Since the 1999 Seattle demonstration, there have been mass mobilisations across the world against capital and war. There is a growing need amongst this new radicalised layer for an alternative to the capitalist system. responsibility on far left organisations and other socialists. They are confronted with a tremendous opportunity to build the Socialist Alliance into a viable serious alternative to the parties of the bosses.
And with the convergence of the left at Florence for the European Social Forum (ESF), the opportunities to influence the wider movement are greater than for many years. On the one side, we have the coming together of the mass movements and, at the same time, the revolutionary left has began to work far more positively together.
The World Social Forum, the ESF and the upcoming Asia Social Forum have given us the opportunity to debate with the wider social movements on what sort of 'other world' is needed and is possible.
Another indication of the growing support for an alternative has been the election of the so-called 'awkward squad' in the trade unions. This is an indication of a significant shift in the balance of power from right to left. This has not just been a development at the top. There are signs of a new confidence and militancy at rank and file level. While this is still at an early stage, it is vital that socialists and especially the Socialist Alliance connect with this new militancy and give full and active support in building a new rank-and-file movement.
The revolutionary left has also played an ..... We can see the debate hotting up on unions' The present situation throws a heard links to the Labour Party .... more recently during the first Gulf War. the unions' links to the Labour Party. counter-reforms. ......
we are at the stage where we mass revolutionary parties. Parties like the SSP or the PRC in Italy are the models we base ourselves on at this stage process. ..... influential role at the heart of the Stop the War Coalition, which has united trade unionists, students, the peace movement and ethnic communities. Il national trade unions have affiliated to the Stop the War Coalition. This support from the trade class people. unions has far outreached the support given to the anti-war movement in the 1960s and
If we add to this the support for the fire- thing significant. fighters and against New Labour's attacks on public. services, then we can see the debate hotting up on the whole question of
The Socialist Alliance has led the debate their concerns. on the funding of the Labour Party - a debate that is posing the question of what sort of political representation the working class needs. The traditional workers' parties are either now straight capitalist parties or struggles. are on their way to becoming so. This does not mean that the working class has broken from reformism. But the parties that previously stood for reforms have now openly embraced the neo-liberal programme of organise for our ideas.
This does not mean we must build a new reformist parties. But neither does it mean
can build can the
We want the Socialist Alliance to win those thousands of working class people who are angry with Blair's policies, but not yet convinced of revolutionary ideas.
As revolutionaries, we have to build bridges between current levels of consciousness and the ideas necessary to defend or advance the interests of working
Millions of people have dropped out of voting altogether and become utterly cynical about the ability of parliament to do anyMany young people involved in the anti-globalisation movement have drawn such conclusions. Some have adopted anarchist ideas because of the failure of revolutionary socialists to address
The Socialist Alliance needs to engage with these layers, to learn from them through dialogue, as well as suggesting ways of organising that can take forward their
If we succeed in creating a new party, revolutionary socialists will be in a minority. In that situation, we will need a revolutionary platform", a banner around which to
The Socialist Alliance has made considerable progress and achieved some significant electoral results, most recently the excel..••