Grassroots Momentum Glasgow

This page is for supporters of Grassroots Momentum in Glasgow. Who We Are & What We Fight For

NAME:

Grassroots Momentum

AIMS:

1.

To return a socialist Labour government to power.

2. To pull together the left of the Labour Party.

3. To give national co-ordination and political education to groups of Momentum activists, inspired by Jeremy Corbyn’s successful Labour leadership victories, who are:
• Fighting against the effects of austerity in our communities;
• Democratising and transforming the Labour Movement - including s

tanding candidates/slates and improving policy;
• Organising for a working class, socialist transformation of society. CAMPAIGNS:

At our very core we support the workers’ national and international struggle, including for example the Derbyshire TAs and the Picture House workers, and will actively join such disputes’ picket lines and assist in any way they deem will help - including winning backing for their disputes from the wider Labour & Trade Union Movement. Specific campaigns we support include:

1.Backing a publicly-provided NHS, including Social Care, and opposing STP plans - including supporting national demos, Labour days of action, local campaigns and industrial action by health unions to smash the pay cap.

2. Fighting the factionally motivated and unjust suspensions/expulsions/exclusions of the Labour machine.

3. Defending Migrants’ rights (not just those from the EU) from Tory Brexit.

4. Campaigning against cuts to the Education Budget.

5. Campaigning against cuts by Labour-controlled Councils.

6. Campaigning against the antisemitism witch-hunt in the Labour Party.

7. Fighting to democratise the Labour Party.

8. Supporting “Another Europe is Possible”. POLICY:

We support and want to expand on Jeremy Corbyn’s policy proposals from previous leadership campaigns, including his "10 pledges". We will campaign to makes these Labour Policies, not just Jeremy Corbyn policies. We support a mass eco council house building and renovation programme - as agreed at Momentum National Committee on 3rd December 2016. We will have constructive and principled dialogue with others, and look to partner with groups who have similar political, industrial or campaigning objectives that we can co-ordinate specific work with, including sharing resources e.g. Red Labour & The LRC to draw up slates for national and regional Labour conferences. We will call a convention of the Labour Left in the Autumn of 2017, inviting at least Red Labour, the LRC, the Momentum NCG and Momentum branches, to discuss common aims and develop
common actions. WHY WE ARE IMPORTANT:

The movement behind Jeremy Corbyn is the chance in a generation to improve the lives of working class people. The movement has an active core as well as a huge periphery (hundreds of thousands); has links to the organised workers movement; and has a youthful dynamism. This movement - in the context of a global economic crisis, the *relative* weakness of the right wing of the Labour Movement and the hatred of the government - has real potential. The email coup agreed to by six people threatens to derail this potential. Their method is one of back room deals and capitulation rather than faith in the working class to deliver the necessary change. They have ducked away from the necessary political and organisational defence of the movement that got Corbyn elected - including not fighting the factionally motivated suspensions/ expulsions of Momentum members. As such the right wing still control the key levers of power in Labour - despite them being sandwiched between a Socialist leader at the top and a mass membership at the bottom. We recognise that the real power lies with the activists in the Grassroots. We won't split from
Momentum, but we won't waste unnecessary energy fighting a battle that can't be won. As such we will work with and retain membership of Momentum so far as it helps the cause, but will provide our own national co-ordination to avoid being held back by any bureaucratic blockage. An empowered, organised, educated and co-ordinated Grassroots will sweep aside the Progress/ Labour First big business backers within the Labour Movement and put Jeremy Corbyn into power on a socialist programme.

12/07/2024

Solidarity with Ukrainian anti-fascists in Scotland
Glasgow mobilising meeting 13 July 3pm

On Saturday 13 July members of Glasgow Against NATO Action Committee and International Ukraine Anti-Fascist Solidarity will be meeting in Central Glasgow to discuss building solidarity in Scotland with democrats and anti-fascists in Ukraine, and with the millions of Ukrainians in exile.

