We must campaign together to create a society for the many not the the few. The election result on June 8th is not a foregone conclusion.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/may/09/jeremy-corbyn-launches-labour-general-election-campaign-manchester

Corbyn says Labour will transform Britain 

Even now, some 3 weeks into a general election campaign, the media and some elements within the party continue to speculate and undermine the position of the party leadership.Only two days ago, a prominent Labour MP launched an attack on Jeremy Corbyn, laying the blame for the party’s local election losses firmly at his leader's door. A few other candidates at the election. some standing for re-election or some contesting other seats, are openly critical of the leadership, and have indicated that they are not prepared to have the leaders photograph or statement included on any of their literature.It is as if these candidates, not only themselves personally, but seemingly as an organised pressure grouping within the party,would be prepared to countenance the conservative candidates being elected.

This is an appalling situation and  frankly is an insult to those people from whom we seek electoral support.

The role of the candidate

The situation as I see it is perfectly clear. Any parliamentary candidate (no matter how such candidate may have been installed in that position), is a candidate for the party, and consequently has an obligation and duty to accept the party manifesto and associated publicity material. Moreover, the candidate has the further obligation to support the democratically elected leadership of the party in whatever form such support may take. The candidate receives the support of the party organisation nationally, constituency party organisations, party activists and individual supporters for the duration of the election campaign and in return these organisations and individuals may reasonably expect the candidates loyalty to the party and its efforts to achieve the best election result possible. Candidates must accept that to stand for parliament is not some personal glorified ego trip  to promote self, but is the opportunity to represent people of this country and to seek to improve conditions within society. Anyone who does not accept this summary, has no place as a Labour party candidate and should not be standing under a Labour party manifesto.

This election is not a foregone conclusion. 

The result remains within the grasp of the Labour party with a platform of policies for the benefit of all of our people and not just the select few.

We can secure an historic victory on June 8th and take our country forward. However, candidates, party workers, constituency parties and supporters must accept that we seek election as a party and not as a collection of individuals. We must campaign as a party and abandon criticism, smearing and undermining of the leadership which will only lead to confusion and division amongst our supporters. The British people will never forgive us for abandoning them to another 5 years of cuts, austerity, the decimation of our NHS to the private sector with all its resultant cuts in services, the dismantling of our welfare state, condemning people to a life of never having a home of their own, either rented or low cost, the sick and disabled our pensioners and other vulnerable groups being left behind to the mercies of the "markets". We must  now abandon the arguments, the personal egoistical ambitions and the bickering of past months and campaign together for a fairer more decent society for our children and for our grand children. We must campaign for a society where greed and demonisation of others are not accepted as normal aspects of behavior and are banished form our daily life.. 

We must campaign together to create a society for the many not the the few.