‘Labour Left’ establishes regional network

The organisation Labour Left (formerly known as GEER) has now established a regional structure. Having grown to almost 250 members across the UK in only a few months, largely though the energetic blogging, Facebook maessaging and tweeting of Dr Éoin Clarke (who blogs at The Green Benches), it is establishing a dozen regional committees across the UK.

Labour Left describes itself as “a broad based campaign group within the Labour Party.  At its core are a group of thinkers who generate policy which they hope will be considered for inclusion in the 2015 Labour Party manifesto.” It goes on to say:

We are the home of ethical socialism. We aim to influence the Labour Party to chart a different course than the post-1979 Thatcherite consensus. Light touch regulation and trusting the free market to provide ‘trickle down’ advancement for all has clearly failed. Wages have stagnated for years and above inflationary price rises to our key services of energy, transport and telecommunication has put a squeeze on living standards that two thirds of Britain cannot afford.  An explosion in consumer debt, obesity and the prescribing of anti-depressants has been as a consequence of trying to make family life work in the current neo-liberal framework. Labour has failed to uphold the ‘British Promise’.  We in Labour Left recognise this and are determined to create policies to show that we have listened and that we understand.

Dr Clarke added:

Labour Left’s aim is to devolve policy formulation to local areas. In true democratic fashion, we wish to harness the multitude of talents within Labour’s Grassroots that have been frozen out of policy making by a Neo-Liberal clique for the last generation. Our aim is to present ethical socialist policies that relieve the squeeze on living standards in the area of wages, transport, housing, energy and care (elderly/child).

The group’s members include eleven MPs including its chair, Grahame Morris, as well as NEC member Ann Black, former NEC members Peter Kenyon and Mark Seddon, Left Futures bloggers Ann Pettifor, David Osler, Carl Packman and Darrell Goodliffe.

The regional committees, whose functions will also include organising meetings to promote Labour Left’s forthcoming Red Book (due to be published in early November), are as follows:

1. York- Mags Newsome (acting chair)
2. Bristol- Daniel Farr (acting chair)
3. Scotland- John Ruddy (acting chair)
4. Ipswich- David Alexander Hough (acting chair)
5. Durham- James Doran (acting chair)
6. Liverpool- Mike Homfray (acting chair)
7. Manchester- Kate Butler (acting chair)
8. Birmingham- Rhiannon Lockley (acting chair)
9. Oxfordshire – Beverley Clack chairperson
10. Sheffield- Hazza Barham (acting chair)
11. London- Chair still to be elected.
12. Wales- Michael Carey
13. East Midlands- Chair still to be elected.

If you are interested in being involved in any of these or in helping to set up groups in Tyneside, SW England or Staffordshire, please contact Éoin Clarke.