Thread by @MrBenSellers

I realise it has been a very difficult day* for anyone invested in the building of a new left party. *If you don’t know what I’m talking about, I envy you. Some people have been asking privately, but I don’t really have any info to add apart from what is in the public domain. 1/9

All I can say is that whatever happens is over the next few days - and I would hope that people on all sides can take responsibility for picking up the phone &
starting some dialogue … 2/9

- there will still be a need for the party that we’ve discussed & debated & got excited about over the past months & years. That doesn’t go away, just because there is conflict, painful though that - especially when it’s played out in public. 3/9

When I worked for @jeremycorbyn & Laura, there were many, many high tension scenarios, times she it looked like things were falling apart. I always used to say that the harder, and more chaotic it seemed, the calmer we should all be. 4/9

That isn’t to gloss over what’s happened. It’s bad & disappointing. But I’ve talked to & researched other left party formations across Europe & this kind of thing happens more than you’d think. 5/9

The conflicts might appear to be trivial, but they often have political roots & they work themselves out eventually. The key thing is that there are enough people, on the ground that are prepared to put it right, and I think there are. 6/9

I cannot give advice to people about what to do about their Your Party membership, but I’m quite clear that no one has been defrauded & believe what @zarahsultana has said on the security of monies paid etc. 7/9

So, it seems to me that, counter to what we’re all encouraged to do on social media, we should hang on & let the dust settle a bit. Then have a bit of a reset. What kind of party do we want & what kind of culture do we want to build together? 8/9

It’s not going to be easy, of course, but a grassroots, democratic party doesn’t belong to individuals, but to us all, as a collective.

Now I’m off for a pint with my friends & off to St James’ Park in the hope that Newcastle Utd vs Barcelona can provide some cheer. #HWTL 9/9