Last Saturday an excellent meeting of the Northern LRC was held in Gateshead with John McDonnell, fighting to be on the ballot for the new leader of the Labour Party, and Paul Holmes, candidate for GS of Unison, amongst those in attendance. We reproduce here a report on the meeting by Veronica Killen from the LRC 

John McDonnell addressed a well attended meeting of the Northern LRC in Gateshead. This was his second visit in three years – the last time along with today, John was looking for nominations in the leadership contest. His campaign is about opening up debate, to have an honest discussion about why Labour lost the general election and to show Labour party members that democracy can exist once more in the Party.  Three years ago, the warning back then was to allow a debate within the party, or face sleepwalking into a Tory government. Look what happened – the party needs to learn and members deserve an honest discussion. The Labour party lost 4 million voters over 13 years. Bureaucracy is used to stifle democracy. To stifle debate is not only undemocratic, but the ‘fear’ of debate that exists at every level of the Labour party is a display of disproportionate paranoia and it plays into the hands of the Tories. John went onto say we need this debate to know where we go from here. The scale of the proposed Tory cuts is a class issue – it is the working class that will suffer the most. The coming period is a testing time – the LP needs to re-establish its links with ordinary working class people, their communities and the trade union movement. Resistance is coming – the LP needs to decide on what its role will be.

Other speakers included Paul Holmes from UNISON who is standing for General Secretary. His entertaining and stimulating speech was a refreshing analogy of the struggle of the working class movement, put into everyday language and using everyday examples. He reminded us of how many ex Etonion MP’s we have and how the bankers – throughout the world love government leaders who go to public schools. He reminded us of the privileged background of the families of Cameron and Clegg and that over 2/3rd’s of the government cabinet are millionaires. He went on to say many traditional Labour voters did not vote Labour because they do not like the Labour party – it was because they did not like the Labour government. Many people are now re- joining, and new member’s altogether – wanting to engage with the party in the hope for change. The time is right to re-engage with ordinary working class people, engage in the language that matters, the issues that count, turning arguments on its face. Remember the turn of the last century? – When 1 million people were in service, working all year round, lucky to have one day off. Read the Ragged Trouser Philanthropist. Discuss with people the globalisation in the name of capitalist’s profits, the sweat shops, and the child exploitation. Unity of the working class. The aim is to elevate everyone – not just the few.

John McCormack – a long standing local councilor, the new Mayor of Ashington and TU activist.  A need to keep reminding ourselves that TU’s have no power – it is the bosses that have the power, through the anti-trade union laws. What TU’s have is strength – strength through unity! It is that unity which bosses attack time and time again. Look at the Trade Union Bill – the LP could not get support through the PLP and look at the latest anti-union court decisions. We need unity and strength success in the struggle grows from that. Strength leads to resistance and there are growing examples of resistance, locally and nationally. In the communities there are wave upon wave of campaigns. People know they can turn to the Trades Councils and build up from the bottom, at all levels, local, regional and nationally.

Steve Brown – LRC Northern coordinator. The crisis is not of our making and we must resist attacks on the working class. John McDonnell represents the rank and file in the party and we will do all we can to get him onto the leadership ballot. In the northern region the LRC is growing with sub groups developing across the region. We need to get politics back onto the LP agenda at local level and begin the debates.  There were many good contributions from the floor but the overall message from the afternoon was – the struggle is long and hard but can be won – it may not happen soon but resistance is gathering – join in that resistance and open debates throughout the LP, in the TU’s and strengthen communities. Continue lobbying MP’s to get John onto the ballot. Use the People’s Agenda; ask the awkward questions in the party, in the branches and the CLP’s, for the sake of democracy and struggle now, and in the future.