A CALL TO ACTION TO ALL LABOUR PARTY AND TRADE UNION MEMBERS

[Big Daz]

http://www.savethelabourparty.org/aboutus.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

STATEMENT

A CALL TO ACTION TO ALL LABOUR PARTY AND TRADE UNION MEMBERS


1. The Labour Party faces a crisis that threatens its very existence. Membership is in decline, activity is at an all time low and in March 2003 139 Labour backbenchers rebelled against the Government's Iraq policy - the largest Parliamentary revolt against an incumbent government for a century.

2. The crisis over British participation in the Iraq war, in the absence of a specific UN resolution, is however only the latest instance of questions within the Party over its basic aims, values and Party democracy. A chasm has opened between the Government and the Party over policies that have not emerged from a democratic process.

3. Thousands of members have already left the Party. Constituency organisations around the country risk becoming empty shells and trades unions are reviewing their affiliations. The Party faces a serious financial deficit and a lack of activists working in election campaigns.

4. Ordinary members have said that they no longer feel that Labour is their party and that they are excluded from Party decision-making processes. Many consider that the "New Labour" Leadership is more comfortable with power, wealth and celebrity than it is with ordinary people. Many Party members feel that "New Labour" has accepted the Tory agenda on fundamental issues.

5. There is a growing fear that, at the next general election, there will be two right of centre parties competing for government. We believe that there needs to be a clear dividing line between the policies of a Labour Government and those of the Tories. "New Labour" has opened itself to the very charges of elitism, cronyism and secrecy which alienate potential voters It is scarcely surprising that disenchantment amongst the electorate, particularly the young, is increasing.

6. The Labour Party has a long and proud history of achievement that "New Labour" have now denied. We urge members who are contemplating leaving the party to stay and those who have already left to rejoin in order to work with us in our fight to reclaim and democratise the Party. This would not be because they necessarily approve of what the Government is doing, but because they wish to see Labour fight for progressive policies once again.

7. We believe that the Party must be one in which there is a genuine participation between ordinary members and the Parliamentary Leadership together with recognition of the importance of the trade union link. No party member or trade unionist wishes to see a split between the Party and the Government. However the Partnership in Power system has proved to be one in which policies are decided by an unaccountable elite. The Labour Party will not survive as democratic socialist party if this continues. Save the Labour Party has therefore been formed to challenge the shift to the right by "New Labour" and to recreate an active role for members.

8. Save the Labour Party will address the core reasons why members are tearing up their Party cards and trade unions are questioning their continued levels of affiliation. Party members should make Party policy. We will challenge the manipulation of internal Party candidate selections and the growing sense that internal Party forums have become useless talking shops.

9. The return of the Tories to power would be a disaster and is something that we must all work to avoid. But the answer is not "New Labour". Alas the chances of "New Labour" inadvertently assisting the return of a Tory government are increasing. The success of the Labour Party is dependent upon an active, vibrant, participatory membership that is able to make its voice loud and clear on policy issues that matter to it.

10. The trade union link is vital to the Party. The state funding of political parties, advocated by many within "New Labour", is designed to destroy that link. Save the Labour Party will work to strengthen and democratise that link at every level. People join the Labour Party and/or pay the political levy, through their trade union, because they wish to help determine the sort of society they want to live in- not because they desire to be part of a glorified supporter's club. It is crucial to the future of the Labour Party that the trades unions take their policies into the Party at all levels.

11. The values of democratic socialism, internationalism and the need for a successful Labour Party are as relevant to day as they always have been. All party members whether from right, left or centre are invited to join us in a sustained campaign to rebuild the Labour Party as an effective force for internationalism and democratic socialism.


If you agree with this statement and wish to work with us to help Save the Labour Party please e-mail: MarkJames994@aol.com

[Yahoorsur]

good luck to who ever takes up the challenge,but here's one former member who wont be emotionally blackmailed,in my opinion when in an abusive relationship,you have to get out both for your own sanity and wellbeing,and thats what we (cwu) are in at the moment.
How many times do we have to get kicked in the teeth by Blu Labour?

But here's another good organization
http://www.l-r-c.org.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[dvbuk55]

I'd rather show my ar*e on the town Hall steps than lift a finger to save the labour party and anyone who advocates supporting them at this time needs certifying.

When the Labour Party was elected they stood at the threshold and look what has happened - no I won't be supporting labour at the next election I'd rather vote Tory - which is a shame for all the good and honourable MPs who deserve to be re-elected.

[guvenor]

snp for me at least we might get our own public mail company ?
in fact at next election i will stand at gates of polling stations reminding everyone what a great working class party labour really is .sell off public services bail out banks etc.could go on..........

[IWW Fellow Worker]

I've been a trade union member for 37 years and I couldn't give a damn for the Labour Party. Why any socialist would want to have anything to do with that shower is beyond me.

The trade union link is vital to the Party. Not really. If it were, this Government would have repealled Thatcher's anti-union laws, but they haven't.


