May Day 2021 – Brighton & Hove Trades Union Council Says Stop the Police Bill

 Lloyd Russell-Moyle MP for Brighton Kemptown Defies the Board of Deputies 10 Pledges & Speaks on the Same Platform as Expelled Labour Member, Tony Greenstein

UPDATE

Labour MP’s platform rally with Tony Greenstein &

Open Letter to Russell Lloyd-Moyle

For the first time in more years than I can remember, Brighton & Hove Trades Council organised a May Day demonstration. It was held at the Level. The theme of the demonstration was the Police, Crime & Sentencing Bill which will make illegal all demonstrations that cause a ‘nuisance’ or are in any way effective. It is a clear threat to the rights of workers You will be able to hold demonstrations in future only if they are ineffective. A telling commentary on capitalist democracy today.

Howard Beckett - Unite Left Candidate for General Secretary

The main speaker was Howard Beckett, the left’s candidate in the Unite General Secretary election. There were a host of other speakers including Mark Abel from UCU, Sue from the Campaign to Save Brighton University’s One World Nursery, Matt Webb, Secretary of the Trades Council, Lloyd-Russell Moyle MP for Brighton Kemptown, Steve from Save the NHS campaign and myself.

Tony Greenstein (left) and Lloyd Russell-Moyle MP speaking at Trades Council's anti-Police Bill rally

After the rally the Stop the Bill Campaign organised a march to Brighton Clocktower via the Police Station chanting ‘Sussex Police are not innocent’ amongst other slogans.

Sue speaking from the Campaign to Save the One World Nursery

Lloyd Russell-Moyle, who was sacked from Sir Starmer’s shadow cabinet has been extremely weak and wobbly on the Zionists’ fake anti-Semitism campaign. Indeed when I was suspended from the Labour Party in 2016, Brighton & Hove District Party voted to oppose my suspension.  Lloyd however, as Chair of the Party, wrote secretly to right-wing General Secretary Iain McNicoll urging that my expulsion be sped up. I obtained his correspondence from a Subject Access Request. Although Lloyd’s name had been redacted it was not difficult to work out the rat who wrote it!

When a Facebook post of Lloyd’s from 2009 was found saying:

“The point is people who are form Jewish descent/Jewish but are not Zionist is that the two are not automatic that you can be proud of being Jewish but realise that idea of inheriting/claim a land that you may have never visited or seen but have a ‘heritage’ claim for is not progressive in its very nature...

Terrorism feeds of violence, that is why it is only Israel that can stop the violence, it was the National Party in South Africa that had to make the first steps.”

All of these comments were true but instead of standing by them Moyle apologised and withdrew his comments saying that:

“I have now deleted these posts and recognise why they were offensive.”

The Jewish Chronicle quoted Moyle as saying that he would be contacting the Jewish Labour Movement for talks, adding:

“I am completely and unreservedly committed to supporting Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner’s pledge to rid the party of antisemitism.”

This has been typical of the cowardice of the Campaign Group ‘left’ which has consistently retreated on its support for the Palestinians and opposition to Zionism.

I therefore pointed out in my speech that the respected Human Rights Watch last week described Israel as guilty of the crime of Apartheid. This followed the declaration by Israel’s main human rights organisation B’Tselem in January that Israel was an apartheid state from the Mediterranean to the Jordan.

In an immediate response to HRW’s 231 page report, the Board of Deputies of British Jews, which describes itself as the ‘voice of British Jews’ ‘condemned’ HRW’s report and defended Israeli Apartheid by pointing to a few token Arab ambassadors, judges and professors, as if this  somehow negates the demolition of Palestinian homes, the destruction of Palestinian villages, the segregated education sector and the refusal of Israel to vaccinate the 5 million Palestinians living under its military rule.

It was the Board of Deputies which accused the Labour Party of ‘anti-Semitism’. A campaign  which led to the overthrow and then suspension of Jeremy Corbyn and hundreds of expulsions and suspensions in the Labour Party including myself. It should be clear even to the most stupid member of Momentum or the Campaign Group of MPs that the ‘anti-Semitism’ campaign was concerned about one thing only – Corbyn’s support for the Palestinians. It had nothing to do with anti-Semitism.

