LOUISE NOUSRATPOUR hears the Left's plot to rally together an alternative to Labour.
Sunday September 21, 2008
The Morning Star
The aim of the Convention of the Left is to unite against a resurgent Tory Party and a growing BNP, filling the vacuum left by new Labour's abandoning of the working class.
With delegates from across the left debating issues of peace and socialism long abandoned by new Labour, the event is intended to offer a stark contrast to the official Labour conference taking place just down the road in Manchester.
That point was driven home by a banner on display after Saturday's 5,000-strong anti-war demonstration.
It bore two clear messages - one reading "war," with a blue arrow directing people to the Labour conference in the GMEX Centre, and the other saying "peace," with an arrow pointing to the convention hall in Friends Meeting House, where convention delegates joined a lively debate on practical policies to counter new Labour's agenda of war and neoliberalism.
Opening the session, event organiser John Nicholson said that the four-day convention was about "developing practical policies through discussions and contributions from all, not just a panel of the usual suspects."
He stressed that the aim was not to form yet another left party but to unite the movement around the big issues agreed by all.
As the global economy took a nosedive last week, the bourgeois media was nervously asking whether "the end of capitalism" was near.
But a Respect activist pointed out: "Capitalism will not collapse on its own accord because the state will always step in to rescue the system at the expense of the working class.
"We have to bring it down and this convention can be an important step towards that direction."
Indeed, only a few days ago, the US government effectively nationalised AIG for $85 billion in public money and Britain has pumped billions into the finance sector to bail out City gamblers.
While governments use taxpayers' cash to fund bankers' greed, the fat cats are busy sacking workers, cutting wages and slashing pensions lest the self-made crisis eat into their profits.
John McDonnell MP warned: "In my constituency in west London, unemployment is already rising, wages are being depressed, homelessness is at a crisis point and more and more refugees are being deported.
"Enough is enough. We have a historic opportunity to recreate the left and put progressive policies into practice."
Stop the War Coalition convener Lindsey German also said that, rather than debate "whether to create a new workers' party," the convention should focus on "practical solutions to help the working class defend itself against the economic crisis and imperialist wars."
Andy Smith of Permanent Revolution said that the convention must analyse the reasons why Respect collapsed "or we run the danger of repeating those mistakes."
One activist, only introduced as Tariq, said: "I've just come back from Pakistan, where bombs are going off all the time.
"It is the duty of the left in this country and internationally to unite, because we cannot have peace here when bombs are dropped on sleeping children elsewhere."
Green Party representative Derek Wall summed up the meeting with a quote from an anarchist song: "Even though we disagree, we have a common enemy and that is capitalism."
Leftwingers sign pledge to unite and fight back
by LOUISE NOUSRATPOUR in Manchester
Sunday September 21, 2008
Convention of the Left 2008: PROMINENT figures across the British left signed a historic "statement of intent" on Sunday vowing to work together to promote alternative strategies for an environmentally and socially just society.
The document, which was launched at the Convention of the Left, challenged "Labour's programme of warmongering, neoliberal privatisation and failure to tackle environmental destruction."
It admitted that "the left is weak and has been repeatedly forced on the defensive" but pledged to "start defining new ways of working" to co-ordinate a united fight for "peace, social and environmental justice, public ownership, workers' rights, civil liberties and equality."
The statement also resolved to hold a "recall event" in November to build on the work done in Manchester by seeking "agreement to ideas and demands emerging from the convention."
The long list of signatories to the document include socialist film-maker Ken Loach, Labour MP John McDonnell, Communist Party of Britain general secretary Rob Griffiths, Morning Star editor John Haylett, Derek Wall of the Green Party, Respect MP George Galloway, Socialist Worker editor Chris Bambery and Stop the War coalition convener Lindsey German, as well as figures from Permanent Revolution and Socialist Resistance.
The statement called for "the development of local left forums, where appropriate, in order to promote discussions and co-ordinate united action across the left, in an inclusive, participatory, pluralist, tolerant and democratic way."
The aim, it said, was to "encourage participation from below, not top-down platforms" in order to "join together in making policies, putting forward demands and campaigning in practice."
Sunday September 21, 2008
Convention of the Left 2008: PROMINENT figures across the British left signed a historic "statement of intent" on Sunday vowing to work together to promote alternative strategies for an environmentally and socially just society.
The document, which was launched at the Convention of the Left, challenged "Labour's programme of warmongering, neoliberal privatisation and failure to tackle environmental destruction."
