In 50+ years of campaigning for Labour I have never before considered campaigning against the Labour Party.
I have never known the Labour Party to be the way it is today. People whom everyone knows are not anti-Semitic are expelled from the Labour Party. Internal dissent is now met with suspension from the Labour Party.
How is it that a political party opposed to anti-Semitism expels so many Jews?
Who is the Labour Party to decide who is “the wrong kind of Jew” to teach about anti-Semitism?
Labour in Parliament is pathetic beyond belief. How could we not stand with millions of British trade unionists literally being put at risk of their lives over Covid 19? Some have already lost their lives. How could Labour not oppose the Spy Cops Bill, which legalizes the torture, rape, and murder of trade union and political activists? Why do we side with landlords rather than with tenants? Since I first wrote this, Labour has voted for Johnson’s Brexit agreement.
Jeremy Corbyn caught the imagination of many people. People who had never been political joined the Labour Party in the hundreds of thousands. Those of us who were already members had a spring in our step.
I cannot think of any Labour Leader who could attract huge crowds, who could have young people singing his name, who could galvanise the under 25s to vote, and who could virtually treble party membership as Jeremy Corbyn did.
Jeremy Corbyn was not perfect, but he was inspiring.
Charles James has worked for Labour in every General Election since 1966. Charles joined the Labour Party in 1972.
In 1986 Charles increased the Labour vote in Heaton ward, Bradford, by 80% to take the third safest Tory ward in Bradford Metropolitan District for Labour. In 1990, Charles increased his 1986 vote 47% to record the highest ever vote for any candidate in the ward. In 1991, Labour achieved a second Labour councillor elected in Heaton.
At different times Charles has served as Constituency Labour Party (CLP) Chair, Secretary (twice), Treasurer, Fundraiser, Youth Officer, Parliamentary Agent, and Annual Conference Delegate. He served as Branch Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, and council election agent.
Charles has been bingo caller, bouncer, canvasser, committee room leader, count representative, delegate, knocker upper, leaflet writer, leafletter, lottery promoter, newsletter writer, number taker, paper candidate, school governor, speaker, and voter registration canvasser. He wrote http://chasjames.com/home/socialism-politics/the-effective-activist/ . His web site is www.chasjames.com .
In 2019 Charles was elected Secretary of Labour International CLP. Labour International has 3,000+ members, and more than 20 branches across six continents.
Charles resigned from the Labour Party on 24 December 2020. (For the avoidance of doubt, there were no Labour Party disciplinary issues of which Charles is aware.)
Outside the Labour Party, Charles organised his first demonstration at the age of 17. He was involved in student unions. He was at Grunwick. He was part of JCAD the Joint Campaign Against Deportations. He taught at the Croxteth School occupation. He was involved in the Honeyford issue. He went on demonstrations with the Bradford Asian Youth Movement. He collected for the miners. He helped in the Thornton View Hospital occupation. He was elected to the Council of the Law Society. He ran an immigration and political asylum solicitor practice. He taught Law and was a member of UCU.
Charles is a retired member of Unite The Union.
Charles is now retired and lives in Portugal. Charles is available for Zoom / Skype meetings.
WHAT IS TO BE DONE?
I see myself as the unelected convenor / collator/ trustee of a like minded group. As more and more people are looking for a political home, I believe this group will meet their needs. I am trying to build the critical mass that we need.
Living abroad, and aged 69, I am not about to return to the UK to lead a long struggle. I picked up this baton because no-one else has yet done it. My aim is to get a core group together, and to hand over.
If you are seriously interested in forming a new political party please write to me at leftlabour@yahoo.com to say you are interested. I need your name, your email, and the constituency in which you live. A bit of information about your experience and skills would be helpful.
If you just wish to be kept informed, without commitment, please write to leftlabour@yahoo.com with your name, email, and constituency.
LEFT LABOUR 