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Labour in battle with Momentum for its future, says Watson Labour in battle with Momentum for its future, says Watson
(about 5 hours later)
An apparent plan by the leftwing Momentum organisation to take control of Labour amounts to “a battle for the future existence” of the party, Tom Watson has said, urging Labour members to combat the threat. The Labour movement’s internal civil war reignited after Tom Watson was accused of wilfully interfering in the election of the leader of Britain’s biggest union.
The party’s deputy leader said he was unaware of the extent of the plan before hearing comments by Momentum’s founder, Jon Lansman, who was secretly recorded addressing supporters at a meeting of a new branch in London this month. Watson demanded that Len McCluskey should respond to a secret recording claiming the union would fund an expansion of activities by the grassroots group Momentum if re-elected as general secretary.
In the recording, obtained by the Observer, Lansman calls for activists to ensure they are represented in key positions before Jeremy Corbyn steps down as Labour leader, and says Unite could formally affiliate to Momentum if Len McCluskey is re-elected as the union’s leader. The acting general secretary of Unite, Gail Cartmail, said Watson should stop interfering in Unite’s leadership election and claimed there were “no plans” to fund the group. Ballot papers for the leadership vote will be sent out to union members by the end of this week.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Monday, Watson said Lansman had “outlined a hard left plan to control the Labour party after Jeremy’s departure”. The row was sparked after the party’s deputy leader highlighted comments by Momentum’s founder, Jon Lansman, who was secretly recorded addressing supporters at a meeting of a new branch in London this month.
“I regard this as a battle for the future existence of the Labour party. This is high stakes, and I hope my fellow members are going to understand that.” In the recording, obtained by the Observer, Lansman said Unite could formally affiliate to Momentum if McCluskey was re-elected as the union’s leader.
It was vital for Labour and Unite members who opposed Momentum’s ambition to take action, Watson said. Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Monday, Watson said Lansman had “outlined a hard-left plan to control the Labour party after Jeremy [Corbyn]’s departure”. He said: “I regard this as a battle for the future existence of the Labour party. This is high stakes, and I hope my fellow members are going to understand that.”
“That’s why I decided to speak out. I think this is so serious, I think it’s vital that ordinary members of Unite are made aware of this plan, that they know what’s going on inside their union and they take action to block it. It was vital for Labour and Unite members who opposed Momentum’s ambition to take action, Watson said. “I think this is so serious, I think it’s vital that ordinary members of Unite are made aware of this plan, that they know what’s going on inside their union and they take action to block it.
“But it’s also important for Labour party members to understand that there will be votes at our conference on this, this year, and they have to intervene as well.”“But it’s also important for Labour party members to understand that there will be votes at our conference on this, this year, and they have to intervene as well.”
At the meeting, Lansman says that while he hopes Corbyn remains as leader, Momentum should seek to boost the left’s representation in key Labour positions to secure rule changes that would help install a leftwing successor when he leaves. Watson said he was shocked at the ideas outlined. “I thought that Momentum were changing, that they were becoming an organisation that were sort of sharing ideas, and trying to create a debate. What Jon Lansman has outlined is a plan with Len McCluskey, the leader of Unite, to take control of the Labour party.”
Watson said he was not sure if Corbyn was aware of the plans: “I’ll be raising it with him today.”
He said he was “shocked” at the ideas outlined. “I thought that Momentum were changing, that they were becoming an organisation that were sort of sharing ideas, and trying to create a debate. What Jon Lansman has outlined is a plan with Len McCluskey, the leader of Unite, to take control of the Labour party.”
McCluskey had to show leadership over the issue, Watson said: “We could do with him trying to understand how important this is.”McCluskey had to show leadership over the issue, Watson said: “We could do with him trying to understand how important this is.”
Lansman’s concern that Momentum’s plan might be disrupted by an early general election also left Watson aghast, he said. Cartmail said “it would be a much better thing” if Watson concentrated upon “his onerous responsibilities” as deputy leader instead of demanding comments from McCluskey. “He [Watson] didn’t seek to validate the allegation and he could have picked up the phone and I would have put his mind at rest,” she said.
“Our sole focus has to be a general election. Enough is enough. This has got to stop. I’m afraid there are some people who don’t have our electoral interests at heart, and we’ve got to deal with it.” Asked if Unite would affiliate to Momentum, Cartmail said “there are no plans,” but did not respond to a question asking whether the union would rule out giving money in the future.
