One of our members has kindly written the post below:
The Parliamentary Labour Party is desperately trying to oust their democratically elected leader one week before the long awaited Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq war. Jeremy Corbyn was elected a little over nine months ago with the biggest mandate of any political leader in British political history. His message that Labour needed to oppose austerity and defend worker’s rights chimed with 60% of the membership in a four horse race.
Labour MPs have never accepted Corbyn or his mandate and have tried to destabilise his leadership from day one with resignations, open criticism in the media and of course rebellions in the commons. They are seeking to use a secret ballot to overrule the democratic will of hundreds of thousands of people.
Meanwhile, Corbyn has taken the fight against austerity to the floor of the House of Commons and has beaten the Government back on cuts to disability independent living benefits, child tax credits and has forced a watering down of the dreadful trade union bill. His Labour Party have won every parliamentary by-election with increased shares in the vote and walked the London mayoral contest. Jeremy has been a great friend to members of the IWGB, by campaigning for them in the famous Three Cosas victory. Along with shadow chancellor John McDonnell, he was instrumental in raising the profile of the struggle, and both had previously helped support the University of London campaign that eventually secured the London Living Wage for all outsourced workers here.
Jeremy Corbyn helped us in our hour of need, now we must help him. We call on our members to attend rallies in defence of the Labour leader and to raise the issue with their MPs and local Labour Party offices. At stake is not a career but the survival of democracy in the labour movement.
Independent Workers Union of Great Britain - Universities of London Branch 