Starmer resignations continue as Labour official defects to Greens.

Right, so as I reported on yesterday, for as much as Labour appear nailed on for a thumping victory and being swept to power on Thursday, the bedrock that the party is actually built on, the members, local politics, local councillors have been deserting, with 4 county and borough councillors quitting in just the last few days. The party and that has been especially notable during this election campaign itself as finally more media attention is switched onto Keir Starmer and what people have seen, they have not liked. 49% of the UK public according to a recent poll consider him untrustworthy and his recent dogwhistle racism over Bangladesh has been especially notable, likely what he’s going to be remembered for in this election campaign in no small part, but also his ongoing unequivocal support for Israel over Palestine, also made notable during this election campaign because he’s already essentially binned his pledge to recognise a Palestinian state by now placing conditions on it, including making sure Israel is secure first, when Israel are the nation currently committing genocide. But now another Labour councillor has quit the party, but instead of remaining as an independent, they’ve shown there are other, better options voters might care to take notice of, by defecting to the Green Party instead!
Right, so yet another resignation from the Labour Party at local level during this election campaign, during an election campaign that Labour is expected to win and win big at, so the fact they are literally losing councillors right now ought to be being shouted from the rooftops and if Jeremy Corbyn was still leader it absolutely would be. A collapsing leadership usually triggers desertions, not being on the cusp of power, but such is the offensiveness of the Labour Party to even elected officials of the party itself now, that resignations are coming in anyway, not helped by the racism on show, over Palestine, Bangladesh, the hierarchy of racism within the party that pervades the party and has been known about for years due to the Forde Report, that antisemitism is given a higher priority than islamophobia or anti-black racism , and there are numerous examples of that, which I’ve covered in other content, so won’t go over again here.
Yet another resignation has been triggered at Borough Council level though and again we’re back in an area I’ve covered before that has not only seen Labour resignations previously, but the formation of a whole new independent bloc and where former Labour local representatives are now standing against the party at parliamentary level in their borough, taking the fight to their former party, such is the depths to which Labour has fallen under Keir Starmer.
So all things considered and especially in light of Labour’s rowing back on Palestine state recognition and the awful scapegoating of the Bangladeshi Diaspora as somehow unwelcome and not belonging here, Starmer even saying we would send them home, in words you expect more from Nigel Farage than any Labour leader, that yet another resignation in Newham has occurred, but rather than join that Independent group, this time, it’s a defection to the Green Party.
Areeq Chowdhury has been a Labour member since 2011, so joined following Labour’s defeat under Gordon Brown, came in under Ed Miliband, stayed through Jeremy Corbyn and it’s Keir Starmer’s lurch to the right, going full red Tory as I might put it, that has finally become too much for Chowdhury, who works as a Head of Policy for data and digital technologies at the Royal Society and started a tech think tank called Webroots Democracy. He’s also worked for various Labour MPs in his time, so this is a guy ostensibly quite dedicated to the Labour Party but for whom that has had to come to an end and his resignation letter reads as a warning and a wake up call frankly to people considering voting Labour:
‘After 13 years as a Labour Party member, I have decided to leave and join the Green Party.
In these 13 years, I have supported the Labour Party with money through my membership, with time as a campaigner, and with dedication as an elected councillor. I have also worked in the offices of various Labour politicians over the years. Leaving is not a decision I have taken lightly or out of disrespect to the great Labour members I know. Indeed, there are many Labour candidates that I would be pleased to see elected or re-elected.
There are three key reasons why I decided to leave:
Palestine. I believe strongly, and have always believed strongly, in the need to oppose the collective punishment of civilians in Gaza. What has happened over the past year was predictable from the outset and should have been opposed forcefully. Labour’s eventual support for a ceasefire was very belated and after more than 10,000 Palestinian children had been killed. Furthermore, I was disappointed in the defence of the LBC comments on cutting off power and water in Gaza. I disagreed with, and rejected, the party’s messaging on the Palestine solidarity marches, many of which I have attended.
