Press release: 23 February, 2004
Contact: Hannah Sell: 020 8988 8777
Socialist / Green general election challenge launched
On Saturday 26 February, at 1.45 pm at the University of London Union, a coalition of socialist organisations and trade unionists will be coming together to launch a joint campaign against Blair in the looming general election.
The coalition, which will be contesting up to 30 seats, will put forward a socialist/green alternative to the right-wing policies of privatisation, war and environmental destruction offered by both the major parties and the Liberal Democrats too.
Dave Nellist, the former Labour MP and now leader of the Socialist Party group on Coventry city council, explained:
“We are standing to give voters a chance to elect candidates who will represent the millions not millionaires.
We believe that the New Labour party of Blair and Brown has deprived the working class of political representation, and we want to restore a workers’ voice in politics.
We believe MPs should earn the average wage of a skilled worker and we are standing to give voters a chance to elect representatives who will not profit personally from election.”
A joint policy declaration has been agreed between the participating organisations, including the following key issues:
- A stop to, and reversal of, privatisation
- Immediate re-nationalisation of the railways
- A fully funded NHS, free to all at the point of need, with an end to privatisation and cuts.
- Universal state pensions linked to the higher of prices and earnings, with its value restored accordingly.
- A fully funded comprehensive education system.
- The abolition of all student tuition fees – free, high quality education for all.
- Troops out of Iraq. End the occupation. No more wars for oil. Support Iraqi workers in their struggles to build and defend independent trade unions and working class political representation.
- Defend the right to asylum, and asylum seekers’ rights.
- Urgent action to combat global warming and catastrophic worldwide climate change.
Socialist Green Unity Coalition Manifesto:
Socialist Green Unity Coalition
The Socialist Party is part of the Socialist Green Unity Coalition. Below we publish the Joint Policy Declaration agreed by the Socialist Party, Alliance for Green Socialism, Alliance for Workers Liberty, Socialist Alliance Democracy Platform, and the Socialist Unity Network
Joint Policy declaration
IN THE looming general election a joint campaign against Blair is being mounted by five left parties and some independent socialists. These will put forward an alternative to the right-wing policies of privatisation, war and environmental destruction offered by both the major parties and the Liberal Democrats too.
We believe that the New Labour party of Blair and Brown has deprived the working class of political representation, and we want to restore a workers’ voice in politics. We believe MPs should earn the average wage of a skilled worker and we are standing to give voters a chance to elect representatives who will not profit personally from election.
We are socialists. We believe that there is a fundamental contradiction between the needs of capital in an exploitative, profit-driven system, and the needs of the large majority of human beings here and throughout the world. We stand for a thoroughgoing restructuring of the economy and society as a whole, based on common ownership under democratic working class control of the major concentrations of productive wealth.
We are green socialists. We want integrated, expanded and publicly-owned and run transport services, and a planned conversion of the energy industries to sustainable technologies. These are just the first steps needed to stop capitalist greed destroying the world in which we live through global warming and environmental destruction.
This joint election campaign includes individuals and parties who each have our own programme and policies corresponding to the differing perspectives we have on how socialist and environmental change can best be achieved. But all our candidates will campaign for:
AN END TO PRIVATISATION
Public services
All public services should be publicly owned and democratically controlled. There is no place for private finance, control or management in public services.
Stop privatisation
Stop and reverse privatisation, including covert privatisation by schemes like the so-called “Private Finance Initiative” and “Public Private Partnership”.
Public utilities
Privatised public utilities should be returned to public ownership. End the exploitation of the utilities and communications industries by big business profiteers; bring them back into public ownership and under democratic control.
Public railways
Renationalise the railways immediately.
Public ownership
Common ownership of the major concentrations of productive wealth.
EXTEND THE WELFARE STATE TO END POVERTY
Progressive taxation
Reverse Thatcher’s and Blair’s huge tax cuts for the rich and corporations.
No means testing
No means testing of rights and benefits.
No poverty
Raise the income or benefits of every child and adult above the poverty line.
Free care
Free residential and nursing care for the elderly and disabled.
Increased pensions
Universal state pensions linked to the higher of prices and earnings with its value restored accordingly.
EMPLOYMENT
Right to work
Give everyone the opportunity to work and a fair income as the main aim of economic policy.
Minimum wage
We support the TUC demand for a minimum wage level of half median male full-time earnings, with no exemptions, as a first step.
35 hour week
Cut the working week to 35 hours and expand public services, so as to ensure the right of every worker to a decent job.
