Socialist Alliance

The (former) Socialist Alliance

Losing socialism to gain what?

Martin Thomas moved the motion opposing Respect at the SA conference Respect is not democratic, not inclusive, and not socialist. Its political platform is similar to the Greens. The Greens already exist. There is no point creating a second-rate replica. The ideas of common ownership, workers' control, workers' representatives on a worker' wage, or workers' representation of any sort, are missing from the platform. Respect does not have a constitution. Decision-making power is with an Executive which includes no minority representation and publishes no minutes. Respect includes a much narrower...

Socialist Alliance minority resists shutdown

The special conference of the Socialist Alliance in London on 13 March voted effectively to shut down the organisation in favour of the Galloway/ SWP coalition "Respect" . A one-third minority, which withdrew from the conference after the decisive vote, resolved to continue the Alliance. Not wishing the name "Socialist Alliance" to be freely available to the minority, the majority postponed any formal decision to wind up the SA until late 2004. For candidates in the June council elections, for example, the minority will have to resort to titles like "Democratic Socialist Alliance". The essence...

Socialist Alliance conference 13/03/04

The Socialist Alliance , which in 2000-1 became a coalition of almost all the activist groups of the socialist left in Britain, contesting the 2001 general election in a united effort, holds a special conference in London on 13 March 2004. On the table: proposals from the SA leadership, dominated by the SWP , effectively to wind up the Alliance in favour of the new Respect coalition which the SWP has put together with George Galloway MP. Read the Workers' Liberty bulletin for the conference below, or download it as pdf . Workers' Liberty ● www.workersliberty.org ● SA conference 13/03/04 Fight...

Politics and constitutionalities of SA candidates on 10 June

The fundamental argument over whether local SAs can stand council candidates on 10 June is about substantive politics, not the SA constitution. I believe that George Galloway is not someone any socialist group should be latching onto as a figurehead, and still less at the price of abandoning the important policies (workers' representatives on a workers' wage, open borders, republicanism...) which Respect has rejected in deference to Galloway. That's why I want to see as many SA candidates as possible. It's for exactly the same reasons as I got involved in the SA in the first place - to have a...

SA Democratic Platform votes against "Respect"

Report from Pete Radcliff There were about 30 in attendance at the 21 February meeting of the Socialist Alliance Democratic Platform - about five new faces, including two people from the Alliance for Green Socialism (AGS). After the meeting voted to allow Democratic Platform members who are no longer members of the SA to vote, the CPGB (Weekly Worker), led by John Bridge, walked out. A motion from the RDG was amended so that eventually it simply said: 1. This meeting recognises that there are a variety of views on Respect amongst individuals and groups which make up the Democracy Platform. 2...

SA Executive debates SA candidates for June

The main debate at the Socialist Alliance Executive on 21 February 2004 was about Socialist Alliance candidates in the 10 June 2004 local council elections. The "Task Group" (the central SA leadership, around the SWP) has put down a motion for the 13 March Socialist Alliance special conference saying that "the Socialist Alliance will... not stand any candidates in these elections", even though such candidates would not directly compete with the Respect coalition, which will contest the Euro and Greater London Authority elections but only a few local council wards. Will McMahon (the SA office...

The SA constitution and candidates in June 2004

The Socialist Alliance constitution states: E1: "The local Socialist Alliance will have the responsibility for all elections contested by the Socialist Alliance within its area (eg council, Westminster etc) and for all arrangements regarding local candidate, agent, treasurer, in line with Socialist Alliance requirements nationally". The Socialist Alliance Council formally minuted, as recently as 20 October 2003: "It was noted that the NEC accepts the constitutional position that local SAs can decide on whether or not to run in local elections". Constitutionally, then, decisions on whether to...

What's on the table for Socialist Alliance conference

The motions for the Socialist Alliance special conference on 13 March are available on the Socialist Alliance website . Amendments are due by 1 March. Motion 1, from the AWL, calls for the SA not to support the Galloway/SWP coalition ("Respect") and to continue as an independent socialist campaigning and electoral force. Motion 3, from Stockport SA, is on the same lines, but longer. Motion 2, from the "Task Group", i.e. central SA leadership, seeks to stop Socialist Alliance candidates standing in the 10 June local council elections. "Respect" is standing in the Euro and Greater London...

Socialist Alliance special conference

The Socialist Alliance special conference will take place on Saturday 13th March from 10.30pm to 4.30pm at the South Camden Community School, Charrington Street, London NW1 1RG. This is a ten minute walk to the north of Euston Station. Click here for registration form. The October 2003 National Council of the Socialist Alliance agreed to call a special conference, open to all SA members, to consider the following two issues: a) Socialist Alliance and Respect - The Unity Coalition b) The future method of election of the SA National Executive Registration Registration will begin at 10am...

Convention of Trade Union Left

By Martin Thomas Some quick impressions from the Convention of the Trade Union Left in London on 7 February. It would be useful if other comrades added their thoughts. The event drew 703 people, of whom half were registered as delegates from trade union branches. It was smaller than the previous Socialist Alliance trade union conference, in March 2002: that's a bit surprising, given the larger mobilising effort for this conference, the deliberate attempt to make it broader, and the big-name speakers. Like the "Respect" conference on 25 January, this event was choreographed as a build-up to a...

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