Can we do politics differently?
JVL Introduction
Dave Kellaway makes a sober, considered contribution to the debate about how, when and indeed whether to build a new party of the left to fill the vacuum vacated by Starmer’s Labour.
He sets the scene by reflecting on the special importance of the Labour Party on the British scene, takes a clear-eyed look at the rise and fall of the Corbyn movement and notes past attempts by the Marxist left to build influence. Now, he says truthfully, “Not many radical left activists think that a socialist alternative will emerge from inside Labour.”
Kellaway offers 12 points to be borne in mind in the ongoing discussions about party building, almost all of them well made. I would quibble however with number 11 which envisages the older generation of seasoned activists taking the lead and trying to engage younger people. Yes older campaigners have essential experience and knowledge to contribute, but looking at the pro-Palestinian, environmental and other radical movements making an impact across the country, we must surely concede that the main source of creativity and energy is coming from a new generation exploring ways of doing politics differently.
NWI
This article was originally published by Anti Capitalist Resistance on Tue 19 Nov 2024. Read the original here.
Debate on the Left in Britain: Towards a new broad party?
What kind of strategy can the left adopt in the current context? Does Starmer’s Labour Party and the previous configurations around Corbyn hold opportunities?
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I don’t have a problem with any of this but I believe ant beginnings must be much simpler and broader based on very basic agreements – the redistribution of wealth, protecting the environment, and solidarity with Gaza – MPs, Councillors and other elected officials who support these aims should be supported, those who oppose them should be challenged. All support needs to be conditional – the strategies outlined in the essay are fine but it won’t withstand even mild democratic centralism
Just what we didn’t need. Any theoretical new party would need a strong base in a number of unions, support in the Cooperative movement and a base in municipal politics. No non-aggression pact between sects has any chance of success!
This is actually rather depressing. It fails to deal with the need to dispose of sectarian trotskyite trends and completely cutting them adrift: the utter futility of supporting the Greens, who, if ever elected to prominence, will doubtless turn out like Baerbock’s party in Germany, in hoc to imperialism. It sings from the empire’s hymn sheet in demanding Russian withdrawal from Ukraine and countenancing the two state mirage in Palestine. It talks about politics as a game of organisation and never mentions the things that are most important to the mass of the people, health, housing, education, rewarding jobs, safe streets, common ownership: the very popular things that marked the Corbyn high tide mark in 2017. Identity politics needs to be thrown out in favour of a class analysis, for that is the thing that unites people rather than divides them.
The writing is on the wall, evidenced by the victory of Calin Georgescu in Romania’s 1st round election yesterday, Trump’s victory in the USA, Le Pen’s in France, and Farage’s likely accession to power if things continue as they are in Britain. Their so-called left opponents (with some exceptions), wallowing in their embrace of NATO, the EU and market capitalism, have been seen to have no clothes, no answers to the crisis facing the mass of the people than to kowtow to their oppressors. It is only movements represented by the likes of Sara Wegeknecht in Germany and Galloway in Britain (despite his recent setbacks and the dismissal of him by this author) who have any chance of connecting with the people. British socialists would do well to learn lessons from movements like Ansar Allah in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon and dare I say Hamas, the communists of the Donbas & Luhansk, (and the communists of Kerala in India), who have built popular resistance movements…
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If we are concerned about achieving a real democratic culture through party-type organisation, we must do more than complain about the ridiculous, out-moded and anti-democratic procedures for electing our legislators.
Basically, everyone in the movement must accept the principle of one-person, one vote. The demand is not very controversial but we have failed to put any force behind it. Achieving OP-OV is basic to achieving positive social change.
Agree with your criticism of point 11. On point 6, is insistence on total Russian withdrawal from Ukraine realistic?
“Corbyn is notoriously indecisive and not a great strategist, his strength was always as a campaigner and tribune.”
A possibly contradictory statement here. A good campaigner would probably need to be a good strategist too.
What would the first five steps be in getting such a party off the ground?
This is a much needed, clear & concise overview. I have a few quibbles with some points, but in the spirit of building a new left party would be happy to park them. As they say in Latin America ‘ do ya talkin whilst your walkin’ & focus on the 80% that unites us & debate the 20% as we walk. Having spent over 30 years on the Trotskyist left, I am genuinely split between recognising they have some genuinely brilliant comrades who would be an asset to any new party but worried that they all seem incapable of putting the building of a radical left party before their own revolutionary party. So, am unsure on whether any new party should allow them to join. If not, then we must build genuinely fraternal & practical relationships with them & others.
why not a Contrarian Party that argues against things that seem wrong? Dr Sam Johnson always said that one must be able to argue BOTH sides ..with equal vehemence and lucidity. In the long run we are all dead!