‘Keir Starmer must honour his promise to stamp out factionalism’

When I heard the news last month that Mish Rahman, a dedicated activist and Labour NEC member, had been blocked from standing as a candidate in Wolverhampton West, I recalled a promise Keir Starmer made me when he was seeking our union’s support for his leadership bid in 2020.

When Keir visited the TSSA Executive Committee, he spoke passionately about his desire to build on the policy programme of the 2017 manifesto, he warmly praised his friend Jeremy Corbyn for rejuvenating our party, and he looked me in the eye and promised that under his leadership factionalism within the party would end.

All of this was welcome as a strategy which would lead to an ambitious Labour government which would really be able to change our country for the better. As President of a Labour affiliated trade union, I still feel that is the way forward.

“Many members feel that factionalism has increased”

Sadly however, under the present leadership, none of this has happened and many members feel that factionalism has increased. This has seen committed, hardworking trade unionists being blocked from standing on spurious grounds.

Mish, for instance, had strong local support and the backing of TSSA and six other trade unions and affiliates. Despite this he was banned from the longlist because of the way he voted on the NEC.

Recently I joined colleagues across the movement to protest Mish’s exclusion. At a time when the Tories are attacking fundamental trade union rights and threatening our members’ jobs in ticket offices, none of our time and energy should be spent on internal disputes among Labour colleagues.

But protest has become necessary, because Mish is not the only example of working class, trade unionists and Black and ethnic minority activists being blocked.

“Protest has become necessary”

In June we were shocked at the party’s decision to exclude Jamie Driscoll from the North East mayoralty selection process. Jamie has done a superb job as North of Tyne Mayor since 2019, building communities, advocating for affordable homes and a publicly run green transport network among much else. That Jamie was excluded without any real explanation is an affront to our Party democracy.

Last year we learnt of the terrible treatment of Ian Byrne and other party members in Liverpool West Derby. I think that the re-selection process that Ian was put through shames our movement, with some party members reporting they were unable to access, participate in or vote in their branch selection meetings.

Our colleague Sam Tarry was sacked from Labour’s front bench last summer after joining TSSA members on our picket line. He was subsequently deselected, with many feeling this was down to his trade unionism and staunch support for left wing values.

“TSSA believes in the right of Labour members in constituency parties to choose their own candidates”

Then there is the case of former Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, who has been a friend to our union for many years. TSSA believes in the right of Labour members in constituency parties to choose their own candidates – the NEC’s vote to bar Jeremy from standing falls well below the bar when it comes to Labour values and our democratic principles.

Understandably after all we have faced – a pandemic, a national rail dispute, and now threats to close almost every ticket office in England – our members are dismayed at the lack of support from some sections of the parliamentary Labour Party.

Let me be clear our links to the Labour Party are long and deep; these form the political arm of our commitment to working people now and in the years to come.

I again urge Keir Starmer to make good on his promise to end factionalism within our party so that we can all turn our focus wholeheartedly to defeating the real enemy – the Conservatives – and put to an end thirteen wasted years which have so hurt our industries, communities and our country.

Melissa Heywood writes in a personal capacity.