Email: li-netherlands@labourinternational.net

Officers:

• Secretary: Sam Geen
• Chair: Mike Crosland
• Vice Chair: Rosemary Carlton-Willis
• Treasurer: Justina Kiss
• Women’s Officer: Mandy Schiffrin
• Education: Frank Little
• Youth Officer: Thomas Ardern-Mulhern

Branch meetings: On the first Saturday of the month.

The Netherlands branch started with a number of Amsterdam based Labour Party members coming together for informal gatherings, having had contact individually with the LI Secretary. These were fairly irregular meetings which culminated in a Labour Party Amsterdam Facebook page being set up to create a wider network for LP members in the area.

With the election of Jeremy Corbyn in late 2015 interest grew amongst local members, and a more official group was established in 2016 that drew members from the whole country and not just its capital: Labour International the Netherlands (LINL) was formed. Officer positions were subsequently established and meetings became more formal with the branch having its inaugural meeting in January 2018. Since then, it receives regular contributions from about a fifth of its branch, either at meetings or through its WhatsApp group where discussion is wide ranging.

Activism

The branch has been active in a variety of ways since is was first established, with events in Amsterdam, The Hague and Rotterdam. It has been involved in campaigns to support environmental initiatives, canvassing prior to elections which targeted the many tourists who visit Amsterdam, supporting local issues and attending TU rallies, ensuring its support is visible with the help of an enormous and widely-recognised banner. As a branch, it has become regularly involved in the online GC meetings, with delegates in attendance at each session, and it also hosted the LI AGM in 2018.

Recent developments

To maximise its presence at the GC meetings, the branch holds regular Open Executive meetings prior to the CLP meeting so that agenda items, including motions, can be discussed in advance. These are led by the branch executive but are open to all members to attend and participate. This has facilitated the branch’s involvement in discussions at the GC and the contributions it can make. LINL has also recently appointed an Education Officer who organises talks and discussions on particular subjects that are of interest to the members. These are a useful way of encouraging. engagement and furthering branch-building,

Welcome!

LI Netherlands is a branch that sees relatively few changes to its membership and there is a core group who have made the Netherlands their permanent home which fosters stability and continuity. It has a steady flow of new members joining who are encouraged to participate, but this is obviously dependent on individual people’s circumstances. Whatever your potential for contribution, LINL would like to welcome you!