Saturday March 18 London Troops Home From Iraq - Don't Attack Iran. National demonstration against the war and occupation organised by Stop the War, CND and Muslim Association of Britain. Assemble 12 noon Parliament Square. Manchester Day School on Latin America. Cross St Chapel, Cross Street. 9.30 to 4.00pm. Speakers / workshops on Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Central America (to be confirmed). Further details and advance registration: Manchester CSC, 9 Hortree Rd, Stretford, Manchester, M32 8GJ 0161 718 2663 or 0161 881 6887. www.cubasolmanch.org.uk. Organised by Manchester Cuba Solidarity Campaign Group Sunday March 19 London Campaign for a New Workers' Party Conference. University of London Union, Malet Street, London WC1. Organised by the Socialist Party. 11:30 - 4:30 If you like what you've read or you want to find out more about Socialist Resistance, get in touch with us by ringing 020 8800 7460, or email [email protected] EDITORS: Terry Conway, John Lister, Liam MacUaid. EDITORIAL BOARD: Tami Peterson, Kathy Lowe, Piers Mostyn, Karen O'Toole. DESIGN: John Lister SPONSORED BY: International Socialist Group, Socialist Solidarity Network and individuals including Patrick Baker, Andrew Burgin, Brenda and Brian Bushell, Mathew Caygill, Duncan Chapple, Julian Coppens, Frances Curran, Norma Dowd, Andy Gibbons, Jamie Gough, Catriona Grant, Marcus Greville, Patrick Hall, Rick Hatcher, Wayne Holmes, Nick Lidgett, Frank McMahon, Alan McCoombes, Martin Milne, Piers Mostyn, Liz Peretz, Sue Phillips, Surykant Raithatha, Norman Traub, Rick Simon, Colin Smith, Murray Smith, Sarah Taversham, Doug Thorpe, Tony Traub, Tessa van Gelderen, Bill Walton, Roger Welch. Published by SOCIALIST RESISTANCE, PO Box 1109, London N4 2UU. Printed by Web Press International, London E15. Saturday March 25 London SOS NHS! National conference (12 noon4pm) on what is happening to our NHS and how can we organise local and national campaigns to safeguard its future. Speakers include Frank Dobson MP. Admission free. Contact KONP c/o NHS Support Federation office, Community Base, 113 Queens Road, Brighton BN1 3XG or see www.keepournhspublic.com. Wednesday March 29 London Anti-Privatisation Rally: Public Services for Public Profit. Supported by the Labour Representation Committee and sponsored by nine public service unions. Speakers include: TU general secretaries and Labour MPs. Chair: John McDonnell MP. Venue: Committee Room 10, House of Commons. (7pm) For more information see www.l-r-c.org.uk Saturday April 1 Brighton The New "Anti-Terror" Laws - Taking Liberties. CAMPACC Public Meeting. Speakers include Sagheer Hussain, specialist criminal defence
House, Ship Street. Sunday April 2 London 2564. London Membership Standing Order form YOUR BANK DETAILS: Bank Name Address Your account details: Sort Code Account Name Account Number Please pay the sum of (write in words and numbers) On the day of And on the same date every month thereafter, unless cancelled or amended by me in writing. To the account of lawyer, representing Stop Political Terror (the group fighting for the rights of the Guantanamo and Belmarsh detainees); Anne Costello, Campaign Against Criminalising Communities Jaya Nyanajoti. Friends Meeting Naming The Dead: mass civil disobedience against the occupation of Iraq on the second anniversary of the April 2004 siege of the Iraqi city of Fallujah. This is an "unauthorised" demonstration within 1km of Parliament.. Supported by JNV, the London Catholic Worker and Voices UK. Venue: Parliament Square (12 noon). For more info see www.voicesuk.org or tel. 0845-458 Tuesday June 27 Public Services for Public Profit: rally and lobby of Parliament 11am-4pm Supported by the Labour Representation Committee and sponsored by nine public service unions. Methodist Central Hall, Westminster. For more information see www.l-r-c.org.uk Send us a donation every month - through
_2006 Along with Greg Tucker I was one of the small minority of RMT activists who attended the conference the RMT organised on the crisis of working class representation (Socialist Resistance 32) and Greg is right to describe its implementation as half-hearted.
It was not publicised within the RMT - I heard about it through Ealing Trades Council. But it represented a vital step in the process of building a new working class party precisely because it was organised by a significant trade
The problem with the contributions from Respect and Dave Nellist's Socialist Party (not to mention the pathetic Socialist Labour Party) was that they said: "You don't need a new party - just join us."
The SWP have been saying this for decades and everyone knows this is not the way to build a new mass party.
Part of the problem, as Jean Lambert from the Green Party pointed out, is that there is no STANDING ORDER! Just fill in and post to us 3NJ R Bank sort code 08-02-28 Account number 70186297 Name Address Signature Date is not funded by the bosses
form of proportional representation in England. There is much to learn from the success of the SSP and Forward Wales, but without PR in their national parliaments they would not have achieved the social weight they have. So I think the only practical way forward is to champion Bob Crow's proposal for a national Shop Steward's movement to draw in activists in all unions to the building of a new Workers' Party with a political approach characterised by John McDonell MP as a "united front of activity". Members of political groups like Respect and the Socialist Party need to place their political ambitions within this strategic context rather than just saying "join us". With Blair's attacks on democracy and civil rights and the vacuum of working class political leadership, it is urgently necessary to build the foundations of a new party in the proper sense of the term. Martin Eady, London Co-operative Bank, 78-80 Cheapside London EC3V Please return to RESISTANCE
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page 23 of the scan
The next issue of Socialist Resistance will be produced on the weekend April 7-9 and distributed the following week. The deadline for feature articles and for letters (which are welcome on any topic, up to 400 words) will be Monday April 3. Diary items, reviews and local news are also welcome.