28.09.2017

Labour First on the run

Gerry Green watched them scarper

Those at the Labour First rally on the Sunday afternoon were a pretty riled up bunch. Luke Akehurst and his mates are clearly feeling under pressure from leftwing delegates - and they are not handling the stress at all well.

For example, the chair launched an attack on Labour Party Marxists as “not real Labour” - unlike the rows of Tory-lite manikins in the hall, for whom genuine Labour principles are as expendable as autumn leaves. Furthermore, our very name is a “a contradiction in terms” - a short course on the history of the Labour Party might clear up any confusion.

The ever-delightful John Mann MP scowled at our comrades, but did not deign to speak to them - presumably because there were no cameras nearby. However, he did prevail upon a minion to pick up a copy of the latest issue of Labour Party Marxists.

Not surprisingly, given the general election result and Jeremy’s huge spike in popularity and profile, Akehurst and co did not attack Corbyn directly. Instead, they concentrated their venom on his supporters - the organised Corbynistas particularly. These were “Stalinists” who “fetishise military dictatorships” like Venezuela and Cuba. The June poll was downplayed, however - “We have even fewer seats than under Neil Kinnock,” Chris Leslie MP complained. He went on to illustrate his encyclopaedic ignorance of Marxism, which he dismissed as a “destructive, hate-filled ideology”. In comments that must have shocked many in the audience, he revealed that Marxism is “revolutionary” and wants to “overturn capitalism” (well spotted).

Akehurst himself suggested that the Labour Party should “purge the anti-Semites” (for this, read ‘the left’) and “stand up to the bullies” (that is, ‘silence all criticism of the right’). Pretty classic - and pathetic - tactics of bureaucrats who are politically incapable of answering critics and are aware the game is moving away from them. For instance, in one of his more honest moments, Akehurst had to acknowledge that the right’s forces are now too weak to “stop the McDonnell amendment”.

A bulletin from our temperate friends had a very odd, over-the-top and laughably ignorant attack on the “cynical Leninists” who have wormed their way into the party. While the majority of the pro-Corbyn recruits are just “a bit naive”, we Marxists are “bullies” and fans of “secret police goons”.

This idiotic rant is only worth noting for one thing - it illustrates that the right is under pressure, feels its grip on the party slipping away and simply has not got the politics to argue cogently against the left - Marxist or otherwise.

They are on the run, comrades!