Momentum (organisation)

Background

Momentum describes itself as an organisation that "exists to build on the energy and enthusiasm from the Jeremy Corbyn for Labour Leader campaign, to increase participatory democracy, solidarity, and grassroots power and help Labour become the transformative governing party of the 21st century". It campaigns on local issues and on topics within the Labour Party. The organisation states that it aims to organise local groups across the country to "encourage mass mobilisation for a more democratic, equal and decent society" and "assist members in making their voice heard in Labour Party debates".

Momentum has over 150 local groups across the UK. Since launching its membership scheme in April 2016, it has seen a steadily increasing membership. In October 2016, Momentum claimed to have over 20,000 full members, as well as over 170,000 supporters.

Relationship with other organisations

Members of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) have raised concerns that groups including the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, Left Unity, the Socialist Workers Party (SWP), the Socialist Party and the Alliance for Workers' Liberty (AWL) might attach themselves to Momentum as a means to rejoin the Labour Party.

Left Unity is looking into the possibility of cooperation with Momentum and the Labour Party because it shares Corbyn's values. The Socialist Workers Party, and the Socialist Party have denied any intention to be involved. Momentum has stated that it will resist entryism by the SWP and other groups; however, according to Andrew Gilligan in The Daily Telegraph, several Momentum organisers have held paid roles for other political parties, including a former Green Party spokesperson. One AWL member sits on the Momentum steering committee. In October 2015, James Schneider, a leading organiser of Momentum admitted that he had voted for the Green Party in the May general election, saying it was only because “I'm in a safe Labour seat”.

In December 2015, Momentum announced that it would be setting up a code of conduct to exclude any members of other parties from being allowed to vote or take part in meetings about the Labour Party. This is intended to restrict the influence of the Socialist Party and others, but members of those groups will be permitted to attend meetings on non-Labour Party issues, such as the campaign on Syria.

Fears over deselection threats

Critics of Corbyn within the Parliamentary Labour Party have raised a concern that Momentum may look to encourage the deselection of moderate MPs and councillors who disagree with, or are seeking to undermine the Labour leader. Referring to the Militant tendency, Oliver Kamm of The Times wrote in October 2015: "Like the Trotskyists of a generation ago Momentum is an entrist organisation that’s parasitic on the Labour host. This time, though, the far left has managed to gain control of the party structures and is intent on making life tough for Labour MPs". However, Momentum issued a clear denial, saying "we will not campaign for the deselection of any MP and will not permit any local Momentum groups to do so. The selection of candidates is entirely a matter for local party members and rightly so". Author and journalist Michael Crick opposes the comparison to Militant, stating that "the rise of Jeremy Corbyn can be attributed more to the phenomenon of 'Corbynmania' than to hard-left entrism". The Momentum spokesman James Schneider has said "The purpose of Momentum is not to have internal factional battles, it's to look outside".

Democracy SOS

Momentum is undertaking a campaign to address the problem of disenfranchisement of electors as a result of the introduction of Individual Electoral Registration. This is part of a broader goal to improve democracy by encouraging new voters to register. The group believes there may be eight million people missing from the electoral register and that a further 1.9 million people could be excluded by the changes in voter registration on 1 December 2015.

Cuts to tax credits

Momentum criticised George Osborne's economic policies, including particularly his proposal to cut tax credit payments for working families.

Syria bombing

Momentum called for its membership to lobby Labour MPs "to support Corbyn, not Cameron, over Syria" on Twitter, linking to the Stop the War Coalition's "don't Bomb Syria" campaign, which opposed the Conservative Government's proposal to extend its bombing sorties against Daesh (also known as ISIS) from Daesh-held territory in Iraq to also cover Daesh-held territory in Syria. Corbyn had argued that Cameron's government lacked a credible plan for defeating Daesh, and that the bombing in Syria would not increase the UK's national security. Corbyn has also stated his view that military action should always be a last resort. Some Labour MPs criticised Momentum's move to lobby on party political grounds before the Labour party's official position on military action had been decided, with Gavin Shuker asking "Who decided this was your position on Syria, and to lobby MPs in this way?"

Elections to the National Executive Committee

In the 2016 elections for the National Executive Committee, it emerged that Momentum, alongside the centre-left Grassroots Alliance and the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy were jointly backing six representatives for the NEC: Rhea Wolfson, the former chair of the Jewish Society who replaced Ken Livingstone, a senior NEC figure who was suspended from the party for alleged antisemitism; Ann Black; Christine Shawcroft, a senior figure in Momentum who had been a member of the NEC for 15 years, and who was suspended from the party due to her support for Lutfur Rahman, and has gained media attention for supporting dialogue with Daesh instead of air strikes; Peter Willsman, Claudia Webbe and Darren Williams, who was forced to apologise in 2013 for saying that Tony Blair should share Margaret Thatcher's coffin. All six of the candidates Momentum supported were elected to the six available places.

