Leeds Socialist Alliance and National Executive member
The delayed Socialist Alliance conflawed, but also contained many positive elements. It was actually better than I expected. There were more comrades and the atmosphere was livelier, mostly on the back of the anti-war movement and some of the good results in local elections, especially Michael Lavalette's victory in Preston. 1 am resistant, if not allergic, to claims that everything is brilliant and historic and a breakthrough. In the context of both an unprecedented anti-war movement and the crisis in the Labour government and party, it was going to take a lot to convince me that the SA results were that good. One elected councillor, a couple of parish councillors in Telford and a handful of good results in a sea of routinely small votes and small percentages seem to me best described as patchy.
Despite this, the conference cheered We are now committed to developing Left Turn as a more regular publication with an editorial structure • •• me up. Alan Green from the SSP provided evidence of more systematic success. Michael Lavalette provided a genuinely inspirational account of his campaign in Preston that did point to the potential for building the SA.
All members of the SA should read his account of what happened in Preston. In a later debate, Said with Michael also spoke and provided another highlight. I wish the SA had a paper to carry these stones. We quickly moved onto more contentious matters. Nick Wrack, moving talked about whatever reservations comrades might have about Galloway with enough force to convince me we weren't signing up to an uncritical fan opposing motion just seemed sectarian, as did many of the arguments against the majority motion on the anti-war movement.
I was glad that the motion on the future of the Alliance moved by Alan one item, we are now committed to •.. an opportunity to move in this direction.
The debates had their highs and
lows, but for many they were overshadowed by the mess made of the
Rate. the motion to defend George Galloway, club. The Alliance for Workers Liberty's Thornett was passed. To mention just developing Left Turn as a more regular and substantial publication, with an editorial structure. I had voted for the failed motion from Cambridgeshire for a paper, but am pleased that we have Executive elections. The words piss- teract the former. The overall intention of expanding the executive to bring in more local activists is laudable. The political effect of bringing more SWP members both reflects reality on the ground and should be taken as a hopeful sign of their commitment to the project.
But the mess over the slates, not helped by the projection technolog that ensured we didn't know what the lists of names meant, or see the whole list, has left a sour taste. I am not blaming anyone, but it was a sign of our collective weakness and some thing that just shouldn't be repeated.
We are committed to a new system for 2004 and we need to make an early start in implementing it. For my sins l am now on the Executive. I hope to play a role in building an inclusive SA that is taking steps against the 'Life of Brian' politics that still seems to exist inside the Alliance.
The SA project still has a lot going for it, this conference showed a lot of weaknesses (on all sides), but also pointed to much of the potential. Building on the later will help to conple, the stages of the election process could have been explained more fully. Whatever the reasons, there was only one slate put forward by the deadline which led to serious dissatisfaction among many delegates.
n any case, the method of election was
already due to be re-discussed at the
next National Council with a view to having a system which everyone accepts In my view, the slate system is by far the best if we are to have an Executive that allows for balance of gender, ethnicity, political affiliation and so on.
The most important thing, however, is to reach a conclusion that everyone can live with. The conference passed the resolutior calling for 50/50 men and women on the EC from next year. This is an important gain, but it is going to need a lot of detailed work locally and nationally in advance of the next AGM if it is to be successfully implemented
Resistance, with nearly 30 supporters, was very well represented at the conference.
At the end of the day. we held a very interesting and successful fringe meeting with Alan Green from the SSP speaking
The challenge over the months ahead will be to implement conference policy, both in terms of reaching out, but also building the Alliance in the here and now
The real work starts now.
page 7 of the scan
on women's welcome
here Yaule the child St resistance June 2003
Socialist Alliance