Events in the Labour Party have demonstrated the ruthlessness of the right – as well as the timidity of the left. The problem boils down to a crisis of leadership. We call on readers to join us and help build the forces of Marxism.
The vindictive actions of Keir Starmer – first to suspend Jeremy Corbyn, then to remove him as a Labour MP – should not come as a surprise to anyone.
Starmer and the right wing have launched an all-out war against the left, seeking to demoralise members and drive them out of the party. They are determined to make the Labour Party safe for capitalism. This is what Starmer means when he says that the party is “under new management”. In this war, the Labour right wing has the full support of the ruling class.
A purge of the left is taking place, using the false charge of antisemitism. The left has no alternative but to fight this attack with every means at its disposal.
Fight to the finish
The right wing were wrong-footed when a NEC disputes panel readmitted Corbyn back into the party. But ignoring this decision, Starmer expelled the former leader from the Parliamentary Labour Party. These agents of capitalism are acting as a law unto themselves.
It is not Corbyn who should be expelled, but these right wing infiltrators! They are prepared to destroy the party to get what they want.
The left must immediately go on the offensive. The time for compromise is over.
Motions of no confidence in Starmer and his leadership should be passed in every CLP and trade union branch. The left trade union leaders must force the NEC to immediately organise a national recall conference: to signal a vote of no confidence in the current leadership, calling on them to resign, and to introduce mandatory reselection for MPs.
It is time these right-wing infiltrators were cleared out! This must be a fight to the finish!
Compromises
To give the devil his due, the right wing are absolutely ruthless in representing their interests. In comparison, up until now, the ‘left’ has been pitiful.
The ‘left’ has been meekly calling for ‘unity’ when they should be waging war. They have been prepared to compromise all along the line. They lack backbone. Attempts to appease the right wing have been a big mistake. Weakness invites aggression.
This approach is born out of their wooly reformist politics: the idea that we should work to reform capitalism. This leads them to compromise.
What is required is a battle to drive out the right wing; to be as ruthless and determined as our opponents.
If this approach had been adopted from the beginning, we would not be in this mess. The right wing could have been crushed long ago. All the left needed to do was to bring in mandatory reselection of MPs – for which there was (and is) mass support – and allow rank-and-file members to choose their representatives. But the ‘left’ leaders blocked this move. This failure sealed their fate.
Crisis of leadership
What is needed is decisive action against the right wing, linked to a bold socialist programme to sweep away the capitalist system. Unfortunately, the left reformists lack such an approach.
In contrast, the Marxist tendency – represented by Socialist Appeal – is prepared to fight to the end. We are opposed to compromises with capitalism and its right-wing agents. We must cleanse the labour movement of these carpetbaggers and turn Labour and the unions into weapons for revolutionary change.
We are actively and energetically participating in the fight against the right wing. However, we are also seeking to build up the forces of Marxism, which is an urgent task. The crisis facing the working class is a crisis of leadership. We need militant leaders who will not compromise, but who are prepared to go to the end.
Forces of Marxism
The depth of the capitalist crisis means that there is no room any longer for reforms, only counter-reforms. There is no middle road. Capitalism must be abolished.
This is our programme and perspective. We therefore appeal to you to join us in building up the forces of Marxism.
Massive events are on the order of the day. Layers of workers and youth are beginning to draw radical and even revolutionary conclusions.
We must prepare now for the events that are coming, in order to be able to provide the necessary leadership. No one else is going to do this. We therefore appeal to you:
Join us today! Let us build the forces needed to guarantee the victory of the working class!
{loadmodule mod_foxcontact,Join}
