatory terms for gender and sexuality.

It will instead play an edited version with different lyrics sung by MacColl.

But the 1987 original will still be played on Radio 2, while 6 Music DJs can choose between the two versions.

Frankly these executives live in a middle class "woke" bubble and have been nowhere near a council estate recently or ever perhaps as they complain about the use of the words contained in that old Christmas song Fairy Tale of New York one of the best festive songs of all time.

I sometimes wonder if these execs ever bother to listen to the lyrics of a lot of other stuff these young'uns seem to like and I mean Rap music. Hate it myself but wouldn't ban it though the lyrics of so much of the output are full of misogyny, homophobia and glorify gangsterism & violence especially in videos. How come this doesn't seem to upset the woke.

We can all take a guess why. Might be seen as racist to complain about certain aspects of "black culture" or at least the "street" end of it. But then in this day and age certain oppressions seem to take precedence over others. Trans rights trump women's rights, for example and don't mention the Jews Zionists, Jews.

The Irish are hardly privileged in the historical sense and this song like or not is associated with them and most Irish men & women I know love this song and frankly so does nearly everybody else. If you don't change channel. Bejesus is it that difficult?

Jewish Labour Supporters to fight back!

 

There is clear anger and upset in the British Jewish community at the reinstatement of Jeremy Corbyn after his non-apology by the Labour Party. It has to be remembered that until Corbyn's rise to prominence as the leader of the opposition antisemitism was a fringe view held by extremists left, right and religious. Under Corbyn this became mainstream and despite his protestations to the contrary he allowed it to fester as this suited the aims of the far/hard left that came to control the Labour Party.

The history of the fight over antisemitism inside (and outside) the Labour Party has been well documented over the years culminating in the damning publication of the ECHR Report. Corbyn's reinstatement pushed and planned by his political allies entrenched in the Labour bureaucracy shows why an independent complaints and disciplinary procedure inside the party needs to be introduced ensure an unbiased due process.

Speaking on Times radio last night Marie van der Zyl was visibly shaken by the Labour Party's decision but spoke clearly and firmly about the sense of betrayal that we feel in the Jewish community. Whatever happens next and it's all far from over the fight against Corbyn and his racism (because that's what antisemitism is) inside Labour will continue.

The reaction of Jewish supporters of the Labour Party were made more than clear:

Labour Against Antisemitism statement:

Fiona Sharpe, spokesperson for Labour Against Antisemitism, has said:

“The lifting of Jeremy Corbyn’s suspension from the Labour Party, following his non-apology, serves only to further highlight the issues raised in the EHRC report. 

The Labour Party disciplinary process again appears to be subject to political interference, with seemingly no accountability or transparency. Even with a moderate majority on the party’s ruling body, the NEC, and a legal obligation to address the antisemitism crisis within the party, the Jewish community continues to be ignored. 

This cannot continue: it is not enough to call past behaviour shameful, and then not take any action to ensure such behaviour doesn’t happen again. We urge the establishment of a fully independent complaints process that will review both this specific case, and all others from 2015 onwards, so that justice for the Jewish community can be done.”

LAAS Website: labouragainstas.org.uk

The Jewish Labour Movement wrote to it's members last night:

It is extraordinary that just weeks after the EHRC found that the Labour Party had discriminated against Jewish members through political manipulation of the disciplinary process, it appears that the Party expedited this case for hearing by a factionally aligned political committee.

After his failure of leadership to tackle antisemitism, so clearly set out in the EHRC’s report, any reasonable and fair-minded observer would see Jeremy Corbyn’s statement today as insincere and wholly inadequate.

He has offered no apology for his total failure of leadership to tackle antisemitism in the Labour Party, or contrition for his role in allowing political manipulation of the disciplinary process by his own office in his name. His statement on the day of the report's publication made no mention of this and was grossly offensive as it downplayed the reality of antisemitism in the Labour Party. Today's decision will only embolden those who agreed with him.

Once again we find ourselves having to remind the Labour Party that Jeremy Corbyn is not the victim of Labour antisemitism - Jewish members are.

Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner and Lisa Nandy will be speaking at the JLM On-line conference at the end of November. I will be amongst many attendees wanting to hear from them about how antisemitism in Labour is to be combated.

