Dear Off The Rails
With an election approaching rapidly, we in the RMT should take a long hard look at our political fund and decide how best to use it.
Since the 2003 Glasgow AGM, we have been able to give money to organisations other than the Labour Party. Technically the Branch can ask the Executive to approve their backing of any person, organisation or party. (Though this does not mean that it will always be approved.)
The danger lies in diluting our influence by spreading the cash too thinly. We should only consider financing the campaigns of people (even Labour candidates) or parties with a clear socialist agenda. We should weigh up the opposition in each area and try to channel cash into the areas where we actually stand a chance of making a difference. Our influence in the branches should be used to funnel cash in the right directions.
If every branch backs a different campaign, our money will be wasted and our influence will not be felt at all. As a leading 'left' union, we can not be seen to dilute our political strength and become a laughing stock by chucking cash around to anyone wearing a Karl Marx T-shirt.
We have a duty to the wider trade union and labour movement to use the new freedoms that we have with our political fund wisely.
We must guard against letting the Tories back in by splitting the Labour vote in marginal constituencies. I have heard it said that it really does not matter if the Tories get elected, there is no difference between them and Labour. Anyone who truly believes that should think back to the days of Thatcher. We haven't got much from this government, but I am sure that we would have got a lot less from the Tories and a lot more hassle to go with it.
We should lobby Unity House to call a meeting of all Branch Secretaries and Chairs to co-ordinate an all-Union approach to the election. In the absence of an effective broad left, comrades should organise a fringe meeting around this.
We have been given a chance to put our money where our mouth is. Lets hope that we don't end up with our foot in our mouth instead.
RG, Essex
Socialist Gren Unity Coalition
East Midlands Central branch RMT has passed the following resolution ...
This branch notes the possibility of a general election being called this year and is mindful of the decision taken by the union that allows branches to support other candidates in addition to those of the Labour Party. We want to use this flexibility to promote a positive political agenda for union members rather than simply 'making do with the best of a bad bunch'.
We believe that the Labour Party has - with its current policies, changes to party structure and relations with trade unions - forfeited the right to be the sole recipient of our support at election times. Undoubtedly there are still sitting Labour MPs and prospective candidates who are accountable to and representative of the labour movement, they deserve our support; but equally there are those who do not. For those that do not we advocate a vote for accountable, working class socialist candidates where they are standing.
For a local example of this division we need look no further than Alan Simpson (Nottingham South) and John Hepple (Nottingham East), both Labour MPs. While there is a lot to be positive about in Simpson's political record, the same cannot be said for John Hepple. Therefore, in line with our wish to offer a positive agenda,
we will support Alan Simpson but in Nottingham East we will support a candidate from the Socialist Green Unity Coalition whose policies and accountability are closer to the aspirations of our members.