It is therefore to be welcomed that Lloyd defied the McCarthyist 10 Pledges (in fact Commandments) of the Zionist Board of Deputies.

When I spoke (see above) I recalled that the last time I spoke at a Stop the Police Bill demonstration I had only just been released from Birmingham’s Winson Green Prison where I had been remanded as a result of the arrest of 6 supporters of Palestine Action who had intended to redecorate Elbit’s Shenstone factory of death where engines are manufactured for their killer drones.

At today’s march I laid into the Labour Party which is led by someone who describes himself as a Zionist (i.e. racist) without qualification. Starmer had originally intended to abstain on the Police Bill as he had ordered Labour MPs to do on the Spy Cops Bill. This was in order to demonstrate that the Labour Party, now it was ‘under new management’ would be a responsible party and not challenge neo-liberal economics or imperialist foreign policy.

Speaker from Labour Party Black Socialists

It was therefore extremely welcome to see hundreds of people at the rally, not only older trade unionists but hundreds of younger people with a variety of posters and banners.

I also learnt from Sue who spoke from Save One World Nursery at Brighton University that their nursery is under threat of closure. I have a very personal interest in this.

44 years ago I led the campaign, as Vice President of Brighton Polytechnic Student Union, to establish a nursery at the Poly. In 1979 we were successful. Now the contribution of Brighton University's VC and Administration to women's equality and the provision of workplace based child care is to abolish the nursery on grounds of cost.

This outrageous decision should not be accepted. Please sign the petition and join the campaign.

Tony Greenstein

Educating Ourselves about Zionism and its Subversion of a Democratic Political Party - 4 Videos

It’s been a busy couple of weeks –well attended Zoom meetings and the usual Zionist Campaigns Against Free Speech

Reinstate Jeremy Corbyn! End the witch hunt! Saturday October 31 2020

What is Zionism  -Tony Greenstein and Moshe Machover -  Monday November 5^th

Brighton & Hove LLA Meeting Reinstate Corbyn Friday 6 11 20

The Campaign to Topple Jeremy Corbyn: A webinar hosted by Miko Peled Monday November 9^th 2020

Labour anti-Zionist Moshe Machover says he is ‘proud’ to share platform with those accused of antisemitism - Jewish Chronicle 9^th November 2020

See below Open letter to the Labour leader, Labour Disputes and Labour Legal Queries

One of the few good things about the lockdown is the number of meetings that have sprung up on-line with large audiences. Even better the Zionist lobby can do nothing about them.

I have taken part in four meetings in the past 2 weeks, beginning with a Brighton and Hove LAW meeting on 31^st October calling for an End to the Suspension of Jeremy Corbyn and the Witchhunt.  Speakers including Chris Williamson, the former MP for Derby North and 3 of the most prominent victims of the witchhunt – Jackie Walker, Marc Wadsworth and myself.

This was followed by What is Zionism, with Moshe Machover and myself explaining the background to this reactionary movement of Jewish supremacy so beloved of anti-Semites. Chris Williamson chaired the discussion with Tina Werkman. 

Moshe threw out a challenge, which the Jewish Chronicle reported. In an Open Letter in Weekly Worker Machover reminded Keir Starmer, that in October 2017 he was expelled from the Labour Party and reinstated less than a month later, after a deluge of protests. Machover pointed to the fact that he denies that there is an anti-Semitism problem in the Labour Party and asked Starmer what he is going to do about it and whether his views are incompatible with membership of the Labour Party since he is classed as a ‘denialist’!  

‘Denialism’ which Corbyn repeated like a hypnotised parrott, holds that if you deny that there is a problem of Labour anti-Semitism then you are also anti-Semitic! Which is like saying if you plead not guilty in court then that is proof of your guilt?

‘Denialism’ is what those who conducted the witch trials in Salem, New England in the 17^th Century subscribed to. As Elizabeth Reis wrote:

“During examinations, accused women were damned if they did and damned if they did not. If they confessed to witchcraft charges, their admissions would prove the cases against them; if they denied the charges, their very intractability, construed as the refusal to admit to sin more generally, might mark them as sinners and hence allies of the devil.”

