Left slate and drawbacks

Submitted by SJW on 27 October, 2020 - 3:08
Grassroots voice slate

The ballot for constituency rep, youth rep, disabled rep, and local government rep places on Labour’s National Executive opened on 19 October and closes on 12 November. Many members will have voted already.

We’ve supported the official left slate, because even a poor left slate getting weight on the Executive will widen democratic openings compared to having a strongly leadership-compliant Executive.

But we didn’t like the way the official “left slate” was put together — worsened by short deadlines imposed by the Labour leadership — or the slate itself. Instead of deciding first on a basic left platform, and then choosing candidates, the slate-making process chose candidates and then pleaded with them for a statement (getting only a bland minimum).

It is with good cause that complaints are now becoming vocal about two candidates on the slate, Laura Pidcock and Ann Henderson, for failing to support trans rights.

Yasmine Dar, another candidate on the slate, has a discreditable record of support for the Iranian regime. Laura Pidcock is close to the Morning Star. Lara McNeill, the left-slate candidate for youth rep, has a poor record as incumbent in that position.

The left should debate and decide a basic platform, and do slate-making on that basis.

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