This CLP supports the earliest possible election of a Labour government led by Jeremy Corbyn. The current government is putting Tory Party dogma first, not jobs first – and they have no mandate for their agenda.
We note and support Labour’s six tests for Brexit, which aims to ensure that the post-Brexit settlement preserves the benefits we currently get from collaboration with Europe, defends our rights and protections, and delivers for all parts of the UK. It is increasingly clear that the Tories’ Brexit deal will fail these tests.
We believe that only Labour can lead the British people into a progressive and economically sound relationship with Europe.The Brexit deal being pursued by Theresa May is a threat to jobs, freedom of movement, peace in Ireland, and the future of the NHS and public services. Tory Brexit will wreck the British economy, will commit us to a series of long-term trade deals which will enforce American-style deregulation, and will undermine the rights, freedoms and protections currently enshrined in EU law. All of this will bind the hands of a future Labour government, and will make it far harder for us to deliver on our promises.
We therefore urge Labour to oppose the Tories’ destructive Brexit and unite the country behind a radical vision for the future. In government, Labour could rally left-wing parties across the continent, and create a Europe for the many, not the few.
The social problems that caused the Brexit vote – inequality, declining public services, falling pay, a lack of quality affordable housing, and so on – will be made worse, not better, by Tory Brexit and the continued austerity that would result. The problem is the policies of the political establishment, not immigrants, and the solution is a radical social and economic programme.
We must make the election of a radical Labour government our first priority.
We note that given the Fixed Term Parliament Act, the most likely route to a general election before 2022 is the collapse of the government’s Brexit agenda. This motion supports all available avenues to bring down the government: voting down the EU exit deal in Parliament, calling for a snap election, and a popular vote on the deal.
We note and support the 2016 Conference commitment to a public vote on the Exit Deal so the people have the final decision on whether to accept the government’s deal or to stay in the EU.
We call on the Labour Party to:
- Oppose any Brexit deal that does not satisfy Labour’s 6 tests.
- Call for an immediate general election, and make a manifesto commitment to call a public vote on the Brexit deal with an option to remain in the EU if the public rejects it.
- If we cannot get a general election, to campaign for a public vote on the deal with an option to remain in the EU; and following a defeat for the government, to call for an immediate general election.
- To place radical social and economic policies at the heart of our programme of government – taxing the rich and big business to pay for better public services, rapidly expanding common ownership, abolishing anti-union laws and engaging in massive public investment.
Delegates from this CLP to Labour Party conference should vote in line with this policy.
We further resolve to mandate our Executive Committee to submit the below text as a Contemporary Motion to Labour Party conference, should an appropriate matter arise following the publication of the National Policy Forum report on August 6th.
Contemporary motion
Oppose Tory Brexit and win a radical Labour government
[There are 25 spare words which submitters must use to reference an event after the publication of the NPF report on August 6th.]
Labour’s six tests ensure that any Brexit preserves benefits we currently get from Europe, defends our rights and protections, and delivers for all parts of the UK. The Tories’ Brexit deal will fail these tests.
The Brexit deal being pursued by Theresa May is a threat to jobs, freedom of movement, peace in Northern Ireland and the future of the NHS.
Tory Brexit will mean a future of dodgy trade deals and American-style deregulation, and undermine our rights and freedoms. This binds the hands of future Labour governments, making it much harder for us to deliver on our promises.
2016 Conference committed to a public vote on the Exit Deal so the people have the final decision on whether to accept the government’s deal or to stay in the EU.
Labour will:
- Oppose any Brexit deal that does not satisfy Labour’s 6 tests.
- Call for an immediate general election and make a manifesto commitment to call a public vote on the deal with an option to remain in the EU.
- If we cannot get a general election, still campaign for a public vote, and call for a general election following a government defeat in that vote.
- Form a radical government – taxing the rich to fund better public services, expanding common ownership, abolishing the anti-union laws and engaging in massive public investment.
How to put this motion to your CLP
Labour is a democratic movement, and as members we have a right and a duty to put forward a vision beating Tory Brexit and winning a radical Labour government.
There are two motions you need to pass in your local Labour party for the campaign to win. One is a normal motion asking your Constituency Labour Party (CLP) to support a People’s Vote. The other is a Contemporary Motion to Labour Party conference.
Here’s how you can submit them.
1. Submitting the normal motion
There are 3 ways you can submit a normal motion to your CLP:
* if your CLP has meetings of all members (i.e. without delegates), you can submit it directly to your CLP secretary. You should be receiving emails from them already.
* if your CLP has a General Committee and meets in wards/branches, you need to submit it to your ward/branch secretary. You should be receiving emails from them already.
* affiliated unions can submit motions to CLPs directly
2. Submitting the Contemporary Motion to Labour Conference
Each CLP can submit one motion per year to conference. Because of a quirk of Labour Party rules, it must reference an event after August 6th, and be no more than 250 words long.
However, it is possible for CLPs to decide the subject of their Contemporary Motion before August 6th and mandate their Executive Committee to submit the motion correctly in August. This is sometimes necessary, as not all CLPs meet in August or early September (which is the final deadline).
So, to submit the conference motion:
* You can submit the conference motion now alongside the normal CLP motion by using the text we’ve sent you
* You can submit the conference motion to your CLP (in the same way as the normal motion) to a CLP meeting in August or very early September. (You should check that this is possible).
Note: if your CLP has already submitted a Rule Change motion, you will be unable to submit a contemporary motion.
Once you’ve submitted your motion, please let us know by email. It’s helpful to know when the motion is being debated so that we can keep track.
Socialist Resistance
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletters in English and or French. You will receive one email every Monday containing links to all articles published in the last 7 days.