A look at Momentum

......... and on goes more whitewash!

What on earth has wealth to do with this?

whitewave as an alternative to just ignoring any arguments that makes the person concerned feel uncomfortable?

Sorry monica what do you mean?

paddyann Liverpool Wavertree results www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000795

Quite a choice!

whitewave Someone sneered at me for using newspapers as a source of information. I asked what sources I should use. No reply.

This sort of thing happens again and again, not just to me, as soon as a question in inconvenient it is ignored.

So I can't speak for that someone.

But I did ask you to back up your claim that Momentum are bullies.

As I said in my op. Momentum were a total mystery to me so I decided to read about how they were formed and how they operate. I tried to use material from sources other than the press as they are almost entirely hostile to Momentum, and I did not think that this would have given a balanced or fair view.

rose then went on to say I has whitewashed them. I asked how but no reply just yet.

I hope I didn't ignore you. Some posts I take as rhetorical so don't need a reply

Actually M0nica I did reply, at 13:08

I can't see that you asked roses to explain anything, whitewave.

MSM has decided that Momentum = Militant Tendency and has been slagging it off for what it isn't. It is just people who see Labour returning to its roots, and getting involved locally with politics.

The MP who it has been suggested might be de-selected was never the choice of the constituency party, but was put in a safe seat by the PLP. She has always been against JC, and voted with TB for the Iraq war. They have a perfect right to select another candidate if they want to.

And as to sources, you have to go to several places to get a balanced view. Or look what the tories say about Labour and take the opposite:-)

yggdrasil Do you mean Luciana Berger? If so, I'm confused, because she's only been an MP since 2010.

DD I think ygg meant voted with the Blairites to bomb Syria

I think she probably meant Louise Ellman.

Oh i wasnt really sure

Now I'm not sure either. But in 2010 it was still the PLP putting preferred candidates in safe seats against constituency party choice. So for any reason, they are entitled to make their own choice if they want to.

I am listening at this time to The Long View, on Radio 4
(9-9:30) which will be available on iPlayer.

It is comparing Momentum as a popular movement with a movement in the Conservative party in the nineteenth century, the Primrose League.

Which of course eventually became just part of the Tory party and is mostly forgotten now, but did have a serious effect on politics then, just as Momentum is now

From personal experience, Momentum are not hard left trouble makers. Fellow members in my local group are a doctor, coroner, lawyer & quite a few teachers. There are a range of ages, quite a few in their 50/60s but a lot in their 30s. There are a smaller number of younger people and it's great to see their enthusiasm. Our main activity has been campaigning. For example, we campaigned in Stoke and in Birmingham Edgbaston recently to support Labour candidates. Some of the group recently went to Chingford to campaign in Ian Duncan Smith's constituency. I've been on training days which were about canvassing, campaigning and understanding Labour Party rules. We're a large group so there are differences of opinion but there are certainly no Communists or Socialist Worker party members involved. Some members are critical of their MPs, and why shouldn't they be? MPs are in a job and they should take account of their constituents views, good and bad. The Tory party have seen the success of this grassroots movement and want to set up their own action groups

Oh dear * bmacca* your post based on your experience puts you in danger of letting the facts get in the way of a good story

Yes I'm afraid it will be dismissed bmacca by those who want to believe Jeremy Corbyn is Trotsky reincarnated and momentum full of raging communists. Of course you may actually be a raging communist and proud of it - in which case welcome anyway

bmacca I've read and read about Momentum. Yes you can easily find spin and false facts if you are lazy and accept what the gutter press says, but if you look at more neutral academic stuff, it is clear that it is simply an organisation that supports a left of centre democratic political party. If you moved them along with Corbyn to Europe they would considered mainstream.

I lot of nonsense is talked.

Doctors, teachers etc cannot be hard left trouble makers? Cannot be communists ? Are all far lefties bover boys ?

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.

I've read and read about Momentum. Yes you can easily find spin and false facts if you are lazy and accept what the gutter press says, but if you look at more neutral academic stuff .....

The point of that post is, Primrose65?

primrose you are trying to add 2+2 and unfortunately coming up with 11/2.

Before I started the thread I knew nothing about Momentum. That is sentence 1

Since I got interest and started the thread I have read a lot about Momentum that is sentence 2.

Get it?

But you've made so many comments on GN about Momentum before you were interested in them or knew anything about them.

My maths is spot on.

But keep digging if you want!