United Left, the broad left of Unite the Union to which a majority of the union’s executive council belong, has called on Labour MPs to switch their nomination to Jeremy Corbyn, so that he can achieve the 35 nominations necessary to stand in the leadership election. Martin Mayer, who chairs United Left and is also a member of Labour’s national executive, said:
It is vital that Labour Party members and affiliated and registered supporters have a real choice and a chance to debate the direction of Labour following the resignation of Ed Milliband. Jeremy Corbyn represents the left anti-austerity voice of Labour – it may be small in the PLP but it is much larger within the Party at large. It deserves to be heard in Labour’s leadership election.
Following its election defeat last month, the Labour party has been lectured by the right wing media and New Labour grandees like Lord Mandelson that Labour was ‘too left-wing’. It’s remarkable how the main leadership contenders – including Andy Burnham – seem to have been persuaded by this. All the current candidates now agree that Labour overspent when in Government, and reject basic Keynesianism in favour of right wing policies like balanced budgets and no state borrowing to invest in our future. Yvette Cooper says Labour’s 2015 manifesto was ‘too anti-business’ and calls for more tax cuts for the rich.
Jeremy Corbyn can articulate a real alternative of hope, fairness, justice, jobs and sustainable growth. A left anti-austerity voice needs to be heard in the hustings – and challenge the disastrous drift to the right that the other candidates appear at the moment to represent”.
I love the way these far left organizations,trying to appeal to the middle ground call the,selves centre left
Next week, Centre lefty atortsky slams ,middle of the road Stalin
As an LP member disenfranchised by the electoral system operated by Labour, I applaud your call and add mine to it. At a time when economists all over the world are pointing to the failure of austerity to achieve real growth and its success in delivering increased inequality, the left case must be heard. The current leadership ‘favourites’ obviously do not read much beyond the UK’s hopelessly biased and insular press. Nominate Jeremy Corbyn now.
Shocking news re Burnham:
“A lobbyist [Katie Myler] from the firm that advises energy firm Ineos, which was involved in a biter industrial dispute with Unite the Union, is now working as a key member of Andy Burnham’s leadership team.
And:
“She [Katie Myler] ]joins fellow lobbyist, John Lehal, who is acting as campaign director.
“His company, Insight Consulting Group, has worked for a string of private medical companies, according to reports in this morning’s Independent.”*
I am a member of Unite. Unite should end its relationship with Labour if any candidate other than Corbyn wins the leadership election.
* http://labour-uncut.co.uk/2015/06/13/burnhams-spin-doctor-is-director-at-lobbyist-firm-that-advises-union-buster-ineos/