The World Transformed

From 24 September 2016, Momentum held a four day fringe festival alongside the Labour Party conference. Foregrounding art, music and culture alongside political discussions, 'The World Transformed'. One event featured a debate between Caroline Lucas co-leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, Compass chair Neal Lawson and Jon Lansman and Rhea Wolfson of Momentum. In The Times, Tony Blair's former speech writer Philip Collins was positive about the event, compared to the Labour conference, "harnessed and embraced, Momentum could be a force for good", but wrote "the only thing wrong with their slogan 'Jez We Can' is the first word".

Former vice-chair Jackie Walker

The vice-chair of Momentum, Jackie Walker, was briefly suspended from Labour Party membership in spring 2016 for making comments on Facebook which were thought to be antisemitic. Jon Lansman, the chair of Momentum, defended her against these claims.

Near the 2016 Labour Party conference in Liverpool, Momentum organised The World Transformed, a four-day event. Walker spoke at Momentum events. Her comments about Holocaust Memorial Day led to renewed calls for her to be expelled from the Labour Party and, this time, for Walker to lose her position as Momentum's vice-chair. Manuel Cortes, the general secretary of the TSSA union, said their Momentum funding would be reconsidered if Walker was not removed. She was suspended from Labour Party membership at the end of September. On 3 October 2016, the organisation's steering committee decided she should cease being vice-chair, but remain a member of the committee itself. Lansman in the Morning Star wrote that they considered Walker's comments about Holocaust Memorial Day "and on the security of Jewish schools to be ill-informed, ill-judged and offensive though not anti-semitic".

Internal tensions (late 2016–early 2017)

In late October 2016 a short-notice meeting voted to change to One-Member-One-Vote (OMOV) using information technology in place of a delegate system at the founding principles conference in February 2017. The meeting also opted to cancel a national committee meeting at which Lansman's opponents had intended to temper his position in the organisation. One connected group, Labour Party Marxists, commented on its website: "This is worse than anything Tony Blair managed to foist on the Labour Party" and ended asserting: "This is an anti-democratic coup". An early December 2016 national committee meeting did, however, take place at which OMOV was rejected.

Momentum women's officer Laura Murray blogged about her fears the Alliance for Workers' Liberty might be attempting to take over the organisation. An AWL member on the steering committee, Jill Mountford, had written of a potential split, accusing Lansman of threatening to walk away if his own views were not supported. In an AWL pamphlet, published in October, the group described Momentum as being "politically conservative" and claimed the group's leadership were "avoiding any criticism of or going beyond what party leadership has said and done". The sectarians, the Trotskyists opposed to the Labour Party, according to Owen Jones in The Guardian, were seeking to destroy Momentum, perhaps aiming to create a new party. During a BBC interview, Mountford denied such intentions. Meanwhile, at a pre-Christmas rally, Corbyn urged Momentum to unify.

The introduction of a new constitution was announced on 11 January 2017. New members of Momentum were now required to also be members of the Labour Party, with existing Momentum members being given until July to join. Lansman initiated changes via an email, after managing to convince the steering committee, abolished the national committee and replaced it with a Labour-only national coordinating committee (NCC). A new online model of organisation without a formal structure was created with the specific intention of preventing Trotskyists dominating delegated meetings. Lansman resigned as a director of Momentum on 12 January, being replaced by Christine Shawcroft, in order to stand for election to the steering committee, it was reported.

A relaunch of the group in early March 2017, with John McDonnell having assisted Lansman, included a first meeting of the new NCC on 11 March and a conference on 25 March, both in Birmingham.Another group, Momentum Grassroots, will hold its alternative meeting in Birmingham on March 11.

Take Back Control Brexit Tour

Momentum revealed on 14 February 2017 that John McDonnell, Diane Abbott, Rachael Maskell and Clive Lewis would go on a nationwide "Take Back Control" tour organised by The World Transformed of majority Brexit/Leave places such as Barnsley, Bradford, Dagenham, Hastings and Sunderland. Organisers say the tour is aimed at "marginal constituencies and those under threat from Ukip". This series of events will follow the first annual conference of Momentum in Birmingham on 25 March 2017.