End the Tory Nightmare!
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Pete Firmin for Socialist Outlook Pete Firmin for Cocialict Outlonk The Tories have spent the last 18 years launching massive attacks on the working class. They have wreaked havoc on the trade unions, taking on and defeating section after section of workers, taking advantage of the weakness of the union leaders. They have privatised and contracted out the public sector to the benefit of their fat cat friends and the detriment of services, working conditions and jobs. They have undermined the National Health Service, education and every other part of the welfare state. They have grossly increased poverty, homelessness and used unemployment as a deliberate weapon to discipline workers. They have weakened workers' ability to resist all these by introducing eight packages of anti-trade union legislation stripping away almost every right which previously existed and making a legal fightback almost impossible. And they plan more of the same - total privatisation of pensions and the London Underground system, and further curbs on the right to strike. It has to be time to end the Tory nightmare.
The vast majority of workers recognise that the Tories represent the open class interests of the bosses and want to see them out. They will do that by voting Labour and hope that Labour will be at least a little better. They are crying out for a government which tackles unemployment and the deterioration of the welfare state. Socialist Outlook knows that a Labour government led by Blair will not do any of these things of its own free A modest increase in worker militancy has occurred in the form of the long running Dockers Strike, the Magnet Strike and Hillingdon hospital dispute, along with action across the public sector such as in the Post Office, on the London Underground, in Higher Education and in the Civil Service. There is now a concerted effort to unite these developments in worker combatitivity on the issue of how to fight Labour's austerity programme. One such initiative is the national March for Social Justice on 12th April which has been called by the Dockers Support Committee in London and the accompanying Peoples Charter for Social Justice.' This demonstration also heralds the start of the British leg of the European Marches Against Unempoyment which is backed by many trades unions across Britain.
The Peoples Charter and the European Marches Against Unemploywill, but it has never been more important that a Labour government is elected, despite the extent to which Blair has taken it to the right. A fifth Tory term would create widespread despair while a Labour victory would create higher expectations and new conditions for a fightback.
If elected, Labour leader Tony Blair would immediately face hard choices, such
SBTID00 DEINOD 1205 ment are important ways of uniting workers and the oppressed in a struggle to fight Labour in government and for defence of the welfare state. It is crucial that they become a focus for working class activity in the weeks before the election. * The People's Charter for Social Justice was drawn up by 500 sacked Liverpool Dockers and their partners' group Women of the Waterfront. It will be launched in London on Saturday 12th April. The Charter includes 10 demands for Social Justice, including • the immediate reinstatement with full trade union rights of the 500 Liverpool dockers, the Magnet strikers, the Hillingdon hospital strikers and all other unjustly sacked workers • full trade union rights and the repeal of all anti-union legislation • the right to work • democratic planning to secure full employment • equal pay for work of equal value • repeal of the Criminal Justice Act • defence of the welfare state • abolition of the Job Seekers Allowance • the right to a home (including emergency measures to house the homeless • repeal of all discriminatory legislation on race, gender, and sexuality • abolition of the un-elected House of Lords • emergency action on the environment • abolition of both the nuclear power and nuclear weapon industry.
as whether to go into the single currency. A as wiener to go into the single currency. A Labour government is committed to building on the Tories' achievements for British capitalism. Gordon Brown, due to be Chancellor if Labour takes government, is committed to carrying out the limits on public spending set out by the Tories, including the limit on public sector pay increases. Labour will continue with much of the Tory programme, its anti-union laws, its attacks on the welfare state, no reversal of privatisations. Even where Labour is committed to better policies, like the statutory national minimum wage, it will take a fight to ensure that it is implemented, and at a level which significantly improves the living standards of the lowest paid.
Whether we like it or not, the vast majority of class conscious workers will vote Labour in the general election (unfortunately, a significant minority will vote Tory or Liberal Democrat). Those who doubt that this is a "class against class" election should consider what the effect of the election of the Tories for another term would be on the morale of militants. Labour not winning the election would be seen as an endorsement of the Tories, who would feel they could continue their attacks on the working class with impunity, and whole layers of the working class would feel they had no defence against these attacks. The modest increase in struggle in the last year in the expectation that the Tories are on their way out would be set back to a considerable extent.
While it is the case that Blair has moved Labour's programme considerably further to Labour's prooramme considerahly further to the right than ever before, the basic nature of the Labour Party has not changed. Despite Blair's worst intentions, the affiliation of the trade unions means the Labour Party is in essence a workers party, even though it has always had a pro-capitalist programme.
