CLARIFY THAT MOMENTUM SUPPORTS JEREMY CORBYN

We are petitioning the Momentum National Coordinating Group (NCG) to amend the Momentum Constitution so it explicitly states that we are working for the election of a Jeremy Corbyn led Labour government.

Currently the Momentum Constitution under its Aims section states that:

The association aims:

• To work for the election of a Labour government

We are petitioning the Momentum NCG to amend that so that it reads:

The association aims:

• To work for the election of a Jeremy Corbyn led Labour government following his policies

The amendment is to insert the words: ‘Jeremy Corbyn led’ "following his policies"

Why are we petitioning the NCG

We are active members of Momentum promoting Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of the Labour Party and the 2017 manifesto.

This year we have become increasingly concerned that national Momentum has not been sufficiently promoting Jeremy Corbyn's politics and opposing the false unjustifiable attacks made on him and the Labour Party.

We note that in relation to two significant internal Labour Party elections national Momentum failed to sufficiently collaborate with other Labour left organisations and was unsupportive of some candidates who strongly defend Jeremy from entirely false allegations that he is antisemitic.

Whilst the ballot for Labour's National Executive Committee (NEC) was underway national Momentum unilaterally withdrew its support from an agreed slate and publicly traduced a candidate who is a long standing supporter of the party leadership.

Whilst nominations for the National Constitutional Committee (NCC) were underway national Momentum initially failed to support, and publicly denounced, a slate of candidates supported by the overwhelming majority of Labour left organisations which included another candidate supportive of the leadership's views.

Members who join the 'successor to Jeremy Corbyn's 2015 Leadership Campaign' are entitled to assume that Momentum will promote and defend Jeremy's leadership. We believe these decisions on slates by Momentum were against the interests of the leadership and its efforts to secure a Labour government.

The Labour Party benefits from having the strongest possible team on its NEC that is committed to the election of a Jeremy Corbyn led government, which should include nine fully supportive CLP representatives. Likewise the integrity of the NCC is improved if it is inclusive of members who support the leadership's views and are fully committed to ensuring natural justice.

We believe collaborative working, between Momentum and other Labour left organisations that support the leadership, is essential. Striving for unity on the left serves the party leadership and expresses the democratic intent of Momentum's membership, whereas breeches of unity are not supportive of the leadership.

We believe the mistakes made this year regrettably divided and weakened Momentum and undermined unity on the left.

We also note that national Momentum recently surveyed its membership on Brexit, and it has been suggested that such a survey might form the basis of Momentum 'policy'.

We do not believe that Momentum should move to creating its own 'policies' distinct from those of the Labour leadership. Momentum's role should be to act in support of the leadership's policies and not to develop an alternative agenda.

What unites Momentum's membership and the NCG is a clear determination to achieve a Jeremy Corbyn led government. It is why Momentum should collaborate with others that share this determination. This can only strengthen Momentum and improve its standing.

We therefore believe the NCG should reassert that the purpose of Momentum is to campaign in support of Jeremy Corbyn's leadership of Labour and his policies.

We urge the NCG to amend Momentum's Constitution so that this aim is made explicit.

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