What is Your Momentum?

We are Momentum members, including activists, local group roleholders and outgoing members of the Momentum National Coordinating Group (NCG), who are running a campaign for the Momentum NCG elections.

Over the last two years, Momentum’s NCG has taken our organisation through a much-needed period of transition. We have strengthened our internal organisation and democracy, enlisted, trained and educated a new layer of activists, and rewritten Momentum’s constitution to ready our organisation for the years to come. Momentum was not fit for purpose. Now Momentum is on a fighting footing.

At the same time, we have also made some significant gains within the Labour Party and in local elections despite immense challenges, defended hundreds of members from attacks by the party leadership, provided important support to the left of the trade union movement, begun building a trade unionists network, and supported campaigns in communities across the country.

We believe that over the next two years we can build on these foundations and with the right plan and right leadership we can go much further. Below you can read more about what we believe and our ideas for taking Momentum forwards.

We ask everyone who agrees with our ideas, our plan and our principles to join our campaign and VOTE for the Your Momentum team.
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Over the past few months hundreds of activists have got involved in our campaign and taken part in discussions to develop our plan for Momentum.

Together we have forged a plan to build left power over the coming years and together we democratically chose 20 brilliant candidates to stand in the upcoming Momentum National Coordinating Group election.

Find out more below about the Your Momentum team and sign up to support us and get involved!

Mish Rahman, Momentum NCG Midlands and the East and Labour National Executive Committee
Gaya Sriskanthan, Co-Chair of Momentum
Andrew Scattergood, Co-Chair of Momentum
Sonali Bhattacharyya, Momentum NCG London
Callum Bell, Vice-Chair of Momentum
Darran McLaughlin, Momentum NCG South West
Shona Jemphrey, Momentum NCG South West
Liz Smith, Momentum NCG North East
Phil Clarke, Momentum NCG South East
Harriet Protheroe-Soltani, Momentum NCG North West and Wales
Mick Moore, Momentum NCG London
Deborah Hermanns, Momentum NCG London
Solma Ahmed, Momentum NCG Midlands and East
Ana Oppenheim, Momentum NCG London
Alice Bennet, Chair Liverpool Momentum
Louise Calton, Chair South Essex Momentum
Lorcan Whitehead, Chair North Essex Momentum
Imogen Tranchell , Co-Chair HKFC Momentum
David Kear, Co-Chair HKFC Momentum and Chair Kensington CLP
Jane Worsdale, Co-ordinator Momentum Norfolk
Cllr Sam Foster, Co-ordinator Southwark Momentum
Cllr Ankunda Joel Matsiko, Chair Notts Momentum
Clive Haswell, Founder Cardiff & Vale Momentum
Andrea Bradley, Facilitator Walsall Momentum and Chair Labour Women Leading West Midlands
Adam Freeman, Chair Southern Staffordshire Momentum
Pauline Gibbons, Vice-Chair Membership Liverpool Walton CLP & Secretary Liverpool Momentum
Andy Walker, Chair North West Durham Momentum & Secretary of Langley Park BLP
John Withington, Chair Camden Momentum
Tom Wakeford, Secretary Camden Momentum
Cllr Cathy Augustine, Aberconwy CLP and Momentum / WLG member
Ben Selby, FBU Vice President

Pat Byrne, Chair Momentum International
Lesley Spillard, Co-Chair North Tyneside Momentum, Treasurer at NELL
Janet Matthews, North West Durham Momentum Branch Secretary
Marc Lungley, Founder Southern Staffordshire Momentum & Chair of Wombourne and Kinver Branch Labour Party
Aleem Bashir, Bradford and District Momentum Data Protection Administrator
Coll McCail, Scottish Labour Executive
Lauren Harper, Scottish Labour Executive
Amerit Rait, UNISON NEC, Time for Real Change
Debbie Boyd, Campaign for Socialism
Marty Smith, Campaign For Socialism Dundee
Michael Hardy, Liverpool Momentum Youth Officer
Jordan David, Liverpool Walton CLP Secretary and TULO Liverpool Momentum
Susan Dykes, Liverpool Walton CLP Treasurer
Dennis Charman, HFKC Momentum Data Officer
Andrew Hedges, Unite Community Tees and Durham Political Officer
Tom Greenwood, Waltham Forest Momentum
Shezan Renny, Camden Momentum
Paul Renny, Camden Momentum
Rheian Davies, Ealing Momentum Convenor
Stu Murray, Labour North REC Member
Leila Erin-Jenkins, Brighton and Hove Momentum
Domanic Smith-Jones, Data Controller North Birmingham Momentum
Steve Davies, Cardiff & Vale WLG/Momentum
Jane Aitchson, President Leeds TUC
Vik Chechi-Ribeiro, Manchester NEU President & Manchester Momentum member
Eleni Loukopoulou, Croydon Momentum
Jenny Lennox, Walthamstow Labour Party and Waltham Forest Momentum Officer
Zain Miah, Newham Momentum
Ann Wackett, Birmingham Perry Barr CLP and North Birmingham Momentum

