LABOUR WERE accused of not trusting its own black members as the party prepared to u-turn on a promise of an internal body to represent ‘BAME’ members.
Black members were outraged after party officials tabled the plans at today’s ruling National Executive Committee meeting – despite women members having their own structure and annual conference.
Furious MP Kim Johnson accused her party of “disenfranchising” black and Asian members, while leading activist and councillor Maurice Mcleod described the move as “undemocratic.”
The BAME structure had already been included in the party’s rulebook.
Black and Asian members had been expecting the new structure to be launched at the party’s annual conference in September, with some complaining about lack of information regarding what was going on.
Labour had been stalling on their promise to deliver a democratic BAME body open to all BAME members for free, with officials initially blaming the Covid pandemic for the delay.
Now it appears party bosses may have been planning to ditch the pledge all along.
The move comes after sharp criticism from black MPs Diane Abbott, Dawn Butler and Kate Osamor over the party’s failure to adequately respond to the Forde Report – which was commissioned under Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership – which found evidence of anti-black racism and a hierarchy of racism.
Labour’s response to the report was to issue the statement that said: “Keir Starmer is in control now.”
Writing in LabourList, Johnson, MP for Liverpool Riverside, said: “The leadership’s response to the claims was lacking; this is a ‘kick in the teeth’, for those in the Black Parliamentary Labour Party and beyond.
“We still have much to change when leading anti-racists like Maurice Mcleod are blocked from standing as MPs, while white men are able to indulge in jokes about having the “worst tan for a black man” and still get selected without issue, it’s clear that racism remains an issue within Labour.”
Writing about the move to scrap plans for a democratic BAME structure, she continued: “Today, in a bizarre U-turn, the Labour leadership is attempting to row back on that promise, ripping up the party rulebook.
“The democratic BAME structures of a national committee and conference are being indefinitely postponed, to be replaced by a supposedly revived BAME Labour. This is a body that the party itself has reportedly recognised is not fit for purpose.”
Johnson added: “Prior to becoming an MP, I joined BAME Labour, after attending UNISON Black members conference, and paid for the privilege. I was disenfranchised, however, never receiving any communication from the committee, an invitation to their annual general meeting or any activities.
“In 2017, when the party had up to 70,000 BAME members, just 731 people voted in the BAME Labour elections to the national executive committee (NEC). The organisation is an undemocratic fiefdom without rules or real democracy.”
The ‘BAME Labour’ affiliate group was condemned earlier this year by an internal report as ineffective and undemocratic.
Labour’s move to scrap plans for a structure for all BAME members and instead to revive a discredited affiliated organisation is likely to feed discontent of many black and Asian members.
Many members are frustrated that the ‘BAME Labour’ group has not invited its own members to a meeting for years yet it makes nominations for party positions – like backing Starmer for leader – without consulting members.
The ‘BAME Labour’ group regularly uses its privileged status as an affiliate to back Starmerite candidates for the NEC.
The new BAME structure was supposed to provide some accountability for the party’s ‘BAME rep’ on the NEC, Carol Sewell, who has been accused of voting against the interests of black members.
In January, she voted against restoring the whip to Jeremy Corbyn and also tried to remove the word ‘racism’ from the terms of reference of the Forde inquiry.
Maurice Mcleod, anti-racist activist and Labour member, said: “Labour has a long existing problem when it comes to anti-black racism and Islamophobia.
“Back in 2018, many members of colour engaged with the democratic review in the hope that their voices would finally be heard within the party.
“The current BAME structures are simply not fit for purpose and so I’m really disappointed that the party has seen fit to go back on promises that it had made.
“For this to be ditched without any further consultation is incredibly undemocratic.
“What chance do we have of making sure Labour delivers for black communities if it won’t even properly engage with its black members? If we can’t even rely on Labour to stick to agreements incorporated into the Party rulebook, where does that leave black members?”
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The Labour Party celebrates its Friends of Israel political caucus.
Labour MPs actively support the homosexual lobby, Stonewall; and Stonewall receives £600,000 annually from the Treasury.
Labour’ MPs actively support policies that assist the middle-class feminist creed, who have successfully popularised the term “misogynist.”
However, Sir Kier Starmer, and his “Politically Correct,” “anti-racist,” and “diversity” championing Labour colleagues, have objected and oppose the creation within the Labour Party of a Caucasus for His Majesty’s African-heritage Labour members and supporters.
Why the blatant disparity from Sir Kier Starmer and the Labour Party?
Sir Kier Starmer and his Labour colleagues do not want to hear the authentic concerns of African-heritage Labour Voters.
Sir Kier Starmer, and his Labour colleagues simply want African-heritage Labour voters to silently rely on middle-class Caucasian Labour MPs to patronisingly advocate on behalf of African-heritage people.
Sir Kier Starmer, and his Labour colleague do not want African-heritage Labour Voters and supporters to organise or create a political caucus.
I truly hope His Majesty’s African-heritage Labour voters and supporters will no longer be content to have no political representation or advocates within Sir Kier Starmer’s Left-wing Marxist inspired Labour Party.
The Labour Party’s disparity against African-heritage Labour Supporters and Voters must be called out; publicly challenged and reversed.
To the above comment to Chaka Artwell, Keir Starmer isn’t a left-wing Marxist. I wish people stop saying that. Marxists and other left-wingers like democratic socialists hate Keir Starmer. He is a Centrist. Also you can’t be a Marxist and then support Israel. 99% of Marxists support Palestine. But your problem here is that you blame their funding of Stonewall (which grabs its name from a riot started out by queer black people) as one of their reasoning for not supporting Black people. Misogyny is also a real issue and was not first termed by middle-class feminists. Black misandry is also a real issue. I agree with your last paragraph, they should be called out, publicly challenged and reversed. But you need to stop supporting this right-wing logic of blaming feminism and homosexuality because of this. There are feminists and homosexuals who are black. They need to be supported just as other black people because we should be supporting ALL black people. Think about it.