By Pete Radcliff, Broxtowe Momentum
Big disappointment that freedom of movement was not discussed at Party conference. Conferences should be about debating differences not only giving predictable 99 percent near universal acclamations.
All the indications are that freedom of movement would have safely won if it had been debated.
Before the priority vote, a 1,000-strong demo took place outside conference largely organised by Lib Dems and Greens. I would guess at least 20-30 percent of demonstrators were migrant workers. There are a great number on the South coast. These people and their friends are seriously concerned about the mixed messages from the Party.
I was loudly selling Clarion to the demonstrators with its free movement front cover and many articles on the Labour Campaign for Freedom of Movement. There was excitement when I told them that we might get freedom of movement debated and passed at Labour conference.
I had a great response. Demonstrators were forcing on me ten pound note contributions – that doesn’t often happen!
The lessons of Labour’s success in the recent general election is that our policies need to be simple and clear. No ‘ifs’, no ‘buts’.
We will see what the NEC statement says today. I fear those migrant workers will scratch their heads, if they even read it.
Labour’s needs to say clearly, as Corbyn said last year, that immigration is NOT a problem. Capitalism, exploitation are.
Solidarity with migrant workers. Fight on for freedom of movement.
Let us know what you think? Write a reply? Btl comments welcome here at Shiraz and at theclarionmag@gmail.com
Shiraz Socialist 
Dave said,
September 25, 2017 at 4:05 pm
Could it be that Brexit and Free Movement
were not on the agenda for precisely the
reason that Conference might make the
‘wrong decision’. Keir Starmer on 5 Live
Today: ‘free movement will end in 2019’
Seems definitive and a snowball has more
chance of surviving hell that any campaign
has of changing the position of this
‘Leadership’ A position no doubt they
would have condemned if it had been taken
by a Blair or Brown Ledership. And ain’t
we all glad we have left the era of New
Labour stage managed Conferences behind
us😏
Glasgow Working Class said,
September 25, 2017 at 7:40 pm
Free Movement means free movement for Islamic Fascists and criminal gangs. The EU has to answer for the deaths of innocents for their utterly stupid policies on immigration. Merkel has caused a rise in the right because of her stupidity.
Dave said,
September 25, 2017 at 10:56 pm
Over 3 million EU citizens in the EU. People working, paying taxes, people contributing. And you link free movement in the EU with Islamist fascism. Maybe we should end free movement within the UK, that might ‘help’ or maybe we shouldn’t leave the frigging house. We could have free movement in the EU and still tract down the fascists. International arrest warrants, cross border police co-operation. We can engage or let the fascists leave us shivering, nervous wrecks Mr GWC.
SteveH said,
September 26, 2017 at 4:11 pm
Dave, the term Islamic fascism is only something this cretin has picked up off the decent left, people like this Shiraz! The reason the decent left play down Islamophobia is because they/you are Islamophobic. The reason you/they play up anti Semitism is because you/they are pro imperialist.
Roger McCarthy (@RF_McCarthy) said,
September 26, 2017 at 1:17 pm
You make it sound like an accident when it was in fact due to a deliberate decision by the faction (Momentum) you identify yourself with communicated via its app to its drone army of delegates.
Maybe the continued identification of intelligent left-wingers (and AWL are only faction I would describe as such) with what has become a rather tawdry cult of the personality run by actual Stalinists is what we should be debating?
Glasgow Working Class said,
September 27, 2017 at 12:17 am
Corbyn and McDonnell are self proclaimed borrowers from Capitalists. They are offering the same old story and their idiot followers just follow in the same old fashion. But they do attempt to make it sound different. I have never laughed so much at a Labour Party Conference. Even auld Skinner the socialist wants to borrow.
SteveH said,
September 26, 2017 at 4:08 pm
I would describe myself as being very pro Europe. As i believe in the EU and in fact I believe in ever greater and closer integration, a sort of United States of Europe.
Just as I believe in a United Middle East, Africa and South America, which of course arch reactionaries like Shiraz have done everything in their power to thwart with their slavish idiot pro imperialism.
It is in this light that I have come to the conclusion that anyone who genuinely supports the European project should actively support Brexit, because if Great Britain were to stay in the EU they would do everything to undermine it and more importantly undermine deeper integration. Can you imagine the furore in the UK if they were still in the EU and a new treaty was proposed to have greater integration? Great Britain would not stand for it, the tabloids would go mad and the masses, infected with the tabloid mentality, would go ape shit.
No the EU is better off without the disruptive presence of the rogue state that is Great Britain! Anyone supporting Britain remaining in the EU is ultimately supporting the undermining of the EU.
What we should be campaigning for is Scottish independence and the reunification of Ireland, leaving only Britain and Wales to plod on as the not so Great Britain.
Glasgow Working Class said,
September 27, 2017 at 12:20 am
Aye StevieH give the Jock and Paddie Bishops power and proclaim Palestine Independent. Send the Jews hame tae the Reich for a shower.
SteveH said,
September 27, 2017 at 4:27 pm
Dear cretin,
I do not think that justice for Palestinians automatically translates into the reestablishment of the third Reich.
I know that Shiraz can make it seem like that.
Dave said,
September 28, 2017 at 9:59 pm
I used the term ‘Islamist Fascism'(Mr GWC
used Islamic fascism)
to distinguish from the religion. Islamism
is a political movement and IS et al are
every bit as fascist as the Nazis. Now why would anyone want to play that down?
Dave said,
September 28, 2017 at 10:52 pm
And ask the Kurds fighting IS if they think
their enemy are fascists, genocidal
fascists with dreams of empire. Play
that down.