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From the Socialist Workers Party...
AN APPEAL FOR
UNITY ON THE LEFT
he disastrous election of a
majority Tory government
requires the socialist left to
get its act together.
As David Camerons cabinet
of attack dogs moves on to the
offensive we will need a real
fightback.
There will be wave after wave of
assaults on the NHS, on the most
basic trade union rights and on
welfare.
The Tories will seek to divide
resistance by intensifying racist
scapegoating and the demonisation
of Muslims.
They will launch even more
attacks on women, on young
people and disabled people.
They will abandon all pretence
that they are taking urgent action
over climate change. And they
will seek to abolish the Human
Rights Act.
Defiant
There will be sharp constitutional
questions and attempts to mobilise
English nationalism. We need
defiant opposition.
There was an upsurge of protests
and strikes soon after the election
of Tory governments in 1970,
1983, 1992 and 2010. We need
a fight nowand to organise to
prevent it being derailed by the
union leaders.
Everyone on the left must unite
in the struggles to defend union
The election demonstrated
Labours failures and its
continuing crisis. Labour lost the
election because it was too right
wing, not because it was too left
wing.
Retreats
Protest against Tory austerity on 9 May Photo: Lewis Nielsen
rights, save the NHS, win decent
pay and secure jobs, combat racism
and halt climate change.
We should all build the Peoples
Assembly demonstration on 20
June and similar events.
And we will also need to continue
the battle against UKIP. Nigel
Farage is not an MPand thats
worth celebrating. It is a tribute to
the work of Stand Up to UKIP and
others. Campaigning works.
But UKIP did take 3.9 million
votes, won an extra 174 councillors,
control Thanet council and came
second in 120 parliamentary seats.
With a referendum on the
EU coming possibly as soon as
2016, UKIP will seek to intensify
its racist and anti working class
poison.
We need struggle on many
fronts, but on its own this leaves a
political gap.
Its uninspiring messageand the
years of retreats by Labour and
most union leaders before it
created the conditions in which the
Tories won seats.
In contrast the Scottish National
Party won a stunning success by
speaking to the left of Labour over
austerity and Trident.
It gave hope and, sustained by
the great Yes movement in the
referendum, mobilised an army
of supporters to sweep aside the
Tories and Labour.
The SNP will how be tested
further on its anti-austerity
credentialsa test it has failed
when it has obtained office at local
Join the
debate at
Marxism 2015
9-13 July,
central London
A five day political
festival to discuss
alternatives for a
world in crisis
Hosted by Socialist
Workers Party
Themes include:
Why did Labour
lose?
The fight against
racism and
Islamophobia
Left alternatives
after the Election
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or national level in Scotland.
The achievement of the Green
Party in winning over a million
votes demonstrates the thirst for
an anti-austerity force.
But the partys record in office
shows it is not the sort of classbased socialist alternative we need.
Glimmers
Ed Miliband saw his poll ratings
rise when he offered some hope
of change. But the glimmers of
class politics were battered aside by
the clunking fist of financial iron
discipline, not a penny more of
borrowing, and cuts in the deficit
every year.
Labours leaders disgracefully
blamed migrants for falling living
standards. Ludicrously, they
ended up attacking Cameron for
unfunded promises to spend
more on the NHS.
Instead of dealing with the
problem, many now want to make
it worse. So far, the majority trend
inside Labour is to push for even
more moves rightwards. Peter
Mandelson bemoans the partys
incredibly unhealthy relationship
with the unions.
One after another, Labour
figures say the party has forgotten
aspiration.
Working class people aspire to
a home, to a job, to a living wage,
to a free NHS, to a future for their
children and freedom from racism.
Such things are not secured
by shopping at John Lewis.
They are won through collective
organisation, and class struggle.
We stand with those who are
seeking to push Labour leftwards.
But we believe it is a dead end.
This is a time of turmoil. Bold
moves are needed. We believe
there is a basis for the left forming
electoral coalitions and working
together to build a stronger
socialist alternative.
It should be possible for all of
us on the left to group together in
a single electoral coalition.
Next year will see important
PCS members at the National Gallery strike against privatisation Photo: Szczel @ Flickr
elections to the Scottish
Parliament, the Welsh Assembly,
the London Assembly (including
the mayor) and many English local
authorities.
Wealong with the Socialist
Party, the RMT union and
independent socialists are part
of the Trade Unionist and Socialist
Coalition (TUSC).
But we would like to involve
other forces and be part of
something broader.
We are pleased that seven out of
the ten parliamentary candidates
put forward by Left Unity at the
general election were joint with
TUSC. We want to build on that
with more joint candidates.
Movement
If the left gets its act together then
there are thousands of activists
outside the existing organisations
who could be part of a new
movement.
We call on the different
formations of the left to meet, as
a matter of urgency, in order to
hammer out a basis for practical
unity in offering an electoral
alternative to the Labour Party.
A basis of unity can be achieved,
we believe, without particular
political tendencies having to give
up their identities or principles.
It should be possible to
unite around a simple platform
embracing:
1. Opposition to austerity no
cuts in the welfare state and
restoration of the cuts made
since the start of the crisis
2. Opposition to racism,
Islamophobia, and fascism no
scapegoating of migrants
3. Opposition to sexism and
homophobia support for
womens liberation and for the
struggle of all oppressed groups
to emancipate themselves
4. Opposition to imperialism and
war against the expansion of
NATO and the Wests war drive
in the Middle East
5. Support for all workers struggles
and for the defence and
strengthening of trade union
organisation and rights
6. Support for young peoples right
to free education, affordable
housing and a living wage
7. Support for socialism as the
progressive and democratic
alternative to a capitalism mired
in crisis
If you agree or want to discuss
further, please email:
[email protected]For details of the Socialist Workers Party or to join please get in touch:
email [email protected] or text/call 07986 936 094