Trade union recognition
Establish workers’ rights to join a trade union and have their union recognised.
Right to strike
The right, for all employees, to take strike and solidarity action without legal intimidation.
Employment rights
Full employment rights for all employees from the first day of employment.
Repeal anti-TU laws
Repeal the anti trade union laws.
DEMOCRACY
Proportional representation
Use proportional representation in all elections.
Local government
Restoration of powers and funding to democratically elected local government.
Abolition of the monarchy
Abolish the monarchy and the House of Lords.
MPs wage
We believe MPS should earn the average wage of a skilled worker and we are standing to give voters a chance to elect MPs who will not profit personally from election.
HUMAN RIGHTS
Civil Liberties
We are opposed to civil liberties being trashed in the name of the “war on terror”.
No ID cards
No compulsory national ID cards.
Trial by jury
Keep the existing right to trial by jury; no judge-only courts.
End internment
End the abhorrent practice of imprisoning people without trial.
Women’s rights
Full equal rights and opportunities for women including effective equal pay and women’s right to control of their own bodies, including the right to choose.
No compromise on equality
Positive action to oppose racism – including racist attacks and institutional racism – sexism, homophobia and all forms of unjust discrimination.
Right to asylum
Defend the right to asylum and asylum seekers’ rights.
CLIMATE
Global warming
Make the prevention of global warming a top priority nationally and internationally, with immediate action to reduce fossil fuel use.
Aviation fuel
End the exemption from tax for aviation fuel, which causes huge global warming.
Species loss
Take and support action to stop the current large scale extinction of species.
POLLUTION
Polluter pays
Make corporate polluters pay for the immediate and long term effects of their pollution, including health costs.
Publicise pollution
Monitor local air, water and other pollution levels and publicise the results.
Integrated transport
Provide an integrated system of convenient, accessible, cheap, efficient public transport, publicly owned and run.
Recycling
Bring in mandatory targets for recycling for manufacturers, retailers and local authorities.
Sustainable energy
Planned conversion of the energy industries to sustainable technologies.
FOOD
Local food
Favour local food over food transported long distance, by means of planning and other law and the tax system.
Stop food mountains
Stop subsidising wasteful over-production in the UK and the European Union and stop harming third world producers by dumping subsidised food on their countries.
HEALTH
Free NHS
The National Health Service should be free to all at the point of need, and we will bring back free prescriptions, eye tests and dental treatment.
Public NHS
The National Health Service should be publicly provided and democratically controlled, with no privatisation.
Investment in health
Increased investment to help abolish waiting lists and dramatically improve mental and community health care.
No private health subsidy
No tax concessions or other state support for private hospitals or private health insurance
HOUSING
No housing privatisation
No more privatisation of housing, in any form including “arms length companies”.
Public housing
A mandate for local authorities to build good quality houses and flats for affordable rents, and central government funds for this.
EDUCATION
Free education
Education should be free, including higher education, with no student fees; replace loans by non-means-tested maintenance grants.
Public education
State education should be publicly provided.
Comprehensive education
All state education should be comprehensive, with no selection, providing equal education opportunities for all under democratic local control.
No league tables
Abolish league tables and the current excessive testing of children.
No private education subsidy
No tax concessions or other state support for private schools or private fees as a step towards the abolition of private education.
Secular education
State education should be secular, with no religious indoctrination in state schools.
PEACE
Troops out of Iraq
No to the occupation of Iraq.
No war for oil
Peace, not war for oil.
Palestine
Israeli withdrawal from the occupied territories.
Support Iraqi workers
Support Iraqi workers in their struggles to build and defend independent trade unions and working class political representation.
No nuclear weapons
Immediate and complete unilateral nuclear disarmament.
No weapons in space
Oppose US plans to put weapons in space and use it as a theatre of war, threatening earth.
Arms spending
Cut arms spending and use the money on public services.
Arms trade
End the arms trade.
LAW
Accountable police
Local democratic accountability of the police.
De-criminalise drugs
Education and treatment for drug abusers, not criminalisation that fuels crime.
INTERNATIONAL
No IMF bullying
Oppose the IMF forcing poor countries to adopt right wing economic policies like privatisation.
Cancel debt
Cancel all debt owed by poor countries.
For further information contact:
Clive Heemskerk, Socialist Party
020 8988 8773
Mike Davies, Alliance for Green Socialism
07811 384888
Pete Radcliffe, Alliance for Workers Liberty
Pete McLaren, Socialist Alliance Democracy Platform
Andy Newman, Socialist Unity Network
