Ian McIsaac — candidate for executive member

Personal statement by Ian McIsaac, standing for election as an executive member of Brighton Pavilion Constituency Labour Party at its annual general meeting at the Brighthelm Centre, North Road, Brighton BN1 1YD at 10.30am on Saturday, February 4.

Ian says:

“I first joined the Labour party in Portsmouth way back in 1977 after leaving the Royal Navy. Within Portsmouth CLP I held the positions of Branch GC Delegate, EC Member and for a time was the CLP Secretary through until my election onto Portsmouth City Council in 1989, a position I held until 1993 when I moved to Bognor where I lived until moving to Brighton in December 2015. I am extremely aware of how the Party functions.

“I am a member of Unite.

“I did withdraw from Party membership in protest on the first day of the Iraq war, re-joining in June 2015 after helping during Nancy Platt’s election campaign in Brighton East, it was this involvement which drew me back in as a member.

“I have always been a Socialist, an activist on the streets, driven by a passion for a fair and equal society — this passion has been galvanised now within the Party by the election of Jeremy Corbyn as leader. The ideology Jeremy represents has seen our membership increase day on day by individuals from throughout society who resonate with the progressive socialism the Party now proudly expounds.

“We have in our membership the potential to organise and campaign in numbers beyond the capabilities of our political opponents, it is this potential which must be realised.

“The voices of our members must be heard and acknowledged, not diluted or stifled within Party structures, that is why I am seeking your support for election.”