During last year’s NEC elections, all candidates for the ruling PCS Left Unity group were mandated by their faction’s leadership to use 10% of their election addresses to include the following formulation:
“Alliance for Change”, headed by BLN/IL, is a front for both the Socialist Party, and Alliance for Workers Liberty. Using PCS as a platform for rancour amongst activists, for them, it is Party first, PCS members second.”
The claim is demonstrably false. In the case of the Independent Left, we are open that supporters of the Alliance for Workers’ Liberty are involved (as are members of other groups and none), but the overwhelming number of members and supporters are not, including our candidate for National President.
We would argue that candidates for the leadership of the union should use their election address to talk about the issues facing members. We will see if this is repeated this year.
We believe in political plurality in the trade union movement. We believe that reps and members should be able to openly and honestly debate their political differences and reach a decision democratically. It’s what differentiates the independent trade unions from the labour fronts of places like 1930’s fascist Europe, China, Russia and the old Eastern Bloc.
However, this notion relies on reps, particularly those running for senior office being open about their politics and ensuring they conduct themselves in a way which advocates for the rights of PCS members in-line with PCS policy.
In that vein, we wish to draw members attention to PCS Left Unity’s decision to stand a council candidate for George Galloways Workers’ Party of Britain (WPB), Mohammed Shafiq, as their candidate for PCS Vice President.
Of course, any member has the right to stand for the leadership of the union. But we also have the right to question the politics of this organisation and specifically their incompatibility with PCS equality policy.
We reproduce here, with links to primary sources (video’s, interviews, podcasts, blogs and website pages) the Workers’ Party of Britain, their leaders and candidates in their own words.
The Workers’ Party of Britain on LGBTQ+ Rights
Almost every year PCS reps are forced to overturn the union leaderships latest socially conservative perspectives on the rights of trans members.
It’s no surprise to us that some Left Unity members have continuously pushed for the most conservative interpretation of last years Supreme Court decision. This was evidenced in last years conference where the National President continually refused to even publish motions in support of Trans members, using the cover of legal advice to do so.
In the same year, George Galloways Workers’ Party of Britain, published an article and policy declaration stating that, “Transgenderism is now influencing many spheres of social life, most notably questions of free speech and rights to assembly due to the intellectual cowardice and intolerance of some of its main advocates. Transgenderism at its extremes advocate the mutilation of children and the imposition of men in women’s spaces”
Galloway has used phrases like “transmania” to criticise trans right activists. As the Workers’ Party candidate in Rochdale, he issued letters to constituents stating, “I believe in men and women. God created everything in pairs. Unlike the mainstream parties, I have no difficulty in defining what a woman is. A man cannot become a woman just by declaring as such.”
On Novara Media in May 2024, Galloway stated, “Children shouldn’t be taught that gay relationships are “normal”. “I don’t want my children to be taught that these things are equal because I don’t believe them to be equal.”
In 2008, the boyfriend of Iranian asylum seeker Mehdi Kazemi was hung in Tehran by the Iranian regime for being gay. George Galloway publicly and falsely claimed on national television that he was executed “not for being gay, but for committing sex crimes”.
He went on to claim, “All the papers seem to imply that you get executed in Iran for being gay. That’s not true”. A fact clearly lost on the regime itself who openly defend their policy of executing gay people.
PCS Policy
Despite the National President refusing trans rights motions at last years ADC. PCS policy on trans rights is still enshrined in motions such as A317 passed at ADC 2024.
This policy confirms that PCS believes, “Biological reductionism is harmful to everyone, but especially women, girls, and the Trans community.” and instructs the union to, “Actively oppose any organisations or individuals who dehumanise others in words, deeds, or terminology thereby potentially bringing hate or harm to our minority members, and to oppose any form of biological reductionism or dehumanisation and its manifestations that can centre on race, disability, gender identity or any other personal characteristic.”
PCS Independent Left wholeheartedly supports this policy and has been amongst the most consistent for trans-rights in the union. Being widely quoted in the gutter press for our stance and have regularly written on the subject.
Migrant Rights
The Workers’ Party of Britain obfuscate on migrant rights. Their manifesto claims that “The flow of poor people into our country represses wage rates”. It should go without saying, especially for a ‘workers party’, that workers or poor people don’t repress wages, those in charge of setting wages – the bosses – do.
It is exactly this untruth which forms the basis of much anti-migrant sentiment.
