In April 2020 ‘Don’t Leave Organise’ (DLO) was founded by Red Labour, the Labour Representation Committee and Jewish Voice for Labour. Endorsed by the Bakers and the Fire Brigades Union, it’s objective was to build a network for the left following recent defeats. In April 2021, the DLO invited all the left unions and about 20 left groups to join them in a series of discussions to define the left, establish common areas of agreement and find ways to collaborate – on producing left slates and defending the left from right wing attacks, for example. Thus the ‘Labour Left 4 Socialism’ (LL4S) coalition was born. Amongst other things, this new alliance is opposed to David Evans being endorsed as General Secretary at this year’s Labour conference and they are organising an event to rally the left ahead of this year’s Brighton conference.
In August this year, the new alliance set up a working group and produced a unity statement published under the title Labour Left for Socialism: Building the Resistance. This statement was signed by the Bakers, Food and Allied Worker’s Union (BFAWU), the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy (CLPD), the Campaign for Socialism (CfS), Scotland, the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), Grassroots Black Left (GBL), Jewish Voice for Labour (JVL), the Labour Representation Committee (LRC), Labour Black Socialists (LBS), Labour Left Alliance (LLA), Labour Women Leading (LWL), @LabourLeft, Northern England Labour Left (NELL), Red Labour (RL), Socialist Appeal (SA) and Welsh Labour Grassroots (WLG). The working group then drafted six policy statements around worker’s rights, dealing with the climate crisis, free speech & democracy, war & internationalism, anti-racism and public services, to be included in the LL4S ‘Manifesto for unified mobilisation’
The manifesto was published on the DLO website on 15th September and the manifesto launch will be hosted on Zoom tomorrow (Sep 18, 2021, 11:00 AM). The event will be chaired by Howard Beckett, activist and an Assistant General Secretary of Unite and speakers include Andrew Scattergood (Fire Brigades Union), Ekua Bayunu (Labour Black Socialists), Chris Saltmarsh (Labour for a Green New Deal) and Matt Wrack (FBU General Secretary). Barry Gardiner MP will also be joining the panel to speak about his Private Members Bill to outlaw fire and rehire.
The broad objective of the LL4S coalition is to mobilise the left against the Tories as well as against the attacks, on the left, from the right of the Labour party and to unite the left around socialist policy goals, free speech and internal democracy. The coalition plans to set up a standing committee representing its various supporting organisations and to hold its first working conference in late November. In the meantime, you can register to take part in tomorrows manifesto launch here…
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Ai3OLJ18SVibhT9WjhfiNQ
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