Last Saturday an excellent meeting of the Northern LRC was held in Gateshead with John McDonnell, fighting to be on the ballot for the new leader of the Labour Party, and Paul Holmes, candidate for GS of Unison, amongst those in attendance. We reproduce here a report on the meeting by Veronica Killen from the LRC
John McDonnell addressed a well attended meeting of the
Northern LRC in
Gateshead. This was his second visit in three years – the last time along with
today, John was looking for nominations in the leadership contest. His campaign
is about opening up debate, to have an honest discussion about why Labour lost
the general election and to show Labour party members that democracy can exist
once more in the Party. Three years
ago, the warning back then was to allow a debate within the party, or face
sleepwalking into a Tory government. Look what happened – the party needs to
learn and members deserve an honest discussion. The Labour party lost 4 million
voters over 13 years. Bureaucracy is used to stifle democracy. To stifle debate
is not only undemocratic, but the ‘fear’ of debate that exists at every level of
the Labour party is a display of disproportionate paranoia and it plays into the
hands of the Tories. John went onto say we need this debate to know where we go
from here. The scale of the proposed Tory cuts is a class issue – it is the
working class that will suffer the most. The coming period is a testing time –
the LP needs to re-establish its links with ordinary working class people, their
communities and the trade union movement. Resistance is coming – the LP needs to
decide on what its role will be.
Other speakers included Paul Holmes from UNISON who is standing for
General Secretary. His entertaining and stimulating speech was a refreshing
analogy of the struggle of the working class movement, put into everyday
language and using everyday examples. He reminded us of how many ex Etonion MP’s
we have and how the bankers – throughout the world love government leaders who
go to public schools. He reminded us of the privileged background of the
families of Cameron and Clegg and that over 2/3rd’s of the government
cabinet are millionaires. He went on to say many traditional Labour voters did
not vote Labour because they do not like the Labour party – it was because they
did not like the Labour government. Many people are now re- joining, and new
member’s altogether – wanting to engage with the party in the hope for change.
The time is right to re-engage with ordinary working class people, engage in the
language that matters, the issues that count, turning arguments on its face.
Remember the turn of the last century? – When 1 million people were in service,
working all year round, lucky to have one day off. Read the Ragged Trouser
Philanthropist. Discuss with people the globalisation in the name of
capitalist’s profits, the sweat shops, and the child exploitation. Unity of the
working class. The aim is to elevate everyone – not just the
few.
John
McCormack – a long standing local councilor, the new Mayor of Ashington and TU
activist. A need to keep reminding
ourselves that TU’s have no power – it is the bosses that have the power,
through the anti-trade union laws. What TU’s have is strength – strength through
unity! It is that unity which bosses attack time and time again. Look at the
Trade Union Bill – the LP could not get support through the
PLP and look at the latest anti-union court decisions. We need unity and
strength success in the struggle grows from that. Strength leads to resistance
and there are growing examples of resistance, locally and nationally. In the
communities there are wave upon wave of campaigns. People know they can turn to
the Trades Councils and build up from the bottom, at all levels, local, regional
and nationally.
Steve Brown – LRC Northern coordinator. The crisis is not of our making
and we must resist attacks on the working class. John McDonnell represents the
rank and file in the party and we will do all we can to get him onto the
leadership ballot. In the northern region the LRC is growing with sub groups
developing across the region. We need to get politics back onto the LP agenda at
local level and begin the debates.
There were many good contributions from the floor but the overall message
from the afternoon was – the struggle is long and hard but can be won – it may
not happen soon but resistance is gathering – join in that resistance and open
debates throughout the LP, in the TU’s and strengthen communities. Continue
lobbying MP’s to get John onto the ballot. Use the People’s Agenda; ask the
awkward questions in the party, in the branches and the
CLP’s, for the sake of democracy and struggle now, and in the
future.
