Dear comrades
As you will know the Unite Exec decided to support Rebecca Long Bailey for the Leadership of the Labour Party. Becky is an out and proud Socialist so is being marginalised and vilified by the media and right-wing elements in the Labour Party. She is one of us I am pleased to say: Becky is a member of the United Left and is standing on the UL slate for the North West Regional Political Committee (NW RLPLC). She was elected with the rest of us to retain control of that committee. She is also accountable in that she attends both the RPC and the NW UL quarterly meetings, when she can, to report back and take a Q&A.
Becky is up against the darling of the media and right-wing Labour MP’s, Keir Starmer, who can do no wrong in their eyes. He’s talking left to the left and right to his real supporters on the right of the Labour Party. Unfortunately we’ve meet this type of politician before, should he get elected he will very quickly discard any vaguely left policies. Surprise, surprise, he is being backed by the well-known “progressive” union UNISON. However, I hear on the grapevine that some of the more progressive members of UNISON are not too happy with this so maybe, just maybe, they’ll do some work for Becky.
The other Leadership contender is Lisa Nandy. To be honest I have to say I just can’t work out what she is up to politically. The GMB have given her their support; all I can say is, they must know more about her politics and policies than I do.
As it was with Corbyn it up to us progressives to mobilise and get the message out, and we in the UL cannot leave this task to others. The ballot papers for Leader and Deputy will start going our tomorrow, so can I ask all of you to do all you can to get the vote out for Becky in your work places and Branches. It is vital that we do this right away.
The Executive did more good work when they agreed to support another fine Socialist, Richard Burgon for Deputy Leader, so can you do all you can to help him get elected as well?
Solidarity
Dave Quayle, Chair & UL Convenor on the NLPLC