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There is something of a lull in the struggles within the British Labour Party at present. All eyes have turned to the court which will give its verdict on Thursday on whether Corbyn can be automatically on the ballot. This is, I think, the last throw of the dice for the Blairites. The millionaire bringing the case is a bitter enemy of Corbyn's, seemingly over the latter's support for the Palestinian cause. It is pointless to speculate what will happen if Corbyn is not included automatically and then has to seek support from within the PLP which so bitterly opposes him. Apart from the court case, the other main news appears to be that the Soft Left candidate against Corbyn, Owen Smith, is gaining little traction. Everyone knows that if Corbyn is not knocked off the ballot, he will win massively over Smith, whose candidature has sparked zero enthusiasm anywhere. Presuming then that the campaign goes ahead, the Right and the Soft Centre seem to have decided to use the campaign to smear Corbyn and to drive the party down even further in the polls. It is a risky strategy, in terms of the electoral survival of the Party. It reminds me of Clausewitz' comments on war that is divorced from policy/politics (*politik)*. For Clausewitz such a war was unthinkable because it would end in mutual destruction. But the Blairites in particular seem to be drawn to just such an irrational outcome. Amidst the mayhem of an internal civil war in the Labour Party, can Corbyn turn the campaign into an effort to build a broad anti-neoliberal social movement? I should note that my interest in all this is not because I have any illusions in the British Labor Party. Puh...leezze. But this is a decisive moment in the class struggle. Of that I have no doubt at all. The defence of Corbyn's leadership should be taken up by all leftists. If he wins, we *might*, just might, get the broad based party/movement that will be able to challenge capital. The core of just such a movement has flocked to join Corbyn's team. That they constitute such a tide as to overwhelm those who control the party is one of the most intriguing aspects of all this. As an old leftist who has long predicted the decay and irrelevance and even death of the Labour Party, all I can say "Who would have thunk it?" comradely Gary _________________________________________________________ Full posting guidelines at: http://www.marxmail.org/sub.htm Set your options at: http://lists.csbs.utah.edu/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
