14th November Movement for Left Unity

[treelover]

Joyce Sheppard: Who represents the working class?

Joyce Sheppard was a member of Women Against Pit Closures during the 1984-5 miners’ strike. Her husband was a striking miner. Here she explains why she has given up on the Labour party.

After many decades of supporting the Labour Party, my patience has finally run out. I can no longer advocate voting for a political party that has so obviously turned its back on the working class. The cynicism in their assumption that ordinary people will have no alternative but to vote for them is misguided. This is particularly relevant in Doncaster, where we have three Labour MPs, including the party leader.
I was born in 1949 into a Labour-supporting family, so much so that Labour Party branch meetings were held in my grandmother’s front room. Pride of place was a photograph, from the 1930s, of my grandmother and her friends standing together in the Labour Party Women’s section. Both my mother and grandmother were great storytellers and it was under their guidance that I learned the evils of the Tories and why a socialist alternative was essential.
My mother, who had served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, hated Winston Churchill with a vengeance, for it was he who had sent in the troops to attack striking Welsh miners in the 1930s. I heard horror stories of what it was like for the poor working class prior to the establishment of the National Health Service. Hence her admiration for Aneurin Bevan and his wife Jenny Lee, two radical socialists within the Labour Party, with Bevan being the ‘Father of the NHS’. It was during this radical Labour government’s time in office that I was born.

http://leftunity.org/joyce-sheppard-who-represents-the-working-class/

Good article on the L/U site from a former Women against Pit Closures activist who is now joining L/U, read her story, puts the Intersectionalista's into perspective.

 

[Pickman's model]

Good article on the L/U site from a former Women against Pit Closures activist who is now joining L/U, read her story, puts the Intersectionalista's into perspective.

winston churchill didn't send troops anywhere in the 1930s. he was famously out of office. i think she must mean 1910s, tonypandy and that.

 

[Coolfonz]

The website has been de-fisted. http://leftunity.org/

 

[Welsh lad]

I hope 'leftunity' can be a success as a political party. The time for a true left-wing alternative to the barely centre-left Labour party is long overdue.

 

[tufty79]

The website has been de-fisted. http://leftunity.org/

slowly and gently, I hope
(((website)))

 

[SpackleFrog]

Good article on the L/U site from a former Women against Pit Closures activist who is now joining L/U, read her story, puts the Intersectionalista's into perspective.

She's standing for TUSC in Doncaster.

 

[nino_savatte]

I'm talking about what you said. Political views are fixed and immovable, apparently. People adopt a position (presumably not because of anything anyone else says because nobody can change anyone's mind in your bizarre world) and NOTHING can alter it.

Again, you seem to be replying to a post that's in your head.

 

[nino_savatte]

Something something UKIP something migration watch Daily mail Richard littlejohn. Buddy.

Blah, blah, blah. Feel better now, you smug fucker?

 

[nino_savatte]

Maybe reading the thread would be a good start?

The last time I checked this thread was about Left Unity. Btw, I don't have the time to spend on Urban as you clearly do. I actually have a life outside this site.

It's all about 'kippers' and 'migration watch' for you isn't it? What about normal people? The bloke down the pub? People at work? I don't need to speculate on whether I can persuade people - I can and have - and I've learned from this process as well.

Are you suggesting that the Right hasn't dominated the agenda? How naive. But normal people? What does "normal" mean? People like you? Tell me, what have you learnt that you didn't know before?

Can you point to where, say, the discussion between me and lo siento has been colonised by the right and poisoned by their rhetoric/views on national identity? Should be pretty easy if what you say is true.

##

Where did I indicate that? You're making it up... again.

Depends which discussions really - of course some (most even?) are, especially in the media and establishment circles that you appear to believe dictate the terms on which any of us can discuss the issue. Not all of them though - and as often as not in my experience what's behind concerns about migration among normal people has nothing to do with race or national identity and everything to do with economic uncertainty.

Who are "normal people"? But you say that national identity doesn't figure in the immigration discussion? Really? Have you been living on Mars? Btw, this whole immigration debate began with Michael Howard and Lynton Crosby in 2003. Furthermore, racism also operates economically or did you think it was entirely related to social exclusion and discriminatory practices?

Well they are. look at them again. You're saying nobody will ever change their minds on this issue. It's utter nonsense.

I'm saying that not everyone is going to be swayed by your arguments. Is that so hard to understand?

You weren't around in the 70s, were you?

 

[SpackleFrog]

The last time I checked this thread was about Left Unity. Btw, I don't have the time to spend on Urban as you clearly do. I actually have a life outside this site.



Are you suggesting that the Right hasn't dominated the agenda? How naive. But normal people? What does "normal" mean? People like you? Tell me, what have you learnt that you didn't know before?

##

Where did I indicate that? You're making it up... again.




Who are "normal people"? But you say that national identity doesn't figure in the immigration discussion? Really? Have you been living on Mars? Btw, this whole immigration debate began with Michael Howard and Lynton Crosby in 2003. Furthermore, racism also operates economically or did you think it was entirely related to social exclusion and discriminatory practices?




I'm saying that not everyone is going to be swayed by your arguments. Is that so hard to understand?

You weren't around in the 70s, were you?

Oh, fuck off you muppet.