JLM Website: www.jewishlabour.uk

Board of Deputies calls on Labour Party to reject Corbyn’s ‘pathetic non-apology’

 

Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl has condemned Jeremy Corbyn’s statement made today and called on the Labour Party to reject it.

Marie said: 

 “The Jewish community does not accept this pathetic non-apology from Jeremy Corbyn. Keir Starmer rightly called the day of the release of the EHRC report a “day of shame”. Jeremy Corbyn’s response, by contrast, was shameless. Keir Starmer said, “Those who deny there is a problem are part of the problem. 

Those who pretend it is exaggerated or factional are part of the problem”. Yet Jeremy Corbyn questioned the findings of the report which showed that, under his watch, the Party had acted unlawfully in respect of its treatment of Jews.

If the Party wants to show it is serious about tackling anti-Jewish racism, it will consign this statement, just like the culture which led to the EHRC’s damning findings, to the dustbin of history. To do otherwise would be a failure of leadership which would risk the Party slipping backwards.”

Website: www.bod.org.uk

Morrissey - Claims he's been dropped over "diversity" by record label.

Photo: By Raph_PH

Morrissey came to fame as the front man for The Smiths during the eighties who had five top selling albums between 1984 and 1988. He then launched a solo career and has continued to have hits oin the album charts up to and including this year with I Am Not A Dog On A Chain which reached No 3 in the Charts. 

Morrissey has never been one to shy away from controversy and his militant veganism has been at the forefront of his outbursts over the years. Of course that's not not all he has mouthed off about but then occasionally other musicians have been known to put their foot in it including David Bowie and Eric Clapton.

Bowie and Clapton both expressed sympathetic comments towards the right and were rightly admonished for doing so. Morrissey however has been more than just being foolish and has placed much support behind the For Britain party led by Anne-Marie Waters. This organisation was founded after Waters lost her bid to lead UKIP and is considered to be on the extreme right.

Morrissey has issued the following statement on his website:

BMG Records have dropped Morrissey. Following the March 2020 release of I AM NOT A DOG ON A CHAIN (#1 Scotland, #1 Poland, #3 Britain, #3 France, #10 Spain, #13 Germany, #2, #9, #17, #18 U.S.A. - depending on which official chart you follow), BMG have appointed a new Executive who does not want another Morrissey album. Instead, the new BMG Executive has announced new plans for 'diversity' within BMG's artist roster, and all projected BMG Morrissey releases/reissues have been scrapped.

"This news is perfectly in keeping with the relentless galvanic horror of 2020," said Morrissey, "we would be critically insane to expect anything positive."

Morrissey is once again in search of a new label willing to release his music.

"My three albums with BMG have been the best of my career, and I stand by them till death. Recording them has been a pivotal period in my life, and I thank the previous BMG team and everyone involved for that. It's still important to me to do music my own way, and I wouldn't want to be on a label that dictates so specifically how their artists should behave - especially when the word 'talent' is notably never mentioned."

Of course one does not have to support or even sympathise with Morrissey's politics but it does raise a concern about freedom of speech and expression which is central to a functioning democracy. Anne Marie Waters was driven out of the Labour Party (see Anne Marie Waters Rresigns from the Labour Party) back in 2013 and has moved on an ever further rightward trajectory with For Britain forming alliances with far-right groups across Europe. 

I don't know Morrissey but did have some contact with Anne-Marie around the time she was in Labour and until she formed For Britain. Her politics are distinctly right-wing but she is not a fascist and certainly not antisemitic. Trouble is antisemitism does exist within her party, but then it still exists on bigger and more dangerous scale inside Labour and on the far-left. 

If we allow Marxists and Communists the right to propagate their ideas then Morrissey has the same right after all which ideology killed more people Fascism or Communism. I would suggest the latter is at least double yet we allow followers of Lenin a respectability they do not deserve. 

Given Morrissey still sells lots of records I'm sure he'll find a new label.

Website: morrisseycentral.com

The far-left's malevolent lineup continues....

 

Only last week the Socialist Party reported that the "Trade Unionist & Socialist Coalition":

.......welcomed new members to the coalition steering committee from the national executives of five different trade unions - and the former Labour MP Chris Williamson who was himself suspended in 2019 and prevented from defending his Derby North seat as a Labour candidate in last year's general election.

