The Socialist Alliance will hold its next conference in March, and already local activists are beginning to debate what they would like to see discussed and decided. As part of this process Socialist Resistance will be opening up a debate, beginning in these pages. We invite readers and activists to contibute their views. Socialist Alliance 18 January Socialist National Executive meeting, Birmingham 25 January Socialist Day School for Women 11.00-5.00pm Cross Street Chapel, Manchester Weds 29 January Lobby of Parliament Defend Council Housing called by DCH 15 February Stop the War Demonstration, London Part of international day of action agreed at Florence ESF 15 March Socialist Alliance National Conference South Camden Community School, London. More details from the website www.socialistalliance.net James White Secretary, Barnsley Socialist Alliance. The run-up to the Annual Conference of the Socialist Alliance (SA), on 15 March next year, will be an important period in shaping the future direction of the SA. The March conference is seen by some as a 'crunch' time for the Alliance, as a growing feeling of frustration develops amongst SA members who are not aligned with any of the main groups (and some that are).
Talk of a crisis is perhaps overdone, but it is clear that the SA must make some concrete steps forward to develop itself as an organisation if it is to capitalise fully on the favourable situation that is developing.
The groups and individuals now supporting Socialist Resistance have long argued that there is growing political space for a unified left alternative to Blairism. That potential has been tapped into by the Scottish Socialist Party, which is currently consistently polling 7-8% support across Scotland, and is expanding beyond the traditional areas of strength for the Left in the central belt of the country.
Developments in Australia, Italy and France are showing that there is a basis for SSP-type parties in many of the advanced capitalist countries, as the traditional reformist parties become increasingly "Bourgeiosified". It is in this context that the debate around the future of the Alliance must be had.
There have been some positive features about the development of the Alliance to date, and the very fact of its existence is a step forward for the Left. It is also true ....
зак 1 Minke 2002 however that there are major weaknesses in the Alliance - it is inactive or barely func toning in most areas of the country, except around elections. It has no national publication, of even a modest type, and the National Executive is seen by many as detached from the local groups.
Electorally, there have been successes, but there have also been some very poor results, and the tendency of the National Office. and some on the Executive to describe any half-decent result as "brilliant' and a 'breakthrough' should be resisted.
The recent result in the Hackney mayoral contest was no better than some of the local election results earlier this year, and the recent election of a fourth BP councillor, in Blackburn, puts the SAs achievements into perspective.
There are some key areas that supporters of a Socialist Party' need to organise around in the run-up to SA conference next March:
Conference arrangements. the delegate fee, of 615 waged and 66 unwaged, seems excessive when the conference is being held in a school hall, and is certain to deter peo ple from attending. Local groups and the National Council should request an explanation for this figure, and press for it to be revised downwards to a more reasonable amount.
The pre-conference bulletin should allow for groups and individuals to present short political documents for discussion, as well as the actual motions to conference.
A publication of some kind is essential if the SA is to develop a sense of itself as a Phil Ward, of Sheffield Socialist Alliance responded to James White's article on the Socialist Resistance e-list. JAMES ASKED for comments on his article, so here are mine. It is a useful debate to have..
The delegate fees for the conference are not large. The fees presumably have to cover the hall, the crèche and the production and mailings of documents to the membership so to ensure democratic debate. Possibly an intermediate band for low Socialist Alliance placards must be prominent on every big protest national organisation. Given the technology and resources available to the left as a whole, there is no organisational reason why this could not happen - the issue is one of political will.
A motion needs to be drafted for conference that will secure the widest possible agreement, and we need a campaign in the SA to win support for it.
At the moment the National Executive receives most of its information via the national office. There is a perception, particularly in the North of the country, that the EC is too London-oriented. Conference needs to give EC members responsibility for liasing with particular regions or clusters of SA groups, to improve communication.
We need to give an organised expression paper, but recognise that it will be only a start, because in the unlikely event that it is won, it will be initially a grudging concession by the SWP and not necessarily the result of a new recognition by them of the importance and role of the Alliance.
A faction of 'pro-Party' people in the Alliance would be very damaging. The 'proParty forces' in the Socialist Alliance are hopelessly politically divided.
A faction in the SA fighting for a party to be set up on a revolutionary programme to the Pro-Party' forces in the SA, which include many independents as well as some of the groups. A Members Platform (suggested title, Campaign for a Fighting and Democratic Socialist Party) needs to be launched, which will campaign on the issue in the run-up to conference and beyond. Early discussions should begin to agree a motion to Conference.
We should be clear that if the SA does not go forwards, it will begin to go backwards. Whatever the facts behind the resignation of Liz Davies as Chair, the episode has led to unease about where the SA is going. The next 12 months will be crucial in determining the future of the SA. We need to organise to ensure that that future is a promising one
In any case, the question of whether the Alliance is a 'party' or not is secondary: it's what it does that matters. The Alliance should be the far left's main (almost only) vehicle for public political activity.
The future of the Alliance depends on the SWP being brought round to full support. Ultimately, this could mean them taking an action similar to that of the DSP in Australia or the ISM in Scotland and putting all their resources into it.
That is a long way off and our main fight is