Model motions: Jeremy Corbyn, against the witch-hunt etc.

Thanks to LLA supporter Dominic H who has drafted these model motions

Restore the Labour Whip to Jeremy Corbyn MP!

Fight for freedom of speech! Fight for democracy! Fight for Socialism!

Resolution

This Branch/CLP believes that the decision by the Leader of the Labour Party to remove the Labour whip from Jeremy Corbyn MP, following his reinstatement as a member of the Labour Party

is further evidence that the Leader of the Labour Party is engaging in a politically motivated attack on the left of the Labour Party
exposes, as a sham, the Leader of the Labour Party’s call for Party unity and portrayal of himself as being on the left of the Party, during his leadership election campaign
undermines the conclusion that the NEC disciplinary panel reached, that Jeremy Corbyn MP had not breached Labour Party rules in his response to the EHRC report
contradicts one of the recommendations of the EHRC report, that there should not be political interference in the Party’s complaints process
exposes the Party to a claim of unlawful, indirect discrimination against a member of the Party through political interference by the leadership of the Party.

Therefore, this Branch/CLP demands that the Leader of the Labour Party restore the Labour whip to Jeremy Corbyn MP immediately.

Supporting Information

On 29 October 2020, the EHRC published its report into the handling of complaints about antisemitism in the Labour Party and recommended that to ‘rebuild trust and confidence that antisemitism complaints are handled independently, lawfully, efficiently and effectively’, the Party should ‘[a]cknowledge through its leadership, the effect that political interference has had on the handling of antisemitism complaints, and implement clear rules and guidance that prohibit and sanction political interference in the complaints process.’[1]

On 29 October 2020, the Leader of the Labour Party said, in a statement released to the press:

“The Labour Party I lead accepts this report in full. And without qualification. We will implement all the recommendations. And we will implement them in full. That process starts today. … We will ensure that neither the Leader, the Deputy Leader nor our offices will have any involvement in the outcome of complaints initiated under the Labour Party processes.”[2]

On 17 November 2020, a disciplinary panel comprising five members of the National Executive Committee decided to reinstate Jeremy Corbyn as a member of the Labour Party, following the decision that was taken to suspend his membership for comments that he made, in October 2020, about the EHRC report on anti-semitism in the Labour Party.[3]

On 18 November 2020, the Leader of the Labour Party decided, in response to Jeremy Corbyn’s comments about the content of the EHRC report, ‘not to restore the whip to Jeremy Corbyn’ and to ’keep this situation under review.’[4]

Recipients

Office of the Leader and Deputy Leader of the Labour Party
Members of the Labour Party National Executive Committee

[1] EHRC, Investigation into antisemitism in the Labour Party, Report, October 2020. London: Equality and Human Rights Commission, page 13; https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/sites/default/files/investigation-into-antisemitism-in-the-labour-party.pdf.

[2] Labour Party Press Office, ‘Keir Starmer’s statement in response to EHRC’s report into anti-semitism’, 29 October 2020, https://labour.org.uk/press/keir-starmers-statement-in-response-to-ehrcs-report-into-anti-semitism/.

[3] Sienna Rodgers and Elliott Chappell, ‘Labour NEC panel readmits Jeremy Corbyn to party after suspension’, https://labourlist.org/2020/11/labour-party-readmits-jeremy-corbyn/.

[4] Sienna Rodgers, ‘Starmer announces decision not to restore whip to Corbyn’, https://labourlist.org/2020/11/starmer-announces-decision-not-to-restore-whip-to-corbyn/.

Stop the Witch Hunt!

Fight for freedom of speech! Fight for democracy! Fight for Socialism!

Resolution

This Branch/CLP believes that

suspensions and expulsions of members on the left of the Labour Party that are not justified by Party rules constitute a witch hunt against those members of the Party
both the General Secretary’s and the Head of Internal Governance’s illegitimate instructions concerning the content of Party meetings are an attempt to silence Party members who wish to speak out about, and condemn, the witch hunt
the abuse of Party rules and processes by the Party bureaucracy, with the support of the Labour leadership, is evidence of a politically motivated attack on the left of the Labour Party
the basis for this attack is hostility to socialist policies, which have popular support
Labour Party officials do not and cannot act apolitically and should be held democratically accountable
those on the left of the Party should challenge the bureaucracy and leadership, by exposing the political motivation for their abuse of Party rules and processes and by defending the socialist political programme that the working class needs.

This Branch/CLP notes the evidence of misconduct by Party officials and Labour MPs, before and after the General Election of 2017, that came to light through the leaking of an internal report earlier this year.

This Branch/CLP demands

an end to the witch hunt against the left of the Party, with an amnesty for all those members unjustly suspended or expelled in the past five years
the expulsion, for gross misconduct, of those Party officials and Labour MPs found to have conspired against the Party and to have brought it into disrepute
the right of the membership to elect all Labour Party officials
the introduction of a mandatory, open selection process for all current and prospective Labour MPs.

This Branch/CLP stands in solidarity with all members of the Party who have been unjustly suspended or expelled and calls on the Socialist Campaign Group of Labour MPs to defend members on the left of the Party from further attacks.

Supporting Information

On 29 October, Jeremy Corbyn MP was suspended as a member of the Labour Party, following comments that he made in response to the publication of the EHRC report on antisemitism in the Labour Party.