Their reference to "five members of the executives of other unions" is misleading. Other than the RMT the other unions including the civil service union PCS are not affiliated to the TUSC. In fact despite being controlled by the hard left the ruling group around Mark Serwotka is openly hostile to the Socialist Party following a mass purge of their activists in the PCS.

The presence of Chis Williamson caused some amusement in Labour Party circles. Of course the nefarious one hasn't joined the Socialist Party he's forming a new party under the name of Resist. I suppose all the combinations of "socialist", "workers" & "party/league or group" have all been taken.

But what a combination of speakers for this broadcast of hate tonight. A man expelled for antisemitism. a woman who left before she was expelled for antisemitism,  a propogandist who hides as a journalist and a perjurer. Why he bothered lieing about going to a sex club is something I will never understand. A few giggles in the pub corner and it would have been forgotten.

Not exactly the most inspiring line-up and frankly if I had hair I'd be washing it while this was on. 

AC/DC - Power It Up Now

The long awaited new album from top metal band AC/DC has finally hit stores this weekend and is a welcome addition to any fan's collection. v previously previewed the release of this album on my original blog I thought I'd review it here on the new one.

There are twelve tracks including the previously released single Shot In the Dark all of which are AC/DC at their best, not a dud song amongst them, You can guess I'm a fan and so it goes without saying I highly recommend this album.

Here's a short track from the album Wild Reputation  but sadly no video audio only. Enjoy! 

Website: pwrup.acdc.com

Labour Against Antisemitism statement on Labour NEC election results

Labour's ... "NEC election results, which delivered a moderate majority after years of hard left dominance, is a positive step for the Labour Party. Keir Starmer should find it considerably easier to implement the vital reforms required to address the institutional anti-Jewish racism described in the recent Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) report. 

During the coming weeks and months we hope Sir Keir will engage widely to ensure that not just the letter but also the spirit of the EHRC’s recommendations are followed. This is an important opportunity for the Labour Party leadership to move on constructively from the shame of the last four years, and we hope it will not be wasted.”

More from LAAS: labouragainstas.org.uk

NEC results – moderates tighten grip

 

The NEC election results saw supporters of Keir Starmer’s leadership increase our grip on the National Executive Committee and secure a working majority for the first time.

The balance of the committee has gone from 18 solid supporters of the leadership out of 37 before the election to 21 out of 39 (with the 2 GMB reps as swing votes and just 16 from the Hard Left) now.

In the CLP Section Labour to Win got three candidates elected (Luke Akehurst, Johanna Baxter and Gurinder Singh Josan) plus Ann Black who we had recommended transferring to. Momentum took the remaining five, down four from their 2018 clean 9-0 clean sweep.

Carwyn Jones, supported by Labour to Win, gained the Welsh Labour Rep seat from the left.

Both the incumbents supported by Labour to Win, Alice Perry and Nick Forbes, were comfortably re-elected as Councillors’ Reps.

Unfortunately, we failed to gain the Youth Rep and the new Disabled Members’ Rep, where we missed out by just 0.3%.

Commiserations to defeated candidates Terry Paul, Michael Payne, Shama Tatler, Kira Lewis and George Lindars-Hammond who all ran great campaigns and showed they have a huge amount to offer the Labour Party in the future.

In the CLP section the nine winning candidates were elected by Single Transferable Vote in the following order:

Order Elected in	Name	Slate	First Preference Votes
1	Luke Akehurst	Labour to Win	21,355
2	Laura Pidcock	Momentum/Grassroots Voice	15,668
3	Johanna Baxter	Labour to Win	9,803
4	Gemma Bolton	Momentum/Grassroots Voice	9,596
5	Gurinder Singh Josan	Labour to Win	4,624
6	Ann Black	Open Labour	7,813
7	Yasmin Dar	Momentum/Grassroots Voice	6,322
8	Nadia Jama	Momentum/Grassroots Voice	5,707
9	Mish Rahman	Momentum/Grassroots Voice	5,879

The vote share by slate with change since last full NEC elections in 2018 was as follows:

Momentum/GRV 37% (down 19%)

Labour to Win 31% (up 1%)

Open Labour 9% (up 5%)

Labour Left Alliance 5% (up 5%)

Tribune 4% (up 4%)

Independents: 14% (up 5%)

There was therefore a swing of 10% from Momentum to Labour to Win since 2018.

Further detailed results are on the party website.

Thank you to everyone who voted, volunteered and campaigned for us.

