Michael Chessum, former member of the Momentum steering committee…

“Momentum’s role as a brilliantly effective mobilising tool masked a lack of internal democracy that rotted its grassroots potential. The party management machine, familiar to long-suffering party activists of any era, shut down attempts to bring in open selections for MPs and ensured that key decisions were taken by professionals behind closed doors, not by members. This time it was staffed by people who read the Morning Star rather than Progress magazine.”

Remember Momentum’s Michael Chessum? He’s the top Corbynista agitator who has talked of “violent revolution”, “heads on sticks” and urged his comrades to “hold the streets”. What does Chessum’s big talk amount to in reality? Today he’s dressing up in a Tudor costume to make some point about Henry VIII powers and “photobomb the lunchtime news”. All mouth and no breeches…

Remember top Momentum agitator Michael Chessum? Earlier this year he said Labour should ditch the “kinder, gentler politics” in favour of “heads on sticks” – and given goings on in Liverpool it looks like he’s getting his way. But now Chessum is worried. In a message to fellow Corbynistas he has warned that, should Corbyn become Prime Minister, his supporters must prepare for a “coup” and be ready to “hold the streets” and “bleed for the cause“.

“The Greek left was splintered and argumentative, but extremely organised and ideologically serious. It would bleed for the cause… How will the people who’ve gone doorstepping for us react if international markets sabotage the British economy for years? Have we prepared the people who chanted for Jeremy at Glastonbury for the fact that, at some stage, they may only be able to withdraw 50 quid a day if the credit runs dry? If there is a very British coup, will they hold the streets?”

Momentum’s former treasurer Michael Chessum, who sat on the Corbynista campaign group’s steering committee, has called for an end to the mantra of a “kinder, gentler politics” and argued Labour should seek “heads on sticks”. Chessum, who was on the hard-left of the Momentum and is an ally of Trots like Jill Mountford, writes:

“The problem is that what Corbyn had to do to win Labour is almost antithetical to what can win the country. “Kinder, gentler politics” is motherhood and apple pie to many Labour members, who disdain infighting and aggression. But in an era of hardship, resentment and populism, what the public wants is not “kinder, gentler politics” but “heads on sticks”. Labour is losing by-elections and sitting 16 points behind in the polls because it is failing to present a clear narrative for whose heads should go on which sticks.”

Remember this is the same Michael Chessum who failed to condemn the student violence back in 2010:

Chessum was on the completely mental wing of Momentum, rather than the merely dangerously deluded wing.

Michael Chessum is one of the eight members of Momentum’s steering committee, so he is a key figure in the Corbynista campaign group. A leader of the 2010 student protests, Chessum infamously said “I don’t think I’m going to wade in and condemn violence from protesters”. Guido has come across this video of him speaking two years later, where he tells a room of left-wing activists:

“Do I believe in violent revolution? The answer is very simply, I don’t know.”

When the voters reject Corbyn, one top Momentum figure doesn’t rule out tooling up…