Jeremy Corbyn’s bid for the Labour leadership has been backed by 25 grassroots campaigners in an open letter to the New Statesman. The signatories, who range from anti-austerity campaigns to media reform groups, and include Walter Wolfgang, the octagenerian who was ejected from Labour party conference for heckling tony Blair, describe parliamentary politics as “fundamentally flawed and stagnant” but argue that Corbyn “stands miles apart” from his rivals for the Labour leadership.
The letter will strengthen Corbyn’s argument that he is best-placed to appeal to voters who have rejected the Labour party or do not vote at all.
The full text is below:
As grassroots campaigners and activists working for social change from outside Westminster, we recognise the fundamentally flawed and stagnant state of Parliamentary politics in this country.However, it is foolish to suggest that it doesn’t make any difference who is in Government or who is the leader of the main political parties.
Jeremy Corbyn stands miles apart from the other Labour leadership contenders and he has consistently stood up for the issues we campaign on. Whether he’s been leading anti-war marches, standing up for the rights of disabled people or calling for radical solutions to the housing crisis, Jeremy has always been on the side of social movements.
We know a lot of people are sceptical about the Labour Party, for many very legitamate reasons. We urge people, despite those concerns, to back a true campaigner leading the opposition.
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Marc O’Neill, UK Uncut
Linda Burnip, Disabled People Against Cuts
Deborah Hemanns, National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts (National Committee)
Alistair Cartwright, Media Reform Coalition
Diane Skidmore, Fuel Poverty Action
Rob Lugg, Ritzy Living Wage Campaign
Selma James, Global Women’s Strike
Suresh Grover, The Monitoring Group
Pragna Patel, Southall Black Sisters
Zita Holbourne, National Co-chair Black Activists Rising Against Cuts (BARAC)
Dr Jason Moyer-Lee, President International Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB)
Paul Mackney, Co-chair Greece Solidarity Campaign (pc)
Joy Hurcombe, Chair of the Save Shaker Aamer Campaign
Sex Workers Open University
Dave Wetzel, Transforming Communities
Moazzam Begg, CAGE
Walter Wolfgang, Vice chair Labour CND
Daniel Voskoboynik, This Changes Everything UK
Hilary Wainright, Founding Editor Red Pepper Magazine
Francesca Martinez, Writer & Comedian
Ewa Jaciewicz, Writer & Activist
John McArdle, Co-Founder Black Triangle Campaign
Joe Taylor, National Community Activists Network
Gabriel Bristow, London Play & Youth Work Campaign
Dr Jo Ram, Community Reinvest
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