Exclusive: Lansman reveals why he won’t stand in upcoming Momentum elections

Jon Lansman, the current chair of Momentum, will not stand in the upcoming internal elections of the Corbynite organisation that he founded, LabourList has exclusively revealed.

In a comment piece for LabourList, Lansman said he had made the decision “not to contest the forthcoming elections within Momentum” and vowed instead to “hand over to a new leadership”.

On the network founded in 2015, he wrote: “We are now a mass of dedicated activists fighting for a better world. And in this new era, it is time that a new generation of leaders put their ideas into practice.”

Lansman explained that he would continue as Momentum chair until new members of the new national coordinating group (NCG) are elected in contests set to conclude on June 30th.

“Thereafter, I shall stay around to support my successors in Momentum. I shall continue to speak out, even when some would rather I didn’t,” he pledged.

Hinting that he would like to keep his seat on Labour’s ruling body, Lansman added: “I shall return to blogging and focusing my attentions on Labour’s national executive committee.”

The supporter of Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership and former campaigner for Tony Benn concluded that he would spend more time with his family “after working seven days a week for the better part of five years”.

Commenting on the news of Lansman’s decision, a Momentum spokesperson said:

“We thank Jon for his years of dedication to Momentum and the Labour Party.

“From running Tony Benn’s leadership campaign to founding Momentum, he continues to fight tirelessly for the left and has done an incredible amount to transform the politics of this country.

“He has played a key role in building Labour into a half a million member party and strengthening the movement for socialism in Britain. 
We look forward to working with him as he continues to lead from the left on the NEC and across the movement.”

Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner tweeted “there is no doubt that Jon has made a big impact in politics and is a true Socialist [who] has always wanted to do his best for people”.

Shadow cabinet member Rebecca Long-Bailey, whose Labour leadership campaign was run by Lansman, wished him “all the very best for future” and described him as a “tireless voice for Labour Party democracy for over 50 years”.

The development on Saturday evening comes just ahead of internal campaigns within Momentum – such as Forward Momentum, which has been backed by John McDonnell – releasing slates of candidates.

Forward Momentum has said it wants to “refound” and “democratise” Momentum, which it criticises for being “too London-centric” and “not sufficiently member-led”. It is calling for a more “inclusive” culture.

Reacting to the news of Lansman stepping aside, the campaign released a statement that thanked him, and said: “We are pleased that he recognises it is time for a new generation to take Momentum forward”.

LabourList understands that an alternative slate, regarded as ‘pro-Lansman’, is being put together by ‘Momentum Renewal’ – a platform for the NCG elections, not a broader campaign nor a membership organisation.

Momentum’s NCG officers group recently declared that the organisation “cannot continue as it has been”. In a statement, they called for “unity, reflection and comradely debate on the way forward”.

The 2020 Momentum elections will be the first since 2018, after last year’s were postponed to avoid clashing with local elections, then delayed further by the general election and Labour leadership elections.

Nominations for those wanting to stand for Momentum’s NCG will open at midday on May 28th and close on June 11th, followed by a one-member-one-vote ballot held from June 16th to June 30th.