There is a lot of accusations that have flown around GN, concerning this movement.
I will put my hands up and say that I know very little about Momentum - never really been that interested if I'm honest, except that I do know that they support JC.
We know that the Labour Party has always been a very broad church, but arguably has leaned more and more to the right, from probably the Thatcher period. This meant that those members on the left of the party which was so dominant during the formation of the Welfare State and post war period, felt that their voice was no longer being heard. LP left wing members always existed of course but their arguments were drowned out particularly by the Blair period.
After the Labour defeat in 2015 Jeremy Corbyn became to the surprise to all the Labour Leader.
It became clear that many people having listened to his arguments (just as they did in the last election) were convinced of his arguments. Hundreds of thousands joined the LP as a result.
One of JC arguments is that the LP should become more democratic, by becoming a bottom up party rather than a top down. The members should feel that they have a positive contribution to LP policies, at local level. It should have grass roots appeal.
4 weeks after JC was elected, Momentum was formed, to try to appeal to the very grass roots that JC was talking about. It's constitution is to support the LP, and in order to become a member of Momentum you must also be a member of the LP.
It's primary purpose is to enthuse and support the LP at grass roots level.
It has a constitution and code of conduct.
They actively exclude far left groups and any attemp to take over this left of centre movement.
With regards to de-selection.
I quote from Momentums constitution
" we will not campaign for the de-selection of any MP and will not merit local Momentum groups to do so.
The election of candidates is entirely a matter for Labour Party local members and rightly so"
A leader of Birminghams Momentumsaid
" to threaten de-selection is likely to cause fear and division, because if you threaten an MPs job, they will stop listening"
That is not what Momentum is about.
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