Christine Shawcroft, a member of Labour’s national executive committee and an ally of Lansman, said the recorded comments were “a non-story”, and were primarily “a concerted attempt to interfere in the internal election in Unite for general secretary”. A statement from the union said Watson’s comments were extraordinary and inaccurate, adding that any affiliation would be a decision for the union’s executive council.
Speaking on Today, Shawcroft argued it was correct for Momentum to seek to change the rules under which Labour leadership candidates need the backing of at least 15% of the party’s MPs and MEPs before they can stand. The spokesman said: “For the record, Len McCluskey has never met Jon Lansman to discuss this or any other matter.”
The election of Unite’s new leader is being watched closely by all sides of the Labour movement. McCluskey is Corbyn’s close ally while the union is Labour’s biggest corporate funder.
If McCluskey wins, the union’s votes and influence could help to introduce rule changes which will help the party’s left to maintain power if Corbyn steps down.
Gerard Coyne, who is standing against McCluskey and is calling for less political input into Labour, said it was “disingenuous” for Cartmail to say that there are no plans to fund Momentum.
“It clearly is Jon Lansman’s belief that Len McCluskey will support Momentum... It is at Len’s door whether he will support Momentum or not and he has got to deny that and he has not as yet,” he told Radio 4’s World At One.
Momentum has had close connections to Unite since the group was established to support Corbyn’s first leadership election campaign in 2015, according to insiders.
In a pub in Bermondsey, south London, Lansman introduced a senior Unite figure to Momentum activists in January last year, sources said.
At the organisation’s national steering committee meeting in February 2016, Lansman told Momentum supporters that Unite wanted to support the group but would only do so if it only had Labour supporters as members, sources said.
For over a year, Lansman has been involved in a power struggle for control of Momentum with Trotsykist and hard left factions who wanted to keep the group’s membership open to non-party members.
Lansman eventually won the power struggle by mounting a so-called “coup” in January which means that all Momentum members from this summer will have to be Labour supporters too.
Lansman wanted Unite’s support to increase influence over Labour, according to former Momentum comrades.
“He knows that Unite’s support is necessary to control the levers of power,” one said.
In a further escalation, Watson later claimed that Unite’s chief of staff may have drawn up a secret agreement with Lansman to fund Momentum.
He told the BBC News Channel: “A Unite member has told me this morning that he understands there is a private agreement between Andrew Murray, Len McCluskey’s chief of staff, and Lansman that if Mr McCluskey were to win the leadership then Unite will fund a faction within the Labour Party to take control of it.”
Responding to the Guardian, Murray, said he has had many conversations with Lansman in the past but has drawn up no plans to give money to Momentum.
“I am not a conduit and have had no discussions with him [Lansman] about this,” he said.
Christine Shawcroft, a member of Labour’s national executive committee and a Momentum official, said the recorded comments were “a non-story” and were primarily “a concerted attempt to interfere in the internal election in Unite for general secretary”.
Speaking on Today, Shawcroft argued it was correct for Momentum to seek to change the rules under which Labour leadership candidates needed the backing of at least 15% of the party’s MPs and MEPs before they could stand.
“I think there’s a democratic deficit in the Labour party, where the structures of the Labour party don’t reflect the support for Jeremy Corbyn that’s been shown by the mass of the membership.”“I think there’s a democratic deficit in the Labour party, where the structures of the Labour party don’t reflect the support for Jeremy Corbyn that’s been shown by the mass of the membership.”
She indicated that Watson and his allies were a bigger problem for the party. She indicated that Watson and his allies were a bigger problem for the party. “I happen to think that Mr Watson is rather rightwing,” Shawcroft said. “These labels are quite nonsensical really.”
“I happen to think that Mr Watson is rather rightwing,” Shawcroft said. “These labels are quite nonsensical really. But he clearly wishes to go back to the days of command and control on a Blairite model. That is not what the Labour party is about. We have a mass membership now, and that mass membership wants its voice to be heard.” It was important for Labour to continue to move to the left, she said: “It’s the only way we’re going to win the election. We lost the last two general elections. Was that Jeremy Corbyn’s fault?”
It was important for Labour to continue to move to the left, she added: “It’s the only way we’re going to win the election. We lost the last two general elections. Was that Jeremy Corbyn’s fault?”