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Jon Lansman

Jon Lansman (born 1957) is a British political activist and Labour Party operative renowned for founding Momentum, the grassroots organization that mobilized support for Jeremy Corbyn's successful 2015 leadership bid and subsequent re-election in 2016.^[1]^[2] Raised in an Orthodox Jewish family in north London, Lansman attended the independent Highgate School and studied economics at Clare College, Cambridge, where he engaged in student politics.^[1] His early activism included working on an Israeli kibbutz at age 16 and coordinating Tony Benn's 1981 deputy leadership campaign, marking his alignment with the party's hard-left faction.^[1] Lansman's career bridged decades of Labour left-wing efforts, from the Bennite era of the 1970s and 1980s—where he served as a parliamentary aide to Michael Meacher and helped establish the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy—to the Corbyn insurgency, during which he secured the 35 parliamentary nominations needed for Corbyn's leadership entry.^[1] As chair of Momentum, he expanded its influence to drive Labour's youth mobilization and policy shifts toward socialism, contributing to the party's unexpected 2017 election gains, though the group faced accusations of fostering internal divisions and Trotskyist infiltration, which Lansman countered by restructuring to prioritize Corbyn loyalists over external radicals.^[1]^[3] Elected to Labour's National Executive Committee in 2018 with overwhelming support from members, he advocated for party democracy reforms like lowering leadership nomination thresholds.^[4]^[1] Lansman's tenure also intersected with Labour's antisemitism controversies, where he publicly acknowledged a "widespread problem" within the party and the left, criticizing denialism amid pro-Palestinian activism, positions that alienated some former allies and reflected his evolving stance influenced by his Jewish heritage and kibbutz experience.^[5]^[6] He briefly ran for Labour general secretary in 2018 to challenge union dominance but withdrew, and stepped down as Momentum chair in 2020, citing needs for better governance and accountability in the face of internal sabotage allegations.^[2]^[7] These efforts defined him as a pragmatic operator in Labour's left, prioritizing empirical mobilization over ideological purity, though his influence waned post-Corbyn.^[8]

Early life and background

Family and Jewish heritage

Jon Lansman was born on 9 July 1957 in Marylebone, London, into an Orthodox Jewish family.^[9] He grew up in Southgate, north London, within this observant environment, which shaped his early exposure to Jewish traditions and community ties.^[1] ^[10] His mother initially supported the Conservative Party but shifted allegiance to Labour after the family's business closed amid the economic recession of the early Thatcher years in the 1980s.^[11] This transition reflected broader ideological realignments within some Jewish households during that period, though specific details on his father's political involvement remain undocumented in primary accounts. Lansman's Orthodox upbringing included familial connections to Israel, such as an aunt who resided in Be'er-Sheva and five cousins living there as of 2023, underscoring ongoing transnational Jewish links.^[6] The Lansman surname traces to Ashkenazi Jewish origins in Eastern European communities, likely deriving from Yiddish linguistic roots common among such groups.^[9] Despite his Jewish heritage, Lansman later distanced himself from strict Orthodoxy, channeling early experiences—like a teenage stint on an Israeli kibbutz—into left-wing activism, though these intersect with his family's cultural legacy rather than direct ancestral lineage details, which are sparsely recorded.^[12]^[13]

Education and kibbutz experience

Jon Lansman attended Highgate School, an independent day school in North London, from 1970 to 1975.^[1] He secured a scholarship to the institution, which he later described as a formative but challenging environment due to its class dynamics.^[14] At age 16, during the early 1970s, Lansman first visited Israel and worked on a kibbutz in the Negev desert.^[1] This experience, involving collective labor on one of Israel's communal farms, proved politicizing for him, exposing him to Labour Zionist ideals prevalent in the kibbutz movement at the time.^[13] He has recalled it as influential in shaping his early political outlook, amid the dominance of socialist principles in both Israeli society and British Jewish communities during that era.^[15] Following secondary education, Lansman studied economics at Clare College, Cambridge, graduating in 1979.^[16] During his university years, he engaged actively in student politics, though unsuccessfully in some electoral bids, which further honed his organizational skills.^[17]

