Workers' Liberty

Around 70 people heared John McDonnell speak at a Scottish Campaign for Socialism meeting in Glasgow on 2 February.

Party should be “committed to socialist policies” now lacks any means by which it might be carried through. The only practical suggestion was that, given the dramatic loss in Labour Party membership, it was now much easier for the left to take over moribund constituency parties (and presumably the smaller they get, the better, as it then becomes even easier).

John McDonnell MP, who ran a left challenge for the Labour Party leadership earlier this year, has issued the following statement assessing the Labour Party's Bournemouth decision to shut down future Labour Party conferences by banning all "current" motions from unions or local Labour Parties.

On 23 September the Labour Party conference in Bournemouth voted to ban unions and local Labour Parties from putting motions on current political issues to any future Labour Party conference.

John McDonnell’s bid for the Labour Party leadership ended in May when he didn’t secure enough nominations from Labour MPs. After months of campaigning amongst grass roots Labour supporters and trade unionists, his bid hit the stops of others' moral cowardice and the power of patronage.

At 8.54pm on Wednesday 16 May, left-wing challenger John McDonnell was forced to concede that the New Labour establishment had prevented trade unionists and Labour Party members from having a vote on who will replace Tony Blair as Labour Party leader.

Cathy Nugent attended a Fabian Society sponsored debate between Gordon Brown, Michael Meacher and John McDonnell on Sunday 13 May.

Click here.

Update: the poll is no longer on that page. Instead there is an article about how John McDonnell is struggling to get on the ballot paper. You can help make his struggle easier by emailing one or more of the following 'undecided' Labour MPs, urging them to nominate John.

By Stan Crooke

"I was brought up as a Labour voter and it was euphoric when they got into power. I didn't realise it wasn't New Labour at all — it was the Tories dressed in red." — Noel Gallagher, of Oasis.

Tony Blair has announced he will resign as Labour Party leader on 10 May. All hopes that the end of Blair will mean an end to Blairism — i.e. to Thatcherism dressed up in Labour clothing — or, at least, that there will be a chance openly to register labour-movement opposition to Blair-Brownism in the coming leadership contest, depend on John McDonnell.

After agreeing to publish an article on TGWU’s position on the McDonnell Leadership issue for a recent edition, the left Labour Party weekly Tribune suddenly pulled apparently whilst at the printers.

Restore the labour movement's voice in politics!

“THE King is dead. Long live the King!” Blair is dead — long live... er... Blair, Mark II.

Yesterday it seemed that any remaining hope that Diane Abbott MP might support John McDonnell's campaign for the Labour leadership had been extinguished. In the '60 Second Interview' in the 18 April edition of the Metro, she was asked who she supports for Labour leader and replied "Gordon without a second's hesitation".

From Workers' Liberty Teachers NUT conference bulletin 2007
Tony Blair and his New Labour clique have been responsible for a brutal and all-encompassing assault on public services.

By colin foster

The rumour now is that Tony Blair will stand down as leader on around 9 May. There will then only be a few days for candidates to collect the 45 nominations from Labour MPs necessary to get on the ballot paper for the new Labour leader; three weeks for further campaigning; and two weeks for the actual ballot.

Not far short of 500 people attended the rally for John McDonnell's campaign for leadership of the Labour Party in London on Saturday 31 March.

Click 'download' to download (PDF, 2-sided A5); 'read more' to read the text.

If you think it's been a bit quiet here on JBlog for the last few days, it's not just because of jetlag following my conference binge of the last few weeks.

It's also because my blogging attentions have been preoccupied elsewhere, namely at the Rail4John blog. Check it out for news, reports, publicity materials etc for railworkers (in any and all rail unions) supporting Mr. McDonnell's bid for the Labour leadership.

According to the Guardian of 21 March 2007, John McDonnell will have only three days to get 45 nominations for MPs in order to get on the ballot paper for Labour leader after Tony Blair resigns.

To Tony Woodley, Joint General Secretary of TGWU-AMICUS

Dear Bro Woodley,

"Should [Labour] party policy be put into practice by [Labour] government, and if not, why not?", you asked in your article in the Guardian on 5 March.

Thursday morning, down to the conference fresh and early, giving out John McDonnell's new women's manifesto and leaflets for the Labour Representation Committee fringe meeting at lunchtime. First business in conference was the NUT's resolution on Sexist Language, Sexist Bullying and Sexual Harassment. It was very ably seconded by RMT's Jackie Darby, who spelt out the range of sexist abuse that railway workers are subjected to in the course of duty. As Jackie rightly said, "The craven attitude of management to tackling sexual harassment is the single most serious obstacle to eliminating it from the workplace ... Our employers must be made to take sexual harassment seriously, as it seriously affects us in our working lives. It compromises us and oppresses us. We won't put up with it."

Yesterday, 6 March, John McDonnell MP made a plea to left-wingers on the TGWU's General Executive Council to help him get on the ballot paper for the upcoming Labour leadership election, but was rebuffed.

At the Shaw Theatre, Euston Road, London, near Kings Cross and Euston stations. Union caucuses from 11am; main rally from noon to 4pm.

The last few weeks have seen several boosts for John McDonnell MP's campaign for the leadership of the Labour Party. With growing support among the unions and MPs, and a packed schedule of large meetings around the country, McDonnell has welcomed the “heartening and motivating” progress of his campaign.

Michael Meacher has now officially announced his candidacy for leadership of the Labour Party, apparently seeking to wreck the genuine left candidacy of John McDonnell.

The AWL has many political differences with John McDonnell, but he has been a principled and courageous fighter in the working-class movement, which is why we have supported his candidacy from the start. As well as raising the kind of policies that can arm the labour movement to fight back against Blairism - repeal of anti-union laws, a rebuilt welfare state, opposition to Bush and Blair's warmongering - McDonnell has genuinely attempted to mobilise a grassroots campaign in the Labour Party and the unions around his candidacy.

From Trade Unionists for John

NEWSFLASH . . . NEWSFLASH . . . NEWSFLASH . . .

ASLEF backs John McDonnell

Train drivers' union ASLEF has voted to back John McDonnell as the next Labour Party leader. Their Executive met this week and voted unanimously to back McDonnell.