Jo Bird is standing for Labour's NEC again

I’m standing for the NEC again.

Only Labour Councillors can vote for me and excellent comrade Matt White

Thank you very much Alan and everybody here for a fantastic demonstration. Alan’s right, I am standing for the NEC [National Executive Committee] again. This time for the Local Government section and every Labour Councillor can vote for me and my excellent comrade Matt White. Unfortunately, I won’t get the chance to have the votes from Labour members across the country. Last time I won 46,000 votes, so thank you very much.

We have some great candidates standing who are also standing for fairness and justice in our disciplinary process. Standing for free and fair elections. People like Laura Pidcock. So do nominate people like that and give them your vote also.

We are here today to show solidarity with Corbyn. Many of us joined the Labour Party because of Corbyn. No only the man, but the things he stands for. He stands for socialism. For decent rights for the many and not the few. We are standing because we want things like council housing and the right to housing for our people, to defend our NHS, for a green industrial revolution and for foreign policy based on human rights for everybody.

And also [because of] how Corbyn has worked. Corbyn does his work with fairness, he does it with humility, with kindness. He doesn’t indulge in personal attacks on opponents. And he shows that Black Lives Matter in his actions as well as his words.

So we joined Labour for all of this - because he inspired us and because we inspire each other. So I ask you please don’t leave, if you can bear to stay. Don’t Leave, Organise! Organise for these NEC elections. Organise to defend the policies of the manifesto, that are so brilliant. Organise to carry on showing solidarity with everyone who is oppressed, everyone who is in struggle - including the school and college students who have been so mistreated by this evil Conservative government. Thank you very much.

28 August 2020