Early political career

Involvement in Tony Benn's campaigns

Jon Lansman emerged as a key figure in the Labour Party's left wing through his organizational role in Tony Benn's 1981 deputy leadership campaign against Denis Healey.^[1] At age 24, he served as campaign co-ordinator, directing efforts to mobilize grassroots support amid intense intra-party divisions over mandatory reselection of MPs and broader Bennite policies favoring party democracy and left-wing economics.^[1]^[18] Lansman acted as secretary of the Rank and File Mobilising Committee, the principal vehicle for coordinating Benn's campaign activities, including voter outreach and policy advocacy within trade unions and constituency Labour parties.^[1] He was simultaneously active in the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy (CLPD), an organization he had joined in 1977 and helped lead, which prioritized reforms to empower ordinary members over the party's establishment.^[19]^[18] These groups amplified Benn's challenge to the right-leaning leadership under Michael Foot, framing the contest as a battle for the party's democratic structures.^[1] Benn's bid culminated in defeat on 27 September 1981, falling short of Healey by less than 1 percent of the electoral college vote (50.2 percent to 49.8 percent).^[1]^[18] In a post-result interview with ITN, Lansman declared the outcome "a terrific result," emphasizing that "the campaign for the policies and the campaign for party democracy will go on – and there’s nothing that’s going to be stopping it."^[1] Shortly thereafter, he convened a meeting of Benn supporters in a House of Commons committee room, urging them to organize sustained resistance against the party's right wing.^[1] This involvement solidified Lansman's standing as a tactical organizer within the Bennite faction, though the subsequent purge of left-wing influence under Neil Kinnock marginalized these efforts until the 2010s.^[1]^[18]

Other pre-Corbyn activism

Lansman played a significant role in the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy (CLPD), a left-wing pressure group established in 1973 to advocate for enhanced internal party democracy, including the mandatory reselection of MPs by local constituency parties and greater influence for the National Executive Committee (NEC) over policy. He emerged as a prominent member during the late 1970s and early 1980s, contributing to efforts that sought to redistribute power from the parliamentary party to grassroots members.^[18]^[1] In addition to his CLPD activities, Lansman served as secretary of the Rank and File Mobilising Committee (RFMC), an umbrella organization formed in 1980 to unite various left-wing factions in pushing for Labour reforms such as open selection of candidates and accountability mechanisms for MPs. The RFMC coordinated campaigns emphasizing rank-and-file involvement, though its tactics drew criticism for aggressive organizing against moderate party figures.^[1]^[20] Throughout the 1980s and into subsequent decades, Lansman maintained involvement in Labour left circles, including critiques of internal groupings like the Blair-era Progress organization, which he viewed as undermining party democracy by functioning as an unregistered faction. By 2012, he publicly argued that Labour should address such groups through executive action to uphold transparency rules.^[21]

Founding and role in Momentum

Establishment and objectives

Jon Lansman founded Momentum in late 2015 as a grassroots organization immediately following Jeremy Corbyn's election as Labour Party leader on September 12, 2015.^[22]^[23] The group originated from the infrastructure of Corbyn's leadership campaign, which Lansman had directed, and was initially structured without formal membership fees, relying on a network of approximately 60,000 supporters organized through social media and around 50 local groups across the UK.^[22]^[19] Momentum's establishment aimed to sustain the mobilization of Corbyn's campaign volunteers and extend their influence into the Labour Party's internal structures, with Lansman serving as its initial director through the associated company, Momentum Campaign Ltd.^[23]^[24] The organization was explicitly positioned as the successor to the Corbyn leadership effort, focusing on channeling activist energy to counter anticipated internal party opposition to Corbyn's tenure.^[25] The core objectives centered on constructing a mass movement for progressive change, particularly through anti-austerity advocacy and the promotion of socialist policies such as public ownership of key industries.^[22] Momentum sought to democratize the Labour Party by pushing for reforms like the mandatory reselection of MPs and the restoration of Clause IV, which commits the party to collective ownership of production, distribution, and exchange.^[22] Additionally, it emphasized political education, campaigning, and organizing Labour members to advance these goals toward electing a socialist government.^[26]

Organizational tactics and internal dynamics

Momentum's organizational tactics emphasized digital mobilization and data-driven activism to support Jeremy Corbyn's leadership within the Labour Party. Lansman leveraged an email list of over 170,000 contacts from his prior campaigns to rapidly recruit members, enabling quick scaling post-Corbyn's 2015 victory.^[27] The group utilized online platforms for one-member-one-vote (OMOV) consultations, inspired by models like Spain's Podemos, to ratify founding principles and policy positions, bypassing traditional delegate conferences in favor of virtual participation.^[28] Local branches were encouraged to conduct targeted canvassing using membership data, as seen in efforts to influence candidate selections in areas like Morecambe and Mansfield, where lists facilitated door-to-door operations.^[29] These tactics reflected a "distributed centralization" approach, combining grassroots local groups with centralized strategic direction from London-based coordinators.^[30] Momentum pushed for mandatory reselection of MPs through submissions to Labour's democracy review and activist training, aiming to replace perceived centrists with left-aligned candidates.^[29] By 2018, membership exceeded 36,000, with weekly growth of around 200, though a rule requiring affiliation with Labour Party branches was enforced unevenly, allowing some non-members to participate in activities.^[29] Internal dynamics were marked by tensions between Lansman's centralized control and demands for grassroots democracy. In October 2016, Lansman faced accusations of autocracy after a steering committee vote—called with less than 21 hours' notice—delayed a national committee meeting until December and adopted OMOV for a February 2017 principles vote, moves critics like Michael Chessum and Jill Mountford said undermined delegate representation and favored larger membership numbers over organized factions such as the Alliance for Workers' Liberty.^[31] A subsequent November 2016 row erupted when the committee canceled a national meeting with under 24 hours' notice to prioritize an online-only conference, prompting four regional networks and figures like Matt Wrack to denounce it as a "coup" and highlight a "democratic deficit."^[28] The conflict culminated in January 2017 when Lansman, securing steering committee support despite treasurer objections, imposed a new constitution via email to members, dissolving the committee and mandating exit from competing groups while centralizing decisions through virtual models; an online survey ratified it with 84% approval.^[32] Lansman defended these changes as preventing minority takeovers and aligning with Corbyn support, though they sidelined Trotskyist influences and prioritized Labour-internal transformation over broader movement-building.^[3] A truce in November 2016 allowed hybrid elements, with physical delegates for a February conference followed by online ratification, but underlying divides persisted, contributing to Lansman's dominance in steering the group's pro-Corbyn focus.^[28]