The only women who were hanged at Salem were those who denied their guilt. This is the pathetic nonsense that Corbyn and Formby signed up to. Just as Corbyn pushed through the fast track expulsion procedures that has meant that hundreds of people expelled haven’t even had a hearing. Now Corbyn himself may fall victim to it.

On Friday 6^th November Brighton & Hove Labour Left Alliance organised a local meeting against the suspension of Jeremy Corbyn. Howard Beckett, Assistant Secretary-General of UNITE and an opponent of Corbyn’s suspension was due to speak. Unfortunately after the Zionists objected to him speaking alongside myself, as an expelled person, he pulled out. 

Like so many on the Labour left who oppose Corbyn’s suspension Beckett doesn’t seem to realise that bowing to the McCarthyist dictats of the Zionists and Board of Deputies also means also subscribing to the rationale for Corbyn’s suspension and probable expulsion. The fake anti-Semitism campaign, which was devised with the purpose of overthrowing Corbyn, needs to be called out not heeded. Giving comfort to its authors simply legitimates the campaign.

On November 9^th I was pleased to take part in a round table discussion hosted by Israeli Jewish anti-Zionist Miko Peled with Chris Williamson and Asa Winstanley, the London-based journalist with Electronic Intifada. We had an excellent discussion on the fake ‘anti-Semitism’ campaign with a large audience in attendance, both on Zoom, Youtube and Facebook.

All of these meetings were well attended and subject to the usual Zionist attentions. Unfortunately for the Zionists, as they were taking place on the Internet they couldn’t engage in their usual trick, which is phoning up venues to get the meetings cancelled because of ‘anti-Semitism’ and if that doesn’t work getting people to ring them up and abuse them.

Tony Greenstein

Dear comrades

I am a member of the Labour Party, Hampstead and Kilburn CLP.

In early October 2017 I received a letter (dated October 3) from Sam Matthews, then the party’s Head of Disputes, expelling me from the party. The letter contained an insinuation that I had published an “anti-Semitic article”. This smear was not only false, but entirely gratuitous, as the reason given for my expulsion had nothing to do with the content of the article in question. That reason, however, was found to be ineffectual, and my expulsion was rescinded in a letter from the said Sam Matthews, dated October 26 2017.

I have since then demanded several times an apology for the ‘anti-Semitism’ smear; but my demands were ignored.

I now have pleasure in drawing your attention to my article, ‘An immoral dilemma: The trap of Zionist propaganda’ (Journal of Palestine Studies Vol XLVII, No4, summer 2018), attached herewith; to my article ‘Messianic Zionism: the ass and the red heifer’ (Monthly Review February 2020); and to my article, ‘Weaponising “anti-Semitism”’ (Weekly Worker April 23 2020).

Please advise me whether, in your considered opinion, public expression of the views put forward in these articles is compatible with my membership of the Labour Party. If it is not, I would respectfully ask you to point out specifically which of these views are incompatible with membership. I wish to add that I am determined to continue advocating these views.

I am writing this as an open letter, because the issues that it involves are not private, but of concern to members and supporters of the party, and indeed to the general public.

Sincerely

Moshé Machover

 

Reinstate Jeremy Corbyn – Stop the ‘Anti-Semitism’ Witchhunt

 Socialism Will Not Be Silenced by Starmer and his Neo-Liberal Friends

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UPDATE:  Chris Williamson is replacing Howard Beckett who had to pull out

If there was one message that I emphasised in the past 5 years it was that when they expelled Jackie Walker, Marc Wadsworth and myself it wasn’t us they were interested in.  We were collateral damage. The real target was Jeremy Corbyn. Unfortunately Corbyn chose not to listen and now he has become the victim of his and Jennie Formby’s own witchhunt.

On 22^nd July Canary reported that Adam Cailler of the Jewish Telegraph had tweeted, based on ‘a few Labour sources’ that Starmer would suspend Jeremy Corbyn. This was picked up by David Collier, one of the Zionist ghouls behind the fake ‘anti-Semitism’ campaign.

