THE
DEMOCRACY PLATFORM OF THE SOCIALIST ALLIANCE
INTRODUCTION
The Socialist Alliance
grew out of attempts to unite the socialist movement against
New Labour’s ideas and policies. The SA brought together
a broad range of socialist organizations and individuals and
united them into a national organization around a common programme
and a democratic constitution. We stood 98 candidates in the
2001 general election on the basis of independent working
class political representation.
Since the election,
the Labour government’s attack on the firefighters,
the extension of privatisation, the illegal war against Iraq,
and its support for the neo-conservative Bush Administration,
makes the case for an independent working class party. The
political vacuum to the left of the Labour Party must be filled
by socialists working together to build a workers party, which
is serious about winning political power. An electoral alliance
of autonomous socialist organizations and individuals does
not measure up to the needs of the situation.
The actions of the
SWP in the Bedfordshire and Birmingham Socialist Alliances,
as well as the relationship of the SA to the proposed “Popular
Coalition”, call into question the commitment of the
SA leadership to our programme and constitution. These experiences
have raised a question mark in the minds of many SA members
about the importance of democracy in the founding principles
of the Socialist Alliance.
We believe the
struggle for democracy is an integral part of the struggle
for socialism. The defence and extension of democracy in the
Socialist Alliance, in the working class movement, in Britain
and the rest of the world, is of fundamental importance in
advancing the interests of the working class. To advance these
objectives, we need the democratic organisation of socialists
and militant workers into a party, as exemplified by the Scottish
Socialist Party and Rifondazione Comunista in Italy. We intend
to organise platform supporters at local, regional level and
national level on the basis of the following policies.
Campaigning for ‘PEOPLE
BEFORE PROFIT’
In the struggle for
independent working class representation we will campaign
to win the socialist and trade union movement to the policies
outlined in “People before Profit”. We will put
these policies at the centre of relationship to other campaigns,
political organisations and alliances.
Campaigning for democracy
inside SA
We will campaign for
democracy in the Alliance around the principles of inclusivity,
openness, transparency, accountability, a sovereign conference,
democratic and accountable local branches, unity in action
and the Charter of Members Rights. We are against the expulsion
of Danny Thompson and Jane Clarke, and against any similar
measures against political minorities. We are for democratic
control and accountability over the negotiations being carried
out by officers of the Socialist Alliance with prospective
electoral bloc partners.
Campaigning for a workers
party
We will put
campaigning for a new workers’ party at the centre of
the work of the Alliance. We will advocate and propagandise
in the labour movement for the principle of independent working-class
representation. We will campaign for the Socialist Alliance
to publish a weekly political paper. We will seek to maintain
comradely relations of discussion, debate, and collaboration
where we have agreement, with other groupings in and outside
the Alliance. In the interim we will seek to publish a regular
discussion bulletin.
Attitude to the Popular
Coalition
The Democratic Platform
fully supports the efforts of the Stop the War Coalition (SWC)
to mobilize opposition to the war and continued occupations
of Iraq. We recognize that political divisions within the
SA have undermined our ability to intervene in the movement
and win anti-war workers to the SA programme and the need
for a workers party.
The Socialist Alliance
Task Group is currently discussing the proposal from George
Galloway, George Monbiot and Salma Yacoob, for a “popular
coalition” arising from the campaign of the Stop the
War Coalition and involving socialist parties, anti-globalisation
campaigners, peace activists and faith groups to join this
coalition.
We do not rule out,
in advance, alliances, whether temporary or strategic, with
petty bourgeois democrats. But any proposals must be considered
concretely and judged in respect of the struggle to advance
our programme “People before Profit”. In any such
united front alliances, we will defend the independence of
the SA and engage in open struggle for our programme.
We are aware that
broader coalitions pose dangers as well as opportunities for
the socialist and working class movement. The main danger
facing the SA is that it dissolves or liquidates into the
popular coalition. We are against any attempt to dissolve
or liquidate the Alliance and its programme into a liberal
or non-socialist electoral coalition.
We will campaign
in particular for democratic control and accountability over
the negotiations being carried out by officers of the Socialist
Alliance with prospective electoral bloc partners. If the
SA leadership fails to fight for our full programme and compromises
the independence of the SA, we will campaign against them.
Proposed changes to the
SA constitution and programme
We give notice that
at any SA conference in 2004 we will propose changes to the
SA constitution –
1. Establish an editorial
board to produce a regular national weekly SA newspaper
2. Adopt the aim of a workers party as one of the prime objectives
of the SA
3. Adopt a structure that encourages affiliation and representation
of affiliated organizations
4. Adopt a system of proportional representation for the elections
to all committees and representative bodies
5. Members have a right to expect that decisions and recommendations
of the Appeals Committee are made within an agreed time limit.
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