Engagement with Jeremy Corbyn's leadership

2015 leadership campaign

Jon Lansman served as director of operations for Jeremy Corbyn's 2015 Labour Party leadership campaign, coordinating grassroots mobilization and logistical efforts following Corbyn's nomination on June 15, 2015.^[33] In this role, he leveraged his prior experience from 1980s left-wing Labour organizing, including networks from Tony Benn's deputy leadership bids, to rapidly assemble volunteer teams and email lists for voter outreach.^[34] Lansman co-directed the campaign's supporting entity, Jeremy Corbyn Campaign 2015 (Supporters) Ltd., alongside Simon Fletcher, handling administrative and fundraising operations amid an influx of over 88,000 new Labour members and 312,000 registered supporters by the voting close on September 10, 2015.^[34] His strategies emphasized digital engagement and coalition-building among trade unions, socialist societies, and disaffected voters, contributing to Corbyn's unexpected victory with 59.5% of the approximately 400,000 votes cast on September 12, 2015.^[34]^[35] As a longstanding figure in Labour's left, Lansman initially hesitated to back Corbyn exclusively, advocating for alternative candidates before focusing efforts on him to provide a principled anti-austerity voice against frontrunners Andy Burnham, Yvette Cooper, and Liz Kendall.^[34] Observers have attributed significant credit to Lansman for the campaign's organizational efficiency, which transformed a long-shot bid into a mandate reflecting widespread dissatisfaction with the party's centrist trajectory post-2015 general election defeat.^[12]^[34]

Support and influence during Corbyn's tenure

Following Jeremy Corbyn's election as Labour leader on September 12, 2015, Jon Lansman founded Momentum on October 8, 2015, to consolidate the campaign's grassroots infrastructure and bolster Corbyn's position against internal party opposition.^[34] Momentum rapidly expanded to 60,000 members by late 2015, leveraging data from the leadership bid—such as email lists and volunteer networks—to organize phone banks, rallies, and regional structures that defended Corbyn during the June 2016 Parliamentary Labour Party revolt, where 172 MPs issued a no-confidence motion.^[34] This mobilization contributed to Labour's membership surging to 550,000 by September 2016, the largest of any European centre-left party at the time, and helped secure Corbyn's re-election on September 24, 2016, with 61.8% of the vote against Owen Smith.^[36]^[37] Lansman's influence extended to electoral strategy, directing Momentum's resources toward defending left-wing MPs and targeting winnable seats in the 2017 general election, where Labour achieved a 40% vote share and denied the Conservatives a majority.^[25] As Momentum chair, he emphasized data-driven activism, including volunteer coordination that peaked at thousands during campaigns, while steering the group away from Trotskyist factions through structural reforms like democratic elections for leadership roles by February 2016.^[34]^[25] Internally, Lansman advocated for party democratization to empower new members, proposing in 2017 to reform MP reselection processes by lowering the threshold for trigger ballots from two-thirds to a simple majority and allowing local parties to nominate leadership candidates.^[38] These efforts culminated in Momentum's September 2018 call for mandatory reselection ahead of the next election, though Lansman had earlier in January 2018 denied any national "hit list" for deselections, prioritizing local autonomy to mitigate divisions.^[39]^[40] Despite pushback from unions and centrists, such initiatives shifted power toward the membership base, reflecting Lansman's long-term vision of reversing Blair-era centralization while sustaining Corbyn's ideological agenda.^[38]

