"I can't think of better circumstances than at the present time to build a radical alternative to Blairism" - Loach
® MAE In an interview with Alan Thornett, film director KEN LOACH argues for a radical alternative to be built out of the tremendous anti-war movement. Alan. We have seen a huge antiwar movement, a major split in the parliamentary Labour Party, and widespread disaffection amongst Labour Party members over the war - what do you think this implies for the future of the left? How do we build a socialist alternative out of this. What are the next steps for the left along that road? Ken Loach. Yes, well the Stop the War Coalition (StWC) has created this huge movement, and vast network of support, on the very basic question of opposing American aggression and Britain's support for it. This is a very big advance and a very big challenge to those in the Labour Party like Robin Cook - I suppose Robin Cook is the best exponent of it - where he made a very good analysis of why the war was wrong... and then said that Blair is the best leader he had ever known!
Well if your best leader is going to lead you into an illegal unprovoked war in support of everything which is worst in the world, there is clearly a problem.
Whether those inside the Labour Party will rise to meet this challenge I don't know. Whether any major Labour Party figure will make the break is hard to tell. Ken Loach
But I think what the StWC should be doing after this stage of the war is over, is creating an organisation which broadens its political scope to bring in issues like privatisation and the environment - the main planks of a left alternative, issues which the left of the Labour Party could have no objection to.
The main thing is that we have to sustain the momentum of the anti-war movement once the war is over. Sustaining the local branches is very important.
The Peoples Assembly was a good idea, but now the war has started, and when it is over, we have got to keep the movement, and the meetings, going - and do it on the basis of a very basic radical agenda, so that people who have been drawn into politics for the first time can make the connections with the economic and social issues. Alan. The anti-war movement is not socialist as such, although it has got a big socialist component. How do we develop that socialist component?
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Where next for the left? PATRICK SIKORSKI ice April 2003 •••