Letter from Bob Edwards, Harlow LP member.
I thought our November CLP meeting was the “best and worst” at the same time. Best because there was real anger at the meeting at not being able to discuss the Middle East. The mood was definitely angry at the bombing of Gaza. But worst because we were only able to a protest with a resolution calling the “who elected him?” Regional Director to account for himself.
We, Harlow, are a key marginal and for Labour to win, we only have to overturn a majority of 13,000. This was once the seat of Stan Newens, and a solid Labour area, but the Party is now in disarray. The December meeting was cancelled and the January meeting was worse in some ways.
For our CLP meeting we first had to run the gauntlet of the local SWP, under the banner of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign which has only just been set up in Harlow. Their stupid attempt at a blockade of the meeting was no help to Labour members, most of whom wanted to go into the meeting to discuss Gaza. In fact, the police were called so they could get in safely.
Once inside, up to 30 members firstly demanded why no Regional Secretary was present and how there could be any justification for not being allowed to discuss Gaza. We passed yet another motion saying how demoralising it was in an election year, for the Party to have such little regard for its own democracy. Three speakers from the floor threatened to resign and won’t be coming to meetings in the future.
At one time, the CLP treasurer, who is also a councillor, burst into tears while giving her financial report. She announced that this year (an election year!) she would no longer be raising any money for the Labour Party, but with the plight of the people of Gaza in mind, she would be raising it for the Red Cross instead!
The whole mood of the meeting was very angry over the whole issue of Gaza and our inability to discuss it. That included about four or five young members, one a sixth-former. Two or three of the regular attenders announced that they wouldn’t attend any meetings in the future.
The Party is in such disarray now that we can only muster 25 candidates for 33 seats in the May elections. My guess is that what is happening here is a microcosm of the Labour Party nationally. What a great leader Starmer is…”I will destroy the party to get my own way!”
[Top picture from Harlow LP FB page]
