Labour Party labourpartymarxists.org.ukMARXISTS September 2015 No. 7 RECRUIT WIN NEW AFFILIATES TRANSFORM Jeremy Corbyn’s election presents the left with a historic opportunity. James Marshall outlines a programme of immediate action and long-term strategic goals t the well publicised prompting shadow cabinet needs to be understood of Peter Mandelson, Charles as an act of civil war. Yvette Cooper, AClarke, David Blunkett and Chuka Umunna, Tristram Hunt, above all Tony Blair, the hard right Emma Reynolds, Liz Kendall, has already launched what will be a Shabana Mahmood, Mary Creagh, protracted, bitter, no-holds-barred Jamie Reid, Chris Leslie and Rachel struggle to put an end to the leadership Reeves have in effect constituted of Jeremy Corbyn. Blair’s ‘Alice in themselves a shadow-shadow cabinet. wonderland’ opinion piece in The This parliamentary gang of 10 are still Observer had nothing to do with the members of the Labour Party, but, former prime minister trying to swing obviously, they do not share the same votes in the closing two weeks of the values as the mass of Labour members. leadership contest.1 Comrade Corbyn In that context, Corbyn is absolutely had already won. No, its purpose was right to maintain the leader’s ‘hire and perfectly clear. Rally the Blairites and fire’ prerogative. After all, he faces their corporate, state and international not just 10 rebels. No, it is more like allies … and declare war. 110. We Marxists want the abolition Given the punishing logic of the of the Bonarpartist post of leader. first-past-the-post election system, But these are extraordinary times it is unlikely that the hard right will and require extraordinary measures. go for a breakaway. Minor parties The idea of having the PLP elect the tend to suffer “significant under- shadow cabinet was being touted by representation” at a national level.2 the right. Thankfully Corbyn’s early Another Social Democratic Party is pronouncements on this subject were therefore an outside possibility. But, rethought. He wisely opted to keep the unlike the early 1980s, the political dictatorial powers long favoured by centre is not enjoying a sustained past Labour leaders. revival.3 At the last general election the Appointing the shadow chancellor Liberal Democrats were decimated. was always going to be a litmus test. They remain marginalised and loathed. The more timid members of Corbyn’s It is probably true that “more than two” inner circle were reportedly urging Labour MPs are considering defection, him to go for someone from the centre. either to the Tories or the Lib Dems. Instead he chose John McDonnell. Nonetheless, political suicide remains Excellent. So there is in effect a an unattractive proposition for most Corbyn-McDonnell leadership. Blairites.4 Their constituents would Offering shadow cabinet seats to the turf them out at the first opportunity. likes of Andy Burnham, Hilary Benn, Instead of the glories of high office, Angela Eagle, Lucy Powell, Lord it will be the musty corridors of the Falconer, Rosie Winterton and Chris House of Lords. Knowing that, the Byrant was always going to happen. right will therefore stay firmly put Corbyn is a natural conciliator. And and fight hard … until we send them the fact of the matter is that there packing. are simply not enough leftwingers in The well-timed announcement parliament. Unless, that is, Corbyn by leading members of the right that went for a pocket-sized shadow they would refuse seats in Corbyn’s cabinet and appointed talents from ii LPM September 2015 No. 7 outside parliament. That is what we them. If they want to bolster Corbyn’s ruthless determination it can be done. rate). And, as leader of the official election, 30,000 joined the party.10 LPMers advocated. position, if they want to ensure that A particularly potent weapon here opposition, Jeremy Corbyn has just Many more should be expected. But Nevertheless, equipped with his he stays true to his principles, if they is the demand that all our elected got himself a £6,000 pay rise.9 we need to reach out to all those left-centre-right coalition, Corbyn want to transform the Labour Party, representatives should take only the We in the LPM say, let them keep who are disgusted by corrupt career can claim the moral high ground. He then the best thing they can do is to average wage of a skilled worker. A the average skilled workers’ wage - say politicians, all those who aspire for is reaching out to all sections of the get themselves a vote when it comes principle upheld by the Paris Commune £40,000 (plus legitimate expenses). a better world, all those who have an party. Meanwhile, in terms of internal to the national executive committee, and the Bolshevik revolution. From However, they should hand the balance objective interest in ending capitalism. perceptions, it