Anti-racism. Tackling racism and building an anti-racist society is one of my primary motivations for being involved in politics. While the party has historically been a home for anti-racism, I no longer feel that this is the case and believe the party needs to rebuild it’s credibility on this issue. There are numerous examples of where I feel the party has leant into racism, most recently with the comments about ‘sending back’ migrants to Bangladesh. This language is reminiscent of the National Front and is not in line with my pro migration views. I believe the UKs diversity of people and culture is our country’s greatest USP. In my opinion, we should be welcoming of both so-called ‘skilled’ and ‘unskilled’ migrants.
Integrity. As a strong advocate for democracy, I am dismayed at the continued disintegration of trust in politics. I believe this is, in part, due to insincerity, false promises, and broken pledges. As political representatives we should strive to improve, rather than risk, trust in democracy. An important part of this is being clear about our principles and staying true to them.
I look forward to contributing to the Green Party, who I consider to be more aligned with my political beliefs. They are pro-Palestine, pro-immigration, and pro-democracy. They are also focused on the most pressing issues of our time, climate change and climate justice.
I intend to serve the remainder of my term as a Green Party councillor and will not be commenting further beyond this statement.’
He’s broken down his reasoning, he’s made it very clear to his constituents exactly why he can no longer support Labour and serve as a Labour councillor and that the Green Party is his natural new home which chimes with his beliefs and of course a great many former Labour members have made the Green Party their new home for that exact same reason, myself included, so I completely understand where Areeq is coming from in what is a detailed, clear explanation of what Labour has done and by Labour, actually when you read through what he wrote there, it was in no small part a particular attack on Keir Starmer, without actually mentioning Starmer at all. The Palestine positioning which has been terrible, the comments against Bengalis – still no apology for that - and the lack of integrity, which Starmer himself has become synonymous with, his words, his promises, his pledges, his policies, so many binned once he’d gained political capital out of something he seemingly had no intention of supporting. When you’ve done nothing but ditch what you said you stood for, how can anyone believe a word you say now about what you do stand for, when you’ve binned more policy than you’ve kept? Are ditching manifesto commitments, before the election campaign is even over?
The Green Party, don’t ditch policy, because it is shaped by the membership, not dictated from the top.
On Palestine and Israel they have said they will:
‘An immediate and permanent bilateral ceasefire. A durable political solution that ensures security and equal rights for Israelis and Palestinians. This is the only way to achieve long-term security for the people of Palestine and Israel. Recognition of the state of Palestine and an urgent international effort to end the illegal occupation of Palestinian land. Investigation and prosecution of war crimes. We believe there is strong evidence to support South Africa’s submission to the International Court of Justice that Israel is guilty of genocide in its conduct in Gaza. An end to all UK arms exports to and military cooperation with Israel, which make the British government complicit in these war crimes.’
And on the matter of migration they have said they will:
‘An end to the hostile environment. An end to the minimum income requirements for spouses of those holding work visas. Safe routes to sanctuary for those fleeing danger, persecution and war. The United Kingdom to work with other countries to establish safe routes by which those fleeing persecution, war, or climate disaster may arrive in the country of their choice to make their case without having to risk their lives. A fast and fair process to assess asylum applications. Those seeking asylum and protection to be permitted to work while their application is being decided.’
A vote for the Greens, and yes I’m biased, it is my party, but this could equally be said of other progressive parties too, in that it is not a wasted vote if you agree with this or their other policies, the more MPs they have the greater their profile, the more short money the party can access to build and develop with, the less able the mainstream media will be to ignore them and even if they don’t win in your area, a greater share of the vote is always something to build on going forwards. Cllr Chowdhury just helped the Greens grow a little bit more and hopefully they’ll return with more than one MP after Thursday too.
Meanwhile if you haven’t seen my video yet covering those other 4 resignations in the last several days, check out this video recommendation here, with some truly scathing resignation responses, I wonder how much this will be echoed around the country going forwards, especially if Starmer remains as equally awful if not worse in power as he’s almost certainly on the cusp of now and I’ll hopefully catch you on the next vid. Cheers folks.