Responding to that decision

Jeremy Corbyn stated on Facebook that he would “strongly contest” the decision, which he described as a “political intervention”
John McDonnell MP stated on Twitter that it “is profoundly wrong”
Jewish Voice for Labour stated on Twitter that it “is an attack both on Jeremy Corbyn and on the majority of party members”
Dave Ward, General Secretary of the Communications Workers’ Union, stated on Twitter that it is ‘political … fundamentally wrong and needs to change.’

In November 2020

the Chair, Co-Secretaries and other members of Bristol West CLP were suspended as members of the Labour Party, following the carrying of a motion condemning the decision to suspend Jeremy Corbyn MP as a member of the Labour Party and demanding his reinstatement
the Chair and Secretary of Bristol North West CLP were suspended as members of the Labour Party, following the carrying of a motion opposing the suspension of Jeremy Corbyn as a member of the Labour Party
the Secretary to, and LCF delegate from, Crookes and Crosspool Branch of the Labour Party, and Sheffield Hallam CLP representative on Sheffield LCF Executive, was suspended as a member of the Labour Party for moving, at meetings of the Crookes and Crosspool Branch, Sheffield LCF Executive and the delegates of Sheffield LCF, two motions and one amendment calling for Jeremy Corbyn’s membership of the Labour Party to be reinstated.

Recipients

Office of the Leader and Deputy Leader of the Labour Party
Office of the General Secretary of the Labour Party
Secretary of the Socialist Campaign Group of Labour MPs

Suspension Solidarity Motion

This CLP notes that

Bristol West CLP carried a motion calling for the reinstatement of Jeremy Corbyn MP and condemning his suspension, at a meeting attended by approximately 190 members (see below);
Bristol West CLP’s Executive allowed this motion to be heard, despite receiving threats of suspension from regional and national Labour Party officials;
following the hearing of the motion in Bristol West CLP, the Chair, Secretary, and several other Party members, were suspended;
meetings of both the Executive of Sheffield LCF and the delegates of Sheffield LCF carried motions calling for the reinstatement of Jeremy Corbyn, as a member of the Labour Party and as a Labour MP, and opposing his suspension (see below);
Lee Rock, Sheffield Hallam CLP Trade Union Liaison Officer and delegate to Sheffield LCF, has been suspended by the Party for moving the motions and an amendment on Jeremy Corbyn’s suspension at the Crookes & Crosspool Branch meeting, the Sheffield LCF Executive meeting and the delegate meeting of Sheffield LCF;
under current Party rules, the General Secretary of the Labour Party does not have the authority to issue instructions concerning the content of Party meetings.

This CLP believes that

Jeremy Corbyn’s suspension was a political decision;
those Party members across the country who have moved, voted for, or accepted motions highlighting these facts have acted in defence of Party democracy and in accordance with socialist principles;
the General Secretary abused his authority, when he issued instructions concerning the content of Party meetings (Labour Party Rule Book 2020, Chapter 1, Clause VIII, Section 3, Paragraph E);
members of the Party are being threatened with suspension by the Party’s bureaucracy for political reasons, namely, hostility to socialist principles and policies;
Labour Party officials do not and cannot act apolitically and should be held democratically accountable.

This CLP demands that

Jeremy Corbyn be reinstated, immediately, as a member of the Labour Party and as a Labour MP, without sanction;
the comrades in Bristol West CLP, Lee Rock and all those suspended for defending freedom of speech and Party democracy be reinstated to full membership of the Party, without sanction, and be given an apology;
a copy of this motion be emailed to every member of the Labour Party’s National Executive Committee;
the membership of the Party be given the democratic right to elect all Labour Party officials.

Motion carried by Bristol West CLP

This CLP notes:

That the Labour Party leadership has suspended Jeremy Corbyn MP from the Party and removed the parliamentary whip, ostensibly due to his statement regarding the EHRC’s report on antisemitism in the Labour Party;
A number of public figures, including but not limited to the Leader of the Party, the Deputy Leader of the Party, and the Socialist Campaign Group have issued public statements on the suspension, and that the SCG has called for re-instatement, yet the General Secretary has nevertheless ordered that CLPs cannot do the same.

This CLP believes:

That Jeremy Corbyn MP is a socialist and life-long fighter against racism inside and outside the Labour Party
That his suspension is a politically motivated attack against the left of the Labour Party by the leadership.

This CLP resolves:

To condemn Jeremy Corbyn’s suspension and demand his reinstatement to the party.
To oppose any and all politically motivated disciplinary actions against the left by the leadership.
To send the contents of this motion to the Leader’s Office and the NEC.
That the voting numbers for, against or abstain of any motions will be included with any messages sent within the Labour Party.

Motion carried by the Executive of Sheffield LCF

The Sheffield LCF Executive stands in solidarity with Jeremy Corbyn, fully supporting his statement in response to the EHRC report, and calls upon the Labour Party nationally to reinstate him to full membership and the Whip without sanction.

Motion carried by the delegates to Sheffield LCF

This LCF expresses its solidarity with Jeremy Corbyn, fully supporting his statement in response to the EHRC report, and calls upon the Labour Party nationally to reinstate him to full membership and the whip without sanction. Jeremy is a lifelong campaigner against racism and antisemitism. We believe that unity, not division, is important for the Party to make progress and effectively challenge antisemitism, racism, fascism and harassment in whatever form this may take.

(This motion was carried with only two votes against, and despite attempts to delay and/or sabotage the meeting.)