About the Socialist Party
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RMT protest against Tube privatisation, photo Paul Mattsson |
Working-class people need a party to stand shoulder to shoulder with them.
The Socialist Party has a long and proud record of struggling to defend working-class people. We are involved in hundreds of campaigns.
We are part of the Stop the War Coalition and campaign against the war and occupation of Iraq.
We contest elections across England and Wales (read our manifesto) and have more than twenty members elected onto the major trade union national executives (updated June 2006).
New mass workers party
Two decades ago, we were called the Militant Tendency and campaigned in the Labour Party for socialist policies.
We led Liverpool City council's battle for decent housing, jobs and services, and later defeated Tory Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's poll tax which forced her to resign.
We now campaign for a new mass party that can draw together workers, environmental and community campaigners, anti-capitalist, anti-war and other protesters to represent and fight for the interests of ordinary people. You can join us by clicking here.
Election campaigns
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Unison - RCN lobby of parliament in 2006, photo Paul Mattsson |
Between 1983 and 1992, when we were part of the Labour Party, we had three socialist MPs - Dave Nellist, Terry Fields and Pat Wall - who lived on the average wage of the workers they were representing.
They never forgot their working class roots, or the problems of those workers that elected them - unlike many political and trade union leaders who live on inflated salaries.
We organise with other campaigning organisations to get councillors elected to represent the working class. The Socialist Party currently has two councillors in Coventry, two in Lewisham in London, and in Huddersfield, Socialist Party member Dr Jackie Grunsell, standing as a 'Save Huddersfield’s NHS' candidate, received 2,176 votes, a majority of over 700, on a turnout of over 49%.
Our sister sections in the Committee for a Workers' International in places such as Australia, Ireland, Germany, Sri Lanka and Sweden also have elected councillors. For a number of years until 2007, Joe Higgins was a Socialist Party MP in Ireland, and well known as the only honest man in the Irish parliament, fought for working class people. The CWI’s German section has six councillors, while Lucy Redler has gained national prominence by helping lead a struggle against cuts in Berlin, and the CWI’s Swedish party has eight councillors.
We support workers in industrial disputes, fight against tuition fees, privatisation, for better pay, to stop council house sell-offs and for free education. We campaign to stop the destruction and pollution of our planet and its environment. We fight for a socialist world free of war and terror.
We describe some of our campaigns briefly below. We usually report on our latest campaigns on our home page.
If you want to find out more or get involved click here.
International Socialist Resistance (ISR) is an international anti-capitalist youth organisation with groups in many different countries.
Initiated by the Socialist Party, ISR is a democratic, broad organisation fighting for a socialist alternative to capitalism.
For more details write to: ISR, PO Box 858, London, E11 1YG. Tel: 020 8558 7947. Email: againstcapitalism@hotmail.com
Website: www.anticapitalism.org.uk
Socialist Students
Socialist Students campaigns against tuition and top-up fees, for the restoration of a living grant and against the war and occupation of Iraq to name but a few.
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Anti-War demonstration 19 March 2005, photo Paul Mattsson |
The Socialist Party always opposed the invasion of Iraq, and has consistently called for the withdrawal of troops. We are part of the Stop the war coalition.
Socialist Party National Health Service campaigns
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Calling for a national demonstration in 2006, photo Paul Mattsson |
We are fighting to stop hospital closures in every area of the country and the privatisation of the health service through the Private Finance Initiative. Visit our NHS page.
The Socialist carries many reports on healthworkers fighting low pay and privatisation, some led by Socialist Party members, such as at Whipps Cross.
Visit our workplace and trade union campaigns page
Building the left inside the trade unions: Socialist Party members are amongst the most determined fighters in workplaces and trade unions for decent wages and conditions.
We have been in the leadership of many disputes and strikes and are always on hand to offer support and advice based on past experience, and to help develop struggles and solidarity from other workers. We have won representation on a number of union executives.
The Socialist consistently reports on the developments in the trade union movement and battles for example against low pay and privatisation.
The environment
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Caution wet floor - flooding in the centre of Gloucester, photo Chris Moore |
Capitalism is literally destroying the planet. We are involved in many kinds of campaigns to stop this destruction. For example, we have assisted local residents in Sheffield in a successful campaign to get a toxic waste disposal centre closed.
The Press Officer of the campaign said of local Socialist Party members:
"[The Socialist Party] for the last two years stood side by side with us as we battled against this huge multinational…
[They] showed us how to protest, how to sustain it over all the time of the campaign…Now our campaign has become a blue print to what can be achieved by ordinary people against these big chemical companies."
Black and Asian group
Click here to visit our Black and Asian group pages. Our group is in the process of producing a new pamphlet, and we previously produced two issues of:
Read Nidal Eshteraki - Socialist Struggle
Down with the U$ Empire: Since the end of the Gulf War eleven years ago the Iraqi people's suffering has intensified beyond endurance. More ...
Elections
Visit our elections pages
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Jackie Grunsell, GP and councuillor, speaks at a Save Huddersfield NHS demonstration, photo Huddersfield SP |
Socialist Party member Dr Jackie Grunsell, standing as a Save Huddersfield's NHS candidate, received 2,176 votes, a majority of over 700, on a turnout of over 49%.
We've won elections in Coventry, London and Huddersfield, and currently have seven Socialist Party councillors. Between 1983 and 1992 our three socialist MPs -- Dave Nellist, Terry Fields and Pat Wall -- lived on the average wage of the workers in their areas and not the inflated salaries of Parliament.
As the Socialist Party grows we will get many more candidates elected. Any Socialist Party member elected will only accept the average wage of the workers they represent, so that they remain in touch with the working class communities they represent.
Stopping housing privatisation
Across the country we are involved in campaigns against housing cuts and privatisation of council housing.
In Lewisham, London, our first London Socialist Party councillor led a campaign, along with local tenants, to convince the community not to vote for privatisation.
Despite the New Labour council spending a fortune – they sent a video to every home – the campaign was successful -- and we won a second councillor in Lewisham!
Socialist Women
Socialist Women holds national, regional and local meetings to discuss issues of concern to women.
Fighting for Women - Rights and Socialism
Campaign Against Domestic Violence (CADV)
We took the initiative to set up the CADV as a broad-based organisation, and have continued to play an important role in developing it.
The CADV now has the support of 5 trade unions and hundreds of other groups. CADV website
Socialist Party Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Group
Fighting racism
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YRE logo |
We took the initiative to set up Youth against Racism in Europe (YRE). Involving thousands of young people, it co-organised a demonstration of 50,000 to demand the closure of the Nazi BNP's HQ.
When the Nazi nail bomber struck in London we initiated demos in Tower Hamlets and Brixton and participated in action in Soho. The Socialist Party works both independently and with other groups to fight racism, prejudice and discrimination.
Would you like to find out more about the Socialist Party? Why not Contact or Join the Socialist Party?