is the hard right that will the selection and reselection of MPs, memory the Italian Communist Party over to the party. That would give a To do that we need to establish our be blamed for starting the civil war. MEPs, councillors, etc. Card-carrying under Enrico Berlinguer applied the considerable boost to our finances. own mass media. That will play well with traditional members can also attend ward and partymax even in the 1970s. With the Even if we leave out our 20 MEPs Much to the chagrin of the fourth Labour loyalists. They do not take constituency meetings and themselves PCI’s huge parliamentary fraction this from the calculation, it would amount estate, comrade Corbyn has shown kindly to anyone damaging Labour’s stand for officer positions. proved to be a vital source of funds. to roughly £900,000 extra. Anyway, his “contempt” for the capitalist chances at the polls. After all, for Secondly, within the affiliated Our MPs are now on a basic whatever our finances, there is a press, radio and TV. Relying on most Labour councillors and would- trade unions we must fight to win £67,060 annual salary. On top of that basic principle. Our representatives their favours worked splendidly for be councillors, most Labour MPs and many, many more to enrol. Just over they get around £12,000 in expenses ought to live like ordinary workers, Tony Blair and Alistair Campbell. would-be MPs, the be-all and end-all 70,000 affiliated supporters voted in and allowances, putting them on not pampered members of the upper But our newly elected leader will get of politics is getting into office … the leadership election. A tiny portion £79,060 (yet at present Labour middle class. So, yes, let us impose nothing but mockery, hatchet jobs even if the manifesto promises nothing of what could be. There are 4,414,929 MPs are only obliged to pay the the partymax. and implacable opposition. While more than managing capitalism better who pay the political levy.5 Given that £82 parliamentarian’s subscription In the three days following Corbyn’s there will doubtless be an attempt to than the Tories. A misplaced common they can sign up to the Labour Party court The Guardian and the Mirror sense that wide swathes of the Labour with no more than a click, we really group, Corbyn’s turning to the social left, including Corbyn and McDonnell, ought to have a million affiliated media is understandable and very have thoroughly internalised. supporters as a minimum target. much to be welcomed. However, However, the hard right will have Thirdly, the constituency, branch as is obvious, tweeting and texting the full backing of the capitalist media, (ward) and other such basic units must have severe limits. They are brilliant the City of London, the military- be revived and galvanised. Everything mediums for transmitting short, sharp, industrial complex, special branch, should be done to encourage new clear messages. But, when it comes to MI5 and their American cousins. members, and returnees, to attend complex ideas, debating principles and Corbyn’s much publicised admiration meetings and elect officers who charting political strategies, they are for Karl Marx, his campaigning against oppose austerity and want to support next to useless. US-led imperialist wars, his opposition the Corbyn-McDonnell leadership. To set the agenda, however, we to Nato, Trident and nuclear weapons, Labour’s constituency and branches must shun those siren voices urging his commitment to increase the tax can be made into vibrant centres of us to engage with the “unpersuaded” take from transnational corporations, organisation, education and action. by relying on the existing “mainstream the banks and the mega rich, his As such they would be well placed media”.11 As Gordon Brown and Ed republicanism - even his refusal to sing to hold wayward councillors and Miliband found to their cost, to live by the national anthem at St Paul’s - mark MPs to account. They could also the mainstream media is to die by the him out as completely unacceptable. spearhead a mass campaign to get mainstream media. No, we need our Of course, the distinct danger is local people onto the electoral register. own full-spectrum alternative. that the Corbyn-McDonnell leadership The electoral commission reports that Once we had the Daily Herald. will have their agenda set for them by nationally “approximately 7.5 million Now we have nothing. Well, apart the need to maintain PLP unity. Put individuals are not registered”.6 Most from the deadly-dull trade union house another way, in what is a coalition are “Labour-inclined.”7 journals, the advertising sheets of the cabinet, it will be the right that sets confessional sects and the Morning the limits and therefore determines the Reorganise Star (which in reality is still under the political programme.