 

[belboid]

despite conference voting against standing candidates immediately, a few branches are doing anyway. Norwich are about to put a couple in, at least one in Barnet. Lee Jasper has been told to fuck off tho

 

[treelover]

despite conference voting against standing candidates immediately, a few branches are doing anyway. Norwich are about to put a couple in, at least one in Barnet. Lee Jasper has been told to fuck off tho

 

[treelover]

My great grandfather was one of Labour’s founders – now the working class needs a new choice once again
April 16, 2014

Blair Smillie, great grandson of miners’ union leader and Labour Party founding member Robert Smillie, writes on why he has joined Left Unity.

http://leftunity.org/blair-smillie-why-ive-joined/

Looks like many descended from the 'aristocracy of labour' are joining L/U, I'm sure the labour party though will be glad to see the historical 'baggage' take their leave, new new labour.

 

[Spanky Longhorn]

Ah the dynastic approach

 

[benedict]

Andrew Burgin says on FB that they're standing candidates in Norwich, Exeter, Barnet and Wigan.

 

[treelover]

Barnet, isn't that the Easy' Council?

 

[SpackleFrog]

I'm quite looking forward to the results

 

[J Ed]

This sounds positive

http://leftunity.org/left-unitys-first-candidates/

Left Unity has confirmed its first local election candidates: our Wigan branch is standing in seven council seats. Left Unity Wigan has been an important part of the movement against fracking locally, and one of the candidates is a ‘Barton Moss protector’ from the anti-fracking camp there. There are also current and former workers from the Hovis factory, the site of an important victory against zero-hours contracts.

 

[treelover]

Too soon, imo, they were growing nicely, without too many tensions, etc that any election exposes.

Won't very low votes dent morale, for instance?


Btw, I see L/U are making campaigning against the EU/US Free Trade Agreement, the 'Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership'(TTIP) a priority, it will be a disaster if it goes through.

 

[SpackleFrog]

Too soon, imo, they were growing nicely, without too many tensions, etc that any election exposes.

Won't very low votes dent morale, for instance?


Btw, I see L/U are making campaigning against the EU/US Free Trade Agreement, the 'Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership'(TTIP) a priority, it will be a disaster if it goes through.

 

[SpackleFrog]

This sounds positive

http://leftunity.org/left-unitys-first-candidates/

That is a good move, I'm impressed. Do they mean that there are Hovis workers involved, or just that they live there?

 

[treelover]

Do expand?

 

[SpackleFrog]

Sigh... Ok, but please try to listen, I don't mind helping but I don't want to waste my time.

Yes, elections do expose "tensions". You equally say campaigning work of any kind will expose "tensions". Or that doing nothing will expose "tensions".

Nobody likes getting no votes, but nobody with half a clue expects to come out of nowhere with no name recognition and get anything other than very low votes. If you want to get somewhere in electoral politics, you have to stand. Standing candidates is basically the difference between electoral organisations and overly formalised social networks in this context.

 

[J Ed]

That is a good move, I'm impressed. Do they mean that there are Hovis workers involved, or just that they live there?

Good point, it does sound like they are candidates or helping candidates but it isn't clear.

 

[SpackleFrog]

Is a bit annoying they won't stand as TUSC-LU as was offered though, could get us to the 625 mark As it is we might be just short.

 

[belboid]

Is a bit annoying they won't stand as TUSC-LU as was offered though, could get us to the 625 mark As it is we might be just short.

there's no such party as 'TUSC-LU' tho, so it would be legally impossible (I think they did look into it for other places).

I'm surprised you picked that bit to pick up on in treelover's post tho. For sure, any party campaigning on a basis of opposition to the government and saying that 'Labour isnt good enough' must put their words to the test and stand in elections. But there's a time and a place. And doing so on the basis of bugger all work under the name Left Unity in the localities being stood in is just daft. The Wigan lot have stood a couple of times (under a different name) in one ward in Wigan, but Norwich have done nowt so far, dunno about the other places. I think there is at least one actual Hovis worker standing.

 

[free spirit]

only way to actually start to get anywhere as a political party is to start to stand in elections when the come. If not now when people are crying out for a real left wing alternative, then when?

 

[belboid]

tbh, managing to restrict it to four councils isn't bad going

 

[SpackleFrog]

there's no such party as 'TUSC-LU' tho, so it would be legally impossible (I think they did look into it for other places).

I'm surprised you picked that bit to pick up on in treelover's post tho. For sure, any party campaigning on a basis of opposition to the government and saying that 'Labour isnt good enough' must put their words to the test and stand in elections. But there's a time and a place. And doing so on the basis of bugger all work under the name Left Unity in the localities being stood in is just daft. The Wigan lot have stood a couple of times (under a different name) in one ward in Wigan, but Norwich have done nowt so far, dunno about the other places. I think there is at least one actual Hovis worker standing.

Of course but - and forgive me for being cynical - if they didn't stand this year I doubt they'd have done much work by next year.

 

[free spirit]

IMO it should be possible for a new left party to make some significant impact, possibly even get someone elected at this moment in time, as there's so much dissilusionment with all 3 main parties, all of which have lost a huge proportion of their active supporter base in recent years.

A small but dedicated team with a decent network of support locally, and some actual belief that they're actually going to do it should be able to win a council seat.

Most left wing parties campaigns are doomed to failure due to their lack of believe, and lack of commitment IME, the ones I've seen at least have been a complete farce, and rarely even target anything beyond getting their deposit back. I hope these are approaching this differently.