National Executive Committee membership

Jon Lansman was elected to the Labour Party's National Executive Committee (NEC) on January 15, 2018, as one of three Constituency Labour Party (CLP) representatives backed by Momentum, alongside Yasmine Dar and Rachel Garnham.^[41] This victory came in the annual NEC elections following Labour's strong performance in the 2017 general election, reflecting growing influence of left-wing grassroots activists within the party's structures. Lansman described the result as a "victory for 21st Century socialism," emphasizing the slate's aim to advance democratic reforms and policy shifts aligned with Jeremy Corbyn's leadership.^[41] His election secured a two-year term, during which Lansman committed to serving the full duration despite speculation around other roles, such as a potential bid for Labour general secretary, which he ultimately withdrew from in March 2018.^[42] ^[43] As an NEC member, he participated in key decisions, including proposing and supporting the September 2019 motion to disband and replace Labour Students, a body perceived as resistant to Corbynite influence, which the NEC approved.^[44] Lansman remained on the NEC through mid-2020, contributing to collective reports on party governance amid internal challenges post the December 2019 general election defeat.^[45] He stepped down as Momentum chair in May 2020 but explicitly continued his NEC role to focus on party renewal.^[7] His term concluded in late 2020 without seeking re-election, marking the end of his direct involvement in the NEC as he reflected on unfinished legacies in party democratization efforts.^[46]

Positions on Israel, antisemitism, and Labour disputes

Views on antisemitism in the Labour Party

Jon Lansman, a Jewish Labour Party activist and chair of Momentum, initially characterized some allegations of antisemitism within the party as overstated or driven by unconscious bias rather than systemic issues. In April 2018, a secretly recorded conversation revealed Lansman stating that Labour's antisemitism problems were limited to "unconscious bias" and dismissing broader conspiracies, prompting criticism from groups like the Campaign Against Antisemitism, which called for his discipline by party leadership.^[47] By mid-2018, Lansman advocated for stronger measures, supporting Labour's adoption of a new antisemitism code in July, which he described as a "gold standard" for political parties, emphasizing education and disciplinary processes while cautioning against conflating criticism of Israel with antisemitism.^[48] In September 2018, he backed the party's full endorsement of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, including its examples, following internal debates where Momentum had previously resisted certain clauses perceived as restricting debate on Israel.^[49] Lansman's views shifted more decisively toward acknowledgment in early 2019 amid escalating scrutiny. On February 25, 2019, he publicly stated that antisemitism constituted a "widespread problem" in Labour, more prevalent than many on the left underestimated, affecting the party beyond isolated incidents and requiring urgent action to restore trust with Jewish communities.^[50] ^[51] He reiterated in a March 2019 interview that concerns were "based on realities" rather than fabrications, labeling the situation a "tragedy" rooted in left-wing ideological blind spots toward prejudice.^[15] Lansman also critiqued internal factions exacerbating the issue, such as Jewish Voice for Labour, which he accused in June 2019 of being "part of the problem" by undermining efforts to address antisemitism through denial or deflection.^[52] However, his earlier defenses of party figures drew backlash; in July 2020, as part of a high court settlement over antisemitism whistleblower claims, Lansman apologized for participating in Labour's attacks on former staff who highlighted mishandling of complaints, acknowledging the validity of their experiences.^[53] This evolution reflected broader empirical evidence, including the Equality and Human Rights Commission's 2020 report finding unlawful discrimination in Labour's processes, though Lansman maintained that antisemitism was not unique to the party but required self-critical reform from the left.^[53]

Stance on Israel-Palestine issues

Lansman, a secular Jewish socialist, has historically participated in pro-Palestine demonstrations and criticized Israeli government actions, such as the 1982 invasion of Lebanon, while maintaining sympathy for Palestinian self-determination.^[54] In a 2016 blog post, he argued that the left should cease using "Zionism" as a pejorative term, contending that conflating criticism of Israeli policies with opposition to Jewish self-determination risks fostering antisemitism, though he affirmed the legitimacy of critiquing specific Zionist actions or ideologies.^[55] Following Hamas's October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, which killed approximately 1,200 people, Lansman expressed strong condemnation of the group, describing it as having "opened the floodgates of sectarianism" and emphasizing Israel's right to defend itself against future threats.^[6] He has voiced wariness toward calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza without conditions, aligning with figures like Bernie Sanders in prioritizing the defeat of Hamas over an unconditional halt to hostilities, arguing that such a pause would enable the group's reconstitution.^[6] Lansman has critiqued the Israeli government under Benjamin Netanyahu, including its inclusion of "extremist ministers," but rejected leftist characterizations of Israel as a "settler colonial state," viewing such framings as historically inaccurate and unhelpful for addressing the conflict's realities.^[6] He has grown alienated from segments of the pro-Palestinian movement, stating he would no longer feel comfortable attending its marches due to prevalent slogans like "from the river to the sea," which he and others interpret as implying the elimination of Israel and Jewish presence in the region, amounting to antisemitic denialism.^[13] ^[56] In public commentary, Lansman has advocated sympathy for civilians on both sides, distinguishing between political actors and ordinary people, and rejected narratives—shared by some Zionists and anti-Zionists—that portray Israel's founding solely as a response to the Holocaust or inevitable historical inevitability, instead urging focus on mutual human suffering amid the ongoing war, which has resulted in over 40,000 Palestinian deaths by late 2024 according to Gaza health authorities.^[57] His evolved position reflects a broader distancing from former allies like Jeremy Corbyn, whom he no longer speaks with, amid perceived failures to unequivocally denounce Hamas.^[54]

