The Labour Party has become the target of activists days before the local elections. It’s over it’s complicity in the climate crisis, Israel’s genocide in Gaza, and the party’s aping of Conservative Party policies – leading it to become what many consider to be ‘Tory-lite’.
Labour Party: this is what happens when you’re Tory-lite
On Monday 29 April, red paint was thrown across the entrance to Alex Wood Hall, where the Cambridge Labour Party has its offices:
The words “Is this really the lesser of two evils?” were spray painted nearby:
Coming two days before local elections, the action was taken to highlight the Labour Party’s regressive stance on several key issues, including its complicity in Israel’s genocide in Palestine.
The Labour Party has failed to call for an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
Additionally, Labour has dropped its green investment pledge, backed draconian new police powers, failed to offer adequate solutions to the cost of living crisis, and suppressed progressive and pro-union voices within the party. All this is ahead of the local elections.
The action echoes a number of local and national protests against Labour’s regressive policies.
Local elections: nothing to offer
There have been ongoing ceasefire marches in Cambridge led by a coalition of groups such as Cambridge Stop the War and the local Palestine Solidarity group with no recognition from the local Labour MP Daniel Zeichner.
Zeichner also has a long history of ignoring local environmental groups such as Just Stop Oil, Extinction Rebellion, and ORCA. Nationally, recent Youth Demand protests have called on Keir Starmer to “Stop the Killing” by supporting an arms embargo on Israel and by blocking future oil and gas licenses from being issued.
Just Stop Oil has also been targeting Labour MPs over the party’s refusal to scrap oil and gas licences granted by the Tory government. Recently, supporters have delivered letters to MPs across the country, including to the homes of Keir Starmer, Emily Thornberry (where cops arrested one activist) and to Annaliese Dodds during a fundraising dinner.
All these letters asked the MPs to commit to leaving the Labour party if, within six months of forming government, they fail to revoke the Tory oil licences granted since 2021.
Yet still Labour has not provided voters at the local elections with any meaningful alternatives to genocide, immense social inequality, and climate collapse. Labour must rethink its participation in the race to the bottom that it is currently engaged in with the Conservatives.
Featured image via the Canary and additional images via This Is Not A Drill
