Socialist start to generate a fight back at the industri• • • al as well as the political level. It gives new urgency to the Convention of the Trade Union left, initiated by the Socialist Alliance, to be held on February 7.
It also gives fresh impetus to the fight for the democratisation of the trade union political funds to address the crisis of labour representation, and to create an explicitly political alternative.
n his proposal George Galloway made
it clear, importantly, that he will not
I resign his Glasgow Kelvin Westminster seat (and fight a by-election) but continue as an independent MP for the present time and call for a vote for the Scottish Socialist Party in next year's elections. His speech also contained what could be seen as an initial political basis for a new coalition. He talked of:
"Uniting people opposed to globalisation and the growth of uncontrollable corporate power. Opposing the privatisation of our essential services, strategic industries, public utilities, and national assets which once belonged to our country but which have been sold off without any thought for the social consequences or the long term economic costs".
CND ON IRAQ KAR TOP "A movement which will take to the electoral battlefield against those who have hijacked the Labour Party and are flying it to destruction, turning it in fact into an antilabour party" ... .. •
He called for: "A coalition, a unity coalition, which rejects the idea of the division of our people, race against race, religion against religion, or on the basis of their personal lives. A coalition which opposes the Bush Blair axis and plans for endless war of Imperial conquest and occupation.
"A coalition which stands against the idea
page 4 of the scan
4 socal Unity of the Left The following is an edited excerpt from appeal for a new electoral coalition. It was given at an of 1500 people in sistance Winter 2003
A movement that unites people opposed to globalisation and the growth of uncontrollable corporate power, the privatisation of our essential services, strategic industries, public utilities, and national assets which once belonged to our country but which have been sold off without any thought for the social consequences or the long term economic costs.
A unity coalition which rejects the idea of the division of our people, race against to destruction, turning it, in fact, into an anti-labour party.
A coalition which will stand for election all over England and Wales and here in London in the European elections and the election to the Greater London Authority next June. These elections are amongst the few in this country conducted on a fair voting system, a proportional representation system which can properly reflect the feel ings of the country.