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Reproduction of Socialist Party leaflet for the People's Assembly, called by the Stop the War Coalition on March 12  2003:

How to stop the countdown to war

THE HUGE mood of anger against the war has provoked New Labour’s gravest political crisis since coming to office in 1997. Capturing that mood the anti-war movement has helped mobilise the biggest ever political demonstrations seen in this country.

Around the world on 15 February tens of millions protested, including over a million in London. In Britain dozens of other demonstrations took place on 15 February and many demonstrations have taken place since then that mobilised tens of thousands of people.

It was the pressure from these demonstrations that forced most of the 199 MPs to vote against the government recently and is seeing Labour ministers threaten resignation. These are all steps forward but in themselves can they stop the countdown to war?

Blair and Bush have shown themselves determined to ignore the power of public protest and have indicated that war is likely to start within the next week. Appeals to the better nature of politicians and world leaders have forced them to alter their propaganda but have not halted the moves to war – although they have temporarily impeded their plans.

Today’s meeting of the People’s Assembly provides another opportunity to mobilise urgently needed, effective action to stop the war.

Industrial action

THE PLANS from the Stop The War Coalition – of which the Socialist Party is an active part – for mass civil disobedience including action in workplaces, colleges, schools and communities on Day X are a step in the right direction. 

Such initiatives cannot, however, just be left to calls from the top but need to be built for from below. For such protests to be fully effective then the detail behind these measures needs to be urgently worked out and campaigned for amongst the millions who could potentially participate.

In particular, the actions to be taken in workplaces need a clear lead from those union general secretaries who have backed the idea of action on Day X. ‘Stop work to stop the war’ is now a crucial slogan for taking the anti-war movement forward.

This requires producing millions of leaflets to go to trade union members – with trade union secretaries giving their endorsement - explaining what can be done in the next days and week - how to build and organise action and how to avoid being victimised.

This should advise on how to pass a resolution at your union branch calling for industrial action; organise a consultative poll/petition/pledge form in your workplace to test support and build for action and how to build support for a stoppage from below now in your school, college or workplace.

It is possible that the TUC will be recalled to debate the war. Trade union members – of which there are over seven million in this country – is potentially the most powerful force in Britain.

Pressure has to be put on the union leaders to take an effective stand against the war. If that happens and is reflected through a TUC call for action, including general strike action, then there is a chance Bush and Blair’s war plans could be derailed.

Already, there have been some good examples in Britain and throughout the world. Train drivers in Scotland and Italy have successful refused to transport equipment intended for use in the war. European trade unions are planning protest action on 21 March. Some union leaders have proposed that this should be turned into a European-wide general strike; a call that must be taken up and vigorously campaigned for by union leaders and Stop The War Coalition in Britain.

A number of trade unions – including ones in Britain – have called on their members to protest on the day war starts. In the Communication Workers’ Union (CWU) executive, Socialist Party member, Bernard Roome, successfully moved this motion: "The CWU reconfirms its total opposition to the impending war on Iraq and will campaign for all members to take protest action on the day that war is officially declared."

School student strikes have already shown a mood for action. Many workers will also want to take action and we must fully support and assist them.

Beyond Day X the anti-war coalition and those trade unions that support have to organise sustained industrial protest and action, combined with other forms of mass civil disobedience, to make the war unworkable.

This requires the Stop The War Coalition sinking deeper roots in the trade union movement and building stop the war groups in every workplace, linking these up to representative stop the war groups at local, regional and national level.

Democracy and political representation

INITIATIVES LIKE the ‘People’s Assembly’, provided they are democratically convened - with a greater weight of representation from working-class organisations, like the trade unions because of the key role they can play - can assist in organising an effective anti-war movement.

Whilst an anti-war movement will have a wide diversity of views (which will inevitably be reflected inside the Assembly) the current anti-war stance of Liberals, rebel Tories and even rebel Labour MPs could weaken once a war starts. The anti-war movement cannot build on its successes by relying on fair weather friends who currently oppose the war because they feel the hot breath of the millions who marched on their necks.

Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy said on Sunday’s World at One that he would support our troops once a war starts. Rebel Tories like Ken Clarke oppose a war because of the repercussions it could have for British and international capitalism’s interests. He is not opposed to wars or dictatorships in general – as his support for the Burmese regime shows – but he opposes this war only because British capitalism’s interests could be damaged.

But, a ‘People’s Assembly’ as "an alternative democratic institution to the government" should not be used to evade the central need to build a permanent political alternative to New Labour and the other establishment capitalist parties, a new workers’ party.

Out of the new movement, which is generally internationalist and anti-establishment in character, there is the possibility to build a new political movement that can be an authoritative and effective alternative to New Labour.

The People's Assemblies and other forums can and should be used to discuss what steps are needed to build a new political alternative.

If just 10% of the million plus who marched on 15 February supported the establishment of a new party, this would give the new organisation 100,000 or so members and the potential to have a major impact on the situation unfolding in Britain.

A new mass party genuinely representing the interests of working-class people could much more effectively oppose the war against Iraq than most of the current rebels. Such a party would not only oppose the war but would also challenge the undeclared war that Blair and New Labour have declared at home; with its attacks on firefighters, public-sector workers and public services.

The need for such a political organisation is a pressing question but most pressing from today’s meeting of the Assembly is needs to call for and prepare decisive action now, including the widest possible mass civil disobedience, especially workplace action.

Support the firefighters

BLAIR’S MOVES to war have brought out opposition on other issues. Firefighters today are lobbying Parliament. Blair and Brown cannot find £100 million to fund the firefighters’ justified claim but find £3 billion or more for war at the drop of a Texan hat. How long will it be before the firefighters are dubbed ‘the enemy within’ by Blair or one of his cronies.

Representatives at the Assembly should argue that the Assembly breaks at 12 noon for half an hour to join the firefighters’ lobby in solidarity.

Further information on the Socialist Party contact:

PO Box 24697, London E11 1YD. Tel: 020 8988 8777

Email: contacts@socialistparty.org.uk

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