parties and alliances emerging around the world, with revolutionary socialists at their centre, must make the political running in the new social movements and strengthen the fight against neoliberalism. This was the issue debated at a London meeting in Febuary. "Regrouping the Left' heard FRANÇOIS VERCAMMEN of the Fourth International, JOHN PERCY of the There is an enormous contradiction Rifondazione contingent in Mumbai: despite being at the centre of the movement, Rifondazione has only grown modestly 03er9B01 movement. (PFI) scheme, and the budgets given over to f the day to day running of the courses are being spent on paying off the mortgage.
Blair can't keep his hands off public services. He has privatised more services than the Tories. Gordon Brown says his intention is to show financial prudence, yet PFI schemes are more expensive than ones built with public finance. The purpose is not to show prudence with taxpayers' money, but to hand over vast sums of public money to multinational construction companies like Balfour Beatty, Tarmac etc.
This prudence has another name; neolib eralism. Britain has led the way in pushing this neoliberal agenda, leading to huge disillusion in mainstream politics, particularly among young people who find themselves on the receiving end of this offensive.
The political vacuum left by New Labour has been filled partially by the emergence of the anti-capitalist movement, and then the anti-war movement. But this can help foster a belief that social movements are the only thing necessary to change society, and that political parties, whatever their intention at the beginning, always end up corrupt, or doing big business' bidding. This is now unfortunately the lesson which many people are learning about the Brazilian Workers Party (PT)
The left has to prove that it is different. Respect - the Unity Coalition has a distinct advantage because it grows out of a mass movement, and therefore it can attract large numbers of people who demonstrated against the war, to vote and campaign for an alternative to war and neoliberalism.
It can be the pole of attraction for young people, and Respect can continue to deepen its roots in the anti-capitalist movement. The next European Social Forum in London