Once you have accepted this narrative, your policy will invariably follow. The workers party manifesto follows through on policy. It states that they would “invest in border security, including heightened sea-going and coastal patrols” and “discourage economic migrants”. These policies would not be out of place in a Reform UK manifesto.
The manifesto continues: “We offer a policy that reflects the anxiety felt among the working class about an influx of migrants which appears to be out of control”. An anxiety which is perpetrated by political parties repeating false narratives, as challenging them would presumably be more difficult (and more principled).
This opportunist populism filters down to the behaviour of their local candidates. One of Mohammed Shafiq’s main criticisms of his opponent, as he publicly stated on the 20th of January is that he “Can barely speak English”.
Choosing to attack someone’s language rather than issues with their political positions (which we are sure there are many) is deeply problematic, but we are not convinced through the many responses that the criticism is even valid. And even if it was, a supposed left or workers candidate, let alone a trade unionist, should understand that attacking someone for ‘barely speaking English’ is an almighty dog whistle to the most base and racist sentiments which exist in society.
If this behaviour happened in the workplace, any rep worth their salt would raise a concern. Yet, this is coming from someone seeking to become a senior elected representative of the union, representing a party with a very problematic equalities agenda.
Russia and Ukraine
George Galloway has been very clear on his position regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Far from laying the blame at Putin’s door, he primarily blames Western countries and Ukraine themselves for the invasion and calls the war “A NATO war against the Russian Federation”.
He claimed in 2024 that the well documented massacre of Ukrainian civilians by Russia in Bucha was a false flag operation.
He was for years a paid presenter for Russian state media outlet Russia Today, and stated as recently as last month that he “likes a great deal of what Vladimir Putin says”.
The Workers’ Party of Britain’s ‘X’ account is replete with false claims and attacks on Ukraine supporting MPs, such as long-time PCS supporter and Chair of the PCS Parliamentary Group, John McDonnell. Falsely claiming that the Ukrainian government ‘murders trade unionists’.
PCS policy, passed unanimously in 2022 and re-asserted since, rightly calls out the war for what it is, an attack by Russia on a sovereign nation. PCS has made links with our brother and sister trade unionists in Ukraine who are clearly not ‘NATO stooges’, (and haven’t been murdered by their government) but are ordinary workers who want to live in a country free from imperialist aggression.
Putin joins Saddam Hussein and Bashar Al Asad in the line-up of unquestionable thugs and criminals admired and supported by Galloway at various points over the decades. Thankfully these despots are no longer with us, but Galloways search for authoritarian heroes continues.
How can a world-view so geared towards the sanitation of such authoritarian regimes and imperialist oppression be considered a viable position for a left trade unionist to hold?
Oppression of the Uyghur Muslims
It is widely accepted among most human rights groups that the Chinese state is committing human rights abuses against the Uygur muslims in Xinjiang.
The position of the Workers’ Party of Britain articulated by George Galloway is that any claims that there are concentration camps in China are “lies and disinformation”.
Speaking to Russia Today in 2020 he claimed that the only people being detained were ‘Al-Qaeda/ISIS fanatics’ being ‘re-educated’.
The Workers’ Party see’s the authoritarian, hyper-capitalist Chinese state as a model to copy. Stating “We want an economy like China. Industrious, modern, powerful.”
Their 10-point programme states that they “defend the achievements of the USSR, China etc”.
These ‘achievements’ not only include well documented abuses against its muslim minority. It also outlaws independent trade unions such as PCS and collective action is also illegal. To put it bluntly, if PCS existed in China, it’s leaders and activists would be arrested and imprisoned.
Are these the sort of ‘achievements’ would-be PCS leaders should wish to see replicated here?
Abortion Rights
George Galloway has continually stated that he believes life begins at conception and has supported reducing the legal abortion limit.
Following last week’s vote in the Lords to approve the Commons vote to decriminalise abortion, Chris Williamson, Deputy Leader of the Workers’ Party of Britain gave unrestricted airtime on his podcast to suspended NHS doctor and anti-choice activist, Rahmeh Aladwan to spread anti-choice propaganda.
She condemned the vote on the basis that abortion after 6 months was “murder” and “against the sanctity of life”. She subsequently went on to praise the pro-life campaign ‘Right to Life’.
PCS is proudly pro-choice. The union is an affiliate to Abortion Rights UK and when it has been debated in the past, ADC has overwhelmingly defeated any attempts to roll-back this position.