We will be discussing these demands:
• NATO troops, mercenaries, advisors and spooks (spies) out of Ukraine!
• No more British weapons for the Banderite Zelensky - Enough is Enough!
• Release all political prisoners and restore full democratic and media freedoms in Ukraine.
• Support genuine talks to end the war, guarantee equal rights for all communities in Ukraine, and which recognise Russia's fundamental security needs.
• Disband the Banderite (Ukrainian N**i / fascist) organisations and bring all the Banderite murderers and criminals to justice.
• Oppose NATO's plans to escalate the conflict and threaten a devastating European war.

Join us on Saturday 13 July 3pm
The iCafe Merchant City, 72 Ingram Street, Glasgow.

Members of Zelensky’s party introduce internet censorship bill

04/05/2023

While Zelensky—a multi-millionaire actor—ponders an endless NATO-backed war with Russia, working-class Ukrainians continue lose their lives and suffer from the joblessness as a result of the war. It is estimated that up to 200,000 Ukrainians have already lost their lives in just over a year of war, with many hundreds of thousands more wounded, out of a pre-war population of under 40 million. The increasingly repressive and ever more openly dictatorial measures taken by the government are no doubt motivated above all by growing popular opposition to the war.

Members of Zelensky’s party introduce internet censorship bill The increasingly repressive and ever more openly dictatorial measures taken by the government are no doubt motivated above all by growing popular opposition to the war.

09/02/2023

2023.02.09 Confirmed: The Americans Destroyed Nordstream Please follow me: https://twitter.com/GonzaloLira1968Join my Patreon for weekly interactive livestreams: https://www.patreon.com/GonzaloLira

07/04/2022

About 20 people at last night’s anti war meeting in Govan Glasgow. Good open discussion about how we organise to oppose the war drive against Russia and China which threatens WW3 and a nuclear exchange that would destroy life on the planet. Much frustration at the weakness of the anti war left and disgust that much of the labour movement is lined up in support of Nato and the war drive against Russia
Where do we go from here? We should try to build some open anti war action. Suggested political basis for such a campaign
Oppose the imperialist war drive against Russia and China
Disband Nato. Remove all sanctions on Russia
Withdraw all british troops from eastern Europe and end all military supplies to the region
For a democratic peace which recognizes the rights of Russian speakers to self determination and withdraws Russian troops from Ukraine.
Fund social welfare not warfare

UK Labour Party’s latest purge and the myth of its “socialist transformation”

22/07/2021

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2021/07/22/labo-j22.html

UK Labour Party’s latest purge and the myth of its “socialist transformation” Corbyn refused to fight the Labour right-wing and Starmer has only built on these foundations after being handed leadership of the party once the Corbyn project had ground to a halt. He has already suspended and expelled thousands more members, including Corbyn himself.

The evolutionary genetics of SARS-CoV-2 and the murderous stupidity of the bourgeoisie

28/06/2021

https://www.marxist.com/evolutionary-genetics-sars-cov-2.htm

good articleartcile

The evolutionary genetics of SARS-CoV-2 and the murderous stupidity of the bourgeoisie The ruling class is doing everything in its power to assist the evolutionary development of COVID-19 to become more virulent and vaccine resistant. In their myopic incompetence and sheer disregard for human life and scientific evidence, they are helping to ensure this pandemic drags on for years and...

17/11/2020

Open Letter to Left Organisations
November 2020

From: the Labour Left Alliance
To: Momentum, LRC, DLO, LAW, JVL, Socialist Appeal, Socialist Resistance, Campaign for Socialism, Welsh Labour Grassroots, Socialist Campaign Group of Labour MPs, left TU leaders

Dear comrades,

It is clear that the Labour Party is once again facing a major crisis.

Under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, Labour had become the biggest political party in Europe, with half a million members. In two successive elections (including, despite media distortions, in 2019), Labour under Corbyn won millions more votes than in the previous three under Miliband, Brown and Blair respectively.

Since Keir Starmer’s election, the left has suffered unremitting attacks. A leaked secret report has exposed years of wilful sabotage by racist party officials; Rebecca Long-Bailey, Corbyn’s sole surviving ally in the shadow cabinet, who had won 135,000 votes, has been sacked; and now Corbyn himself has been abruptly suspended from membership of the party. As a result there has been a haemorrhage of party members leaving in despair; and Labour’s new general secretary is attempting to stop party members even from discussing any of these issues (though we continue to point out that there is actually no ‘ban’).