Assuming that Cailler hadn’t recently come into possession of a crystal ball then it is a fair bet that this was leaked by Starmer’s office to test the water.

This appeared 3 months ago - it is clear Corbyn's suspension was planned months ago

The statement that Corbyn issued after the release of the EHRC Report had nothing to do with his suspension. It was merely a pretext, just as Rebecca Long-Bailey’s retweet of Maxine Peake ‘anti-Semitic conspiracy theories’ was also a pretext for her dismissal.

If Starmer had long planned the suspension of Corbyn then we can be sure that this was done with a view to his expulsion not reinstatement. The belief of some like Jon Trickett that he will be reinstated is just wishful thinking. Starmer’s promise to unify the party and carry on with Corbyn’s manifesto pledges was always worthless. He was brought in to purge the Left not unite with it. Expelling those who disagree with you whilst putting hard right-wingers like Rachel Reeves at the heart of his shadow cabinet.

This was posted 3 months ago

Momentum and the ‘Socialist’ Campaign Group are clinging to their illusions whilst Ian Lavery tells fellow MPs to keep their heads down. Momentum first issued statement which protested that “This suspension risks politicising Labour's response to antisemitism.”

After 5 years Momentum’s co-chairs, Scattergood and Sriskanthan, are still no wiser as to what the ‘anti-Semitism’ campaign of the Right was about. They still think that the Labour Right, which has never once in its long history displayed any concern over racism against Black and Muslim people, is genuinely concerned about anti-Semitism. The same creatures who supported the ‘hostile environment’ policy which resulted in the deportation of hundreds of Black British citizens have somehow developed an acute sensitivity to anti-Semitism.  And not only them but the whole of the gutter press, from the Sun and Mail to the Guardian.

I have yet to hear a credible explanation or indeed any explanation as to why the Sun and the Mail, which employed Katie Hopkins who believes refugees are ‘cockroaches’ are so concerned about anti-Semitism. Perhaps it’s because ‘anti-Semitism’ is a weapon against the left instead of being a genuine phenomenon?

The Conclusions of the EHRC's Report were reached in advance of its writing - they were forced to delete critical comments on Chris Williamson

Who do Momentum think that Margaret Hodge, Tom Watson, Luciana Berger, all of whom drove the ‘anti-Semitism’ witchhunt, represent? Why should Tom Watson, who supported to the bitter end racist Labour MP Phil Woolas when the High Court forced him out of Parliament, be concerned about anti-Semitism? Watson confessed to having ‘lost sleep’ thinking about ‘poor Phil’.

Instead Momentum pathetically plead that the suspension ‘should be immediately lifted in the interests of party unity.’

Where have these blockheads been living?  Starmer’s only interest is in driving out the left from the Labour Party. If Momentum don’t recognise this it’s because they are wedded to the same reformist illusions as Lansman.

Momentum’s co-chairs describe the EHRC Report in completely uncritical terms as if the EHRC was a neutral, anti-racist body and not the Tory plaything it is currently. Scatterbrain says that:

for many it will make for difficult reading. It concludes that the Labour Party complaints process for antisemitism is inadequate, and expresses concern that the current process does not ensure fair and transparent sanctioning of antisemitism complaints. It also finds unlawful acts to have been committed by former Labour Party agents. 

Realising that this statement was hopeless Momentum’s leaders then issued a second statement which was even worse.

‘The suspension of Jeremy Corbyn by the Labour Party leadership is a factional attack on the left that inevitably undermines the fight against anti-semitism and makes a mockery of Keir Starmer’s pledge to unite the Party. Tonight our Party is more divided than ever.’ (my emphasis)

As if to underline that a ruthless purge is underway, London Regional Staff pulled the plug literally on the Zoom software on a London Regional Meeting which was about to discuss a motion condemning the suspension of Corbyn.

The reaction of Mick Moore, a London representative of Momentum was that ‘unity within Labour is “being systematically undermined by a culture of control-freakery and forced silence”. Wake up to reality Mick.  And what are you going to do about it with your 25,000 members?

