The Organiser – March 2025

Hello comrades,

In this latest issue, we bring you:

• our plans to stand up to Starmer
• news from across the movement
• our statement on the Government’s anti-migrant stance 
• how we’re keeping the red flag flying
• an Ecuadorian election 

Standing up to Starmer

The Starmer Project is failing. Polls show a Labour Party that fails to offer meaningful change is losing support among voters.

With Labour Conference 2025 fast approaching, it’s vital we get organised as a movement to make our presence felt in Liverpool whilst calling for bold, popular policies such as wealth taxes and public ownership. Last year, Conference voted to repeal cuts to Winter Fuel Payments. Plus, the Leadership was forced to withdraw an anti-migrant motion due to opposition from trade union and CLP delegates. 

That’s why we’re on the lookout for left-wing delegates who will stand up to Starmer and work with allied trade unions to pass progressive motions.

Will that be you? Or someone else that you know? Let us know here. 

We will also be holding a joint fringe event with the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy so watch this space for more info! 

Why the Left should stay in Labour:

Our National Coordinator Rachel Godfrey Wood appeared on Novara Media recently making the case for a transformed, democratic Labour Party – and why socialists have a historic role to play in this struggle. You can listen here. 

• FCP/LCP: We will soon be opening applications for our 2025 Leo Panitch Leadership Programme and Future Councillors’ Programme. Both training programmes offer activists the opportunity to enhance their organising and campaigning skills as well as their political education knowledge. You can express interest in the Leo Panitch Leadership Programme here and we will make sure we let you know directly when applications are open. 
• A New Settlement for Water: Our privatised water system is broken. So we’re urging our members to write to their MP urging them to attend the debate on Clive Lewis’s Water Bill in Parliament on 28th March. Clive has teamed up with Compass to launch a campaign calling for the public ownership of water that’s accountable to both Parliament and the public. You can use Compass’s lobbying tool here.
• Scottish Labour: Delegates at Scottish Labour Conference voted for key policy demands such as reversing cuts to Winter Fuel Payments and ending all arms sales to Israel. Meanwhile, a trans-exclusionary motion on single-sex spaces was rejected by Conference. This shows once again that the labour movement expects the Party to deliver a bold, transformative vision for all.
• Fringe event: Grassroots campaign group Campaign for Socialism held two fringe events at Scottish Labour Conference to discuss key issues. Speakers included socialist Labour MP Brian Leishman, Katy Clark MSP and Naora Hammerson from Green New Deal Rising.
• Grangemouth: The Labour Government has announced an additional £200m to invest in the long-term future of Grangemouth oil refinery. This could be a step in the right direction but it must be the start, not end, of the Government’s efforts to ensure a just transition. Congratulations to the Grangemouth workers in the struggle to protect their jobs and to socialist MP Brian Leishman for representing them in Parliament – this shows what the left can achieve in the Labour Party.
  Movie Night: A new film by the Ken Loach & Sixteen Films team will be released on 7th March. ON FALLING explores issues of precarity, exploitation and loneliness in today’s world. Watch the trailer here.
• Reversing Class Dealignment: Socialist Labour MP Jon Trickett wrote for Jacobin magazine recently on what a Labour Government must do to restore trust in working-class communities. And why democratic socialism is the right course to truly deliver for working people across Britain. It’s a must read and can be found here.
• Screen Cuba: A new London film festival celebrating the wonders of Cuban cinema and its innovative filmmakers will take place from the 16th-29th March in Covent Garden. Don’t miss out – grab your tickets today.
• German Elections: The far right doubled its vote share in recent German elections, while the ruling Social Democrat Party got its worst result ever. This must act as a stark warning to the Labour Government: without mass investment in our public services and a genuine end to austerity, voters are likely to look elsewhere for change. But in more positive news, the German left-wing party Die Linke saw a surge in support, winning the backing of a majority of younger voters and exceeding expectations.

Last month, the Government published disturbing videos of deportations, restated its intention to criminalise people arriving irregularly and banned them from ever becoming British citizens. 

Let’s be clear: these measures mimic the performative cruelty of the failed Tory governments rejected by voters last July. They also breach Britain’s international obligations to respect the right to claim asylum and guarantee safe routes.

That’s why we supported a statement alongside the Labour Campaign for Free Movement calling for the Labour Government to defend, not demonise Britain’s migrant communities. Our statement was signed by over 1000 Labour activists and trade unionists, including socialist MPs such as Nadia Whittome and John McDonnell. 

Far from being a drain on this country, migrants enrich our communities and deserve to be recognised for their vast contributions to society. So we urged the Labour Government to focus on delivering real change by reversing austerity, addressing the climate crisis and taking on the corporate profiteers. 

Defeating racism requires a unified, mobilising movement. We also supported Stand Up to Racism’s national demo against the far right in London last month, where thousands of people took part. 

We will continue to make the voice of the labour movement heard by standing against fascism.

We know that a Labour Party that embraces its founding principles of equality, justice and solidarity is our only hope to fix austerity-ravaged Britain. 

That’s why we’re building an energised movement on the Left. And as Britain’s largest socialist organisation, we ensure member-led grassroots organising is at the centre of everything we do.

Recently, we’ve been asking our members if they can increase their subscriptions to Momentum and help us keep the red flag flying across Parliament, Local Government and the wider labour movement. 

If you are able to, would you consider upping your payments with us today? You can do so by clicking the link here. 

All contributions will go a long way in helping us build socialism for the long-term. Even a one-off donation can make a huge difference.

The time is now to get organised. Let’s get going. ✊

Ecuador Goes to the Polls

Ecuador’s left-wing candidate Luisa Gonzalez defied opinion polls and major electoral malpractice from Trump ally and son of the richest man in Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, to score a “technical tie” during first-round voting.

Gonzales will now face a run-off vote with President Noboa, with the latter facing accusations of major corruption, mishandling the country’s energy crisis, and enabling organised crime organisations. Noboa has also garnered controversy for refusing to give up his presidential powers to the Vice President throughout the election campaign, exploiting a loophole in electoral law to do so. 

On the campaign trail, Gonzales has emphasised the need for economic reform in Ecuador alongside a robust strategy to alleviate poverty across the country.  Gonzales – a protege to former socialist President Rafael Correa who governed the South American country from 2007 to 2017 – has vowed to increase spending in social services and infrastructure whilst rebuilding public institutions

The final vote will take place in April. 

Housekeeping

Read the latest from Labour’s most recent NEC meeting, reported by Left CLP reps Jess Barnard, Gemma Bolton and Yasmine Dar for LabourHub here.

We hope you enjoyed our latest issue. Any feedback you have and ideas for how to make the newsletter better are much appreciated.

Don’t hesitate to send us an email at [email protected] with your thoughts.

In solidarity,

Team Momentum