Left Foot Forward spoke to the Leicester South MP at Your Party’s founding conference
Your Party MP Shockat Adam has said that he doesn’t ‘believe in expulsions’ following controversy over senior members of the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) being expelled from the party in advance of its founding conference in a move described by Zarah Sultana and her allies as a ‘witch-hunt’. He made the comments in an interview with Left Foot Forward.
Adam initially told Left Foot Forward: “The road to any formation is tricky. It’s unfortunate, there’s no denying it. We’d have loved to have been a lot more united in this. But I think at the end of this conference, we will have more unifying voices than diverging voices.”
When pressed on whether he supported the expulsion of SWP members, he said: “I don’t believe in expulsion of anybody. But I think if we can work cohesively together and coherently together we should do at every opportunity that we can get. I don’t believe in expulsions.”
On the expulsion of members of the SWP, Your Party’s formal position is that they have been expelled because they are members of another political party. A spokesperson for Your Party has said: “Members of another national political party signed up to Your Party in contravention of clearly stated membership rules – and these rules were enforced.”
In some quarters, Your Party has become synonymous with in-fighting and divisions. Allegations of a ‘witch-hunt’ against left wing members hasn’t helped that.
Adam acknowledges that there have been significant disagreements and divisions as Your Party has been in the process of being established. However, he has argued that this process will make the party ‘stronger’.
He told Left Foot Forward: “I think it will make us stronger. I think we can get out differences out the way now, and that will make us a lot stronger for the future.
“Look, any party is going to have difficulties […] and I understand the question, but I’m really really focussed on – as I have always been throughout this – is how do we address the problem. I am a solutions person – let’s start working together and let’s make this country a much better place.”
That positive attitude matches his comments about Your Party’s conference itself. Adam told Left Foot Forward: “It’s been really positive so far – the number of people, the diverse range of people, the fact that people stood up on stage and said they’re from the length and breadth of this country is really really positive.”
How to address who can and can’t be a member of Your Party isn’t the only big debate percolating around the conference this weekend. Members of the party will also be discussing its founding documents, including a ‘Political Statement’ which sets out the core ideological beliefs of the party.
One of the debates being held is whether that statement should explicitly commit the party to a ‘socialist’ approach.
Adam told Left Foot Forward that he describes himself as a socialist, but argued that Your Party doesn’t need to use that label in its political statement.
He said: “I will respect the decision of the majority”, before going on to add: “I believe that you can be socialist without labelling yourself as socialist. And I am of the opinion of one lady who stood up there and articulated that we must be inclusive of everybody. So not labelling to include, labelling to [disclude] is what really concerns me.”
Chris Jarvis is head of strategy and development at Left Foot Forward
Image credit: UK Parliament – Creative Commons
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