Interactions with Jewish groups and critics

In February 2019, Jon Lansman, then chair of Momentum and a Labour National Executive Committee member, publicly acknowledged a "widespread problem" with antisemitism in the Labour Party, emphasizing that the issue was underestimated by some activists and required urgent action beyond mere complaints processes.^[50]^[51] He argued that antisemitism stemmed partly from left-wing anti-Zionism conflated with anti-Jewish prejudice, while insisting the problem was not unique to Labour and existed comparably in the Conservative Party.^[58] Lansman's interactions with mainstream Jewish organizations were often mediated through his role in Jeremy Corbyn's campaigns. In September 2016, following a direct call from the Board of Deputies of British Jews CEO to Lansman, Corbyn's leadership bid team deleted a video dismissing antisemitism allegations as exaggerated and issued an apology, which the Board described as a necessary response to a perceived "slap in the face" to the Jewish community.^[59] In April 2018, Lansman defended Corbyn's attendance at a Passover event hosted by the left-wing Jewish group Jewdas—criticized by the Board of Deputies and others for its anti-Zionist stance—as a personal "night off," while highlighting Corbyn's concurrent request for an urgent meeting with the Board and the Jewish Leadership Council to address party antisemitism.^[60]^[61] Critics from Jewish advocacy groups accused Lansman of downplaying the severity of Labour's issues. In April 2018, the Campaign Against Antisemitism demanded Labour discipline him after a secretly recorded conversation in which he allegedly described their efforts as part of a conspiracy and characterized the party's antisemitism as limited to "unconscious bias," despite prior admissions of systemic problems.^[47] Lansman, who was raised in an Orthodox Jewish family, countered such critiques by rejecting claims of exceptionalism in Jewish communal concerns and, in June 2019, dismissed Jewish Voice for Labour—a pro-Corbyn Jewish group—as unrepresentative of the broader community for allegedly minimizing antisemitism's scale within Labour.^[62]^[6] By November 2023, Lansman expressed alienation from segments of the left over their responses to the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, criticizing slogans like "From the river to the sea" as failing to show empathy for Jewish trauma and urging greater recognition of antisemitism's links to anti-Zionism.^[6]^[13] This stance drew backlash from pro-Palestinian Jewish factions, including Jewish Voice for Labour affiliates who accused him of "Jewish exceptionalism" in prioritizing antisemitism over other prejudices.^[63] In November 2024, Lansman admitted ongoing personal difficulties in engaging with Corbyn amid unresolved party divisions on these issues.^[10]

Post-Corbyn activities and evolution

Stepping back from Momentum

In May 2020, Jon Lansman announced his intention to step down as chairman of Momentum, the pro-Corbyn grassroots organization he had founded in 2015 to support Jeremy Corbyn's leadership bid and mobilize left-wing activists within the Labour Party.^[23] The decision followed Labour's heavy defeat in the December 2019 general election, Corbyn's subsequent resignation as leader, and Momentum's unsuccessful campaign to install Rebecca Long-Bailey as his successor, amid internal shifts toward a new Labour leadership under Keir Starmer.^[64] ^[7] Lansman cited the need to "hand over to a new leadership" and empower "a new generation of leaders" as primary reasons for his departure, framing it as an opportunity to address what he described as "sabotage" by forces undermining the group's earlier successes.^[23] ^[7] He confirmed he would not contest upcoming internal Momentum elections, allowing for a transition that saw Forward Momentum-backed candidates secure all member representative seats in July 2020 elections.^[65] ^[66] Despite relinquishing the chairmanship effective June 2020, Lansman retained his position on Labour's National Executive Committee (NEC), where he had been elected in 2018, signaling a partial pivot from direct control of Momentum while maintaining influence in party structures.^[7] This move occurred against a backdrop of reported tensions within the Labour left, including criticisms of Lansman's earlier centralization of power in Momentum—such as a 2017 rule change requiring members to join Labour or face expulsion—which some activists viewed as consolidating his authority at the expense of broader democratic input.^[67] The step back marked the end of Lansman's five-year tenure as chair, during which Momentum grew to over 170,000 members but faced accusations of sidelining dissenting voices on issues like party discipline and external alliances.^[68]

Recent commentary and affiliations (2020-2025)