At the NEC in 2023 an IL produced motion was passed almost unanimously, stating: “Nobody should face prison for a decision about their own body and health care. Abortion should be considered as a healthcare procedure, and medical and legal frameworks should trust women to make responsible decisions. Abortion should be available on demand as early as possible and as late as necessary.”
Should someone who represents a party more hostile than the Tories on women’s rights be elected as a senior officer of the union?
Antisemitism
On the same podcast (From 00:15:00), a contributor, Shaun Naughton, insulting both women and the Palestinians, compared the Israeli genocide in Gaza with a woman’s right to choose. He then went on, unchallenged, maintaining, “The Jewish position [on abortion] is ridiculous”, “The Jews played a big part in the legalisation of abortion” and “The fact is, abortion is a weapon and the legalisation was pursued by Jews. If you want to destroy western civilisation, you promote pornography and the sexual revolution.”
Not only was there no challenge from Williamson, the Deputy Leader of the Workers’ Party, to this bigoted nonsense, but he nodded on throughout.
Ironic, seeing as Williamsons ‘X’ timeline is awash with claims that antisemitism is a scam.
The day this article was written, he re-tweeted known Nazi and convicted anti-muslim racist Jayda Fransen favourably, attacking the organisation who ran the Jewish ambulances torched in North London this week.
Many WPB candidates have openly engaged in antisemitic and anti-muslim bigotry. Here’s some examples:
Julie Lowe their candidate in Chesterfield claimed that jews “ask for child sacrifice”, that the Titanic was “bombed to kill the men on board who opposed the Rothschilds” and responded to a photo of Bill Gates (a non-jew) meeting some Hasidic jews with “Gates the Jew with the child traffickers”.
Raymond Mennie, the WPB candidate in Dundee claimed “9/11 was a false flag initiative” and that the Rothschilds own all news, media, oil and governments.
Kamaran Khan, their candidate in Poplar and Limehouse reposted meme’s referring to Google as ‘Jewgle’ and one showing a man looking up why jews were persecuted and in the next frame wearing an SS uniform.
Harry Boota, one time UKIP candidate was the WPB candidate in Bradford South, who claimed he was standing against “The synagogue of Satan”.
This is only a fraction of the evidence. None of these people were publicly reprimanded.
Remember, none of these posts claim to be anti-zionist or even pro-Palestinian. They all use the term ‘Jew’, and do so purposefully.
Is this acceptable?
The positions of the Workers’ Party of Britain and the behaviour of their leaders and candidates are incompatible with PCS equality policy and are a demonstrable danger to the welfare of our members. For a summation of these direct from the horses mouth, we need look no further to a post from the 1st of August last year, which in 180 characters illustrated their transphobic, pro-imperialist, climate denying and anti-migrant platform:
“A man can’t become a woman. Russia will prevail over Ukraine. Combustion engine isn’t over. Football over falafel. No free movement of Labour”
In the words of Maya Angelou, “When someone shows you who they are, believe them”.
We acknowledge that many PCS members will hold socially conservative views. Many will vote for Reform despite, or in some cases because, of their anti-migrant views. Views that Left Unity rightly repudiate – and – presumably would balk at having a Reform activist on their slate.
We also accept that members of political parties may vary with the party on various issues.
What we don’t accept is that such a variation could exist on the question of hostility to people based on their personal characteristics. And we don’t accept that we can endanger our unions commitment to equality for the sake of indulging the socially conservative views of some in PCS Left Unity.
We therefore think it’s only right to raise some serious questions:
Why do PCS Left Unity think it’s right that a candidate for this party should be the Deputy President of our union?
Were branches that nominated the Left Unity slate aware of this situation? If not, will they continue to advocate their members vote for them?
We think minimally this is a serious lack of judgment on behalf of PCS Left Unity, but at worse represents a tolerance of these views and does nothing to quell the movement-wide concern that the PCS leadership does not care about trans rights.
If you want a leadership that is consistent and open about its commitment to women, migrant and LGBT rights and opposition to imperialism and racism. Please vote for and campaign for the Left slate in the upcoming NEC elections.
If you are a feminist/pro-choice, support LGBT rights, oppose imperialism and are pro-migrant, you may want to consider this year, not voting for Left Unity, and ensuring your branch does not put out a recommendation for their candidates.