Recently the Daily Telegraph reported:
“Writing on the website of “Labour Party Marxists”, of which he is secretary, Stan Keable, Momentum’s organiser in the London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, stated: “As the hard right begins its civil war, the left must respond with a combination of disciplinary threats, constitutional changes and reselection measures.
“Those [MPs] sabotaging Labour election campaigns, those who vote with the Tories on austerity, war or migration, must be hauled up before the NEC [National Executive Committee]. If MPs refuse to abide by party discipline… we should democratically select and promote trustworthy replacement candidates.”
Mr Keable is named as the “organiser contact” for Hammersmith and Fulham on Democracy SOS, Momentum’s campaign to register new voters. He is one of many revolutionaries to be welcomed into the new group, even though Labour explicitly excludes anyone who opposes parliamentary democracy.”
Regular readers of this site will know I have had plenty of criticisms of the Labour administration on Hammersmith and Fulham Council. But it is now likely to get worse. Labour councillors making decisions will be in fear of deselection from hard left activists. Instead of making decisions for the interests of the borough as a whole they will be beholden to Mr Keable and his apparatchiks.
Mr Keable, a UNISON convenor, re-joined the Labour Party from the Communist Party of Great Britain. But he makes no pretence of any philosophical change of heart. This Labour Party Marxists bulletin gives a bit of flavour. His is critical of Len McCluskey, the Unite leader for not being left wing enough. He supported his rival Jerry Hicks. But he does urge Mr Hicks to pitch in with shifting the Labour Party towards Marxism.
In a Facebook message on Hammersmith Momentum’s page yesterday, Mr Keable said:
“Although no vote was taken on whether to oppose UK bombing of Syria at the November general committee of Hammersmith CLP last Thursday, the overwhelming feeling was that foreign military interventions sustain ISIS, and no sensible arguments were made in favour – only that the UK should share in the slaughter being committed by its allies. “
I suppose any Labour councillors present who failed to satisfy Mr Keable that they had “sensible arguments” can expect to find him on the look out for “trustworthy replacement candidates”.
Not all Labour councillors are necessarily under threat however. Cllr Ali Hashem prudently attended their meeting at the Bush Theatre in October.
I suspect Cllr Caroline Needham may survive the purges. She is a Facebook friend of Scott Reeve, one of the other movers and shakers in Hammersmith Momentum. Surely that must count for something?
Mr Reeve is an activist in Addison Ward Labour Party along with Chris Tranchell, also a leading activist in Hammersmith Momentum. They both signed the nomination papers for Labour councillors Adam Connell and Sue Fennimore at the last council elections.
The Corbynistas may be alienating many erstwhile Labour voters in our borough. However they are on the march in the Hammersmith Constituency Labour Party operating as a party within a party. They are candid about their Marxist allegiances and their determination to remove those who disagree.
We have been warned.
Hammersmith and Fulham Forum 
It is depressing that our MP Andy Slaughter has aligned with Corbyn in opposing action against Islamic State, because inter alia he believes that extending the current campaign from Iraq into Syria is ‘not legal’. Cutting civilians’ heads off and burning POWs alive in cages certainly is not legal. Please can we have some moral clarity and leadership from local Labour?
In all fairness publicly chopping peoples heads off doesn’t seem to be a huge concern for Cameron either given his friendship with the ultra fascist Saudi regime.
There is nothing to stop the far left taking over the Labour party now there is a far left leader in charge backed by relatively large number of far left acolytes.
This does not transfer to a far left government because the Labour working class vote can no longer be relied on as it could decades ago. They do not see Labour representing what the want which is far less immigration and less benefits..
The result from Oldham will be a shot across the bows for the Corbynistas.
The current Labour group in LBH&F seem to be on the far right. The idea of privatising the housing stock of an entire London Borough is something many Tories have always wanted. They will now get it, from a Labour party that has ceased to represent the working people it was set up to protect!
Maybe a Marxist, whilst too far on the left for some, is the balancing act that is needed against the Blairites that remain in Hammersmith. They are Tories masquerading as Labour!