British Labor Party Reports

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Labour Party AGMs show swings to the left.

Southend and Cumbria reports

The old-guard right wing of the Labour Party has every reason to be worried, judging by recent Annual General Meetings of Constituency Labour Parties reported to Left Horizons. The marked shift to the left of the Party membership, particularly with the hundreds of thousands of new members joining on the back of Jeremy Corbyn’s two leadership victories, is making itself felt in elections to officers’ positions in local parties.

In both Rochford and Southend East CLP and Southend West CLP, the left has recently swept the board, taking most officers positions and conference delegates. The old right wing barely put up any fight and many positions were uncontested. The PPC selection for Rochford and Southend East has taken place and was won by a Progress supporter, who greatly benefitted from being imposed before the snap election in 2017. The right wing, although in a minority, still hold five seats on the EC including chair and one V-C. Unfortunately, what the right still do control is the Labour Group on the local Council, with their position consolidated after joining an administration with Independents and Lib Dems

At the recent AGM of Carlisle CLP the Left slate took nine out of the fourteen executive officer positions, including Chair and Secretary.

The right didn't organise a slate this year and of the three officer positions they did secure, in two cases it was probably due the former incumbents from the left not contesting them this year, due in one case to having been elected as a councillor and in the other case for personal reasons. The Left also secured, unopposed, the delegate to annual conference.

Over the last year the numbers of those attending monthly General Committee meetings in Carlisle has fallen, largely because nationally Brexit has loomed so large that it has pushed Labour's policy agenda into the background. However, this is truer of the right in CLP who seem for the moment to have ceased to be an organised force. So, for example, there was little opposition to it when a motion was discussed opposing the anti Semitism witch hunt. Four new Left Labour councillors were elected onto Carlisle City Council in May.

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