The Peace And Justice Project: Mighty Oaks From Little Acorns Grow

So, you’ve now heard all about Jeremy Corbyn’s Peace and Justice Project. 

The Mission Statement is simple enough: 

To bring people together for social and economic justice, peace, and human rights, in Britain and across the world.

The Peace and Justice Project will back campaigns, commission reports and develop progressive networks in Britain and across the world.

The Peace and Justice Project will work with labour and social movements and provide platforms to those campaigning for change for the many, not the few. 

Now, I know lots of you were hoping for Jeremy Corbyn to form some sort of new socialist political party, but I’m afraid it really isn’t that straight forward, at the moment.

First of all, a political party costs a lot of dosh. I can’t see Jeremy going cap-in-hand to Bezos or Gates. Yes, supporters can raise money - the Corbyn Legal Fund is a prime example - but additional funding from Trade Unions would be needed for any sort of new political party. 

It’s worth remembering, Jeremy Corbyn isn’t for sale. He never has been, and he never will be. He’ll do things the right way. His way. 

Then you need to consider how FPTP simply ensures a rotation of the elite. It’s like a merry-go-round of inadequacy. If you protect the wealth of the richest, and preserve the power of the most influential, you’ll get your chance. 

The Peace and Justice Project’s main areas of focus will be poverty, inequality and corporate power; global cooperation and international peace; colonialism and self-determination; democracy and human rights; and climate justice. 

This will immediately make the Peace and Justice Project an enemy of the establishment - not exactly unfamiliar territory with its founder, Mr Corbyn, in fact, a number of the normal online ‘critics’ managed to wipe the froth away from their mouths just about long enough to come up with the same old bullshit smears that they’ve been peddling for the last few years within minutes of Sunday’s big announcement from Mr Corbyn.

We remember the sneering back in 2015. Jeremy Corbyn was 200/1 to lead the Labour Party. It wasn’t meant to happen. We made sure it did. 

We remember the timed resignations in 2016. Keith Starmer was one of them. He went on to endorse that embarrassment of a human, Owen Smith, who was last seen making his way back to the Pharmaceutical industry with his tail between his legs. 

We remember the looks of absolute horror on your faces in 2017 as those Labour gains began to roll in. Do you remember Stephen Kinnock’s priceless reaction? Iain McNicol and his cronies had been plotting the downfall of Jeremy long before the 2017 election. You’ve read about the Labour leaks - I can assure you, that’s not even the half of it. 

Racism, coups, sabotage, deceit, we had it all. 

And now I see the same people, armed with the same smears, faces etched with the same sneers. It’s like we’re not good enough for them. 

What they don’t realise is Jeremy Corbyn is way too good for them. 

While most sources will insist the Peace and Justice Project isn’t a new political party - and they would be right to do so - you do have to wonder just how useful it would be to have a huge army of supporters already signed up to your new movement, should you find yourself permanently excluded from the political party that you’ve been involved with for more than five decades. 

Within hours of Jeremy Corbyn’s announcement, CLPs we’re discussing how they could affiliate themselves to the Peace and Justice Project. The project is not officially affiliated or linked to the Labour Party, but the party’s own rules do not stop individual CLPs voting to affiliate to Mr Corbyn’s new project if they wish to do so. 

Yes, Starmer and Evans really aren’t very happy about this, but right now, there’s nothing they can do about it. They have both acted disgracefully during recent months, looking to shut down free expression, and removing the power of democracy from the Labour Party grassroots. 

The Peace and Justice Project can serve as a reminder to the Labour leadership that we expect the Labour Party to represent each and every one of us. Every side needs a thorn. David Cameron used to have a nasty thorn in his side, in the shape of UKIP, and they went on to force Dave into that wretched referendum. 

How is that Brexit thing going, anyway?

Personally, I think it’s an excellent project. The lack of left-wing representation in British politics is startling. Around 12% of the House of Commons is made up of left/left-centre politicians, if you include the SNP members. The rest of the House is made up of warmongers, ex-bankers, lobbyist-funded imbeciles, private healthcare lovers, flag-humping relics and bone idle private school rejects. 

And that’s before I even get on to the Conservative Party. 

Now here’s the thing. I know lots of activists, many of them are my friends who I have fought alongside for 5 years. 

They can’t see any other way forward than the complete abandonment of the Labour Party, because Starmer has dragged the party so far to the right it is now unrecognisable from the democratic Socialist movement that the Labour Party claims to be on the reverse of their membership cards. 

They want Jeremy to break away from the chains of the Neoliberal Labour and lead a movement that stands against capitalism, corporate greed, injustice, inequality, poverty, homelessness, job insecurity, fair wages, oppression, war, and the big global polluters. 

They want a movement that will confront the rise of the hard-right, the inadequate half-pint gobshites like Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, the racists and the fascists, both home and abroad. 

And do you know what? So do I, because that is what puts the fire in my belly. 

But the most important person in this would be Mr Corbyn himself. Does he want to choose to cut ties with the Labour Party after more than 50 years of activism? 

Does he want to intensify the intrusion of the British Press? Does he really want that absolute clown from the BBC camped out on his doorstep like an overly-obsessed groupie? 

Who knows, perhaps he wants more time with his family, more time down on the allotment, more time to volunteer at the local foodbank? 

But what if the Labour Party permanently excludes Mr Corbyn? 

Will any Socialist MPs leave the Party in disgust? Will the big unions cut all ties with the Labour Party? 

The only thing we know for certain is the huge number of us willing to get behind Jeremy should Starmer and Evans go with the nuclear option. 

Essentially, we can cause some serious damage while simultaneously pushing forward our argument that there *is* a better way of doing things. 

Poverty, injustice, and inequality do not have to be an inevitability. The only inevitability is change, and you can be a part of that change. 

Signing up for the Peace and Justice Project is free, and it takes seconds. The more people signed up to the project the clearer our message will be to Mr Corbyn. 

We are willing to back you all the way, Jeremy, but it will be a damn sight more productive backing you if you’re not held back by the shackles of the Labour Party, because *this* Labour Party is a Shadow Conservative Party, and they are the enemy of progressive Socialists across the globe. 

The Labour Party is a cesspit. Racism is rife. BAME members have abandoned the party in their droves. The Labour Muslim Network released a damning report into the disgraceful Islamophobia that is encountered by British Muslims. The leadership has been quietly suspending left-wing Jews. 

Why? This is absolutely fucking shameful, Keith.

I look forward to reading the EHRC report into the institutional racism that is running rampant through Keir Starmer’s Labour Party. 

Yeah, right. 

Final thing I’ll say today, keep an eye on what happens with Jeremy and the Labour Party, because we are getting closer to the point of knowing just how far the Peace and Justice Project can go, should Jeremy end up without a political party of his own for the first time in more than fifty years. 

The Peace and Justice Project could be what you want it to be, working together with organisations such as the People's Assembly or No Holding Back, because we are all on the same side. But let’s make sure we can walk before we even think about running.

Don’t forget to SIGN UP for the launch event on January 17th, and sign yourself up as a supporter while you’re there. 

Take care guys x

Thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts, if you want to chip in towards improving my ongoing campaign, and it would cause you *no hardship*, you can do so here: