The lefts greatest quality is also its greatest vulnerability. You are fundamentally good people. When I strategise against the Tories I think like them. What would they do? What would I do if I was a greedy selfish heartless piece of muck? By doing this I'm usually right in my predictions and see their moves a long time before they are made. Its a fundamental technique strategic leaders use in global businesses and comes from Sun Tzu's The Art of War. Its almost cheesy to quote Tzu but right now its fitting.
“If you know the enemy and you know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle” - Sun Tzu (The Art of War)
Its easy to think like the enemy when your enemy is fundamentally the opposite of you. However, where the left fails is thinking like the enemy when the enemy is the Labour right. We have to get into their mindset and think like them.
I have found it easy to think like them by asking myself just one question. If I was in their positions and I was an absolute careerist , what would I do? See it hangs on this one feature. Pure careerism. The right wing elements of the Labour Party are career driven and that's the only difference between you and them. They put their careers before serving people where you would put people before boosting your career. It was this way of thinking that had me tell a friend in April that Kier Starmer would suspend Jeremy Corbyn. I looked ridiculous then but I don't look so ridiculous now.
So where do we go from here?
The Left has three major assets. A Ground force of 300,000 Labour Members, The Socialist Campaign Group of 34 MP's and The Unions. We also have a couple of million supporters outside of the party.
The enemy has only around 80,000 Members and they are divided over the attack this week. They do have a larger share of MP's but an MP is no more powerful in a leadership race than a member since Ed Milliband set a new precedent in 2015. Some of these MP's are so angry at the lack of democracy and fair play that they will support the left. Others will move depending on polling and their careers. If they might lose their seat because of poor polling from Kier they will move to replace him. We know for a fact good local campaigns can only make a small difference and ultimately the leadership and national campaign swings the lions share of votes.
The Plan
We attack on two fronts simultaneously. A two pronged attack.
Grassroots Attack
Our members carry out a grassroots attack ensuring they achieve the objectives of winning the NEC, Winning Council Seats and Winning Conference. Our grassroots can achieve huge goals with shoestring budgets and great networking. However Union finances directed at small local and regional groups would exponentially improve their fighting power. I suggest Unite takes its £500,000 it withdrew from Labour donations this month and creates a £10,00 grants scheme for local groups. Just £10,000. There is no opportunity for investment with a greater return than this. https://gavinljohnston.wixsite.com/theartoftheactivist/post/they-sacked-jeremy-time-to-fight-back?fbclid=IwAR0Mv6qN4qAdjtWwZaux8aDgGC5u_5TiFIlL-l8Gz625RYAjQ0MhWUcBR5A
Parliamentary Attack
Meanwhile the Socialist Campaign Group and Unions join forces to attack Kier Starmer in the Labour Party PLP. This has two major phases.
Phase 1
The 34 SCG MP's Find the 4 additional MP's required to call a vote of No Confidence and they prepare to call it. On November 13th the results of the NEC will be known and the weight the left holds clear. If the left does not hold a majority on the NEC then any vote of No Confidence will be met with a gerrymandered set of Leadership race rules. Thinking like them we can expect they will return to a colleges system with 3 voting blocks. Mp's, Unions and Members. This would guarantee no Socialist ever leads Labour again. If the Left wins the NEC then the SCG moves a motion of no confidence and the left finds a candidate (through an all left member engaging process) and wins. If the left does not win the NEC then things get serious.
With no majority on the NEC the SCG and Unions threaten to leave the party and form another unless a fair leadership race is called on their terms.
These are:
One Member One Vote (No Colleges).
All Members get a vote (Regardless of time in the Party or suspensions).
£3 temporary membership is returned with Leadership voting rights.
Candidates require not more than 20 votes to be on the Ballot.
Affiliated Union Members get a vote on the leadership
If these terms are met we find a candidate and win.
However, this threat must be real. If not met them we leave. The Left has over 300,000 members and 40 or more MPs. We also have Councils and large voting blocks of Councillors who would come across to a new Socialist Party. Then there are hundreds of thousands of homeless former members who would immediately join a new socialist party too. Add to this Unite and the smaller unions and all of a sudden the Labour Party finds itself with enormous existing overheads and no money. The loss of Councillors contributions, Unites finances, and membership subs alone would bankrupt the party. Starmer knows his career is over if this happens. The right within the PLP know this too. They just think you are all too soft. Don't let them take advantage of your kindness and decency.
Phase Two
When stood together as a Socialist alternative to the Labour Party we would find we have half the union support in the UK and a 1 million strong membership. Overloaded with cash, volunteers and ideas the left would be the biggest party in Europe again and would dominate headlines.
Starmer would be left with two options. Bankrupt the Labour Party going into 2024 or beg the left to merge with Labour. By 2022 Starmer would be forced to do something with polling drastically low bankruptcy pending and all of those formerly loyal MPs putting huge pressure on him to resign as their slim majorities threaten their careers. Whats more is the pressure from right wing Councillors who lose their jobs in May 2021.
From this position of incredible strength the left then offers to hold negotiations with Labour and save the Labour Party on the grounds that all of the rotten issues within the party are resolved forever. A new constitution is written ensuring a fair and decent sustainable socialist Labour party is formed with new leadership.
By 2024 we are ready and offering the public a real alternative to austerity class division and struggling.
The author knows the grassroots will do their part. We are just waiting for the Socialist campaign Group of Parliamentary MP's to strike too.