A former Labour Party councillor has claimed that the party HQ has told its London activists to “shut up shop” and stop campaigning ahead of the general election. She believes its because Labour is proving unpopular on the doorstep. But so far, the party has kept tight-lipped – with its London press office not responding to a Canary request for comment at the time of publication.
Labour: how’s that purge of the left going?
As we reported in our #CanaryCandidates series, Pamela Fitzpatrick is standing as an independent candidate in Harrow West in the general election. She was a Labour councillor for many years – but as the Canary previously wrote:
when she supported Jeremy Corbyn’s campaign to become leader of the party, the attacks against her from the right of the party began, and eventually pushed her out.
The party expelled her during its very dubious ‘Labour purge” of left wing voices. Now, her own independent campaign has been focused on positivity. However, rumours have started circulating that Labour’s may not exactly be going to plan.
Labour’s ability to mount ground campaigns and to ‘get out the vote’ on election days has long been the envy of other parties. Committed members and supporters would be knocking at doors right up to the close of poll determined not to miss a single vote. Committee rooms would buzz with a mix of excitement and exhausted members.
But now, something strange is afoot in Keir Starmer’s version of the Labour Party.
Stop speaking to the public!
Fitzpatrick posted on X on Monday 1 July that:
I understand Labour HQ has instructed most London CLPs to stop canvassing tonight, to shut up shop, told not to operate committee rooms or have a get out the vote on election day. Utterly bizarre and dictatorial stuff. A sign of what they will be in government.
— Pamela Fitzpatrick (@pamelafitz4HW) July 1, 2024
The Canary spoke to Fitzpatrick. She told us:
I have been contacted by several people from across London to tell me that Labour HQ has instructed their constituency Labour Party that all canvassing should cease with effect from 2nd July. That they should shut up shop, with no committee rooms and no get out the vote campaign on election day. This is an incredible turn of events and something that is likely to be causing concern amongst any longstanding Labour members.
To be clear, Labour moving activists to other areas is not news. It does this, as do most political parties, as a matter of course. Sometimes, though, it does it for other reasons – like how it recently stood down it’s Clacton candidate Jovan Owusu-Nepaul. However, Fitzpatrick said this is not what’s going on here:
To shut up shop completely is unprecedented. Equally it appears that members have not been told to go to other constituencies, just to stop canvassing.
It is clear that Labour has suffered a massive loss of members and equally that despite the polls Labour is very unpopular on the doorstep.
In Harrow West and in many other constituencies the Labour candidate is refusing to go to hustings to be held to account. For canvassing sessions they are only ever able to muster up a handful of people to support them and these are usually staffers and councillors who have no choice but to be there.
Independents Day
Fitzpatrick noted the difference on the doorstep between what people think of the main parties and what they think of independent candidates:
As an independent candidate I have found that the public are almost universally saying they are sick of Labour and Conservatives. A common initial response when they see we are canvasing is to say ‘I am not interested’, ‘they all lie’ or ‘they are all corrupt’.
For many others the defining issue for their anger and contempt of Labour is its response to the genocide in Gaza. So many people have told us they have voted Labour all their life and will never do so again.
When we say we are independent invariably the response to us changes. I have canvassed in various elections with different Labour leaders for decades. I have never known such hostility to Labour. I have also never experienced such a welcome and positive reaction when I say that I am a local candidate, I am anti austerity, anti privatisation in the NHS and want justice for Palestine
On X, people reacted to Fitzpatrick’s news with varying responses. On person pointed out Labour has been emailing with its begging bowl in hand:
I’m a lapsed labour member, received this email pic.twitter.com/dGvBrBJaMh
— Patricia 🍉 (@loveisbrilliant) July 1, 2024
Others agreed:
They’ve hardly any activists. Unlike in the past elections.
Even the die hard labour members where I am are not out and doing their thing.
Its not goid strategy, as such, it’s emergency management.— mandy buchanan (@mandybu23626477) July 1, 2024
Of course, some people called bullshit on Fitzpatrick’s claims. However many could well believe her allegations.
The Canary contacted the London Labour Party for comment. We wanted to know a) if Fitzpatrick’s claims were true, and b) if so, why. At the time of publication we had not received a response.
Labour: winning because the Tories are losing
It is entirely possible that Labour is winding down its canvassing in London. It is filled with fairly safe seats and the party is guaranteed a national win. However, it is equally plausible that Labour door knocking with a few loyal members and staffers is not exactly helping it, either.
It’s becoming clearer and clearer that this general election is likely to see one of the lowest turnouts in years – and one of the smallest vote shares for the two main parties in history. People are fed up with both of them – and the more they see of Labour, the less they like it.
Ergo, Fitzpatrick believes that maybe this is the reason Labour HQ has told many of its London canvassers to stand down:
Labour must be getting the same reaction on the door so perhaps this is the real reason it has shut up shop. Labour is not winning this election. It is the Conservatives losing it. All the backslapping and self congratulations by Starmer and his supporters merely shows how out of touch they are with the public.
None of this will change the outcome on 4 July. What it does change, however, is how the opposition to Labour moves forwards post-general election. If the party gets into power because the Tories’ lose, then the collective ‘left’ has an opportunity to reframe British politics. This is sorely needed, of course.
Featured image via the Canary
