Socialist Party

and the 'Militant' tradition

After No2EU: a slate in the general election?

Mike Davies is the secretary of the Alliance for Green Socialism, one of the groups that joined the No2EU coalition at the Euro-elections in June. He spoke to Martin Thomas. Click here for more background . As I understand it, the groups involved in No2EU have been discussing a follow-up for the general election... The first thing to say is that we don't think of it as a follow-up to No2EU. We think of it as a plan for the general election. Things look possible. There have been meetings, and fairly soon we'll know whether a joint effort is possible. Who has been involved in the meetings...

The rules of revolutionary socialism

The AWL’s motto and guideline is what Leon Trotsky called “the rules” for revolutionary socialists: “To face reality squarely; not to seek the line of least resistance; to call things by their right names; to speak the truth to the masses, no matter how bitter it may be; not to fear obstacles; to be true in little things as in big ones; to base one’s program on the logic of the class struggle; to be bold when the hour for action arrives”. We see other would-be revolutionary-socialist groups, like the SWP and the Socialist Party, as abandoning those rules in favour of what we call “Apparatus...

Hints given on shape of "son of No2EU"

The groups involved in the "No2EU" coalition for the Euro-elections are known to be discussing a "son of No2EU" venture for the coming general election. The shape of it remains unclear. Two recent documents give hints. The first is an email sent round by Dave Nellist, a leading member of the Socialist Party, to convene a local meeting of people who had been active in No2EU. "Many of those who supported the working class electoral coalition, 'NO2EU - Yes to Democracy', want to see a wider coalition assembled, with more time for preparation than we had in the Euro elections. And NO2EU's work...

Is the People’s Charter the answer?

The groups involved in the “No2EU” coalition for the Euro-election — the RMT union leadership group around Bob Crow, the Communist Party of Britain (Morning Star), the Socialist Party, and the Alliance for Green Socialism — are due to meet again before 28 June to discuss a “son of No2EU” project for the coming general election. What may it look like? CPB secretary Robert Griffiths has written that for him the People’s Charter (PC) launched by the CPB last year is central to “realistic and non-sectarian” electoral initiative, so a meeting called on the People’s Charter in Lambeth Town Hall...

Union leaders start to bark, but will they bite?

Paul Kenny, general secretary of the GMB general union, used his speech to the GMB congress in Blackpool (15 June) to call for the Labour Party to select “fresh working-class candidates that people can relate to”. “Now is the time to select and elect 40 to 50 fresh real people, real trade unionists, people who actually know how much a pint of milk costs, and what it is like to get on a bus, MPs driven by commitment rather than being worried about being driven by a chauffeur”. As ever, the question is, what will Kenny do about it? The Labour Party leadership obviously wants to limit the number...

No unity in Scotland

According to an Open Letter distributed in Glasgow by members of Solidarity (the 2006 breakaway from the Scottish Socialist Party (SSP)), which has also been posted on the Socialist Unity website: “It is our understanding that a group of prominent Scottish trade unionists linked to none of the parties of the left in Scotland are in the formative stages of brokering left unity talks specifically on the issue of the Glasgow North East constituency [i.e. Michael Martin’s seat, where a by-election is due to be called]. “Our understanding is that during the next week [i.e. the week this issue of...

Build a Socialist Alliance to fight back!

The AWL has launched this appeal to socialist and working-class organisations and activists. So far the response from the SWP (Socialist Workers’ Party) and SP (Socialist Party) at national level has been negative, but many individuals have signed it. In the 2009 Euro elections, the fascist British National Party increased its percentage of the vote and won two seats. If UKIP leader Nigel Farage’s claim that he reaped £2 million in expenses in his last term as a Euro MP is a model, that means millions extra for BNP funds. UKIP polled second with 16 percent. The right-wing nationalist English...

Left Unity: Progress in Newcastle

In Newcastle we have a Tyneside Socialist Forum which has existed for a long time — before the Socialist Alliance. It was relaunched last year. Along with AWL members it includes independent socialists, left anarchists, ex-CPers and some people from FRFI. It meets regularly and has political discussions, it could be the springboard for greater left unity. Our next meeting will be discussing precisely that. The SWP have said they will come to the meeting, which is good. The Socialist Party haven’t said they won’t… at least not yet. It would be good if the group could initiate its own campaigns...

Left Unity: SWP presents its left unity initiative

The SWP has held meetings about its “left unity initiative” on the fringe of the Unison union conference and in Sheffield and other cities. Ed Whitby reports from the meetings in Middlesbrough and Gateshead: “The SWP have little to say, but these two meetings were useful for us in opening up the discussion and for showing to the SWP periphery that we are serious about working with them even when we are very, very critical of them ideologically. And that we have concrete ideas for united activity when they just say ‘unity’ and UAF and demos”. At the Unison conference fringe, Charlie Kimber was...

Left Unity: The Socialist Party responds

At the Left Unity Liaison Committee meeting on 13 June, the Socialist Party said that it is not interested in a new Socialist Alliance for now. Instead, it hopes to continue its “No2EU” alliance with RMT general secretary Bob Crow, the Communist Party of Britain (Morning Star), and the Alliance for Green Socialism, into some “son of No2EU” coalition for the general election. The Socialist Party has also responded to the SWP’s call for unity, by rehashing an argument the SP had inside the Socialist Alliance which led to it leaving the alliance in December 2001. Its argument about the SWP is apt...

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