A Level Revision Notes: Political Parties

Momentum:

Grassroots group set up in the wake of Jeremy Corbyn’s election as Labour leader and a key player in the campaign for him to be re-elected
Founded by the left-winger John Lansman in 2015, 4 weeks after Corbyn’s successful campaign to become leader of the Labour Party
Seeks the election of a progressive-left Labour Party at every level and to transform Labour into a more open, member-led party, with socialist policies
Has about 100,000 supporters
Organises through social media and local groups
David Blunkett has called it a ‘text-a-mob’ and ‘fringe’ organisation that should create its own far-left party
Is this group committed to grassroots power and participatory democracy, or is it a threat to the mainstream Labour Party, or both?

Saving Labour:

Group which spearheaded the challenge to Corbyn’s leadership of the Labour Party in 2016
Aims to replace Corbyn as leader of the Labour Party because ‘he has alienated almost all his colleagues in Parliament, has failed to set any kind of policy agenda and cannot meet the profound challenges of the future’
Consists of a group of ‘concerned voters, loyal Labour members and trade unionists looking for strong leadership in uncertain times. Leaving the EU was a taste of things to come’
Argues that new fresh leadership is required ‘to hold the Tory government to account and be ready to form a radical alternative government’
Seeks to ‘build a party that truly works for the national interest’. Britain, it states, needs a strong Labour Party to represent the many

Labour For The Common Good:

A parliamentary group set up during the 2015 Labour leadership election by Chuka Umunna and Tristram Hunt
A moderate group which aims to bring together Blairites and Brownites to counter the Corbynite wing and regain Labour’s political and intellectual edge

Consenus:

Launched in April 2016 to combat factionalism in the party
Aims to bring all wings of the party together to build a consensus on key policy issues
Key people include Stephen Kinnock, Angela Eagle and Seema Malhotra

Progress:

An independent group of Labour Party members
Founded in 1996 by Peter Mandelson as a Blairite pressure group
Committed to the New Labour agenda
Backed the neo-Blairite Liz Kendall in the 2015 leadership election
Currently aims to promote radical and progressive policies recognising that the centre of the party has shifted in recent years

Labour First:

Socialist Workers Party:

A revolutionary Trotskyite socialist party committed to transforming Parliament and the country
Congratulated Corbyn on his election as leader, urging him to pursue a far-left agenda
Backed Sadiq Khan in the London mayoral election as it saw it as a referendum on Corbyn’s leadership

Stop The War Coalition:

Founded in 2001 in response to George W. Bush’s ‘war on terror’ after 9/11
In February 2003 organised a demonstration against the Iraq War
In August 2013 mobilised opposition to military action in Syria — Parliament voted 285–272 against military action
Campaigned against military action in Syria after MPs authorised action against ISIL in Syria in December 2015
Corbyn was chairman until he became Labour leader

Labour Together:

Open Labour: