The far-left's "Ghost Constituency Labour Party" farce

Image: Harvey Comics CC

One of the several interconnected groups that make up the worst of the old Corbynista orientated group strangely called "Labour In Exile" (LIE) has chosen to share it's latest wheeze with the Weekly Worker, newspaper of the Communist Party of Great Britain (a small faction not to be confused with the rump Communist Party of Britain lumped around the Morning Star):

The rebellion against Keir Starmer inside Labour is gaining strength. Members across the country are forming ‘ghost’ local parties to resist what’s widely seen as a purge on the left by the leadership.

Since Starmer became leader last year over 70 party officers and hundreds of ordinary members have been suspended or expelled for expressions of support for former leader Jeremy Corbyn. Terry Deans, who was punitively suspended by the party last year, said: “I believe Starmer was hoping that by suspending or expelling people he would drive many others on the left to leave the party. But most have decided to stay and fight - many by setting up ‘ghost’ Labour parties.”

I'm not sure that there is any evidence of any "rebellion gaining strength" though small factional groups and hard-line supporters of Corbyn and his project do continue to make a nuisance of themselves. Also I'm not exactly how setting up some kind of shadow organisation with no actual place in the official party is exactly "staying and fighting" either.

Still I suppose it gives the comrades something to do when the real party meets and gets on with real business whist the assorted trots and odd-bods consume a beer or or two in some dark corner.

Norman Thomas (who he anyone?) continues:

........ the new group, the Labour In Exile Network (LIEN), which includes people both inside and outside the party working to change and democratise Labour. LIEN is holding its first public ‘Fightback Meeting’ at 6pm on Saturday March 27. Deans said: “The meeting will bring together people from across the country who have set up ghost or shadow local Labour parties. These parties will allow them to keep on fighting for the policies and ideas championed by Jeremy Corbyn, but outside of interference by Starmer’s officials.”

People will share their experience of setting up parties and discuss the possibility of national cooperation. Deans said: “This is the real prize - setting up a national, linked-up, shadow Labour Party, but this will be real Labour - the real grassroots party, working on a truly democratic basis.”

Besides the fact this is probably legally challengeable by the real Labour Party (if they are bothered by these troublesome gnats) it's really just wishful thinking on their part. Large numbers of the former Corbynite far-left have already left the party and returned either to the political obscurity and inactivity they previously engaged in or if still active have ended up elsewhere.

Christ Williamson's dark cult Resist has already aligned itself with the Socialist Party in the Trade Union & Socialist Coalition and is currently running three candidates in the local elections. Others are in the Green Party where the Corbynistas in sandals may probably help the Tories gain Hartlepool from Labour in the current by-election where a poll puts them at 7% whilst the two main parties are almost neck to neck.

While the comrades contemplate how many dialectics can go through the eye of a needle it will be their actions that will undermine the necessity of achieving a Labour Government with Labour policies to actually help people. This requires compromise in order to attract those voters who abandoned the party for the Tories and others seeking an alternative. The far-left are and will always remain the Tories best friends!