National committee report

Build the Socialist Party

The National Committee meeting on 6-7 July had a packed political and
organisational agenda reflecting important developments and
opportunities ahead. Every discussion helped to clarify the tasks facing
our party and proposals were discussed thoroughly and voted on by NC
members.

Nick Chaffey Southampton

The main political discussions were on the question of new workers’
parties and the crisis in the Middle East. Following our successes in
the May elections, this was also an opportunity to discuss developments
on an international scale and look at events in Italy, Brazil, France
and, in particular, Germany.

Ken Smith gave a report on the progress of the Campaign for a New
Workers’ Party (CNWP) with over 50 trade union NEC members now signed
up, alongside hundreds of union activists. Growing anger at New Labour
is opening up more opportunities to gain support for the declaration.

CNWP rallies at the trade union conferences, especially UNISON, and
meetings in the regions in Liverpool and Wales have met with
enthusiastic success. Mike Forster from Huddersfield gave a report on
how the election of Jackie Grunsell has brought new opportunities to
develop the CNWP.

Dave Nellist outlined some of the ideas to carry the campaign forward
over the next few months. Branches should organise discussions around
our approach to trade union work and the mistaken tactics employed by
the SWP and other left groups.

Lois Austin introduced the session on the crisis in the NHS. Members
reported that campaigns are springing up across the country in response
to the current cuts, with the Socialist Party taking part and organising
many of these events. Our demand for a national demo meets with almost
universal agreement. At the UNISON conference NHS campaign fringe
meeting, delegates supported the call and are now organising a national
stewards’ conference for 29 July in Birmingham.

All these discussions pointed towards the need to prioritise party
building alongside our party activity and interventions. We set new
recruitment targets and, following the progress areas have reported in
recruiting health workers, the meeting was confident that we could reach
them.

Developing our youth work through building ISR around the Low Pay
campaign this summer and preparing for the Freshers’ Fairs in October
will help us to meet more young people interested in socialism. We are
asking every branch to step up their plans and to ensure they have a
youth organiser to focus attention on this work.

There will be a series of national events to link our work together,
including our Summer Camp in Essex from 25-28 August, the National Trade
Union School on Saturday 2 September, National Conference in March 2007
and, the highlight of the year, our Socialism 2006 weekend on 25-26
November.

Last year’s event was a great success which we want to match this
year. Tickets are available now, put the date in your diary, buy your
ticket now and get selling. Make sure your branch has a Socialism 2006
organiser to drive on the ticket sales.

The national committee re-elected the Executive Committee with Hannah
Sell as deputy general secretary.