Former Labour Party general secretary Jennie Formby has said she will be voting for the Green Party in the general election. At any other time, the corporate media would have a field day with the story. Yet so far, there’s been tumbleweed. How odd…
Formby: ‘f*ck Labour, I’m off to the Greens’
In what would otherwise be a fairly inconspicuous X post, Formby was replying to someone who had quoted her comments on Labour’s manifesto. She said:
I’m voting Green, not perfect but much more transformative agenda. And people can’t just keep voting Labour ‘because we’ve got to get the Tories out’. They’re out anyway so we should vote for parties that genuinely represent what we believe in – which may well be Independents.
Opinion on Formby’s decision was mixed. Predictably, many Starmerroids were critical – saying she’s essentially giving the Tories a chance by splitting the vote. Other’s pointed to the current ‘antisemitism crisis’ the corporate media says is gripping the Green Party:
What is it that first attracted you to the antisemitic crank Green Party?
— Stanley Blunt (@stanleyblunt2) June 17, 2024
Now, where have we heard that old chestnut before?
But other people agreed with Formby’s stance:
Me to Jeannie. I am almost at the point of giving up voting but probably will do just to be a statistic of ex-Labour voters who are switching
The Greens have a huge opportunity
— Ste By The Sea 🏝 🏖 🌊 🏴☠️ (@Ste_By_The_Sea) June 17, 2024
Of course, it’s little wonder Formby is not endorsing Starmer, given her background.
A target for Labour’s right wing
Formby’s career began in the trade union movement. She worked for the Transport and General Workers’ Union (TGWU), which later became part of Unite the Union. Her roles within Unite included serving as the political director, where she played a crucial role in shaping the union’s relationship with the Labour Party, advocating for workers’ rights, and promoting progressive policies.
Her appointment as general secretary of the Labour Party came during Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership. As a staunch ally of Corbyn, Formby was seen as a pivotal figure in supporting his vision for a more left-leaning, grassroots-oriented party. However, she became a target for the right wing of the party.
As SKWAWKBOX wrote:
While undergoing chemotherapy to battle cancer, Ms Formby revolutionised Labour’s disciplinary processes after the obstructive shambles that the recently-leaked Labour internal report showed was taking place under her predecessor Iain McNicol. In spite of this, she has been frequently and shamefully attacked – for failings that occurred before her tenure and which were deliberately worsened by outgoing right-wingers – often by members and parliamentary representatives of her own party as well as by hostile media.
So, Formby was never going to be a supporter of Starmer. By the looks of her X, many people agree:
Green, because our small flowers won’t grow if we don’t water them. Prisoners of the duopoly, clawing our way out with our fingernails.
— DogLover69 (@Dog__Lover__69) June 17, 2024
Silence on Formby’s admission
Oddly, so far the corporate media has failed to report on a former Labour general secretary voting Green. Oh, except for the usual right-wing suspects at the Jewish Chronicle using it as a stick to beat the Green Party and left-wingers with.
As one person on X pointed out:
Former General Secretary unable to vote for Labour, sounds like the sort of thing that would have had the entire UK media running around like their hair was on fire before Keir Starmer was installed.
— The Very Best of Neil Diamond (@edam_anchorman) June 17, 2024
Indeed – where are the headlines and outrage?
Of course, that only happens when it suits the establishment’s agenda – which in this case is very much getting Starmer elected and Nigel Farage into opposition.
So, it seems that even former Labour Party head-honchos see its current incarnation as too unpalatable to vote for. It hardly fills you with confidence about the next five years, does it?
Featured image via the Canary
