Pro-Corbyn grassroots group drops word after several members argued they should have right to defend themselves if attacked

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

The leftwing grassroots organisation Momentum has dropped a commitment to nonviolence from its ethical code following interventions by some of its committee members.

An interim code of ethics for the group, which supports the re-election of Jeremy Corbyn, had included a pledge to support peaceful political change.

But the word “nonviolent” was dropped from the code after several members argued that Momentum members should have the right to defend themselves if attacked by police or fascists.

Among those who objected to the phrase was the Momentum executive committee member Jill Mountford, who is a leading supporter of the Trotskyist group the Alliance for Workers’ Liberty.

The disclosure comes as Momentum, which is not affiliated to the Labour party but supports Corbyn’s leadership, plans to run a free four-day event concurrently with Labour’s autumn conference in September.

The 50-strong national committee discussed the code of ethics in February. The interim code was drawn up by Emma Rees and was agreed by several leading Momentum members including founder Jon Lansman and spokesman James Schneider.

“Momentum is wholly committed to working for progressive political change through methods which are inclusive, participatory and nonviolent,” the interim code of ethics read.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Jon Lansman at a ‘Corbyn stays’ rally in London last month. Photograph: Brayan Lopez/Rex/Shutterstock

Mountford, who has since been kicked out of the Labour party for being associated with the AWL but remains on Momentum’s steering committee, said she and other members objected to the use of the word “nonviolent”.



“I raised a point that if we stuck with the suggested wording, and our members were arrested for defending themselves on a protest, then we would have to consider expelling them from Momentum,” she said.



“As people who are organising and protesting, we have to have a right to defend ourselves. I cited the fight against fascists in Cable Street, the right of self-defence during the miners’ strike, the suffragettes. Those struggles showed us that while the right might accuse the left of violence, we should defend the right to defend ourselves.”

She added: “This is an important point, particularly as we campaign for a public inquiry into Orgreave.”

The words “and nonviolent” were subsequently removed following the intervention.

A Momentum spokesperson said: “Momentum is a nonviolent organisation that believes in, and organises for, nonviolent social and economic change. While some of our members are pacifists, others are not and argued that in certain circumstances, such as fighting fascism in world war two or struggling against apartheid, violence is legitimate.”



The AWL’s role in Momentum has raised eyebrows among some of Corbyn’s critics. Tom Watson, Labour’s deputy leader, has claimed that the organisation is one of a number trying to infiltrate the party.

Earlier this month, Watson claimed in an interview with the Guardian that the party was at risk of being overly influenced by hard-left “Trotsky entryists”, who are “twisting the arms” of young members.