Schrödinger's Labour and why all socialists should leave

 

IF any socialists are still members of the Labour Party I can only assume they are masochists. I truly see no other reason for it. The PLP have shown us they will not accept socialism and have suspended and indeed have expelled many socialists. So why are some still there?

Perhaps out of loyalty to a party they have always believed in. I don’t know. I was a member for more than 40 years but left when Starmer was elected leader. I knew his history and didn’t like him; however, I certainly didn’t expect him to turn out to be almost Stalinist in his actions to members. Labour does not have my loyalty any longer, and should not have the loyalty of any socialist.

I have heard a few say they are staying as members solely because it will annoy Starmer. But why? That’s no reason. You think Starmer is concerned by that? The man is concerned only with donations, which are falling rapidly. Though of course he will still have his big donors who are there only because they know he is absolutely no threat to the status quo. Who knows? Murdoch may even allow him to be PM. And god help us all if that happens. His latest commitment to NATO, whilst smearing his predecessor in the process, should worry all of us who want a world of peace. He has shown us all, time and time again, that he will blow whichever way the most profitable wind is blowing.

While I loathe the Tories, and Johnson, it is actually Starmer who frightens me more. It is because he pretends to be on our side - or did pretend in the past - but most certainly is not. The archetypal wolf in sheep's clothing. We only have to look at his actions over the last week where he dismissed out of hand Unite’s threat to withdraw funding (conveniently forgetting his pledge (no. 7 I think) to work with unions.), saying, through a spokesperson, that “these sort of threats won’t work in Keir Starmer’s Labour Party” and that Unite should have gotten the message that the party is “under new management”. 

Yeah, most of us have got that message.Funny, I remember when it was just the Labour Party, when it belonged to the members, not its so-called leader. Under his predecessor, Jeremy Corbyn, we always heard the words “we” and “for the many”, while under this new management - and doesn’t that really sum up the pro-business party it has become - it is all “I” and “me”, no thought given to the members at all.

While I’m having my little rant I must speak of the many centrists banging on and on about us being ‘Tory-enablers’. Not only is it old and boring, but it is especially infuriating when most of them are ex-Lib Dems and/or part of the FBPE cult. They didn’t support the previous leader but expect us to support Starmer even while he has made it clear he has no time for us and while Rachel Reeves said it was a “good thing” Labour membership was dropping, and implying that all those of us who had left are antisemites. You can’t have it both ways people - you either make us feel welcome or we go elsewhere. Because now we do have options. The People’s Alliance of the Left, comprising Left Unity, Breakthrough Party, Northern Independence Party, and the Trade Union and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) is offering us just what we’ve been waiting for, a socialist alternative.

Part of PAL’s statement says ‘those parties that stand in elections (Breakthrough, NIP, TUSC, Left Unity) will seek to cooperate over standing in elections – i.e. aim to avoid standing against each other & offer mutual support to each other’s candidates where possible. Candidates will stand as candidates of the constituent party (not PAL itself).’ Sounds good to me, and I only hope that all those on the left who are condemning Labour presently, stick to their guns and refuse to give them their vote. Because you can bet the Labour Party will offer shiny new policies just before the next GE in an attempt to woo us back.

Not me comrades, not me. In the words of a woman I despise: this lady’s not for turning.

(And yes, I do apologise for using her quote, but she’s still dead, so console yourself with that.)