WITH OVER half a million members in every community and trade union in the country, Labour has the potential to become a focus for organising the defence of public services – and setting out a comprehensive alternative based on redistribution of wealth and democratic control of the economy.
But the party’s current structures are clearly unfit for purpose. During the summer Momentum groups allowed the Labour left to continue meeting and organising at a local level. We were able to meet new members and prevent them becoming demoralised by the constant attacks and smears against them coming from party HQ.
When the branches and constituencies come back to life in early October Momentum’s role in shadowing these bodies will be reduced as, hopefully, the new members assert themselves in the party branches and begin to elect more left wingers to office in all the local bodies and to stimulate political debate and campaigning activity within them.
But apart from its role in the leadership campaign and rebutting the slanders of the rebel MPs and the millionaires’ press, as a national organisation Momentum has shown little sign of political life. Its National Committee has shown no desire to move beyond being an adjunct of the leader’s office to becoming an organising centre for the energy and enthusiasm the new members are bringing into the movement.
While we face Labour councils imposing Tory cuts, while we face a well-organised disloyal opposition funded by millionaires like Lord Sainsbury, we need an organisation of the Labour left that is capable of organising independently of Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell.
Although Momentum exists to support Corbyn and the shadow cabinet team, this support should not be passive or uncritical. Momentum should maintain support for nationalisation and actively oppose cuts imposed by Labour councils. Other ideas like workers’ representation on boards, universal basic income and workers’ cooperatives need serious debate.
Choice
Momentum is faced with a choice: it can become a vehicle for enabling the members to achieve their full potential – or it can remain a hollow shell, relying on passive and atomising methods to stage manage Corbyn-supporters into fire-fighting crisis by crisis.
This paper believes that Corbyn’s reforms and policies will never be implemented by force of character or weight of individual numbers alone. To secure them Momentum will have to develop a national strategy to outline what victory looks like – and how to get there. To have any chance of activating the commitment of ordinary people in this process Momentum will have to become a model of grassroots democracy, accountable leadership and political independence.
