An Inevitable Division: The Politics and Consequences of the Labour Split

Details: Published on Wednesday, 27 February 2019 00:26; Written by editor

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A Socialist Project e-bulletin ... No. 1773 ... February 27, 2019
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An Inevitable Division: The Politics and Consequences of the Labour Split

Jeremy Gilbert

It’s the changing nature of class and capital that’s caused this split -- and should shape the Left’s response to it. But discussing class meaningfully is the last media taboo.

This week’s split of several MPs from the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) comes as no surprise at all. It’s been clear since the moment of Jeremy Corbyn’s election as leader that a section of the most right-wing and/or most ambitious MPs would simply never be able to reconcile themselves either to his leadership or to a Labour Party composed mainly of his supporters. This is probably a large section: about a third of the current PLP would be a reasonable estimate.
This isn’t just because of the political differences between them. It definitely isn’t because Corbyn is an anti-semite, or indifferent to antisemitism. It has absolutely nothing to do with the content of the leadership’s stance on Brexit. It has everything to do with the fact that that stance has not been dictated by the City of London and the CBI (Confederation of British Industry).