We would take issue with those socialists who believe that what is necessary in order to break the working class from its support for Blair is to simply denounce Labour and stand candidates critical of New Labour. While that might make us feel good and attract a small layer who totally reject New Labour, it will have little effect on the vast majority who will see such candidacies as marginal to the central question in the election. That is what happened when they stood in the Hemsworth, Barnsley East and Wirral South byeelections. Far more productive and likely to gain a hearing in most areas is for socialists to link a call for a Labour vote with both a critique of Labour's policies and building struggles which place demands on Labour around key policies and fights to force a Labour government to carry them out. Workers who, despite all the evidence, expect Labour to deliver something, will relate to that much more than simple
April 1997 #287 5
A new mood on the left
A new mood on the left
Radical left candidates Socialist Campaign Group
This 28 member group of MPs includes Tony Benn, Ken Livingstone, Alan Simpson, Dennis Skinner and even front bench spokesperson Dawn Primarolo. In practice this group does little outside of parliament, It has distanced itself from the Campaign Group Supporters Network which was originally set up in its image. The Campaign Group is sometimes a useful platform for struggle. But the Group fails to unite or lead the struggles in the wider workers movement. A monthly paper is produced but not very widely sold. The Campaign Group is currently focusing on the need to avoid a coalition with the (Centre) Liberal Democrats. A few parliamentary candidates are potential new Campaign Group members, but, like the current Campaign Group MPs, they are generally "keeping their heads down" Socialist Alliances
Also to the left of Labour, Socialist Alliance groups are based on established networks of class struggle fighters in Scotland, Manchester and Kent. At least 14 candidates are likely to stand, mainly in Scotland and including Tommy Sheridan in Glasgow. The Scottish Socialist Alliance (SSA) is the strongest. It has broad support from the trade union and social movements, and produces a monthly journal, Red Socialist Party
As Militant Labour, it campaigned for an open, pluralist basis for the SLP, but was denied access to the new part. It then renamed itself as the Socialist Party, to become the party it wanted the SLP to be.
The SP supports the European Marches Against Unemployment. Their weekly newspaper is now called The Socialist. Scottish SP supporters are in the Scottish Socialist Alliance. * Socialist Labour Party
Formed by miners union leader Arthur Scargill. The party also has the support of many members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union's national executive committee. The SLP has around 5,000 members, and won 5.4% in the vote in the former mining area of Hemsworth. It publishes Socialist." Criticised for being too 'anti-Labour' rather than positive in its propaganda, the SLP needs to be drawn into broader struggles during the election campaign and beyond. * Note 1. Not to be confused with the (minuscule) Socialist Party of Great Britain.
International Viewpoint denunciation of Labour.
By and large, the job of creating an alternative to New Labour with serious support is ahead of us. There are very few places where candidates to the Left of Labour in the election represent serious forces. Whilst calling for an overall vote for Labour we would support some of the most credible and well-placed candidates of the left parties and organisations. We support Dave Nellist in Coventry (standing for the Socialist Party (ex-Militant Labour)), Tommy Sheridan in Glasgow (Socialist Party/Scottish Socialist Alliance) and Arthur Scargill standing in Newport East for the Socialist Labour Party. Although these organisations are different, and the SLP problematic in the way it was established and has functioned since, this is a recognition both of the base of support these individuals have in the workers' movement and of the importance of the forces developing to the Left of the Labour Party. The SSA comes out of the radical political situation in Scotland, and the SLP emerges from the rightward march of Blairism.
If Labour wins the election. we can expect conflict between the government and those who elected it expecting Labour to be
Portugal Abortion: our rights po In February the Portuguese Parliament rejected, by one vote, a proposal to make abortion on demand legal until the 12th week of pregnancy.!
Abortion is only legally possible in cases of rape (up to 12 weeks), where the mother's life is in danger, or there is a danger of severe handicap to the baby (up to 24 weeks).2
Once again, womens right to choose has been denied, in a country where at least 16,000 illegal abortions are performed every year, and where abortion complications are the second largest cause of death for women of childbearing age.
All but three of the MPs from Portugal's right-wing parties voted against the liberalisation. They were joined by 14 MPs from the ruling Socialist Party, led by Prime Minister António Guterres, a member of the Catholic fundamentalist society Opus Dei.
The Catholic Church campaigned against liberalisation, but, unlike previous parliamentary debates on abortion, 3 did not run massive mobilisations of its supporters in the streets.
Their main weapon was their influence in the government, probably greater than at any time since the fascist dictatorship was overturned in 1974.
The Socialist Party has an identity crisis. On the one hand the Prime
Minister, on the other, a "historic" wing, which defends the anti-clerical tradition (but is influenced by free-masonry!).
better than the Tories. Brown's commitment to keeping down public sector pay will not go down well with those workers who have already experienced several years of pay restraint from the Tories. Blair's desire to prevent the trade unions having any real say in Labour Party policy is already causing upset, and is likely to be one of the major issues of debate at this year's trade union conferences.
Not only will the election of a Labour government lift the air of gloom over the working class, it will also release the class from the arguments of their union leaders over the last decade that any struggle would damage the chances of a Labour victory. It will begin to show the limitations of Labour in government and allow socialists the scope to put forward alternative policies to a much wider audience than has been possible in the recent past. Although Blair can expect a certain "honeymoon" period while he is given the benefit of the doubt, struggles will develop against a Labour government from those expecting it to reverse the actions of the Tories. Those who rule out support for Labour in the election rule out, or refuse to relate, to such crucial developments. * istponed again
Once again, the absence of a real women's movement in Portugal made itself sorely felt. Feminism has never had a strong presence here, but in 1979 the small women's movement launched the dynamic National Campaign for Abortion and Contraception. This provoked a real, broad debate in society. One taboo was broken when over 2,000 women signed a petition declaring that they had each had at least one illegal abortion.