The Case For A Real Grassroots Movement

From The Resistance Chris Williamson examines the Labour Party and why it lost the general election while making a compelling case for why the Left needs a real grassroots movement.

The election defeat last year requires serious consideration about how best to respond. Rightwingers in the Labour Party have been falling over themselves to administer the last rites to Corbynism and establishment media hacks are anticipating a return to the neoliberal consensus.

How did we get here? The outcome of the 2015 general election was a shattering blow, a majority Tory government had been elected for the first time since 1992. But the gloom was lifted when Jeremy Corbyn secured enough nominations from MPs to be a candidate in the Labour leadership election. He offered a fresh approach, an end to austerity and an expansion of Labour Party democracy.

I naively expected the MPs, who had supported one of the other candidates, to accept the democratic decision of the members in the tradition of the party’s broad church principles. Sadly, the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) had other ideas and set about sabotaging Jeremy’s leadership from day one. My naivety got the better of me again when I thought help was at hand after ‘Momentum’ was launched. How wrong was I?

Continue reading @ The Resistance.