LGA LG Spring conference 2011: Return of the Wreakers and Splitters

During the lunch break at Saturday’s LGA Labour Group spring conference I wandered over to the main entrance of LGA house to have a look at the promised SPEW (Socialist Party of England & Wales) “mass national lobby”.  I looked out of the door and saw about 30 SPEWers ranting and raving incoherently. LGA Labour Group Leader, David Sparks, had agreed to accept a “petition” from the organisers.  This turned out to be a typical hate session against the Labour Party.    Well done for David for agreeing to even meet them and putting up with their childish and crank nonsense.

One of their skinhead organisers then immediately resumed the “Scum” chants at the top of his voice and the masturbatory finger waving.   This moronic and orchestrated “scum; scum; scum” chanting did obviously embarrass some of the more vaguely normal SPEWers but they did nothing to stop it nor did they seem to mind their lobby turning into something akin to an EDL rally. 

This is just Kamikaze politics. If any English Council did not set a balanced budget then the Chief Officer’s would be legally obliged to do so regardless of any political considerations.  If they refused then Pickles would do it.  Does anyone really want Eric Pickles to set their Council budget?

I do believe that if we unite and build - we can defeat this Tory-led government over policies and it is possible we may even bring them down as a government before 2015.  Yet at the first major labour movement political test we find the tiny and unrepresentative ultra left extremists attacking not the ConDems - but Labour Councils!

Instead of working together we see them in the finest Monty Python Life of Brian traditions do their best to wreak and split.  In London Town Halls Council reception staff have been beaten up by these yob protesters and even disabled Councillors attacked.  For what?  What did they think they would gain? Despite the fact that they could not get any one of the 4500 Labour councillors to publicly support their view they went ahead with their completely divisive and sectarian campaign anyway. 

What mandate have these tiny telephone kiosk sects to dictate to anyone what they should do?

Why were they not demonstrating in Cardiff that day at the Tory Spring conference?

Is it not bad enough that opinion polls show that the majority of ordinary people actually think these cuts are necessary.  Now, thanks to the SPEWers, SWPers, LRC and the rest of the Heinz 57 trots – even more people will accept the Tory lies that Councils do not need to slash and burn if they were just a bit more efficient. Well done comrades!

How can the Broad Left now work with these idiots. Who obviously don’t give a toss about the interests of ordinary working people and who think that all you have to do to bring about their revolution is to foam at the mouth and scream abuse.  Grow up - you are just helping the Tories get off the hook.

Talk about Tory fifth columnists.  Pickles must be laughing his ample socks off at his new best mates ever.

Wrecker of the Week

I've decided to start a new regular blog feature called "Wrecker of the Week".  This will be awarded to individuals and organisations who have done their best to wreck and split the Labour movement instead of uniting us to oppose our natural enemies, the ConDem Coalition.

Obviously the most recent winner would have been SPEW (Socialist Party of England and Wales) for organising rallies to undermind official TUC events and then trying to shout down speakers.

However this week's prize goes to its democratic centralist rival, the SWP, for this superb bit of pointless and completely childish sectarianism by one of its full time paid bosses.  (Please note that I waited until the UAF march was over before posting this).  This email was sent by trade unionists in Newcastle.

"Open Letter to UAF re: Northern March Against Racism 2010

To the leadership and members of UAF (Unite Against Fascism):

Cc: Ken Livingstone, UAF Chair; Sabby Dhalu, UAF joint Secretary; Weyman Bennett, UAF joint Secretary; Martin Smith, SWP National Secretary

We are writing from the organising group of the Northern March Against Racism 2010, which is due to take place in Newcastle upon Tyne on 20 November. The march has been called by TCAR (Tyneside Community Action Against Racism), and is supported by over a dozen other organisations and trade union branches. We are writing concerning attempts by a leading UAF member and SWP regional organiser, Yunus Bakhsh, to undermine the Northern March.

On Monday 18 October, TCAR supporters put posters in the following shops in the Arthurs Hill area of Newcastle to publicise the Northern March:

Crossley Wine Centre; Brighton Oriental Food Stores; Fenham Call Centre; Mishti Mukh Sweet Centre
Tanveer Gents Hairdresser; M.A. Travels; Kamran’s Barber Shop; Geordie Hairdressing Salon; Persian Delights; Aanchal Fashions; Sanam Travel; Heera Jewelers

By Wednesday 20 October, most of these had been removed and in their place were UAF posters advertising the march in London on 6 November. We then put up more posters for the Northern March in the same shops on 20 October, of course leaving the UAF posters in place. The Northern March posters remained until the morning of Tuesday 26 October, when someone again removed the posters from shops including:

Crossley Wine Centre; Brighton Oriental Food Stores; Fenham Call Centre; Tanveer Gents Hairdresser;
M.A. Travels; Kamran’s Barber Shop; Aanchal Fashions; Sanam Travel; Heera Jewelers.

On enquiring with shopkeepers, several were able to confirm that a man had entered the shop, removed the posters for the Northern March, and in some cases replaced them with a poster for the UAF march. These shopkeepers confirmed from a photograph that the individual who removed the posters was Yunus Bakhsh. We have access to a shopkeeper’s CCTV footage, which clearly shows Yunus entering the shop at 14:48:26 on 26 October, removing the poster for the Northern March Against Racism, before going to the counter and handing the shopkeeper a flier for the 6 November UAF march.

We are sure you will agree that this is an appalling and unacceptable act of sectarianism, which damages the integrity of the wider anti-racist movement in the region. How can any serious socialist justify this sort of behaviour? We urge you to take measures to ensure the members involved end such acts of sabotage immediately.

The Northern March Against Racism is a vital part of building positive anti-racist unity in the region. It is being organised on an open and democratic basis. The local branch of UAF were first invited to participate in building the Northern March on 14 July, including full rights to distribute their literature, display banners and have a speaker. This offer has so far been ignored, but remains open. We hope that you will take immediate action to end the removal of our posters by your members, and that UAF will start to make a positive contribution to the Northern March. We await your response, and wish you well in London on the 6 November.
Fraternally, Organising Group; Northern March Against Racism 2010"

Sunday Secretarianism: SPEW gives up on Trots are "orrible, repugant and not worthy" EAT

In February an Employment Tribunal Claim that UNISON discriminated against Trotskyites was thrown out by the tribunal.

The finding by the tribunal was after several different hearings and listening to witnesses and thousands of pages of evidence. 

The Tribunal found that there was no case to answer.

"there was no case to answer since the allegation was outside the regulations (and not capable of being discriminative), it was also “out of time” and even if it was within the regulations and in time it found that no discrimination had taken place".

"They found that the SPEW Trotskyism was “not compatible with human dignity” section 131; they found that SPEW members held “Extreme and repugnant views” section 133; Trotskyism is “not a belief that qualifies for protection from discrimination" section 134; “The claimant views conflict with the fundamental rights of others, and the dignity of others, and are not worthy of respect... in a democratic society". Section 135".

SPEW (Socialist Party England and Wales) whose members took this action have now withdrawn their appeal against this judgement - so we assume they now accept how repugnant et al their views and practices are!

SPEW are also currently trying to sue UNISON in yet another legal claim.  Despite the fact that when they lost the last one they called the judicial system all the names under the sun, they are now asking the "class prejudice" courts to back them! 

Wot complete and utter hypocrites me thinks.

Fourth International: East London 2010

This music video so, so, so reminds of "Ed"...who use to try and sell a "newspaper" outside the Malmesbury Estate, Bow...early 1990's (and the rest). 

Who is probably now Head of HR in financial services somewhere in Canary Wharf.

Hat-tip thingy various FB comrades
:)