New Momentum Chairs Scatterbrain and Sriskanthan are no different from Jon Lansman whose supporters they replaced

The new Momentum Forward leadership barely differs politically from Lansman’s Momentum. They still don’t get it that the ‘fight against anti-Semitism’ was a fight against the Palestinians. That is why, despite his concern over ‘anti-Semitism’ Starmer has refused even to meet with Palestinian representatives.  His declaration to the Times of Israel:

‘I said it loud and clear — and meant it — that I support Zionism without qualification.”

demonstrates that Starmer is a fully paid up racist when it comes to the victims of Zionism and the sooner people recognise this the better.

Momentum's 'solidarity' rally with Corbyn hauled up the white flag as they all pledge to 'fight antisemitism' still not realising that the 'antisemitism' weapon was devised to remove Corbyn

Momentum held a rally last Friday.  Below is a report which was posted by Tina Werkman of Labour Left Alliance:

 ‘In last night’s shockingly tame Momentum rally, speaker after speaker repeated the lie that the Labour Party has a huge problem with anti-Semitism (culminating in John McDonnell’s renewed apology). Deborah Herrmans from Momentum said that, “the priority for the party must be who we improve how we tackle antisemitism”.

Not a word was said in solidarity with the thousands of other victims of the campaign of the right. Nobody dared to say the word ‘witch-hunt’. Richard Burgon welcomed a Labour government under Keir Starmer. Diane Abbott and every single Momentum speaker called for the full implementation of the EHRC report, which includes the setting up of an “independent” disciplinary process with the help of “Jewish stakeholders” (and they don’t mean Jewish Voice for Labour).

This is clearly inadequate – in effect, the mainstream Labour Left has given up. There is little point in staying in Starmer’s Labour Party if you are not prepared to fight!

 

Brighton and Hove Labour Left Alliance and many Labour members, including those who have been unjustly suspended or expelled in the latest purge, aren’t willing to accept that they should be sacrificial lambs for Zionism. The mass expulsions which are now taking place, have nothing to do with anti-Semitism and everything to do with Zionism and Israel. 

That was why Labour came under severe pressure from the Zionists to adopt the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism which deliberately conflates genuine anti-Semitism, hostility and hatred of Jews, to anti-Zionism and support for the Palestinians.

Independent Socialist Councillor Kate Knight

We have four speakers including Howard Beckett, the Assistant General Secretary of UNITE and Nicki Brennan, Councillor for East Brighton, who was ‘investigated’ by Starmer’s witchhunters and decided to quit Labour at the same time as another Labour councillor, Kate Knight. Greg Hadfield, who was removed as the elected Secretary of the District Labour Party and myself, the first Jewish expellee from the party, are also speaking.

What is being called 'bitchgate' - Carmen Appich is the real face of Starmer's Labour

Kate Knight, who earlier this year quit the Labour Party, has recently been the recipient of the kinder, gentle politics of Starmer’s clones on Brighton and Hove Council.  The Chair of the Equalities Committee no less, Carmen Appich, called Kate a ‘bitch’ when she joined a meeting of the 70 strong housing management panel being held on Zoom. Fortunately she had not bothered to mute herself so her comments resounded around the meeting and everyone could know what an unpleasant individual she is as well as a hypocrite. Appich later apologised for what she called a ‘horrible mistake’ but it’s difficult to know how a comment such as that can be a mistake.  The mistake was in not muting herself.

No one bears a greater responsibility on the Left for the suspension and pending expulsion of Corbyn than John McDonnell, who leapt to the defence of Margaret Hodge who should have been expelled - McDonnell scabbed throughout

If Corbyn is now be expelled by the same fast track procedures that Corbyn himself introduced then it will be a sort of justice.  He will understand just what injustices were done to hundreds of ordinary members. He is a fool who built the scaffold that may be used to hang him with.  Nonetheless we should support him because his proposed expulsion is a dagger aimed at the heart of the left. What is need is a vigorous campaign of non-compliance with David Evan’s dictats within the Labour Party.

What will but utterly useless is to think that mild pressure on Starmer will persuade him against expelling Corbyn.

All socialists welcome to attend.  Joining details below:

Tony Greenstein

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