If ever the left needed to link up and agree a common strategy, it is now.

We are writing to you in a genuine spirit of comradeship. It is regrettable that we were unable to present a united front in elections for the National Executive Committee, and we are anxious to overcome any obstacles to future co-operation. The Labour Left Alliance is a genuine broad alliance bringing together socialists from a wide variety of political backgrounds and traditions. It is in this spirit that we seek to build unity in action around a joint platform to campaign within Labour for the following elementary democratic goals: namely…
The unconditional reinstatement of Jeremy Corbyn’s membership
Rejection of the EHRC report on the basis that it is biased and largely unfounded in its conclusions.
Any appeals against suspension or expulsion to be heard in an unbiased and democratic manner.
The right of Labour Party members, branches and CLPs to discuss all related matters
Open selections for all Labour Party public office holders
A new clause four that re-establishes a commitment to socialism
We hope you will accept this proposal in the spirit in which it is intended. We suggest meeting, as soon as possible, to prepare the way to campaign together for these objectives.

We are looking forward to hearing back from you soon.

In solidarity,

Organising Group, Labour Left Alliance

28/06/2020

The call for a federal republic raised by some leftists plays into the hands of ruling class in its attempt to balkanise the working class movement in Britain. The only useful bit is the republican aspect but that is usually dropped when the demand is taken up by the labourite mainstream. Would an English parliament be a step forward for working class people? Obviously not. Regional assemblies don't get us anyway forward. Simply leads to pork barrel politics as regions fight each other for resources and cut taxes to attract business. Devolution provides another layer of well paid positions for sell out labour politicians. Devolution is actually the demand of the neo liberal right. Capitalist democracy is dying and cant be revived with such schemes. What is need is a united movement of the working class in britain to overthrow the power of Capital and establish a workers republic as part of the world wide struggle for socialism. The working class does not need devolution but centralisation of its power if it is going to succeed and transcend capitalism. We are up against a powerful and devious enemy. We need clarity and solidarity if we are going to win.

28/06/2020

Rather than open the door to progressive politics the demand for scottish independence opens the door to the growth of militant nationalism on both sides of the border. Given the profound economic crisis that is going to hit Britain in the next 6 months we can be sure that any divorce negotiations will not be amicable. How to divide the assets and liabilities of the british state will provide a field day for the growth of nationalist antagonism provoked by the bosses on both sides of the border. Just the opposite of what we need. Only the unity of the working class fighting around an anti capitalist socialist program can defeat the forces of capitalism on this island. We either move forward together or we don't move forward. However the left in britain must support the right of the people of scotland to hold a referendum on independence if they so desire. Any attempt by the british state to prevent such a referendum is profoundly anti democratic and must be fought throughout britain by all socialists. Nationalism can quite easily move from friendly to aggressive if the social conditions dictate that the more militant form is necessary to aid the continuing domination of Capital. In the present final crisis of Capitalism militant nationalism is being promoted by the national capitalist classes of the world. That is obvious and Scottish nationalism will be no different if needs must. Nationalism as an ideology is the deadly enemy of socialism. While british nationalism is an obvious immediate and present danger to the forces of socialism the forces of english and scottish nationalism stand in the wings. Scottish nationalism has the luxury of presenting itself as some sort of radical alternative to the status quo but look beyond the hype and its anti working class nature is apparent. All the more so if it gets into a position of building and promoting a new capitalist state in a period of world crisis. The ideology of nationalism will be essential to the new ruling class in any independent capitalist scotland in order to combat the internal enemy in the form of the forces of international socialism. For socialists we don't want national unity but rather international workers unity. No other way forward at present. In our struggles against the capitalist class in scotland our natural allies lie in the working class movement to our south and that will always be the case.

21/06/2020

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVrMIYIW0z4&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR0tc1xPdTTdpSyBSlLNktcVBk_ovf47sK2Z4lWxZAPPJwSETHSJQ0Kb3JE

Collapse Collapse is a short documentary examining the crisis shocked into motion by the COVID-19 pandemic as the final breakdown of capitalist society. The film look...