Labour to Win group calls for “dramatic change” to internal party culture

Labour to Win, a group supportive of Keir Starmer, is calling for a “dramatic change” to the internal culture of the Labour Party that it describes as “inward-looking”, “factionalised”, “divided”, “acrimonious” and “negative”.

LabourList can reveal that LtW, an umbrella organisation formed by Progress and Labour First in April last year, will urge members to sign a statement in favour of a “positive, inclusive, pluralistic and welcoming internal party culture”.

“If we want to win the next general election, we need to stop damaging each other,” the Labour to Win petition reads. “Our behaviour should reflect our values as democratic socialists and social democrats.”

The list of pledges that follows specifically encourages activists to vote for internal election candidates “on merit”, to ensure local party motions “pass a ‘good faith’ test” and to avoid discourse that makes others “feel unsafe or excluded”.

Labour to Win says party members should remember that local office holders are volunteers, refrain from “using conspiratorial language” in meetings and avoid “personalising our political differences within the party”.

The statement in the petition also has demands for the Labour Party, including the offer of training for key branch and constituency party officers to ensure they can manage “inclusive and welcoming” meetings.

It tells Labour to provide information about the responsibilities of members when they join, take action when a local party’s culture is “unwelcoming and uncivil” and take disciplinary action when members “behave in an uncomradely manner”.

Labour to Win will tell its supporters today that a “dramatic change” in Labour’s internal culture is needed to achieve its key aim of providing a space for members who believe the party “must change radically” to win elections again.

The group believes that the current state of party culture means Labour is not living up to the commitments set out in its rulebook, which says:

“We wish to build a diverse movement that reflects the whole of society, so should always consider how our actions and words may limit the confidence or otherwise exclude either those less knowledgeable than ourselves or those already under-represented in politics…

“It is perfectly possible to have vehement disagreements without descending into personal abuse, shaming people or exhibiting bullying behaviour. Forcefully made points and criticisms of the political views of others are totally legitimate, personal attacks are not.

“Debates amongst party members should be comradely, acknowledging that whatever our diverse views, we are one party with shared goals. Derogatory descriptions of the positions of others should be avoided.”

Starmer unveiled eight reforms during the leadership election last year that would aim to change party culture and ensure that Labour is “open, respectful, creative and engaging” with a “more inclusive, more democratic culture”.

The party has suspended members in recent months for passing motions of no confidence in top Labour figures and for criticising the suspension of the whip from Jeremy Corbyn during local party meetings.

General secretary David Evans has stated that motions relating to the parliamentary party investigation into Corbyn are “ruled out of order” because Labour must ensure that Jewish members “feel safe and welcome” in meetings.