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Corbyn Re-Election 14 international UK’s new party in a party Corbyn leadership re-election victory After twenty years of right wing Reinstate the socialists domination by warmonger Tony This necessary discussion and clarification Blair and his heirs, the UK Labour of policies and ideas is the reason why Party now has a left anti-austerity another vital demand in the period ahead leader – Jeremy Corbyn. His will be the right for all socialists, including election caused shock waves in those previously expelled or excluded, to the British ruling class whose agents participate in the Labour Party - and to be in Labour tried desperately to oust organised. him forcing a second leadership election less than a year after he The leadership battle has revealed the was elected to office. The Labour morbid fear of the ruling class and their Party membership has trebled to representatives within Labour precisely more than 600 000 since Corbyn’s of ‘organised socialists’. Above all for the election making it the biggest left right wing, exemplified in the attack on wing party in Western Europe. Below ‘Trotskyist arm-twisters’ by the deputy is an edited version of a statement Labour leader Tom Watson, is the spectre published by the Socialist Party of Militant, the predecessor of the Socialist (CWI in England & Wales) on 24 Party. The capitalists have their ‘tendencies’ September 2016. Jeremy Corbyn within Labour which they support both Trade union representation within the materially and ideologically, including Three months ago three quarters of Labour Labour Party, when democratically through the weight of the establishment MPs launched a coup against Jeremy exercised by union members, provides a media. So why should those who oppose Corbyn forcing a new leadership election. potential means for the working class to capitalism not be allowed to organise too? They have been backed by all the forces of control its political representatives. It was The best way to achieve this, undercutting the capitalist establishment. Big business this characteristic above all that defined the capitalist media’s manufactured and the right-wing media have endlessly the Labour Party in the past - before New fixation on ‘secret conspiracies’, would be attacked Jeremy, while the Labour machine Labour - as a ‘capitalist workers’ party’. to allow socialist parties and organisations has prevented thousands of his supporters In other words, while the party had a to openly affiliate to the Labour Party. from voting in the contest. Despite this leadership which invariably reflected Jeremy was re-elected by a huge margin The transformation of the Labour Party the policy of the capitalist class, it had a into New Labour was not one act but with 61.8% of the vote, even wider than structure through which workers could in his initial victory. There was a very a process consolidated over years. To move to challenge the leadership and reverse that transformation will also not be high turnout, with more than half a million threaten the capitalists’ interests. The people voting. accomplished by one act but will require unions’ rights must be restored. the organisation of a mass movement The issue of what needs to be done to Other measures are also needed to consciously aiming to overturn New consolidate Jeremy Corbyn’s victory - by democratise the structures of the Labour Labour’s legacy. really transforming Labour into an anti- Party, sterilised by Blairism over years, austerity, socialist, working class mass with mandatory re-selection of MPs a key movement - is the critical question facing demand. The 172 MPs who triggered the socialists in Britain today. coup with their ‘no confidence’ motion on 28 June should retain the Labour whip No compromise with the right only if they agree to accept the renewed The course of recent events shows that mandate for Corbyn and his anti-austerity, Jeremy Corbyn’s position is still tenuous. anti-war policies. Only the protests of thousands of Labour members and trade unionists stopped what An ideological rearming is also necessary. would have been a pre-emptory closing In 1995, Tony Blair abolished Labour’s down of the opportunity to transform the historic commitment, in Clause Four, Part Labour Party. All regular party meetings IV of the party’s rules, to “the common were cancelled, a number of constituency ownership of the means of production, parties were suspended and the notorious distribution and exchange”. The WASP is the South replacement clause committed the party ‘compliance unit’ conducted “a rigged African affiliate of the purge of Jeremy Corbyn supporters”. instead to the dynamic “enterprise of the Ultimately, the structures and power market”, “the rigor of competition”, and Committee for a Workers relations that were developed under New “a thriving private sector”. Unfortunately, International which has more ‘Corbynomics’ - ultimately a form of Labour, which had destroyed the ability of than 40 sections worldwide. the working class to contend for influence Keynesianism - does not go far enough. within the party, are still in place. There is no substitute for a clear programme The CWI website is updated of democratic public ownership of the daily with news and Marxist A first step for Jeremy Corbyn after his banks, financial institutions and major victory should be to declare that he will re- companies, under workers’ control and analysis of the latest struggles establish a central role within the Labour management, the essential basis for a new across the world. Party for the trade unions, commensurate form of society, socialism, in opposition to with their importance as the collective the capitalist market system. www.socialistworld.net voices of millions of workers..
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