Mandy Baker, Walthamstow Labour Party and Waltham Forest Momentum Officer
Sam Harris, Notts Momentum Campaigns Officer
Lorna McGinty, Waltham Forest Momentum
Cllr Barrie Margetts, Southampton
Darragh O’Reilly, Secretary of Cambridge University Labour Club
Chris Robinson, Labour and Momentum Member North West Durham
Jamie Penquite-Green - Chair of Penrith and Boarder CLP, NELL Co-Chair
Laura Lee Daly, Sedgefield CLP Policy Officer
Paul Daly, Sedgefield CLP chair, Socialist Education Association North Secretary
Cllr Rochelle Charlton-Lainé, Co-Chair NELL
Cllr Stuart Sutherland , Sedgefield CLP
Tony Pierre, NELL Officer
Cllr Pete Lowe, Dudley Momentum
Cllr Bob Piper, Deputy Leader of Sandwell Council
Charlie Macnamara, Vauxhall CLP
Eleanor Vincent, Lewisham
Jack Hamilton, North Durham CLP
Jake Thomas, Hammersmith & Fulham Momentum
Joe O'Toole, Rugby CLP
Andrea Gilbert, Wandsworth
Jack Witek, Plymouth
Cllr James McAsh, Southwark Momentum
Jo Shemmans, Birmingham Selly Oak CLP
James O’Keeffe , Lewisham Momentum
Callum Cant, Lewisham Momentum
Tom Zagoria, Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland CLP Policy Officer
Joshua Nichol, North West Durham CLP
Stephen Baker, North West Durham CLP
Paul Connaughton, Waltham Forest Momentum
Alfie Gee, HKFC Momentum and Chelsea and Fulham CLP
Julie O'Donnell, Ealing Momentum
Sophie Bell, Wansbeck CLP
Salma Asghar, Newcastle Momentum
Vicki Gilbert, Chair Tyne and Wear TUG

Our principles:

We are socialists, we are anti-imperialist and internationalist.

We are opposed to all forms of bigotry and oppression.

We believe that socialism can only be achieved through the mass action of the working class.

We believe we are strongest when we organise democratically and when our organisations are led by members.

We believe it is vital that socialists organise within the Labour Party, but also in our trade unions and our communities as part of a single project to increase the power of socialists at all levels of politics.

HOW DO WE WIN:

Momentum is the most important socialist organisation in the UK. Not only do we have tens of thousands of members across the whole country, we also have significant financial resources, paid staff, name recognition, social media presence, and a wealth of organising and campaigning experience.

We believe that Momentum has a unique and essential role to play in the years ahead. Through the collective action of our members we can shift the balance of power within the Labour Party and in the country at large.

Our role is to organise the left in the Labour Party, to support struggles in our trade unions and to build a mass socialist movement. And just as importantly, we must continue to build an organisation which is open, democratic, and pluralistic so that it is capable of engaging all of us as members and forging broad alliances across the left.

This is how we will resist the lurch to the right in UK politics and can contest for power over the coming years. We all know that will not be easy. There are no quick fixes. Ultimately, only our patient and steady work can turn the tide in UK politics. To achieve that we must focus on the following:

• The Labour Party: Although the Labour Party has lurched to the right and become a hostile space for socialists under Starmer’s leadership, it remains the only vehicle through which socialists currently exercise power in national parliaments and local government and hundreds of thousands of us are still members. It is imperative that we defend and strengthen this foothold we have in the UK’s democratic system. Through strategic activity we can make gains.

