By Hilary Schan

The 2024 General Election will shape UK politics for years to come. We all know that a defeat of the Tories is a victory for us all. However, the failure of the Labour leadership to lay out a policy programme that will deliver any meaningful change for the country means that we, as socialists, have got to stand alongside the trade unions and fight for the policies that Momentum was founded to promote.

The Tories have broken Britain, but if the Labour Party only continues the toxic ideology of austerity and privatisation, nothing will change. We need to be clear what we are fighting for. We should therefore identifyfive flagship policies that underpin our socialist agenda and will deliver change – these will provide a benchmark for what a Labour Government should achieve, and what is necessary to fix the Tory crisis.

We must unite as a movement around these policies and put them at the heart of our pre-election campaign. By doing so, we can also strengthen the argument for years to come that only the bold, transformative policies championed by the left can put Britain on a new path, and establish a lasting Labour legacy on a par with the post-war government.

We know that only the left has the vision and the ability to organise effectively and so, in this General Election campaign, we must focus our energy and resources on supporting Socialist Campaign Group MPs, as well as other socialists, trade unionists and candidates committed to a pluralist party. We must use our platform to educate, organise and grow our membership and left presence within the Party.

Our General Election campaign must be vibrant, high profile and a platform on which to build a wider social movement and Labour left in order to oppose austerity, privatisation, racism and militarism, and to advocate for socialism regardless of who wins the election.

Comrades, this is our opportunity to provide political leadership as the largest organisation of socialists in the Labour Party, to help campaign for socialist candidates, while not for a moment pretending that Starmer’s politics is the solution to Britain’s many deep problems.

Hilary Schan is Co-Chair of Momentum and Labour Councillor for Tarring ward, Worthing. She has appeared on our Labour Left Podcast. You can watch the episode here.

The following resolution was passed by Momentum’s Convention on March 10^th:

The General Election will shape politics for years to come. The defeat of the Tories would be a victory for us all, and Momentum will side with the trade unions fighting this authoritarian Tory Government. However, we will stay true to the socialist vision that Momentum was founded to promote. A Labour victory will give us the opportunity to fight, to make the Government more accountable, and reduce the ferocity of attacks on the working class, giving us more space to organise.

The Labour leadership has so far refused to outline a progressive alternative to Tory policies of privatisation, austerity, authoritarian crackdowns on civil society, and militarism and war abroad. Despite this, the next Election will politicise millions of people, and Momentum cannot afford to sit on the sidelines.

The crises facing Britain are not solely due to Tory mismanagement, but to an ideology of austerity and privatisation. To avoid being held responsible for continued crises by voters, Labour must offer decisive change and look to emulate the ‘45 Labour Government record.

In consultation with affiliated trade unions and the SCG, prior to a General Election, Momentum should:

1. Aim to unite the left to campaign for five flagship policies needed to fix the Tories’  mess:

• The NCG should pick five radical socialist policies which, where possible, have been adopted by Labour Party conference, and seek to fight alongside the unions and SCG MPs for their implementation

• The five policy areas would be subject to discussion by the NCG but based on recent Momentum campaigning could include: public ownership; investment (in public services, local government and a Green New Deal); housing for the many; democratic rights & freedoms, including proportional representation; and economic policy (including wealth taxes)

• This alternative, transformative programme should form the basis of our pre-election campaign, ahead of Labour’s Clause V meeting

• Recognising the current political environment however, we should also continue to argue for these policies after the General Election

• Whilst the campaign will focus on Conference policies, it must also give a profile to the Labour Left’s leading role in the Gaza ceasefire campaign

2. Drawing on the experiences of 2017 and 2019, develop plans for a positive election campaign, that will mobilise the Labour Left around progressive policies, like the New Deal for Working People, that could be won under a Labour government, including:

• Prioritising support for Socialist Campaign Group MPs, as well as other socialists, trade unionists, and candidates committed to a pluralist party

• Working with our allies across the Labour left, while providing leadership as the largest organisation of socialists in the Labour Party

• Deepening our relationships with trade unions locally and nationally

• Using the General Election to politically educate, by delivering programmes and running events

• Supporting social struggles and movements and acting as a bridge, channelling their demands into the Labour Party

• Using a distinct socialist campaign to grow our membership and left presence within the Party

• Continuing to hold the Leadership to account for their attacks on Party democracy, and campaign for Party members to select their own candidates, free from NEC interference

To promote our General Election campaign the National Coordinating Group shall develop a communications strategy and consider amongst other ideas:

• An open letter for which we seek signatories

• A day of action

• Public meetings in every Region possible

• National communications, such as possibly a four-page newspaper, aimed at those involved in the Labour election campaign putting our socialist case for voting Labour, the socialist policies we will fight for and the importance of combining our vote with a mass campaign to democratise the party

• A pamphlet

• Window posters

• Mass canvassing in the constituencies with a particular emphasis on Socialist Campaign Group and other socialist candidates

• A social media campaign throughout the election

• Attempts to maintain a high media profile throughout the election

Elections are a means not an end, and the next General Election can be a starting point to enable the building of a wider social movement and Labour left in order to oppose austerity, privatisation, racism and militarism, and to advocate for socialism regardless of who wins the election. It is an opportunity to provide political leadership as the largest organisation of socialists in the Labour Party, helping to campaign for socialist candidates while not pretending that Starmer’s politics is the solution to Britain’s many deep problems.

Image c/o the author.