Camden Momentum held a meeting on Sunday 28th March to launch the Campaign Strike
Chair: Shezan Renny
Speakers:
- Paul Renny – Camden Momentum Officer, mover of Campaign Strike motion
- Graham Bash (JVL Political Officer, Labour Briefings) speaking in a personal capacity.
- Andrea Gilbert – Labour Black Socialists
- Reederwan Craayastein – Labour Black Socialists
- Luke Smith – Labour GRT (Gypsy, Roma & Traveller)
- Ekua Bayunu – Labour Black Socialists
Sunday March 28th, 2:00-3:30pm – Free – public event
Over 50 people registered. The recording started during the meeting, when Graham Bash was speaking. So I am adding the text of Chair’s introduction and Paul Renny’s speech below.
Chair introduction:
Hi
My name is Shezan Renny. Welcome to this Camden Momentum Campaign Strike Launch and thank you for joining us.
Earlier this month, Camden Momentum passed a motion in support of the Labour Black Socialist call for a Campaign Strike. This is a very important issue, and I called this meeting, so members are clear on what the motion is asking of us.
Through this motion we are simply formalising what we did in 2019. We (or at least most of us) only campaigned for candidates we believed in and could agree with, but who needed canvassers as their seats were not secure. We always campaigned only for Labour Party candidates and will continue to do so. We will be selective in the Labour Party candidates we support. We will only canvass for anti-racist socialists who oppose the blatant racism and sectarian behaviour leading to unfair suspensions and biased candidate selections.
I am an active member of Holborn & St Pancras CLP and a Camden Momentum officer. I am also an active member of Labour Black Socialists and applaud their courage in standing up to and taking actions to address this blatant racism within the Labour Party.
I welcome our speakers –
- Paul Renny, the writer & mover of the Camden Momentum motion.
- Graham Bash the Political Officer of JVL, amongst other roles, who is speaking in a personal capacity.
- Comrades from LBS – Andrea, Reederwan and Ekua. Ekua is also standing for National Women’s Conference and is on the left slate with Pamela Fitzpatrick (who we canvassed for in Harrow East in 2019). Ekua will tell us more when she speaks.
- Luke Smith from Labour GRT who will speak about the effects of the Police Bill on the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Communities.
After listening to the speakers, we will have a Q&A session.
Please be mindful that we need to keep this as a safe space and are aware of the draconian scrutiny such meetings will attract so please bear with us if we need to mute you. It is only to keep us all safe in these difficult times. Thanks to all the people assisting behind-the-scenes who made this meeting possible.
Paul Renny – Writer and mover of Camden Momentum Campaign Strike motion
Hi,
I am Paul Renny, Haringey Unison Schools Convenor, Holborn & St Pancras CLP delegate, Camden Momentum Steering Committee member.
I just wanted to give some background to the calling of this meeting and the launch of our campaign Strike.
For too long now the membership has not been listened to and has been passive about racism within society and shamefully, within the Labour Party. It’s not enough not to be racists, as activists we need to be anti-racist.
For too long now we have relied on the Labour leadership, whether right or left, to address inequality and white privilege. This has not been enough and we must take leadership from our Black Socialist brothers and sisters who, in light of the Labour Leaks document, revealed a right-wing racist, misogynistic elite at the heart of Labour HQ. Nothing since Keir Starmer has been elected leader has addressed this. The Forde Report is still not out. Our anti-racist ex-Leader Jeremy Corbyn has the whip taken away from him and socialist suspended for daring to speak against it.
Comrades, we are volunteers! In 2017, Camden Momentum worked hard and targeted Hampstead & Kilburn to support. This was quickly forgotten by the MP who won by a huge majority. In 2019, we twinned with Harrow East and Kensngton. Both seats fought by anti-racist Socialists. I repeat, we are volunteers, and this campaign will be part of our show of solidarity with oir black comrades and GRT, and all side-lined groups as well as unfairly suspended members.
As such Camden Momentum will be selectively campaigning only for candidates that support the LBS anti-racist demands and oppose the sectarian attacks on Socialists and Socialist Policies within the Labour Party.
Camden Momentum Campaign Strike motion
Camden Momentum are to stand in solidarity with Labour Black Socialists and support their call for a campaign strike.
We accept LBS assertion that the Leadership has failed in their duty to tackle Anti Black racism and Islamophobia within the Party.
We also condemn the suspension of the whip to the Anti-Racist Jeremy Corbyn and the mass suspension of socialists within the Party.
Consequently, we will only campaign for candidates in the upcoming elections.
- That have a proven commitment to tackle anti-black racism, Islamophobia and other discrimination routinely faced by Black, Asian and ethnic communities’ members.
- That signal an opposition to the ongoing sectarian suspensions of socialists within the Party and support restoring the whip to Jeremy Corbyn.
Labour Black Socialists are delighted that Camden momentum have passed the motion in support of fighting for an anti racist party and ensuring all Labour candidates have a proven record of anti racist organising. We would like to appeal to members to join our campaign in fighting for an anti racist party that represents us all.
Labour Black Socialists
We accept LBS assertion that the Leadership has failed in their duty to tackle Anti Black racism and Islamophobia within the Party.
We also condemn the suspension of the whip to the Anti-Racist Jeremy Corbyn and the mass suspension of socialists within the Party.
Consequently, we will only campaign for candidates in the upcoming elections
- That have a proven commitment to tackle anti-black racism, Islamophobia and other discrimination routinely faced by Black, Asian and ethnic communities’ members.
- That signal an opposition to the ongoing sectarian suspensions of socialists within the Party and support restoring the whip to Jeremy Corbyn.
Camden Momentum 
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