This is another significant step forward in returning Labour to being a decent, mainstream, election-winning party and ridding the party of extremism and the moral stain of antisemitism. The membership of the party is starting to change.

But it shows we remain up against formidable Hard Left opponents who have deep reserves of cash, data and support that they can deploy in OMOV elections. Their control of many CLPs is disturbing and needs to be tackled.

Luke Akehurst
Secretary, Labour First

More information: www.labourtowin.org 

Belarus: Release 42 trade unionists!

 

A few days ago I wrote about the good news that four union leaders who had been jailed in Belarus were now free.

We know that our campaign helped. They told us so in a video. [*]

But this afternoon we received some terrible news: some of those very same union leaders, together with around 40 other union members, were arrested by the police and are now being held in a local police station.

They are likely to be held until Monday and possibly much longer.

The independent trade unions of Belarus and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) have called for a global campaign of protest.

Please join us in sending an urgent message to the local and national police demanding their release.

Click here to learn more and send your message today.

Free the 42 jailed trade unionists now!

Eric Lee

*The video with the 4 trade union leaders who were released -- and now. re-arrested -- is here.

Democracy undermined

 

The two major democracies that are always held up as examples to the rest of the world struggling to find their way to democracy themselves are Britain and the USA. Yet in recent times both these countries have faced problems and derision in the way people have reacted to the democratic process.

Three events come to mind in short order first the refusal of some Scottish Nationalists to accept the outcome of the referendum back in 2014 with people demonstrating on the streets and then came the surprise Brexit vote after which there was a massive campaign to overturn the vote despite there being a result in favour. 

Now President Trump has refused to accept defeat in the US Presidential elections making claims of electoral fraud without any evidence and wanting to actually prevent peoples votes from being counted. It's no wonder that the enemies of democracy crowed about Americas failures.

The condemnation of Trump in this country has come from many who themselves refused to accept a ballot result. The only thing that should matter is the outcome of a vote. Like it or not both left and right in the two major democracies, particularly in the UK have been hypocritical about democracy only wanting to accept results they want.

These are dangerous times and democracy has always been fragile from the very beginning. Even the nascent ideas of democracy in ancient Greece were only saved thanks to the heroic stand of the 300 at Thermopylae who gave time for the rest of Greeks time to regroup.

At the height of Hitler 's war democracies had become very few and far between. The resulting "Cold War" so easily forgotten these days saw the "Free World" under constant threat with Communist dictatorships covering so much of the world.

The end of the Soviet Union seems to have only created a temporary window for democracy as so many authoritarian regimes arise out of the ashes. Belarus remains Stalinist, Hungary is heading to the far right and Poland is fighting a battle against theocracy as people rebel  over the domination of the Catholic Church. 

Elsewhere aggressive Islamic regimes are taking hold and freedom especially women's and minority rights have become under threat. Mobs murder Christians for perceived "blasphemies, other in countries like Brunei non-Muslims are subject to severe punishments under Sharia Law and even Christmas cannot be openly celebrated.

According to The Times yesterday (no link£):

"What a spectacle" Ayatollah Ali Khammenei Iran's supreme leader said as post election paralysis set in. "One says this this is the most fraudulent election in US history. Who says that? The president currently in office!"

The paper also reported that Putin's regime spokesman was quoted as saying  the shenanigans "show the shortcomings of the American electoral system".  A Chinese newspaper was quoted as saying that the chaos made the US "look like a developing country.

The damage done by all these events will leave Britain and particularly the USA being in a difficult position to lecture the real fraudsters like Maduro in Venezuela and Kim Jong-Il.

Meanwhile in the UK the Law Commission is proposing to extend the jurisdiction "Hate speech" legislation to private homes in England & Wales. Even dinner table or conversations in the front room could lead people being subject to prosecution. This is a step too far for a democracy. 

Already in Scotland proposals by the Scottish parliament could lead someone being prosecuted for just criticising certain faiths let alone satire. No ideology, religion or set of beliefs have rights only people have rights.

The need to defend freedom of speech and expression has never been greater. Someone somewhere is always bound to be offended by something. I've been told by one Christian woman she is offended by my atheism and belief there is no god. Grounds for prosecution? I think not. Cartoons about so-called prophets are no different.

Free Speech is under threat. Defend it or lose it. Without free speech there will be no democracy.

