Some thoughts from the Scottish Socialist Party

Remarks ahead of 'Convention of the Left' recall conference on November 29th

by Colin Fox, SSP National Spokesman, 20/10/08

 

Introduction

 

The SSP is proud to have participated in the September 2008 'Convention of the Left' in Manchester. We congratulate all those who worked so hard to organise it. The belief that the Left in the UK could and should come together to develop greater understanding and cohesion was entirely vindicated by its success.

 

We feel some important progress has been made in developing greater respect and trust on the left and we see this as a necessary prerequisite for rebuilding the socialist movement in Britain as a coherent and effective force once again.

 

The subsequent capitalist financial collapse has certainly put into sharp focus the economic and political crisis on the right. But the collapse of the financial markets and the disorientation of their political classes at this time also poses huge challenges for the left and provides many opportunities to put over our alternative socialist case, yet collectively we are punching 'below our weight'.

 

Like others the SSP also accepts the Convention has a long way to go yet if it is to re-establish the strength of the collective left and achieve the political and policy objectives we hope to see implemented in the long run. It is disappointing that two important groups on the left, the Socialist Workers Party and the Socialist Party of England and Wales, appear less than enamoured at the emergence of the Convention, perhaps they feel threatened. We certainly don't, in fact we feel rather more optimistic about the Convention's prospects in making important headway towards its goals as long as it continues to work within a democratic and pluralist template.

 

The attendance of several Labour MPs and Labour delegates at Manchester was important. As we understand it Labour Party members made up the largest single political contingent over the week. It remains to be seen whether this reflects a desire for greater engagement by them with the non Labour left or simply a reflection of the Conventions proximity to the LP Conference itself. Either way it remains clear to us that working towards an effective left realignment must include engagement with the existing Labour left. For our part, the SSP took the opportunity to make closer contact with John McDonnell and the Labour left at this level.   

 

We welcomed, as others did, the statement of intent as an important first step towards greater political cohesion and unity. We also welcomed the joint initiative on energy bills and fuel poverty. We believe this could become the first of many such initiatives. Perhaps another area we could just as easily link up on is in combating privatization and putting the popular economic and social case for public ownership. There are bound to be many other issues fundamental to us that we can use to tap into the wide scale opposition that exists towards neo-liberalism. This is especially so, it seems to us, with the change in consciousness following the recent collapse of the financial markets worldwide.

 

We felt the website was and remains an excellent resource, well designed and easily accessible. We particularly enjoyed the leaflets that were easily understandable and to the point. We received them quite early so were able to distribute them widely.

 

Ideas for Recall Conference - November 29^th

We look forward to the 29th of November follow-up event as an opportunity to continue the process of dialogue and developing closer relationships between the different Left groups.I have some specific ideas to offer for the recall meetings consideration;

 

- I believe Manchester was a successful first step and we would certainly welcome it as an annual event.

 

-That future Conventions of the Left shadowing Labour Party Conference might be complemented by one which takes place alongside the TUC Conference.

Many trade unionists are still tied to Labour because their unions are affiliated. It might be valuable to make closer contact with them when they gather in their thousands. Unions are crucial in building further meaningful Left unity in any campaign. The suggestion would be to continue working with the union leaders but also locally with the branch stewards and branches on specific campaigns.

 

- On local Conventions it may be best to move towards a Scottish Convention of the Left in the first instance for next year using the same all inclusive template as was used at Manchester.

 

 

Capitalism isn't working - What is our alternative?

The organisers of the Convention of The Left would like to invite you to a meeting next Tuesday :

Tuesday - October 21st at 7pm in the Friends Meeting House, Main Hall.

Following the success of the Convention in Manchester recently, this meeting will discuss the crisis of capitalism and develop our ideas for action in response to it. We have been clear all along that the wealth exists in society to pay for our essential needs - and now the way the Governments of the UK, EU and US have found this money at the drop of a hat proves what we have been saying. The trouble is that they want to use it to prop up capitalism - which will inevitably lead to the same results all over again. They are buying themselves out of their crisis, but letting the rest of us pay the price - with the added danger that recession will lead to another crisis - scapegoating, racism and the rise of the far right. We should be saying that the recession should not be blamed on the victims. The poor should not be punished for the crisis of capitalism. We must provide the alternative.

The meeting will be in three parts:

1) Discussion on the general political situation

2) What we want to do - what campaigns we want to start or work together in, whether we can put forward our own "programme" of action and see how the unity developed through the Convention of The Left can be taken forward in the Manchester area

3) Proposals for the Convention Recall Event on November 29th

You can download a leaflet at http://www.conventionoftheleft.org/resources/211008.pdf

a day in the life

 A DAY IN THE LIFE OF ONE OF THE ORGANISERS OF THE CONVENTION OF THE LEFT ALTERNATIVE CONFERENCE

 

I found the Convention stimulating and offering possibilities of an alternative way forward for the left to put socialism as a real alternative for the working class.