It admitted that "the left is weak and has been repeatedly forced on the defensive" but pledged to "start defining new ways of working" to co-ordinate a united fight for "peace, social and environmental justice, public ownership, workers' rights, civil liberties and equality."
The statement also resolved to hold a "recall event" in November to build on the work done in Manchester by seeking "agreement to ideas and demands emerging from the convention."
The long list of signatories to the document include socialist film-maker Ken Loach, Labour MP John McDonnell, Communist Party of Britain general secretary Rob Griffiths, Morning Star editor John Haylett, Derek Wall of the Green Party, Respect MP George Galloway, Socialist Worker editor Chris Bambery and Stop the War coalition convener Lindsey German, as well as figures from Permanent Revolution and Socialist Resistance.
The statement called for "the development of local left forums, where appropriate, in order to promote discussions and co-ordinate united action across the left, in an inclusive, participatory, pluralist, tolerant and democratic way."
The aim, it said, was to "encourage participation from below, not top-down platforms" in order to "join together in making policies, putting forward demands and campaigning in practice."
'This is a time to show we have answers'
by LOUISE NOUSRATPOUR in Manchester
Sunday September 21, 2008
The Morning Star
Convention of the Left 2008:THE left launched an alternative conference to new Labour on Saturday in a bid to unite the movement to challenge the government's programme of "wars and privatisation."
A stone's throw from the Labour conference in Manchester, the Convention of the Left brought together a broad range of politicians and activists to plan the "rebirth" of the movement in the face of economic crisis.
Labour MP John McDonnell said that Labour's event was already degenerating into a debate about personalities, with fresh infighting between Blairites and Brownites.
"Large numbers of people who consider themselves socialists have been turned off by new Labour and it is important to regroup," he stressed.
"This is not about a new political party, but I hope it will lead to the rebirth of the left."
Delegates inside Labour's ring of steel called for "discipline and unity" to secure a fourth term in power.
In contrast, the convention stressed the need to offer solutions to people's real concerns.
Veteran socialist Tony Benn said: "This is not a time for sectarian squabbles or talking about what we think of individual ministers. It is a time to show there are answers.
"We must regain our confidence and give people reassurance that the heart of the left is here, thinking about their jobs, homes, public services and peace."
Derek Wall of the Green Party called Prime Minister Gordon Brown a "living political corpse" with no solutions to the economic and environmental crisis.
All the British economy now does "is swap debt and fund capitalism and that is now all going wrong," he stormed.
"The left must come together and put forward a programme of democratising the economy, articulating practical social policies and bring concrete change."
Respect's Clive Searle urged the left to "get its act together quickly, to show that there is a credible alternative to the failed free-market mantras of both Brown and Cameron."
The convention is scheduled to coincide with the Labour conference, beginning on Saturday and ending on Wednesday.
Sunday September 21, 2008
The Morning Star
Convention of the Left 2008:THE left launched an alternative conference to new Labour on Saturday in a bid to unite the movement to challenge the government's programme of "wars and privatisation."
A stone's throw from the Labour conference in Manchester, the Convention of the Left brought together a broad range of politicians and activists to plan the "rebirth" of the movement in the face of economic crisis.
Labour MP John McDonnell said that Labour's event was already degenerating into a debate about personalities, with fresh infighting between Blairites and Brownites.
"Large numbers of people who consider themselves socialists have been turned off by new Labour and it is important to regroup," he stressed.
"This is not about a new political party, but I hope it will lead to the rebirth of the left."
Delegates inside Labour's ring of steel called for "discipline and unity" to secure a fourth term in power.
In contrast, the convention stressed the need to offer solutions to people's real concerns.
Veteran socialist Tony Benn said: "This is not a time for sectarian squabbles or talking about what we think of individual ministers. It is a time to show there are answers.
"We must regain our confidence and give people reassurance that the heart of the left is here, thinking about their jobs, homes, public services and peace."
Derek Wall of the Green Party called Prime Minister Gordon Brown a "living political corpse" with no solutions to the economic and environmental crisis.
All the British economy now does "is swap debt and fund capitalism and that is now all going wrong," he stormed.
"The left must come together and put forward a programme of democratising the economy, articulating practical social policies and bring concrete change."
Respect's Clive Searle urged the left to "get its act together quickly, to show that there is a credible alternative to the failed free-market mantras of both Brown and Cameron."
The convention is scheduled to coincide with the Labour conference, beginning on Saturday and ending on Wednesday.
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