Building on our election successes

Socialist Party National Committee report

Building on our election successes

FRANCE, GERMANY, Italy… no not the World Cup finals but Europe
in revolt against neo-liberal policies – this was the inspiring final
discussion at the Socialist Party (SP) national committee meeting on
13-15 May.

Alistair Tice, Sheffield

Lynn Walsh described how French workers and students, in eight
weeks of protest and five days of action, had defeated the right-wing
government’s youth (un)employment law and dealt a devastating blow to
neo-liberal policies.

Tanja Neimeier gave a first-hand account of political developments
in Germany, where a new Left organisation, the WASG, has emerged out
of struggles against Blairite attacks on wages and conditions and
public services. The Sozialistiche Alternative Voran (SAV), the
German section of the Committee for a Workers’ International, is
playing a key role in opposing these attacks, particularly in Berlin
where a coalition of the SPD and the Linkspartei are carrying them
out. (See pages 4,6 and 7)

The question posed in the discussion was will these events happen
in Britain. Well, they did in 1926 during the nine days of the
General Strike – the 80th anniversary is this month. Peter Taaffe’s
new book, 1926 General Strike – workers taste power, will prepare
active trade unionists and a new generation of young workers for such
future struggles.

The beginnings of this process are indicated by the recent local
election results. Peter explained that New Labour is in meltdown.
Blair is finished, Brown is fundamentally no different. In the
absence of an alternative, the Tories could make a comeback; the
far-right BNP have also made gains.

However, the potential for a new workers’ party is shown by the
SP’s election successes, which featured prominently in the discussion
on building the SP.

Lois Austin highlighted SP member Jackie Grunsell’s sensational
victory for the NHS campaign in Huddersfield, along with the election
of Rob Windsor in Coventry and the re-election of Ian Page and Chris
Flood in Lewisham. These campaigns show how a working-class approach,
uniting all sections of the community in a fight-back, can cut across
racism and push back the BNP.

There was also discussion about how to advance the numerous
campaigns erupting against NHS cuts. Jackie’s election, the Big Demo
in Stoke against NHS cuts and the resolution for action passed at the
Unison Health conference show the effect SP members can have. All
branches should be campaigning on the NHS crisis, which is affecting
every area of the country.

Ken Smith outlined the progress made by the Campaign for a New
Workers’ Party (CNWP), initiated by the SP last November. The launch
conference in March attracted around 420 delegates and 1,800 have
signed the declaration so far. Fringe meetings at the trade union
conferences are attracting new supporters and a series of public
meetings are planned to build up the campaign in local areas. The
officers and steering committee meet this weekend to draw up further
plans.

The NC meeting reflected the seemingly non-stop activity SP
members have been involved in for the last nine months. It therefore
is even more vital that we see all all the people who have expressed
an interest in joining the SP during our election and community
campaigns, visits to the picket lines and the CNWP. New targets were
agreed to prioritise increasing our membership over the next two
months.

It is amongst young people that we are still most likely to find
those looking for an alternative to war, poverty, environmental
destruction and ultimately capitalism itself said Sarah
Sachs-Eldridge, introducing the youth discussion.

Radicalised by the effects of globalisation and war, a growing
number of young people have turned to the ideas of genuine socialism.
This was graphically demonstrated in the session itself, in which
many young members spoke as visitors to the NC.

It was agreed that we need to emulate the success of Socialist
Students in the universities (societies now exist in 36 universities)
amongst wider layers of young people. The socialist youth
organisation, International Socialist Resistance (ISR) has achieved a
reputation through mobilising on anti-war and G8 protests.

A thought-provoking debate, with 30 contributions, centred on how
ISR can attract more young people to socialist ideas and the party.
Frankie from Bury St. Edmonds reported that she had been told: "ISR
is better known than the principal" at her college.

The principal at a Southampton college also thought so when he
dragged three ISR members out of their class to interrogate them for
putting up anti-cuts posters!

We need to make ISR that well known everywhere. Campaigning
against the BNP, low pay, academies etc – we’re confident that our
young members will do just that!