LABOUR’S leaders must abandon destructive attacks on the party’s left wing and focus on mobilising against reactionary Tory policies, 16 organisations from the labour movement said today.

Two Labour-affiliated unions are among the bodies that have united to defend Labour Party democracy, promote “transformative” socialist policies and to organise around goals that serve working people from all communities.

The initiative, brokered by the Don’t Leave, Organise group, includes a major day-long event — intended to be the first of a series — to be held on September 18, the Saturday before Labour’s Brighton conference.

Food workers’ union BFAWU and the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) are among the signatories, which also include the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy, Campaign for Socialism Scotland, Welsh Labour Grassroots, Jewish Voice for Labour, Labour Black Socialists and the Labour Representation Committee.

A statement endorsed by the 16 bodies condemns the party’s failure to mobilise against “the most right-wing government in living memory,” expresses opposition to bans and proscriptions and aims to give impetus to a fightback based on key progressive demands.

These include commitment to repealing anti-union laws, ending zero-hours contracts and fire-and-rehire, demanding adequate statutory sick pay, ensuring that the party is actively anti-racist and internationalist, and demonstrably committed to equalities.

Ben Selby, the FBU’s vice-president and chairman of Don’t Leave, Organise, said: “Unions that founded the Labour Party, and ordinary members who are its backbone, no longer feel themselves to be represented by the organisation.

“More than 100,000 have left since Keir Starmer became leader and the party’s finances are in crisis.

“By organising this initial gathering — the first of many — we proclaim our determination to build a movement which can reclaim our party as a democratic force for socialist transformation, offering real hope for working people from all their diverse communities devastated by the pandemic and fearful of its aftermath.”

BFAWU president Ian Hodson told the Morning Star: “Today’s announcement is an important step: it shows the strength and determination we have to ensure that those our movement represents have a voice inside and outside of Parliament. 

“We are united in our determination to ensure people in our workplaces and in our communities have their needs met.

“It’s time for the Labour leadership to wake up and recognise that its factional war and attempts to woo big donors by alienating its activists won’t win an election.”

The statement, which can be found in full alongside the list of signatory organisations at www.dontleaveorganise.com, is the result of several weeks of talks, and organisers expect other unions and left groups to sign up to it after consulting members.

Other signatories are Grassroots Black Left, Labour Left Alliance, Labour Women Leading, @LabourLeft, Northern England Labour Left, Red Labour, Save our Socialists and Socialist Appeal.