 

Then I went back to work and have been struggling intellectually to marry what at the moment feels like two lives.

 

 

I am a health visitor, my job is to advise and support parents in ensuring their children are healthy and developing normally.

 

Today I made 5 home visits and was confronted by people's day to day problems. First a mum with a new baby, she is 26 years old, has now 4 children under the age of 7 years. Her partner is a junkie, now on a methadone programme. His pattern is when he is using he gets himself arrested to get clean in prison. He comes out, back to her, stays on a programme, then starts using. Today she is upset because he has gone out with his dad. I think isnt this a positive thing, him having some support. No, because his dad is a junkie and that is what father and son do together.

 

Next visit to another mum, with four children, house nicely furnished, children well dressed. Ex partner has a drink problem, tried to strangle her while holding the one year old. He is on bail but continues to harass her. Plus his family harass her, saying they have a right to see the children. She is thousands of pounds in debt on store cards, rent and council tax arrears etc, and is ignoring all the demand letters that come through the post.

 

Next visit requested by grandmother on behalf of her daughter and 4 year old grand-daughter. They have been told by a friend of a friend from the area that the couple who have moved into the flat below are paedophiles and the daughter is demanding to be rehoused. Turns out on investigation by me that this couple were harassed in another part of the town and the same unfounded rumours are following them.

 

Nex visit mum with an 18 month old child needing some speech and language support. Main problem her ten year old is being racially harassed by her neighbours kids. She dare not call the police as this will turn more neighbours against her. She tried to talk to the parents and got abuse and dog shit through her letter box. The family causing the harassment have huge problems themselves and when they are hitting out there is respite from beating up on themselves.

 

Finally a mum with 2 young children seeking asylum, cannot speak English, no-one else in the area speaking the same language. I have access to interpreters and need to find ways of breaking down her isolation.

 

Back at the health centre a 17 year old mum with a 2 year old is waiting to ask me to refer her to the furniture station as she needs a bed for her 14 year old sister who is coming to live with her, as he mum is moving the rest of the family to Blackpool for a change and her sister does not want to go.

 

Phone calls waiting from Social Services doing welfare checks on families because of domestic violence.

 

Plus a call from a union member asking what their team can do to resist the reorganisation of their department which will result in downgrading and reduced numbers of staff.

 

These issues do not go away. They get worse and are the fabric and reality of life on a council estate. Issues of poverty, drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence, racism, isolation.

 

None of these problems are new but they are no concentrated within smaller areas because of lack of council housing stock across the borough. Plus the deliberate policy of isolating people seeking asylum and refugees from communities that could support them.

 

As a worker I am equipped with a box of sticking plaster and I go home somewhere else at night. This is not my reality, I feel I am part of the jigsaw in a social experiment of containment.

 

The primary schools in the area are well resourced. Provision of services for parents and young children are good. There is easy access to welfare rights, housing advice, drug and alcohol services, sexual health services. The local GPs are excellent and accessible. There are no secondary schools, pupils are shipped out to other areas on buses, a policy to avoid sink schools in the area. Public transport to the centre of town is good. There is a nice park, youth and community centre.

 

What is missing? Well, unemployment in the area is high, literacy levels are poor, teenage pregnancy rates are high. It is as though people dont know any better and do not want any better, as long as they feel someone is worse off than them. The cycle is hard to break for individuals and for the community. It becomes harder because more people with problems move into the area and people who can still raise their heads move out.

 

I am writing this background because as a socialist I think I should have a solution. I have an analysis about why this situation exists.

 

I know that the key is housing and employment.

 

But I also know that this can only be achieved by the organisation and aspiration of the working class.

 

Within this community there is no organisation or aspiration and with now a third generation of unemployed who now not only cannot work but will not work - the chances of change coming from within these communities diminish.

 

I myself am from what I consider Labour aristocracy, born and lived on a council estate, parents working in the steel industry, organised in trade unions. That is what I understand and within Britain it no longer exists.

 

The estate I work on is replicated throughout the country and as socialists what we need to inspire is self organisation and determination.

 

To my mind it is no use demanding of the government more housing, better services, better welfare provision - if this just leaves the people I work with with their hands out asking for more to be provided by someone else and the responsibility of someone else.

 

The leadership socialists should be providing is how to organise and demand democratic participation in achieving a community / society that people are committed to and responsible for.

