• THE expulsion of Pete Firmin, the former chair of our constituency Labour party Hampstead and Kilburn, is not only deeply upsetting but it also raises fundamental questions, (Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour appalls me, August 19).

Presumably the Labour Party stands for workers/labourers; this is what the name “Labour” surely implies. Our former CLP chair Pete Firmin spent his working life first as a railway worker, then as a postal worker.

And he has been a committed member of the Labour Party for the past 45 years, notably long before most of those now expelling him were even born.

Who is the current Labour Party for?

Let’s look at our local (Hampstead and Kilburn) leaders, Tulip Siddiq MP and Georgia Gould Camden Council leader.

Both ladies went into politics immediately after completing their education, both ladies have a family back­ground of politicians. Both ladies are well educated and very clever, but their connection to “labour” in the traditional sense is arguable.

If Tulip Siddiq and Georgia Gould represent the Labour Party while long-term member/railway and postal worker Pete Firmin gets expelled, who is the Labour Party for?

The irony is that Pete Firmin was vigorously campaigning during the past elections for Tulip Siddiq; no doubt his tireless campaigning contributed to the change of Hampstead and Kilburn from marginal to overwhelmingly Labour. (It is deeply disappointing that Tulip Siddiq did not deem it appropriate to support Pete Firmin against expulsion.)

Another issue is the now proscribed Socialist Appeal, a small group of Marxists. All those who are members, who have been members, who had any contact with them – even long before Socialist Appeal was proscribed by the current Labour Party leadership – are now being expelled.

Yet let’s look at the main mantra of Marxism: “Workers of the world, unite!”

I am not a member of Socialist Appeal and I am not a Marxist (mainly because my knowledge of Marxism is far from sufficient to claim to be a Marxist).

However, I would argue that the main mantra of Marxism, that is urging workers of the world to unite, should fit comfortably into a broad church which the Labour Party used to be.

It seems to me that, to avoid confusion, it would be helpful if the Labour Party now considered a name change.

DR AGNES KORY
Hampstead & Kilburn CLP, NW3