• The Trade Union Movement: Working through party politics alone will not be enough to shift the balance of power in the Labour Party, nor to deliver a socialist agenda in a future government. The trade union movement in the UK is currently going through the start of a revival in workplace organising and militancy and movements for reform are taking place in major unions. Supporting the development of this class struggle trade unionism in the ways that we can is crucial to combatting the multiple crises facing workers in our country, to building a movement that can change the political weather, and to strengthening the position of the left within the Labour Party.

• Building the socialist movement: From tenants unions to climate justice campaigns, from anti-racist organising to community campaigns to defend local services, from building an anti-war consensus to creating international solidarity, there are a wealth of progressive movements in this country. We must help our members and local groups to be active in these areas and to support and amplify the demands of broad-based social movements. We must also aim to bring together community campaigns and movements with the socialist movement in the Labour Party and in the trade unions. This too will strengthen our position.

• Engaging and developing members and strengthening our organisation: As members we are our movement’s greatest asset and it is only through mass engagement and activity of the membership that we can build power. The active participation of members must be built brick by brick and members must be equipped with the plans and support to make meaningful gains. Our strength as members can only be accessed if we have agency and a full say in our organisation. We believe we must uphold the democracy of Momentum. We must also build on the work begun in the past two years in terms of internal organisation and political education.

THE LAST TWO YEARS

Two years ago Forward Momentum won all the member-elected seats on the NCG after building a grassroots campaign of members committed to reforming our organisation for the post-Corbyn era. At that point Momentum was internally undemocratic, unresponsive to us as members and without direction. Yet despite the challenges, in just two short years the current NCG have had real successes, delivering on a number of core pledges that have strengthened our organisation and made progress in all of the key areas outlined above. This has included:

‍Democratising Momentum and increasing member participation and activity
• Members will now choose who Momentum backs for Leader and Deputy Leader of the Labour party in future leadership elections.
• Members choose Momentum candidates for most major selections and elections.
• Members choose policies Momentum backs at Conference through the Policy Primary.
• Members have now rerewritten Momentum’s constitution and structures.
• Hosted 10 national role holder calls that bring together local groups with NCG members and staff to guide Momentum’s strategy and discuss how groups can be supported.
• Supported local groups across the country to develop tailored local strategies that reflected their needs and ambitions, as well as establishing several more local groups since 2020.
• Created a new staff role focused on Local Groups and Activist Development - the first time Momentum has had a role dedicated to local groups and their needs.
• Established a local group funding pot, giving groups the ability to access financial resources from the national organisation. Through this a number of local groups have now beensupported to organise campaigns and political education.
• Made it easier for local groups to access data and communicate with members.
• Engaged over 500 Momentum members in ongoing political education courses, including the first Leo Panitch leadership programme, and national programmes on trans rights, racial justice and climate justice.
• Momentum’s strategy has been published for the first time so that members can get involved more easily and have a clear sense of the organisation’s plan.

‍Continuing the fight in the Labour Party
• 100+ new seats won for socialist councillors in May’s local elections.
• The Momentum Councillors Network has been revitalised to better organise and support councillors across the country, providing training and support, including a community wealth building handbook to help councillors put socialist principles into action locally and training which will be launched in July.
• 4 socialist MSPs supported to get selected and elected in Scotland. Won the most votes in the NEC, CAC, NCC and Young Labour elections and currently helping coordinate National Policy Forum elections across the country.
• Prepared campaigns for socialist candidates for the upcoming Parliamentary selections.
• Policies like a Socialist Green New Deal and £15 an hour minimum wage successfully passed at Labour Party Conference 2021.
• Defeated the leadership’s attempt to bring back the electoral college for leadership elections and won a rule change giving party members more control over candidate selection in snap elections and by-elections.
• Collaborated with the Socialist Campaign Group and Labour Assembly Against Austerity to host policy roadshow events across the country.
• Supported over 150 members facing unjust disciplinary procedures in the Labour Party with legal advice and support.

‍Supporting struggles in the trade union movement
• Started developing the Momentum Trade Union Network that will train and educate members in militant trade unionism.
• Mobilised members to support strikes and trade union demonstrations across the country.
• Supported Momentum members in UNISON in their struggle to reform their union.

