What is the most important word in the word socialism? It’s not trick question. The answer of course is ‘social’. Tony Benn used to exclaim it was “social-ism”. But Labour isn’t being very social just now. Three things happened yesterday and they could mean Labour loses –not just the hope of a majority but a claim to a higher morality.
The first of the things was that the Greens announced they were standing aside in Chingford to boost Labour’s chances. As far as I know, no deals were struck – it was just the right thing to do. Under our rotten electoral system, beating Iain Duncan Smith, stopping Boris and a hard Brexit and electing a good social-ist MP was enough to sacrifice party interest and opt for national interest first. Good on the Greens (again – the move follows a similar announcement last week in Calder Valley, a marginal seat in West Yorkshire).
Secondly, the Guardian reported that Grime4Corbyn would not be repeating their support for Labour leader offered so generously and effectively, in the forthcoming election. The report said some involved in the campaign, seen as significant to Corbyn’s ‘Youthquake’ in 2017, felt “used” and “ignored”.