Kylie Minogue - Disco: New Album for the dancefloor!

Kylie Minogue has just released her fifteenth studio album and it's not just a complete departure from her previous country music inspired effort but a revival of the pop princess that we have all come to love and enjoy. 

Being a Kylie fan has always been a rather open "guilty secret" of this ageing Rock fan but when pop music is done well and there's a beautiful woman involved then this old man is happy. 

There's not just some good music on this 12 track album but it's also "happy"and uplifting stuff to potter around the flat durring this boring but necessary lock-down.

I've chosen my favourite track to feature and encourage you all to grab a piece of Kylie.

Website: www.kylie.com

Labour's "Jewish problem" in Brighton

 

It seems that despite the lock-down and the focus on the US Presidential elections that hard left continues to ply it's tired old mores this time down in Brighton home to many of the worst that Labour has to offer. The meeting includes expelled and former members speaking in defence of Corbyn their martyr apparently crucified in the name of "socialism".

Brighton is a hotbed of far left and in particular ant-Zionist activity. The fixation on the issue by so many of the local party has caused huge frictions, splits, suspensions and expulsions. The Labour MP for Brighton Kemptown is Lloyd Russell-Moyle who as the local paper The Argus reports: 

(The Campaign Against Antisemitism)....complaints against Mr Russell-Moyle include, but are not limited to, allegations he intervened on behalf of a party members facing disciplinary action for anti-Semitic comments –namely Brighton activists Melanie Melvin and Rebecca Massey.

Labour Party member Melanie Melvin was suspended for actions including a tweet which read: “Breaking: Sarin gas was filmed by the BBC at Pinewood on the orders of Mrs May and the Israeli lobby.”

It was alleged that Mr Russell-Moyle wrote to Labour Party general secretary Iain McNicol to say her tweet seemed “unhinged at best” but had, he believed, been made as a parody of online conspiracy theorists.

In July, The Sunday Times reported that Lloyd Russell-Moyle wrote letter in support of Rebecca Massey, an activist who said Israel had Labour and the Tories “under control”, to party headquarters.

These charming individuals are not alone. Brighton and Hove News reported back in July this year:

A Brighton Labour councillor has quit the party after becoming the third member to be investigated for alleged anti-semitism.

Councillor Kate Knight announced that she had quit today (Monday 20 July) after being reported for a slew of recently unearthed posts on Facebook. Brighton and Hove News understands that she had been facing suspension......

Council leader Nancy Platts today said that it brought shame on the whole Labour Party to see these posts. She said: “On behalf of the Labour group, I am truly sorry to the Jewish community for the hurt these posts have caused.

Then there was Amanda Bishop who wanted to march on a Synagogue to defend someone suspended for err..antisemitism.

A Labour member in Brighton suggested that the local party “march to" a local Synagogue to protest against the suspension of a fellow Labour party member over alleged antisemitism, with an MP calling on the police to investigate her for "incitement".

Amanda Bishop was writing in the Brighton and Hove Labour party forum Facebook group in response to news that local council candidate Alex Braithwaite had been suspended from the party.

Miss Braithwaite was suspended two weeks ago over her posts to social media.

One such post claimed that Israel was “giving African migrants 90 days to leave the country so they don’t effect [sic] Israeli bloodline. They must leave or they will be jailed or murdered.”

How anyone can claim there is "no evidence" of antisemitism or "it's only a small number of people" need look no further than the Brighton CLPs for evidence to the contrary.

Tonights' meeting sees Tony Greenstein, Jewish but no friend of his own people on any level given his lifetime obsession with anti-Zionism who was expelled from the Labour Party for his appalling behaviour. Also present is Nichole Brennan:

Brighton & Hove city councillor Nichole Brennan resigned from her council cabinet posts after photos of her holding up a sign calling Israel a “racist, apartheid state” were given to The Argus.

The pictures were taken two years ago at a Hove Town Hall rally against the city council’s adoption of the International Holocaust Recognition Association’s definition of anti-Semitism.

The association defines claims the state of Israel is racist.

Jewish Labour Movement vice-chairman Stephane Sarvery said Cllr Brennan’s sign was “disturbing”.

“What these photos seems to suggest is that for Cllr Brennan the adoption of the IHRA definition by Brightoncouncil was somehow linked to Israel,” he said.

“The fact she associated both is disturbing to say the least.

