Labour First
 |
| Founder | John Spellar |
|---|---|
| Legal status | Limited Company |
| Purpose | Political |
| Headquarters | Oxford |
Secretary | Luke Akehurst |
| Website | Official website |
Labour First is a British political organisation associated with the British Labour Party, originally founded in 1980, but refounded in 1988.
Born out of Labour's struggles with, and eventual expulsion of, the Trotskyist entryist Militant organisation, it sees itself as protecting the tradition of the "old Labour right",[1] a historic alignment of anti-communist trade unions (the St Ermin's group, e.g. the former ISTC, now Community and the former EEPTU, now a part of Unite) with moderate social democrat and democratic socialist members and politicians.[2]
Aims and views
It aims to keep the Labour Party safe from the influence of the "organised Hard Left", ensuring that moderate voices are heard and thus ensuring that Labour remains as electable as possible in the Westminster parliamentary system through policies that make a difference for ordinary people.[3] It calls these aims "Clause One Socialism", after Clause One of the Labour Party constitution, which sets the Labour Party's aims as maintaining a Labour Party in parliament.[4]
It also represents the historic pro-NATO, pro-United States and pro-nuclear deterrent tradition in the party, and is pro-European Union.[5]
History
The original Labour First formed in 1980 as a grouping of MPs on the right of the Labour Party who, while politically aligned with fellow Labour right faction, The Manifesto Group, desired a more collegiate party and thought that the bitter left-right factional battles of the 1970s and 1980s were damaging the party's electoral prospects. The group's chair was Brynmor John and its secretary was Edmund Marshall. By 1983 the grouping had effectively merged into the Labour Solidarity Campaign, the successor to The Manifesto Group.
In late 1987, the Labour Solidarity Campaign was in the process of winding itself up, believing that it had won its fight against the hard left. A core of Labour Solidarity activists centred around John Spellar argued that there was a need to continue to organise and with Brynmor John's permission, continued under the Labour First name, thus founding the current incarnation of Labour First. [6][3]
Organisation
Labour First is an network of freely associating Labour Party members who participate by sharing their personal contact details with the organisation. It organises petitions, endorses moderate candidates in Labour Party elections, and runs a series of meet-ups and events both at Labour Party conference and in the country at large. It is funded through individual donations from Labour Party members, and maintains a network of volunteer local organisers.
In 2017, Labour First employed its first full-time national organiser.[7] In 2019 a digital organiser was also employed.
Links with Progress
Historically, Labour First had little connection with Progress, a more recent Labour party factional organisation on the right of the Labour party, originally associated with New Labour.[8] The rise of Jeremy Corbyn and Momentum in the Labour Party have seen Progress and Labour First, while remaining distinct organisations with different traditions, carry out more joint activities, including joint endorsement of moderate candidates in internal party elections.[9][3]
References
- ^ "Antisemitism, Cosmopolitanism and the politics of Labour's 'old' and 'new' right wings". opendemocracy.net.
- ^ "Where next for the Labour Right". Jacobin magazine.
- ^ a b c Chakelian, Anoosh (23 October 2015). "Labour's warring factions: who do they include and what are they fighting over?". New Statesman. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
- ^ "Clause One Socialists will win the day". Progress.
- ^ "About Labour First". Labour First.
- ^ Dianne Hayter (2005). Fightback!: Labour's traditional right in the 1970s and 1980s. Manchester University Press. ISBN 0 7190 7271 9.
- ^ Edwards, Peter (6 January 2017). "Labour First recruits key organiser to oppose Corbynistas after cash call". LabourList. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
- ^ "The problem with the Labour Right". labouruncut.co.uk.
- ^ "Joint NEC slate with Labour First announced". Progress.