We may have lost parliament. But support and solidarity can unite the left. | Chris Williamson

On both sides of the Atlantic, the prospects for electoral socialism have dimmed. Fossilised old guard political party establishments – in Labour and the US Democrats – have stood in the way of the transformation that millions of people know we need. Both the Corbyn and Sanders movements were struck down by reactionary forces. We warned then, that if they prevented our inevitable revolution, we would have to take to the streets.

The cold-blooded murder of George Floyd has stirred righteous anger in hundreds of millions of people around the world. And just as in the 1960s, the movement for Black liberation has proven to be at the vanguard of an epochal shift in world history. The future we failed to win at the ballot box, our Black brothers and sisters are leading us on to the streets.

“One struggle”

The liberation of working-class people from capitalism and the liberation of our Black and Brown comrades from racial oppression do not merely intersect – they are one struggle. We cannot have one without the other. The monuments to slavery that we are toppling are also monuments to capitalism, an inherently exploitative system reliant on hierarchies of oppression and lust for empire-building. The wealth of this nation was built on the backs of slaves and sepoys, so we cannot call for socialism or racial justice here while we keep Britain’s knee on the necks of the people of Yemen, Syria, Libya, Venezuela, and Iran and others.

To achieve this revolution, we will need to fight on all fronts. We will need our own media system while taking the fight to the oligarch-owned press. We will need a battle-ready street movement with coherent demands at the same time as nurturing parliamentary leaders. But the road to parliamentary socialism is closed for now. The demand for change is being led by street protests, leaving Sir Keir Starmer and his Labour Party allies playing catch up with cringe-worthy photo opportunities. I cannot see them standing up for Black and Muslim communities in particular, and working-class people in general.

Starmer says he supports Zionism “without qualification,” even though UN resolution 3379, that was passed 45 years ago, declared that “Zionism is a form of racism and racial discrimination.” Furthermore, supporters of Zionism manufactured antisemitism smears against Jeremy Corbyn, his allies, and thousands of Labour members to crush the Corbyn project. 

“Lawfare”

Known as ‘lawfare‘, the threat of legal action is often used to silence opposition. In France and Germany, this tactic has been used in an attempt to criminalise pro-Palestinian activism and there are efforts to do the same here.

Meanwhile, in the UK, Israel lobby targeted prominent Black anti-racism campaigners in the Labour Party, such as Marc Wadsworth and Jackie Walker, falsely accusing them of antisemitism, forcing them out of the party and tying them up in costly legal battles.

For the thought-crime of defending Jackie, Marc and fellow anti-racists in the Labour Party, I was also targeted by the Israel lobby. They created media hysteria that led to my suspension from the Party. I was one of the lucky few – because of my public profile as a campaigning MP and as Jeremy Corbyn’s most loyal parliamentary ally, I received an outpouring of solidarity from thousands of activists and Party members. We crowdfunded to appeal my suspension resulting in it being overturned by the High Court, and the judge ordered the Labour Party to pay my legal costs totalling £89,000. But they concocted more allegations to maintain my suspension and prevent me contesting the 2019 election as a Labour candidate.

“This is just the beginning”

My intention in taking my case to the High Court was to set a precedent. Racist institutions and the Israel lobby aren’t the only ones who can win legal battles. The costs won from the Labour Party were used to create a Left Legal Fighting Fund, to take on any institution that pursues socialists, anti-Zionists, Black and Muslim activists and those who fight for justice.  Several activists have already been defended, but this is just the beginning. More legal actions are ongoing, defending left-wing, pro-Palestine Labour Party members who have been targeted by a new witch hunt directed by the Jewish Labour Movement (JLM) and Keir Starmer’s office. 

In the last few weeks, we’ve heard about dozens of new suspensions and expulsions. But the Left Legal Fighting Fund will help to lead the fightback.

Black Lives Matter

Over the coming weeks, we will be working with some of the best human rights lawyers in the country to arrange teach-ins and legal support for protesters attending the Black Lives Matter rallies. In particular in London, where the Metropolitan Police and Territorial Support Group have been unlawfully harassing and detaining protesters, using kettling tactics to acquire intelligence and intimidate activists.

To do this, we need your ongoing support with financial and practical assistance. If you can’t donate at the moment but support our work, sign up to our mailing list and spread the word. If you have been suspended or expelled by the Labour Party, or harassed by the police while on a Black Lives Matter protest in recent weeks, we also want to hear from you.   

They may have Parliament, but if we stand together, we can turn the tables.

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Featured image via Maggie Amsbury used with permission