Last night, red paint was thrown across the entrance to Alex Wood Hall, where the Cambridge Labour Party holds its offices. The words “Is this really the lesser of two evils?” were spray painted nearby. Coming two days before local elections, the action was taken to highlight the Labour Party’s regressive stance on several key issues, including its complicity in Israel’s genocide in Palestine. The Labour Party has failed to call for an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza. Additionally, Labour has dropped its green investment pledge, backed draconian new police powers, failed to offer adequate solutions to the cost of living crisis, and suppressed progressive and pro-union voices within the party.
The action echoes a number of local and national protests against Labour’s regressive policies. There have been ongoing ceasefire marches in Cambridge led by a coalition of groups such as Cambridge Stop the War and the local Palestine Solidarity group with no recognition from the local Labour MP Daniel Zeichner. Zeichner also has a long history of ignoring local environmental groups such as Just Stop Oil, Extinction Rebellion and ORCA. Nationally, recent Youth Demand protests have called on Keir Starmer to “Stop the Killing” by supporting an arms embargo on Israel and by blocking future oil and gas licenses from being issued.
Labour has not provided voters with any meaningful alternatives to genocide, immense social inequality and climate collapse. Labour must rethink its participation in the race to the bottom that it is currently engaged in with the Conservatives.