‍Building the socialist movement
• Mobilised members across the country to take part in demonstrations for Palestine, Black Lives Matter, Kill the Bill and more.
• Developed racial justice, climate justice & trans liberation education programmes and regular online events. Rooted Momentum more firmly within racial justice and migrants’ rights by building links with organisations fighting racism and imperialism.
• Launched a member-led campaign to support tenants unions across the country resisting evictions, which successfully engaged hundreds of Momentum members in community-based campaigning for the first time in the organisation’s existence. This campaign also brought to light some of the challenges Momentum faces in taking on community campaigning activity, but it also showed how doing so can strengthen the organisation.
• Introduced the Momentum Movement Builder membership category to allow supporters who are not yet members of the Labour Party to get involved with local groups and campaigns.

OUR PLAN FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS

We recognise that since 2020 many of our close friends and comrades have left the Labour Party due to the policies of the current leadership. We regret that this has happened and we are unwavering in our commitment to fight for socialism within Labour, however, we also recognise the reality of our current political situation.

We must therefore progress the movement in the following ways: building within Labour, working with our trade union colleagues, and building grassroots community resistance to exploitation and oppression. It is only this one-foot-in-one-foot-out approach that can continue the fight for socialism in a convincing way that will address the realities of our circumstances.

Our plan is to build on the achievements of the last two years and take them further in the following ways:

‍To build power in the Labour Party we will…
• Coordinate with socialist MPs, MSPs, MSs and trade unions, including our affiliates the CWU, FBU and TSSA, to construct a political bloc that is strong enough to successfully push the party to adopt socialist policies and democratic reforms that give more power to members.
• Continue our work to get socialists selected as candidates for elections to Parliament, Holyrood, The Senedd, and local councils. Defend socialist MPs, MSPs, MSs and Councillors from attacks from the right.
• Continue to provide legal advice and support to Momentum members who have been unfairly suspended and expelled, and oppose the proscription of socialist organisations.
• Strengthen the Momentum Councillor Network, providing socialist councillors with resources, networks and training, and lead a push for community wealth building initiatives across the country with the new wave of socialist councillors.
• Lead a new drive to support Momentum members to become active inside their CLPs and to pursue effective strategies for making progress over the long term.
• Take forward the policies agreed by our members in the policy primary and build a campaign to win at the Labour Party Conference in September.
• Continue to run winning campaigns for Labour Party internal elections, for the NEC, Young Labour, CAC, NPF and NCC; and build alliances on a regional level to win back Regional Executive Committees.
• Work with other groups to establish a new way of coordinating a united left slate in internal elections to bodies such as the NEC, now the CLGA has become ineffective.
• Repurpose the ‘My nearest Marginal’ app for elections to point Momentum members to ‘My nearest Socialist’, and work with our affiliates in Scotland and Wales to also include socialist MSPs and Senedd members.

‍To support trade union struggles we will…
• Continue to build our Trade Union Network nationally and locally, supporting our members to join trade unions, get active in them and organise in their workplaces.
• Work with local Momentum groups to establish 10 active local trade union networks across the country.
• Continue campaigning for the repeal of ALL anti-trade union laws, not just the 2016 Bill.
• Support trade unions taking industrial action by amplifying their struggles through social media, our mailing lists and supporting our members to attend picket lines and demonstrations. Work to promote socialist politics within the trade union movement and connect worker demands with the need for system change.
• Continue to strengthen our relationships with trade union lefts and support them where we are able to, in line with our goal of supporting industrial militancy, socialist politics and member democracy within the trade union movement.

‍To build the socialist movement we will…
• Work with campaign groups, trade unions and the Socialist Campaign Group to build a campaign for a socialist response to the cost of living crisis and the climate crisis, pressuring Labour’s leadership to commit to radical policies in the next election manifesto.
• Support local Momentum groups to initiate campaigns locally and get involved in other community initiatives and social movements, particularly where this long-term work can build support for socialist politics.
• Support movements that are resisting the Tories authoritarian and racist agenda, as well as movements taking action against climate change, poverty, racism and imperialism, both through our local groups and our national organisation. Within those movements we will bring a socialist and internationalist perspective and advocate for strategies that challenge the exercise of corporate and state power.

‍To grow an active Momentum membership we will…
• Uphold the democracy of Momentum.
• Continue to strengthen and expand local groups and give our members opportunities, support and resources to organise.
• Provide further training and support for our members to develop their skills as organisers.
• Build regional networks to enable members and local groups to share skills and coordinate together.
• Provide deep political education programmes to develop the knowledge and skills we as members need to organise and win power via the party, unions and movements, working with our partners at The World Transformed at Labour Party Conference and in the trade union movement.