In May 2020, Lansman stepped down as chair of Momentum to make way for a new generation of leaders focused on advancing socialist policies and addressing internal governance issues, including sabotage highlighted in leaked reports on Labour's antisemitism handling.^[7] He retained his position on Labour's National Executive Committee (NEC) at the time and indicated plans to resume blogging and public advocacy.^[7] Lansman's post-Momentum commentary has increasingly critiqued shortcomings in the Corbyn era while maintaining a left-wing orientation. In a September 2025 analysis marking the tenth anniversary of Corbyn's leadership election, he stated that Labour failed to learn key lessons, particularly on antisemitism, where Corbyn's personal response to criticisms—ranging from severe cases equating Zionism with racism to instances of ignorance—led to poor management and deepened factional rifts.^[35] Lansman credited Corbyn with electoral gains, such as the 2017 result yielding 12,877,918 votes and 40% share, but emphasized persistent disunity as a core failure.^[35] In November 2023, Lansman drew on his 1973 kibbutz experience in Israel to argue that the left errs by denying Israel's legitimacy as a post-Holocaust refuge for Jewish refugees and lacking empathy for its defensive needs, rejecting slogans like "from the river to the sea" as existential threats.^[6] He reiterated that Corbyn was not antisemitic but mishandled the issue in Labour through inadequate engagement with Jewish organizations and over-reliance on scripted defenses, opposing Corbyn's subsequent independent candidacy.^[6] Reflecting on the July 2024 general election, Lansman canvassed in Islington North and hoped a Starmer government would adopt bolder measures like a wealth tax, while observing the Labour left's diminishment under Starmer's "ruthlessness," which expelled intolerant elements.^[69] He endorsed Israel's right to respond to the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks and highlighted the Jewish-Arab group Standing Together as a model for peace.^[69] By September 2025, Lansman affiliated with Mainstream, a centre-left network of Labour figures including Andy Burnham, Clive Lewis, and Dawn Butler, positioned as a platform for "radical realists" to push practical reforms such as ending the two-child benefit cap via targeted levies and curbing factionalism for a more inclusive party culture.^[70]

Criticisms and controversies

Allegations of factionalism and party division

Lansman has been accused by Labour Party moderates and deputy leader Tom Watson of employing entryist tactics reminiscent of the Militant Tendency to infiltrate and control party structures via Momentum.^[71] In March 2017, a secretly recorded discussion involving Lansman revealed plans to affiliate Momentum with the Unite union to increase left-wing representation on Labour's National Executive Committee (NEC), prompting Watson to warn that such moves constituted a "threat" of entryism that could "destroy the Labour Party as an electoral force."^[72] Critics, including Watson, argued this reflected a deliberate strategy to prioritize factional gains over party unity, drawing parallels to 1980s Trotskyist infiltrations in which Lansman had played a role as a Young Socialists organizer.^[17] These tactics allegedly fueled internal divisions by enabling Momentum to dominate constituency Labour parties (CLPs) and push for mandatory reselection mechanisms, which moderate MPs viewed as a vehicle for purging Corbyn critics.^[73] In 2018, Lansman publicly supported trigger ballots to deselect "under-performing" MPs, denying any formal "hit list" but affirming Momentum's readiness to back challenges against those opposing Corbyn's leadership, a stance decried by MPs as fostering a climate of intimidation and party schism.^[74] Such efforts, according to detractors, contributed to Labour's "civil war," with Momentum's grassroots mobilization prioritizing ideological conformity over broader electoral viability.^[20] Within Momentum itself, Lansman faced charges of authoritarianism that mirrored the factionalism he was accused of imposing on Labour. In October 2016, he was branded "autocratic" by internal opponents after restructuring the group to delay democratic conferences and consolidate decision-making under his chairmanship, moves that splintered the organization and alienated Trotskyist elements who saw it as a purge of rival left factions.^[31] These internal power plays, critics contended, exemplified Lansman's preference for top-down control, exacerbating broader Labour divisions by sidelining pluralism in favor of a Corbyn-aligned hard-left dominance.^[75]

