LABOUR IN EXILE NETWORK
PRESS RELEASE
FEBRUARY 2021
LABOUR MEMBERS PLAN STRIKE ACTION FOR ELECTIONS
Labour Party members plan to take a form of extraordinary strike action — against their own party.
The action is being planned by the Labour In Exile Network (LIEN) group to protest against the suspensions of members under the leadership of Keir Starmer.
Under the plan members will only campaign for Labour Party candidates prepared to condemn the suspensions.
Christine Tongue of LIEN said: “Hundreds of people, including many party officers, have been suspended since Keir Starmer became leader, unfairly and without even a semblance of natural justice. This is a purge — and we are going to take collective action to stop it.”
The group aims to target the May elections to local government.
Christine said: “I know it seems extraordinary that we’re planning to effectively go on strike against our own party — but this is how bad things have got. What could be more natural than for members of the labour movement to take collective action?”
Until September of last year Christine was secretary and disability officer of South Thanet Labour Party. She was expelled for wishing good luck to Chris Williamson, the former Corbyn ally.
Christine said: “I am one of three secretaries of our local party who have been sacked in succession. And hundreds of members across the country have been expelled since Starmer became leader. We cannot support any candidate who isn’t prepared to speak out against this outrageous purge.”
LIEN will debate the strike plan at its founding conference on Saturday 27 February. If it goes through all Labour candidates for office will be asked to demand:
- the restoration of the whip to Jeremy Corbyn;
- the reinstatement of all Labour Party members wrongly suspended or expelled since election of Keir Starmer;
- a review of all previous suspensions and expulsions imposed during the previous leadership;
- a radical reform of the complaints and disciplinary processes of the party to one based on natural justice and due process;
- and an immediate restoration of the right of constituency parties to freely discuss and pass motions on political issues as they see fit.
The LIEN founding conference is on Saturday 27 February. For more details of the LIEN founding conference visit www.labour-in-exile.org
Note to editors: The full text of the LIEN motion follows. A picture of Christine is attached. This is a link to her latest video statement “WHY I’M ANGRY WITH STARMER”
For more information, pictures etc, ring 07989070843
MOTION TO BE MOVED TO LIEN CONFERENCE ON FEN 27 2021
We call on all Labour Party candidates who are running for office in 2021 to publicly commit themselves to oppose the purge against the left conducted by the current leadership and demand that the leader and the National Executive Committee:
Restore the whip to Jeremy Corbyn;
Reinstate all Labour Party members wrongly suspended or expelled since the election of Keir Starmer;
Commission an independent review of all previous suspensions and expulsions imposed during the previous leadership;
Radically reform the complaints and disciplinary processes of the party to one based on natural justice and due process;
Immediately restore the right of constituency parties and members to freely discuss and pass motions on any political issues that they see fit, including the IHRA’s mis-definition of antisemitism and the report published by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
We further call on all Labour Party members to:
Put these policies to their local candidates and organise local hustings events
Campaign only for candidates who commit themselves to the above and to give no support to those who don’t.
ENDS