[The Don’t Go! thread] Five years ago, I wrote a blog 👉 …worldturnedupsidedownne.wordpress.com/2015/05/30/sta… arguing that socialists should stick with @UKLabour. Ironically, it was easier to make that case then, for two main reasons: (1/12)
1. We had such low expectations. Ed was the leader & we were in the margins. The fight was really to get a voice, to create a left space in amongst all the other groups that were pulling Miliband & the party this way & that, whether that was Blue Labour or Progress. (2/12)
2. Because of that marginal status, no one cared about us lefties. There was no attention from right-wing bloggers, no one could be bothered to harrass or threaten us. Party hacks could hardly even muster the energy to troll us. We just went about our business, quietly. 😴 (3/12)
Thank heavens those days are over. For 30 years, I lived in this twilight zone, where good, socialist activists moved between @UKLabour & whatever new initiative was formed to take its place - every one a failure, cul-de-sacs wasting time & energy. We were easily ignored. (4/12)
Then, we got lucky, didn’t we? Though a huge activist effort went into getting Corbyn on the ballot in 2015, the truth is, it shouldn’t have happened: we hadn’t laid the groundwork. Though we made the best of the opportunity, it was a ‘revolution’ made the wrong way round. (5/12)
But we are where we are: in the last four years, we’ve made enormous strides: a mass membership base; a big injection of socialist activists & activism into the party; a raft of policies to be proud of; a shifting of the narrative on austerity, social security, transport. (6/12)
Where we’ve made less progress is in democratising our party: e.g expanding the voice of that socialist membership into the representative structures of the party; in making our party truly member-led, dynamic & a place where members can feel truly at home & listened to. (7/12)
I think, partly because of that stunted progress on party democracy, we’ve also failed in the massive task of making CLPs the organising hubs that they should be in every community. In some places, we’re still stuck in pre-2015 mode, with little real community campaigning. (8/12)
The picture is mixed. Or to put it another way, we haven’t finished the job. All of this important work can only be done by the grassroots members, not by leaders on white chargers. While @jeremycorbyn’s leadership was important, as a fire starter, he was not the movement. (9/12)
What many are feeling now is battle fatigue. It’s hard being attacked for four years, even more so when you don’t feel supported. There’s a sense of isolation. But what people need to understand is that this is quite deliberate: this is what you’re supposed to feel. (10/12)
The antidote to isolation is right here in this movement, amongst the people you’ve been battling alongside. Organising in solidarity is the answer & leaving the party is the opposite. It gives those who want to take the party back exactly what they want. Don’t do it. (11/12)
Instead, look at the gaps. We need to be self-critical, not to further demoralise people, but in order to take control back after such a defeat. The questions now should be about how we organise, how we empower the grassroots & how we use our voice & collective power? (12/12)
