HAVING a genuinely left-wing leadership of the Labour Party was always going to attract intense hostility from across the political and economic establishment.

Ever since 2015 part of this has been incredible levels of media hostility towards Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, and a permanent misrepresentation of his and Labour’s political positions.

Despite this, Labour members and affiliate members not only overwhelmingly backed Jeremy against all the odds to become leader in 2015, they then gave him a stunning mandate to carry on as leader after the “chicken coup” attempt of 2016. After 12 months where they were told this was the worst possible decision to have ever made for the future of Labour, members and affiliate members made clear their wish for Labour to become a genuinely anti-austerity party committed to transforming Britain.

The attacks didn’t stop, but the decision of Labour’s members was rewarded with an impressive result in the 2017 general election that confounded the critics, and suggested that perhaps the base of the labour movement has a better understanding of modern Britain and how to change it than the “Westminster bubble” in all its forms.

Despite the gains in 2017 though, the constant war against Corbyn and his supporters has never stopped, and there always seemed to be some within the Labour Party who couldn’t wait to join the right-wing media and Tories in attacking and undermining the members’ choice as leader whenever they had a chance.
Now is such a time.

Both opponents on the right wing of the Labour Party and in the media share a number of things when they get stuck into attacking Corbyn’s Labour, including the wish to downplay any successes Labour achieves and a lack of a positive suggestions for what an alternative Labour leadership would stand for.

On the latter point, the Change UK party not only includes some of the most prominent critics of the rebuilt post-2015 Labour Party and its leadership, but has also copied the policies and political style that many critics of Corbyn that are still within Labour remain tied to. These include, but are not limited to, a failure to challenge the Tories’ ideologically driven austerity.

The already obvious failure of the Change UK project — despite the massive free promotion and easy ride from much of the media — should act as a warning sign to those keen to ditch Corbyn and Labour’s radical “investment not cuts” agenda.

Labour has inflicted defeats for the government on numerous issues — including with regards to May’s Brexit deal — and yet it is regularly claimed it is not an effective opposition.

Yet as Momentum pointed out this week Jeremy has now seen off two Tory prime ministers.

Additionally, Labour’s steps forward in the 2017 general election are nearly always explained by anything other than our programme or leadership.

The reason for this is because our opponents fully understand not only what the significance of a Corbyn-led government would be, but also that it is a realistic possibility.

They therefore need to do all they can to try and stop this happening.

The changed, and high-stakes, situation since 2015 means that all of us on the left have had to continually face intense and new challenges since Jeremy Corbyn’s election as leader.

Currently, it feels like we are again heading into a difficult period, partly because the Tories are in crisis and a Jeremy Corbyn-led government is therefore a real possibility if we can force a general election.

We must not be taken off course by our opponents’ continual attacks. And while resisting these, plus tackling media misrepresentation, we must also not fall into the trap of only discussing politics on grounds set by our opponents, but continue to prioritise promoting positive policies that can change the lives of the majority for the better, and we know are popular with the electorate.

We must build the social movements and extra-parliamentary campaigns that can help push the Tories out and force a general election, positively develop and communicate Labour’s alternative to austerity, and continue to develop our own understanding of what kind of society — and world — Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour stands for.

The latter must include not only our alternative economic programme to austerity, but also why we need an anti-war government, why we must build international solidarity with oppressed peoples and progressive causes around the world, and why the fight for equality and liberation for all is an integral part of — not optional add on to — socialist politics.

“Arise — a festival of Labour’s Left Ideas” is particularly important in this area. It is coming at a crucial time for the left, can help enable vital discussions across our movement on the ways ahead and provides an opportunity to develop in-depth understanding of what socialist ideas look like across the board.

The key focus of all on the left in the coming period must be to not let our enemies divide us. Now is the time to unite behind Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership and keep our eyes focused on the prize — a government that can change Britain for the better in the same kind of way Thatcher did for the worse.

Through our “#StandWithCorbyn — Unite to End Tory austerity” statement and speaking tour, plus Arise, we in the Labour Assembly Against Austerity are committed to doing this and working with all others who wish to do the same.

With Theresa May setting her departure date this week, not only can we win a Jeremy Corbyn-led government, millions of people need us to. Let’s make it happen.

Matt Willgress is the National Organiser of the Labour Assembly Against Austerity and the Arise festival.

You can sign the StandWithCorbyn — Unite to End Tory austerity statement at bit.ly/standwithcorbynstatement — you can see details of the speaking tour of the same name at www.facebook.com/labour.assembly.against.austerity

Arise — a Festival of Labour’s left Ideas takes place with John McDonnell, Diane Abbott and many more in central London on June 21-22. More information at www.arise-festival.com