“It raises the question as to why Cllr Brennan thought it was appropriate to link the fight against anti-Semitism in the UK with the conflict between Israel and Palestine.

If antisemitism is going to be rooted out of the Labour Party Brighton would seem a good place to start.

Let's deliver an NEC that's serious about getting Labour winning again

 

It's still looking close, and there are votes still being counted, but it looks like Joe Biden has built a winning coalition in the United States. Now is the time for our party to build one too.

We know the difference progressive government makes in this country. The NHS, the Minimum Wage, Civil Partnerships, all impossible dreams made possible by Labour governments. Winning elections is the most radical thing any progressive movement can do, and we firmly believe it should be at the heart of all of Labour's thinking going forward.

Before the final week of the NEC campaign begins, we'd like you to share all the best things you think Labour governments past and present have achieved. Whether that's the ground-breaking achievements of the Attlee, Blair or Brown ministries, or the heroic actions the Labour Welsh Government and Labour Councils up and down the country are taking to keep us safe today, please tweet about it using the hashtag #WinningIsRadical.

________________________

Reminder - NEC Elections Voting Guide

We have six candidates standing to be CLP reps. It’s a transferable voting system so you have to number the candidates, not put crosses. The important thing is to number all our six candidates as your first six choices, numbers one through to six.

We aren’t recommending a set order to vote for our six candidates as it would be unfair on the candidates we didn’t put at the top; we think they are all great and they all deserve a chance to win. And it would be patronising to our supporters to tell them the exact order to vote. We’re proud of our diverse team, we think that they’re all great - and each and every one of them deserves a chance to win.

Our six candidates are listed here in alphabetical order, so you can find them on the ballot, but you can rank them in any order you prefer:

• Shama Tatler - Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Property & Planning, Brent Council
• Michael Payne - Deputy Leader of Gedling Borough Council & Notts County Councillor; Deputy Leader of the LGA Labour Group
• Terry Paul - Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Services on Newham Council and former PLP Campaigns Officer
• Gurinder Singh Josan - NEC member, antiracism campaigner, Vice Chair of Sikhs for Labour, Sandwell Unite branch secretary
• Johanna Baxter - NEC member, Cunninghame North CLP Chair, Scottish Executive Committee member
• Luke Akehurst - NEC member 2010-2012, former Chief Whip of Hackney Council and parliamentary candidate in Essex and Hampshire

In the interests of ensuring a politically pluralistic NEC, and to ensure gender and regional balance, Labour to Win is only standing six candidates itself, and also urging its supporters to vote for three other candidates, from the left of the party, using your 7th, 8th and 9th preferences.

• 7 - Ann Black – Open Labour - NEC member 2000-2018 as part of the Centre-Left Grassroots Alliance, South East Regional Board Member, Secretary of Oxford & District Labour Party
• 8 - Theresa Griffin – Tribune Group - MEP for the North West Region, 2014-2020
• 9 - Paula Sheriff – Tribune Group – MP for Dewsbury, 2015-2019

We need you to vote for all six Labour to Win candidates with your six highest preferences because although the STV voting system usually produces proportional results i.e. if we get one third of the vote we get one third of the seats; this only works if people vote for all a team’s candidates, if you start lending high transfers to other candidates it could lead to us getting less than our fair share of seats.

The STV voting system is incredibly complicated but it usually produces fair results where all strands of opinion get represented. If a candidate gets more than 10% of the vote they will be elected straight away. Any surplus votes a winning candidate gets above 10% are redistributed to their 2nd preferences and so on.

The candidates at the bottom are knocked out and their 2nd preferences redistributed and so on. This carries on until all nine seats are filled.

For Treasurer we recommend voting for the incumbent, Diana Holland.

If you live in Wales, we recommend voting for Carywn Jones for Welsh Rep.

If you are a Labour Councillor, we recommend you vote for these two candidates for local government representatives:

• Nick Forbes - Leader of the LGA Labour Group and Newcastle City Council, incumbent NEC member
• Alice Perry - Islington Councillor and LGA Labour Group Deputy Chief Whip, incumbent NEC member

If you are under 27 years old, we recommend you vote for Kira Lewis for Youth Representative.

If you have registered with the party as a disabled member, we recommend you vote for George Lindars-Hammond for Disabled Members Representative.

Website: www.labourtowin.org