Momentum training activists in how to win marginal seats at next election
Written by News on 13/08/2017
Whether it was in Croydon or Cardiff or Crewe, Labour managed to win dozens of marginal constituencies in the election two months ago.
But while the election maybe long over, the campaign for the party is not.
On an cloudy August Saturday in north London, I travelled to a disused office block to watch Momentum activists be schooled in how to win an election.
The grassroots, left-wing movement, founded two years ago to help Jeremy Corbyn as leader has announced it is embarking on training members in more than 160 marginal constituencies over the next year.
Beth Foster-Ogg, Momentum’s training coordinator, told me: "This election showed what a groundswell of ordinary people, knocking on doors and campaigning for the Labour Party can do.
"Now we want to skill up the hundreds of thousands of new Labour Party members so they can be better, more effective campaigners.
"When the next election comes, and so they can campaign and organise in their communities outside of election time."
Momentum, now with tens of thousands of members, is adapting Bernie Sanders-style campaigning.
The organisation is combining traditional political techniques while producing high quality social media videos which are going viral.
But it is not without its critics, who view it as a Trojan horse within Labour.
They fear activists have taken over the party and are now planning the deselection of MPs.
Which some have claimed could lead to civil war within Labour.
No-one could deny in these febrile political times, it’s clear Momentum are living up their name.
With a weaken, diminished Conservative Party, whose membership are older and nowhere near as big, Momentum hope their renewed campaigning could help tip the balance in the next political battle.
(c) Sky News 2017: Momentum training activists in how to win marginal seats at next election
