Thread: I get why pple want to leave the party. I'm not going to say people are wrong to leave even though I've been called by implication, cowardly & senseless for staying. We all must choose our own path. What I will do is explain my rationale for staying & it's quite simple.

Back in the days when Militant were being expelled, things looked dire for the left. But Benn, Corbyn, Skinner and other true socialists stayed put. Because of that, many years later, one of those three became our leader. He led for five years. He inspired millions of ppl.

He changed politics forever. Austerity became a dirty word. Nationalisation became a mainstream idea. Yes, the right probably lost us the GE in 17, but Corbyn won the arguments. And I believe both left and right largely sabataged GE19 with their thirst for a People's Vote

In fact I was closer to leaving after we adopted that diabolical policy than I am now because it turned me off large swathes of the membership and many left mps I'd always admired. So I personally don't carry around the notion 'they won't let the left win'.

We very nearly did until we undid the good work of 2017 by alienating our core vote in such spectacular fashion. Yes I'm angry about lots of things. I'm angry with the PLP who clearly hated Jeremy and us. And I'm angry with momentum for failing to be what it purported to be

I'm angry with the staffers who plotted against us all, and the people who fell for the idea a People's Vote would win us a GE and those who sold that line knowing full well it was bollox. And I'm angry with Corbyn for not replacing Starmer with an MP who respected the EU ref

And I'm angry with those who weaponised AS and those who claimed it was ALL a smear. So I'm just generally angry with almost everyone. But I am in equal measure proud. Proud of Jeremy for putting up with so much crap for us. Proud of the members who stood up for him

Proud of the way we have changed political history forever and for the better. I believe we can do that again. I genuinely do. So while we have a FPTP system that makes the Labour Party the only vehicle that can offer real change, I'm staying.

Solidarity