Handling of antisemitism complaints

Jon Lansman, as chair of Momentum and a Labour National Executive Committee (NEC) member from September 2018 to November 2020, advocated for stronger action against antisemitism in response to complaints, including public admissions of the issue's severity and support for enhanced disciplinary measures. In February 2019, he stated that antisemitism constituted a "major problem" within the party, one underestimated by elements of the left, and emphasized the need to identify and expel perpetrators to restore trust.^[51]^[50] This followed Momentum's April 2018 acknowledgment that antisemitism was more prevalent than initially realized, committing the group to assist in rooting it out through member education and party processes.^[76] Lansman played a role in pushing Labour to adopt the full International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism, including its examples, in September 2018, arguing it was essential for rebuilding Jewish community confidence amid ongoing complaints.^[49]^[77] He praised the party's July 2018 code of conduct on antisemitism as a "gold standard" for political organizations, while criticizing groups like Jewish Voice for Labour in June 2019 for undermining efforts by defending accused individuals.^[48]^[52] Under his leadership, Momentum suspended figures such as Jackie Walker in 2017 over alleged antisemitic remarks, aligning with broader party investigations, though Walker contested the claims.^[78] Despite these steps, Lansman's handling drew criticism for initial defensiveness. In July 2020, as part of a high court settlement over Labour's treatment of antisemitism whistleblowers—former staff who alleged systemic failures in complaint processing—he apologized for co-signing a letter that had attacked their credibility.^[53] Upon leaving the NEC in November 2020, Lansman reflected that he had encountered antisemitism "in appalling quantities," expressing regret that eradication efforts remained incomplete.^[46] Leaked NEC minutes from April 2018 revealed internal divisions he navigated, including debates over readmitting members cleared in complaints, where he favored stricter standards.^[79] These positions positioned him as relatively proactive among Corbyn allies, though subsequent Equality and Human Rights Commission findings in October 2020 confirmed Labour's overall unlawful delays and interference in handling such complaints during the period.

Conflicts with hard-left and pro-Palestinian factions

Lansman's advocacy for a strict approach to combating antisemitism within the Labour Party positioned him in opposition to hard-left elements that downplayed or denied the issue's severity. In February 2019, he publicly stated that Labour harbored a "widespread problem" with antisemitism, estimating that a significant portion of members held "hardcore antisemitic opinions," which drew backlash from Corbyn loyalists who viewed such admissions as exaggerating the crisis to undermine left-wing leadership.^[50] This stance intensified after the 2019 general election defeat, as Lansman reportedly urged the removal of Jeremy Corbyn as leader in internal discussions, a move criticized by pro-Corbyn activists as betrayal amid ongoing factional tensions.^[80] His evolving views on Israel-Palestine issues further alienated pro-Palestinian factions. In November 2023, Lansman expressed feeling "alienated" by pro-Palestinian campaigns, accusing left-wing participants of being "in denial" about slogans like "from the river to the sea" implying Israel's destruction and constituting antisemitic rhetoric, rather than legitimate solidarity.^[13] By November 2024, he revealed he no longer communicates with Corbyn and would feel uncomfortable attending pro-Palestine marches, citing pervasive antisemitic undertones that overshadowed Palestinian advocacy.^[54] Pro-Palestinian outlets, such as Electronic Intifada, portrayed these positions as Lansman "capitulating" to pro-Israel lobbies by supporting the IHRA definition of antisemitism, which they argued stifled criticism of Israeli policies.^[81] A notable flashpoint occurred in June 2019 when Lansman directly attacked Jewish Voice for Labour (JVL), a pro-Corbyn Jewish group aligned with Palestinian solidarity causes, asserting in a letter to its co-chairs that JVL was "part of the problem and not part of the solution" on antisemitism and "ill-serves the cause of Palestinian rights" by defending accused members and opposing IHRA adoption.^[52] JVL rebutted by accusing Lansman of "Jewish exceptionalism" and sidelining progressive Jewish voices critical of Zionism, highlighting a rift where Lansman prioritized mainstream Jewish communal concerns over fringe left-wing interpretations of antisemitism.^[82] These exchanges underscored broader hard-left grievances, with critics like those in the Stop the War Coalition faulting Lansman for conflating anti-Zionism with antisemitism, a view he rejected as enabling prejudice under progressive guise.^[55] Post-2020, as Lansman stepped back from Momentum and critiqued persistent hard-left resistance to party reforms under Keir Starmer, he suggested dissolving the Campaign Group of left-wing MPs in February 2024, arguing it perpetuated division rather than adaptation after electoral losses.^[83] This drew ire from Corbyn-era stalwarts, who saw it as abandoning socialist mobilization for centrist compliance, exacerbating his estrangement from factions prioritizing ideological purity over pragmatic anti-Conservative strategy.^[84]