 

I understand that we need the demands on government and the campaigns that may galvanise enough people to pressure the government for change and for people to experience some victories.

 

But the anti-war movement did not stop the war. The success of the anti-poll tax movement resulted in the council tax and New Labour.

 

As part of the debates on the Public Services Day at the Convention of The Left's alternative conference, we heard from the experience of socialists in Seville in Spain, who are developing participatory democratic models to democratise public service structures through education, which develops community members as public service citizens who are able to control services. This is in contrast to mobilising people as users of the service. This requires within communities a transformative process through teaching and spreading information.

 

Also we heard from Norway the experience of preventing the neo liberal global agenda of privatising public services, by organising a coalition of activists across trade unions and political parties.

 

And there were contributions from socialist academics on community regeneration projects and independent tenants organisations.

 

What I realised at the Convention is that amongst socialists we have a wealth of experience and knowledge but we do not stand still long enough to come together to develop long term strategies for community change. Maybe thats bgecause the attacks on the working class are so massive and immediate and that we are so much on the defensive that we barely have time and resources to mobilise in defence of what we have got.

 

But after a day in my life as a health visitor, noting special, not a special day, I can see that my other life as a socialist and political activist simply provides me with a big sticking plaster to put over all the little plasters I use in the day.

 

The current economic collapse of capitalism shows that the ruling class have bigger plasters at their disposal to ensure they maintain their wealth and position. Their plasters are made from the blood sweat and misery of the working class. What they are doing is obvious yet they manage to sell it as in the best interest of everyone. Somehow they are trying to convince people that they got into this mess not because of their short term greed but because they wanted everyone to share in the wealth they created for themselves. And now its gone wrong, well, they cannot be expected to give up their wealth, so they need to take back everything and anything that the working class has gained (even if this was based on debt).

 

I would like to finish this polemic with a way forward paragraph. But I am still where I started.

 

I see the problems every day and I know there is a socialist alternative and I am offering this as part of the debate started at the Convention and ask for contributions to develop a strategy for turning things round.

 

Questions:

- how to engage communities?

- what alternative economic policies are we offering which will guarantee socially useful jobs?

 

I plan to get together with others to look at housing and regeneration. This could provide a link into communities to develop ideas of democratic control and accountability within communities. Building houses with minimal carbon footprint will provide jobs.

 

It feels like a good plan, it should bring together community activists, academics, trade unionists, socialists, greens, campaigns.

 

This could be a session within the recall conference or an alternative economic way forward for regeneration of communities and public services.

 

What do you think?

 

 

Norma Turner 

Capitalism isn't working - We need an emergency progamme

by Peter Allen

Following the success of the Convention of The Left , and given the urgency of the moment, I think it is essential that we formulate a coherent response to the actual and growing crisis of capitalism. I think it should not be beyond the recall event on Nov 29th to produce a statement around which we could all unite. We might call it an emergency programme. If we are to achieve this though we need to start discussion and debate now, on this blog and elsewhere.

Emergency Programme

The capitalist system is in crisis and is reliant on financial handouts from the government. The financial deregulation that began in the mid seventies, with Labour in power, accelerated under Thatcher and Major, and continued under New Labour, has run it's brutal course.

If capitalism requires huge amounts of taxpayers money to bail it out then it is reasonable for taxpayers to make some demands of capitalism. There is an opportunity for socialists to get a hearing, and a responsibility for us to formulate a series of practical, reasonable and realisable set of proposals, which will try and tame the beast, and in doing so will help build a movement ultimately capable of killing it. The following is offered as a contribution to a debate about the nature of the programme we need to formulate.

Fuel Poverty

Reduction of gas and electricity prices to January 2008 prices and freezing prices at that level. Commitment to nationalise all utility companies (including water companies) during 2009 to enable proper planning of energy use to be achieved, removing the profit motive from this essential service and prioritising energy and water conservation measures and the replacement of fossil fuel burning with the use of renewables.

Housing Crisis

An immediate ban on all repossessions until measures are in place to allow homeowners to extend the terms of their mortgages, receive immediate help with mortgage costs in the event of unemployment or to have the option of becoming secure tenants of social landlords without the need to move out of their homes. Councils to be given immediate powers and sufficient resources to build,renovate or purchase sufficient homes for all their residents, working in conjunction with other registered social landlords. The right to housing to be recognised as a universal right, equivalent to the right to education and healthcare.

Unemployment Benefits

An immediate increase in the basic allowance paid to single people or couples who are unable to work due to sickness or caring responsibilities or are unable to find employment. This basic allowance should be increased to reflect increases in average earnings since 1997.

The above to be paid for by increased taxation of the wealthy and a reduction in military spending involving the immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.