In Labor, a particularly symbolic figure has just opened the door. Ken Loach, known for his commitment to the left, announced on Saturday that he had been excluded from the Labor Party. The British filmmaker denounces a “witch hunt” within the main opposition movement in the United Kingdom, in the grip of sharp divisions between the centrist leadership and the left.
“The Labor Party leadership has finally decided that I am not in a position to be a member of their party because I do not want to repudiate those who have already been excluded,” the 85-year-old director wrote on Twitter. When asked, Labor had not commented on Saturday noon.
The filmmaker won the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 2006 for The wind picks up, was close to the previous party leadership led by far-left Jeremy Corbyn, which attracted large numbers of young activists but failed to lead his movement to victory. Following the party’s historic defeat in the 2019 legislative elections, the latter was replaced by the centrist Keir Starmer. After a damning report denouncing the “unwillingness” of the party leadership to tackle anti-Semitism in its ranks, Keir Starmer suspended his predecessor, who questioned certain conclusions, then excluded him from the parliamentary group.
Since then, tensions have remained high between the leadership, accused of not having a clear strategy, and the left wing, from which four movements were excluded last month for “not being compatible” with the values ​​of the Labor Party. “I am proud to support my good friends and fellow victims of the purge,” Loach said Saturday. “Starmer and his clique will never lead a popular party.” These tensions herald a difficult annual convention next month for Keir Starmer, who hopes to breathe new life into his leadership at the event after a rocky start amid the coronavirus pandemic.