Legacy and assessment

Achievements in left-wing mobilization

Jon Lansman founded the left-wing grassroots organization Momentum in October 2015, shortly after Jeremy Corbyn's election as Labour Party leader, utilizing a database from Corbyn's leadership campaign to coordinate supporter outreach and activism.^[85] Momentum's efforts contributed to a rapid expansion of Labour's individual membership, which rose from approximately 190,000 in May 2015 to over 500,000 by mid-2016, marking the largest membership of any left-of-center party in Western Europe at the time.^[86] ^[25] By January 2017, Momentum itself had amassed around 200,000 online supporters and 31,000 paid members, enabling structured local groups for canvassing, phone banking, and community events.^[85] In the lead-up to the 2017 general election, Lansman directed Momentum's mobilization strategy, emphasizing digital tools like social media and apps such as My Nearest Marginal to target marginal seats, resulting in organic reach to 25% of UK Facebook users and millions of video engagements, particularly among younger demographics.^[18] This grassroots push helped Labour increase its vote share from 30% in 2015 to 40% in 2017, gain 30 parliamentary seats, and deny the Conservatives an outright majority, with heightened youth turnout attributed in part to Momentum's portrayal of Corbyn as an authentic anti-establishment figure.^[18] ^[85] Lansman also oversaw Momentum's internal restructuring in early 2017, centralizing decision-making to enhance campaign efficiency while maintaining decentralized local activism, which sustained member engagement through initiatives like pop-up phone banks and policy forums.^[25] These mobilization tactics extended beyond elections, fostering sustained left-wing activism via events like The World Transformed festival at Labour conferences, which drew thousands for discussions on socialist policies, and supporting Corbyn's re-election as leader in 2016 amid party challenges.^[25] Momentum's approach under Lansman prioritized member-led democracy, including advocacy for mandatory reselection of MPs and greater influence in candidate selection, amplifying intra-party left-wing voices.^[18]

Criticisms of electoral and cultural impacts

Critics of Jon Lansman's influence through Momentum have argued that its promotion of hard-left policies and internal power struggles prioritized ideological transformation over electoral viability, contributing to Labour's 2019 general election defeat, in which the party secured only 32.1% of the vote and lost 59 seats compared to 2017.^[87] Former Labour home secretary Alan Johnson explicitly blamed the "Corbyn political project," bolstered by Momentum's grassroots mobilization, for rendering the party unelectable by alienating moderate voters with radical economic pledges and ambiguous Brexit positioning.^[88] This view posits that Momentum's support for Jeremy Corbyn's leadership, including resistance to leadership challenges, entrenched positions that failed to adapt to voter priorities, as evidenced by post-election analyses attributing losses to perceived extremism rather than external factors alone.^[89] On cultural impacts, detractors contend that Momentum under Lansman fostered a party environment of factionalism and intimidation, transforming Labour into a battleground between ideological purists and pragmatists, which eroded institutional trust and public perception. Labour MPs described Momentum as a "party within a party" and a "vehicle for ousting those opposed to the Corbyn revolution," citing tactics like member-driven deselection campaigns against moderate parliamentarians.^[22] A 2020 internal review of the election campaign highlighted a "dysfunctional, toxic culture" marked by infighting and poor coordination, which critics link to Momentum's bureaucratic centralization and focus on loyalty to leadership over unified strategy.^[90] Such dynamics, according to these assessments, not only distracted from policy outreach but also amplified perceptions of Labour as divided and intolerant, deterring swing voters and necessitating Keir Starmer's subsequent purge of left-wing elements to restore electability.^[91]

Personal life

Family and relationships

Lansman was raised in an Orthodox Jewish family in north London.^[20]^[34] He married in 1985, and his wife died of cancer in the 2000s while serving as assistant chief executive of Hertfordshire County Council.^[14] Following her death, Lansman reduced his political involvement and focused on raising his three children.^[14]^[8] As of May 2020, he had four grandchildren, with the youngest born approximately three weeks prior.^[8] No public information is available regarding subsequent relationships or marriages.

Health and later years

In 2015, while directing Jeremy Corbyn's Labour leadership campaign amid 18-hour workdays, Lansman donated one of his kidneys to an unrelated stranger through the UK Living Kidney Sharing Scheme, after initially offering it to his brother, who required a transplant due to polycystic kidney disease.^[14]^[69] The donation succeeded for the recipient, though it did not match for his brother.^[69] Following five years of near-continuous high-intensity activism from 2015 to 2020, Lansman experienced significant exhaustion and stepped down as chair of Momentum in May 2020, while retaining his position on Labour's National Executive Committee (NEC) until its conclusion later that year.^[46]^[7] He described the period as requiring 24/7 commitment without respite, leading to a necessary period of rest post-NEC.^[46] In subsequent years, Lansman has maintained involvement in Labour left politics at a reduced pace, joining the Jewish Labour Movement in late 2023 amid ongoing debates over antisemitism and factionalism within the party.^[84] He has publicly distanced himself from Jeremy Corbyn, stating in November 2024 that he no longer speaks to him and finds interaction difficult, while expressing discomfort with pro-Palestine marches due to perceived antisemitic elements.^[54] Lansman continues to offer commentary on Labour's internal dynamics and the broader left, including critiques of Corbyn's leadership in a September 2025 interview where he argued that lessons on handling antisemitism were inadequately learned.^[35]^[69] As of 2025, at age 68, he remains active on social media and in media discussions, focusing on policy areas like conversion therapy bans from his prior parliamentary work.^[92]

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https://x.com/jonlansman