Pogue
24th September 2008, 09:11
Anyone here attended any of this up in Manchester? I think it's brilliant.
To those who do not know it is a convention held by 20+ leftist groups just down the road from the Labour Party conference. The groups are discussing and debating how they can work together and what their direction should be. People like Tariq Ali, Tony Benn, Robert Grffiths etc are there. Theres many of the left wing groups there, like the SWP and the Communist Party of Britain, and reports in the leftist daily Morning Star (who are obviously also there) say that progress is being made.
The only thing which I can draw from this which is displeasing is how, and I'll be paraphrasing here, alot of people there have said its useless to try and physically unite the groups because the tactics and theories are so different, so its best just to see how they can all compliment each other and join together to fight certain battles and fight for ideals we all share.
I think this misses the point somewhat and is too moderate seeing as the situation we're in is the perfect opputunity for a highly visible united Socialist Party to take centre stage and try to win some support, both at the ballot box for power that way or just for mass support leading to whatever may follow (revolution?).
Although this convention and its follow up in November is highly pleasing and a good step forward I think we ened to be more urgent and rational. The organisational and theoretical differences between these small leftist groups are minimal and irrelevant, especially when you contrast the ideas of us Socialists to the ideas of the BNP Nazi scum and the right wing capitalist parties in power.
Also, a big issue which those at the conference and my self are faced with is what we should do about the Labour party. There have been calls for the Trade Unions to disaffiliate from the new party of the bosses, whereas others have said we should support the Labour left. This confuses me because I wonder if theres anyhope in Labour becoming a working class party again from which some gain can be won. On one hand they seem to be well beyond redemption, but theres still some left wingers and the whole support base and Trade Union support. So what do comrades reccomend we in the UK do? Perhaps both, forming some form of united workers socialist party while also supporting the Labour elft in any gains that can be made? Or perhaps we should try and build up our movement until it is ready to take Labour's place and hopefully ge the Union and people's support.
Anyway, please respond to wha I have said and give your opinions and answers to my questions and analysis fo the situation, and share anye xperiences you have on this conetion or anything similar.
http://www.conventionoftheleft.org/
http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/index2.php/ex/examples
To those who do not know it is a convention held by 20+ leftist groups just down the road from the Labour Party conference. The groups are discussing and debating how they can work together and what their direction should be. People like Tariq Ali, Tony Benn, Robert Grffiths etc are there. Theres many of the left wing groups there, like the SWP and the Communist Party of Britain, and reports in the leftist daily Morning Star (who are obviously also there) say that progress is being made.
The only thing which I can draw from this which is displeasing is how, and I'll be paraphrasing here, alot of people there have said its useless to try and physically unite the groups because the tactics and theories are so different, so its best just to see how they can all compliment each other and join together to fight certain battles and fight for ideals we all share.
I think this misses the point somewhat and is too moderate seeing as the situation we're in is the perfect opputunity for a highly visible united Socialist Party to take centre stage and try to win some support, both at the ballot box for power that way or just for mass support leading to whatever may follow (revolution?).
Although this convention and its follow up in November is highly pleasing and a good step forward I think we ened to be more urgent and rational. The organisational and theoretical differences between these small leftist groups are minimal and irrelevant, especially when you contrast the ideas of us Socialists to the ideas of the BNP Nazi scum and the right wing capitalist parties in power.
Also, a big issue which those at the conference and my self are faced with is what we should do about the Labour party. There have been calls for the Trade Unions to disaffiliate from the new party of the bosses, whereas others have said we should support the Labour left. This confuses me because I wonder if theres anyhope in Labour becoming a working class party again from which some gain can be won. On one hand they seem to be well beyond redemption, but theres still some left wingers and the whole support base and Trade Union support. So what do comrades reccomend we in the UK do? Perhaps both, forming some form of united workers socialist party while also supporting the Labour elft in any gains that can be made? Or perhaps we should try and build up our movement until it is ready to take Labour's place and hopefully ge the Union and people's support.
Anyway, please respond to wha I have said and give your opinions and answers to my questions and analysis fo the situation, and share anye xperiences you have on this conetion or anything similar.
http://www.conventionoftheleft.org/
http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/index2.php/ex/examples