No party member or trade unionist wishes to see a split between the Party and the Government I do. Here's a Government which has brought in hundreds of new laws during the last twelve years and has slowly but surely been doing away with our civil liberties to the point where they intend to introduce ID cards but won't let us see the minutes of meetings leading up to the Iraq debacle. As a trade unionist, I don't want to be tainted by association with that mob of authoritarian brigands.

The return of the Tories to power would be a disaster and is something that we must all work to avoid. Why would it be any more a disaster than a Labour victory? What would the Tories do? Support dodgy regimes around the world? Sell arms to nut-case states? Blindly support the American Government in some mad crusade? Close schools? Close hospital wards? Send in the police to hijack the busses of anti-war protestors? Send in the police to stop protestors? Imprison people without trial? It seems to me that it would just be a case of changing the colour of the rosette and nothing more than that.

All party members whether from right, left or centre are invited to join us in a sustained campaign to rebuild the Labour Party as an effective force for internationalism and democratic socialism. Whenever was the Labour Party a socialist party? It has certainly had many socialists in membership, but as a general rule they've mostly been expelled just as soon as they've been heard whistling the Internationale. This is why the Labour Party expelled its members who went to Spain to fight against fascism between 1936 and 1939. This is why the International Socialists were expelled in the 1960s and why Ken Coates and Hugh Kerr were expelled in the 1990s. The Labour Party is no place for socialists as any socialist will tell you.

[k979aaa]

As a trade union member is this call to action aimed at me and my fellow workers of the world!. It would be interesting if save the labour party could do what it aims to set out to do and change the labour party from within but i doubt it could do so as NEW LABOUR has the great dictator and it's minister for propaganda :mfo at the helm!. Until such time that one of the labour party has a valkyrie moment and seeks to overthrow NEW LABOURS corrupt and decadent leadership their can be no hope for the labour party RIP.

[andy2007]

I don't know about New Labour RIP. I'd prefer New Labour BIH (Burn in Hell)!

[baldrick]

I wish those who think they can change the Labour Party the best of luck - they will need it.
But I think the reality is they are banging their heads against a brick wall.
And it feels better when you stop. There are not enough good people left in the LP, and the
majority of those who are still active in it are those who are getting some sort of
financial return - councillor's expenses, paid places on quangoes, MP's salaries, etc, and are
not going to bite the hand that feeds them.
I'd say that in 1997 over 80% of postal workers voted for the Labour Government, hoping for
a radical change after 18 years of Tory attacks, but all we've got is more of the same with a
continuation of Tory policies. Now a lot of postal workers are seriously disillusioned. I know
people at work who have said in the past that they would never vote Conservative, but are
now intending to. Their reasons are varied, but the general feeling is that at least our Union
might fight back against Tory attacks, while they seem reluctant to do so against New Labour
attacks. :mfo

[Big Daz]

I don't know about New Labour RIP. I'd prefer New Labour BIH (Burn in Hell)!

[k979aaa]

I don't know about New Labour RIP. I'd prefer New Labour BIH (Burn in Hell)!

As i said RIP for labour but for NEW LABOUR they can burn in hell with a stoker up their ass :mfo .

[IWW Fellow Worker]

It is not just The labour party that needs sorting its the labour movement as a whole. True democracy is almost non existent with Trade unions just going off and doing what they want ignoring the damage it causes to others our leaders seem to do what they want rather than what is wanted by the grass roots the TUC seems to be an empty shell instead of drawing together its members to the common good. many Socialist leaders seem to spend more time fighting each other rather than the real enemy acting as if they are on an ego trip whilst the humble member gets shafted again and again! We should start from scratch building from the base up a Trade Union, Labour Movement and political party (that acts for the members on what members want rather than what the politicians themselves want.) combined that is answerable only to its members not to big business or a corrupt bunch of wanna be "Socialist politicians". Sounds an almost impossible feat of struggle but with what we ALL have comming in the next few decades i fear that the ONLY option left will be to start again anyway. Trying to patch up the Labour party and Trade Union movement will only lead to the same huge mistakes again.

A good post mate. What we should have is real democracy and accountability from those we elect. As it is, it seems to take about five minutes for the arse to hit the Wimbledon seat for these people to completely forget where they came from and who put them where they now are.
They should be subject to instant recall by the membership, be on the same average wage as those they're supposed to represent and be up for re-election every year. As it is, they're another set of fat cats who have more in common with the bosses than the workers with very few exceptions.

[Big Daz]

I like the part of every year, 5 years seems too long for natiuonal officers to go before having to be re-elcted .


Yearly works well at local level so why not at the top.

And we shouldnt have appointed officers in the IR side either (I think thats the BT side anyway with Simon Sapper)

[BELIAL]

Why not refine it a bit and limit maximum term of office to 3 years.
Year 1 training : 2 acting ; 3 trainer
No chance of careerists then