Oh dear. Since Labour’s surprisingly good defeat in the snap election, the hard left has managed to tighten its grip on the party. As last month’s conference proved, Jeremy Corbyn’s party is intent on socialism for the 21st century. But behind the scenes there are still battles being fought between the moderates and the Corbynistas.
On Wednesday night, elections took place for the Labour Party Irish Society executive. Ahead of the event, Corbynistas plotted to try and elect some true believers to the executive in order to return it to ‘its radical roots’, with Squawkbox – the Corbynista website – running an article urging like-minded activists to help transform the society into ‘a genuine grassroots left movement which actively campaigns and builds links with the wider community’. They pointed out that ‘you don’t need to be of Irish heritage – just to have an interest in Irish affairs’.
And why the sudden interest in ‘Irish affairs’?
‘Affiliated socialist societies are a vital component of Labour democracy and can play a decisive role in constituency Labour parties (CLPs) – including at the selection of council and parliamentary candidates.
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