Conference, my name is Jasmin Beckett.
I’m a socialist, a feminist and a proud trade unionist – a Communications Workers Union member. I’m a working class woman from Liverpool and I am standing to represent you on our NEC. Conference – however this election goes, I am so proud to be standing here. Because let’s be honest, people like me don’t normally stand for this position. In fact, people like me don’t even get through the door. When I was growing up, I wasn’t interested in politics because it felt like politics wasn’t interested in me. I know that so many working class women share my story. Every step of the way whether it was my teachers at school, or the old white men in my CLP, I’ve been told the best I could hope for was marriage and a minimum wage. Growing up, life did not seem fair. I got angry. I got into fights. And eventually I was expelled from school. *** Removed due to personal reasons *** Society says I shouldn’t be stood here in a plush conference venue running for Labour’s governing body. But I’m standing here today, not despite my life experience – but because of it. Wirral Young Labour taught me that the anger I felt at society could be channelled into fighting for social justice. So I got involved. I channelled my anger at the cruel bedroom tax, into kicking out our local Tory MP, Esther McVey, the minister responsible for that disgusting policy. I channelled the anger I felt at seeing my friends and family relying on food banks by organising a massive Wirral Young Labour fundraising effort to help our food bank support those in need. But most people don’t get that chance to get involved. If being involved in Young Labour means spending hundreds of pounds to go to a conference, then something is badly wrong. If running for election means pushing myself into crippling debt, damaging my mental health, and facing some of the worse sexism I’ve ever encountered, then that’s not democracy – that’s a disgrace. If we’re going to be a democratic movement, we need ‘One Member One Vote’. I’ll put an end to the endless reviews and wrangling. I’ll make democracy in Young Labour a reality and finally introduce ‘One Member One Vote’. I know how unwelcoming the culture of the party can be – that’s why I believe our liberation groups should be autonomous, well-funded and unashamed about pushing young women, BAME, disabled and LGBT members to the front of our movement. Conference, we’re on the up – we’ve got 50,000 young people, excited about Jeremy’s leadership and bursting to get out there and fight austerity. We’ve got to remember that different Labour factions aren’t the enemy. My maintenance grant wasn’t taken away by Progress, my EMA wasn’t scrapped by Momentum, and Open Labour didn’t close my old school. This Tory government of millionaires is destroying our NHS, our welfare state and our very democracy. Young Labour should be a movement rising up against Tory austerity. I love Young Labour – but I know it can be better than this. Against all the odds I’m standing here today – standing on a record of leading campaigns and winning them; of beating Tories and putting our values into practice. Elect me for a Young Labour that doesn’t just get angry – but takes real action to build a movement for social justice. Elect me, and with Jeremy Corbyn as our leader we can change Young Labour and together I know we can change our country.
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AuthorJasmin Beckett Archives
June 2017
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