Exclusion first, politics second?

Submitted by AWL on 29 January, 2020 - 10:20 Author: Martin Thomas
Labour Transformed

Labour Transformed, launched apparently by some of the backroom people of The World Transformed (TWT), held its second meeting at Westminster University on 25 January, after a first meeting on 14 December.

We saw about 30 people go in, and are told the numbers later rose to maybe 50.

TWT, a spin-off from Momentum, has organised “festivals” of debates and workshops on the fringe of Labour Party conference since 2016.

LT has made no mention of the second meeting on its website or social media.

People claiming to speak for the (anonymous) organisers — for example in urging the staff of Westminster University to chase us off the steps of the building — told Workers’ Liberty people (and others, from the Red Flag group, for example) that they were establishing a “democratic centralist” group, and so would exclude members of other organised groups, even those who had received a ticket for the meeting by email.

Quite a few of those arriving, however, told us that they had come expecting a broad Labour left get-together, and were puzzled by the exclusion. LT has so far published no political basis other than a bland text which almost all Labour left-wingers would nod along to.

We’re also told (but can’t check) that the SWP splinter groups RS21 and Counterfire were invited, and RS21 attended.
As far as we can make out, no full political text was decided by the meeting. There was discussion of setting up a limited liability company (the better to secure contact data), and there were working groups.

Conflict between left groups with big political differences is inevitable, but is best conducted by open debate, combined with cooperation where possible.

Deciding on exclusion first, and without even telling many of those you want to bring inside your exclusive group who you’ve excluded or what the political basis is, is the wrong way round.

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