|
| ||||||||||||||||||
October 2018
CLPD alongside all the other organisations that have been taking part in the CLGA discussions, aside from Momentum, are calling for support for the same slate of candidates.
That slate is backed by the following organisations: the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy (CLPD), Jewish Voice for Labour (JVL), Labour Briefing Co-op, Labour Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (LCND) and Labour Representation Committee (LRC).
The key political difference between the two slates is that Momentum are not backing a Jewish candidate who supports Palestinian human rights. That candidate is the main difference that was discussed within the CLGA, with a representative from Momentum strongly opposing him.
All the organisations that have been participating in the CLGA discussions, aside from Momentum, have included the pro-Palestinian Jewish party member on their slate, as they do not agree with excluding such valuable pro-leadership comrades from positions in the party.
Labour Conference last month overwhelmingly supported a pro-Palestine motion, that strongly endorsed Palestinian human rights.
It is necessary to correct inaccurate statements that, regrettably, some comrades on the left have made about the CLGA discussions..
No CLGA organisation pulled out of CLGA negotiations for a united left slate for the NCC elections. The CLGA regrettably could not reach an agreement prior to organisations needing to circulate slates.
The CLGA organisations met on three occasions to discuss achieving a common position for this election. Unfortunately even at the third meeting, on Wednesday 10 October, agreement on six candidates was not possible.
Many on the left, including the Skwawkbox blog had been led to believe that Momentum was backing Gary Heather, one of the candidates that CLPD is supporting.
All the organisations at the 10 October CLGA meeting, including Momentum, participated in the discussion that different left slates would be being circulated from after that meeting. Claims that Momentum was unaware that organisations would start promoting their candidates are entirely false. There has been nothing underhand in CLPD circulating its slate of candidates.
The question of geographical coverage is not at all the issue that dominated the CLGA discussion. The key issue that divided the discussion in the CLGA, was the attempt to block the Jewish candidate from a CLGA slate.