This is the text of the update letter sent out today. If you did not receive a copy write to leftlabour@yahoo.com giving your email address.
2nd Update (16 February 2021)
The first update letter for Left Labour, on 14 January, went to 8 people. This second update letter (16 February) is going to more than 50 people.
Welcome to all the new friends!
Since 14 January I have created a dedicated web site www.leftlabour.org, which I have been plugging on Facebook. Most of the pages have been amended multiple times as events have happened and as my thinking has developed. Comments and questions have led to significant rethinks.
I have opened a Twitter account but I have not used it yet.
I left the Labour Party on 24 December 2020 because I had no confidence in the values, the competence, or the integrity of the Labour Party’s leadership. What I have seen since I left has only confirmed that I was right.
I very much respect the comrades who are staying in the Labour Party to save it, but we know the autumn Labour Party Conference will be stitched up by the Right.
I expect 100,000+ people to leave the Labour Party in disgust in September and October. Where will they go?
On my calculations, at least 75,000 people have left the Labour Party since 24 July 2020. Where did they go?
None of the Left organisations are reporting astonishing increases in membership.
The impression I have from reading social media is that many of those who left the Labour Party are unsure what to do next. They would join a Left party, but they would not join any Left party just for the sake of it.
My thinking originally had been to have a democratic socialist party in being for people to join in the autumn. The way things are going, we have to accelerate our planning! I need input from all of you.
First Issue: Objects Clause
When I joined the Labour Party the “objects” clause was:
“To secure for the workers by hand or by brain the full fruits of their industry and the most equitable distribution thereof that may be possible upon the basis of the common ownership of the means of production, distribution and exchange, and the best obtainable system of popular administration and control of each industry or service”
I propose:
“To secure for the workers by hand or by brain and our people the full fruits of our industry and the most equitable distribution thereof that may be possible upon the basis of the common ownership of the means of production, distribution and exchange, and the best obtainable system of popular administration and control of each industry or service”
The difference is between the “top down” socialism of Sidney and Beatrice Webb, and “bottom up” socialism.
Are people generally in agreement?
Second Issue: The name. I chose the name Left Labour because we are largely people who have left Labour, and we are to the left of Labour. It has been suggested that the Electoral Commission would not accept Left Labour as a name because of the danger of confusion with the Labour Party.
Suggestions for a good name? Have a look at the Electoral Commission web site to see what names have already been taken.
Third Issue: Possible merger
Our friends at the Breakthrough Party have succeeded in registering “Breakthrough Party” as a political party. They are in principle prepared to merge with us.
It is too early to decide on a merger. We are trying to have identical constitutions and systems to make merger easier should we decide to do it. We may simply decide not to oppose each other.
Do people agree that we defer a merger? Do people say “Get on with it!”? If I thought merger was right for us at this time, I would propose it.
Fourth Issue: National Committee I am very keen that the National Committee should be based on areas rather than elected on a national basis. It is a way to avoid London dominating everything. With Zoom there is no reason why delegates from Truro and the Shetland Isles cannot participate on an equal basis with comrades from Tottenham and Streatham. When I was Secretary of Labour International CLP we had Executive Committee members in New York, Portugal, Belgium, France, Spain, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Italy, and Thailand. Labour International Executive meetings were virtual.
There are currently 533 constituencies in England, 59 in Scotland, and 40 in Wales. On the basis of roughly 20 constituencies per National Committee place, this gives 3 places to Scotland, 2 to Wales, and 27 to England. People living abroad, our International members, will have to be represented by the National Committee member from England who represents only 13 England constituencies. With 3,000+ members Labour International was the size of roughly 5 ordinary CLPs.
If Northern Ireland comrades take part, their 18 constituencies will be represented by one member.
There is an argument for electing National Committee members for 2 years, and a second set for the same areas whose first term will be only one year, and then elected two yearly. This way there is an annual election each year but never a complete changeover.
What do you think?
Fifth issue: Virtual meetings
Some constituencies are geographically very large.
In many constituencies, for much of every year, people are reluctant to go out on wet nights to sit in draughty halls.
Zoom or some other virtual system will be the norm for all meetings.
POLICIES
Our manifesto will be blessedly short, hopefully no more than maybe ten points, Each point will contain a costing and refer to a background paper available online. We need people to write both the background paper and the one line pledge.
Policies will be approved by Annual Conference and then approved by an electronic vote of all members.
TIMETABLE
We need to agree a timetable for adopting a Constitution, having National Committee elections, and a policy conference (all virtual of course).
I propose meeting on Sunday 30 May 2021 to adopt a Constitution. This gives us 15 weeks to agree the Constitution beforehand, or to identify the few votes needed on contentious issues. We will define our groups of 20 constituencies.
Then we open for memberships properly.
Our Constituency parties form in October.
In November we have the National Committee elections, giving those leaving the Labour Party after the September Conference an opportunity to engage.
We meet Sunday 14 November 2021 to announce the National Committee election results. After that, Constituencies elect delegates to Annual Conference and pass policy resolutions.
We elect a Leader and officers during December.
We meet Saturday 8 January 2022 and Sunday 9 January 2022 for the Annual Conference. We can decide at that Conference whether to have a physical Conference or Rally in the autumn.
Please write to leftlabour@yahoo.com with comments.
If you wish for some virtual meetings, say so! What about? One day long meeting discussing everything, or shorter meetings to discuss specific questions?
Yours fraternally,
Charles James
LEFT LABOUR 