Defending the Left Unity project - draft

Building the Left Unity project

Len Arthur 11 July 2017

Some people leaving Left Unity have cited the need to be part of the social movement around the Corbyn led Labour Party; the absence of a clear LU project; and the lack of a clear outcome from our recent conference in terms of just doing more of the same. These are important questions and we need to answer them.

The intention here is to answer these points and go further: to restate the case that Left Unity as a radical, socialist and international organisation is not only needed but can continue to inspire confidence in the possibility of a radical transformation of our society.

Where we stand

Our Left Unity Manifesto remains a key statement of our vision and aim of the direction the transformation of our society needs to take. It is our founding project and remains entirely relevant. The statement emphasises that we socialist, feminist, environmentalist and anti-racist. The more recent book Creeping Fascism by  Neil Faulkner and Samir Dathi is a thorough and trenchant argument putting case of the dangers we all face from the extreme right, as the capitalist neoliberal project falters. All members should take a look.

An important part of the work of Left Unity is to continue to develop the discourse around our aims and their contemporary relevance in helping to understand and combat the strategies and policies of capitalism.

Other parties have ‘a what we stand for’ section - what is distinctive about ours?

First, we argue that the power of capital can only be challenged by coordinated international politics and action. The national and international struggle is indivisible linked. For us this is not an abstract idea but a necessity which we have put into practice by being members of the Party of the European Left actively taking part in the development of policy and action. For us this a central feature of what Left Unity is all about and directly links to our argument for remain and for freedom of movement. We see the EU as one terrain of international struggle and we fully support the demands of the EL for a fundamental re-negotiation of the Lisbon Treaty, for a workers Europe where the requirements of people, the planet, solidarity and democracy come first. It is this vision of Europe that the Corbyn led Labour Party should be arguing for, appealing for working class support across Europe to change the EU.

Our defence of freedom of movement as a human right is not only integral to the importance we place on practical international struggle it is a challenge to the legitimation of nationalist and racist arguments of the extreme right. Migrants are not the problem capitalist exploitation is and we can only defeat that by the widest possible unity.

Second, we do not shy away from addressing the problem of how a transition to socialism can take place. Vague and abstract statements about the level of mobilisation and avoiding blueprints are not acceptable. We recognise that a combination of elections, direct action and prefigurative organisations like cooperatives are all necessary, along with demands and actions that lead to the need for a radical socialist transformation.

Third, we are not a democratic centralist organisation and our constitution attempts to bring into being a unique form of socialist organisation, one that is publicly open and constantly democratically accountable to members. It is a question of trying to be prefigurative; of as far as possible putting into practice our vision and aims of what a socialist society could be like. For us socialism can only be won through the battle of ideas: not by trying to suppress or manage debates; futile activity in the age of social networking anyway.

Fourth and closely associated with being an open and democratic party, we welcome the active participation of members of other socialist parties or of none. We are a non sectarian organisation. Members of other parties can join Left Unity; the problem people experience is that their other party may not be happy with this arrangement.

Fifth, we are absolutely clear that the working class is still being made to pay for the problems created by the capitalist financial crisis of 2007/08. We experience this in austerity cuts to services, welfare and wages; in the privatisation of what the state or the public sector own; in climate change; in massive increases in the inequality of wealth where now globally 8 people own more than the poorest 50%; in penetration of the market into every aspect of life and the degradation of wider learning and collective social provision and culture. We know that the power of the rich and the contempt that hold us all in leads to corporate criminal killings  such as at Grenfell Tower.

There can be no compromise with thse completely unnecessary and unacceptable austerity cuts which are about enforcing production for profit and not need. Consequently we seek to roll back these attacks wherever possible: demanding councillors and other representatives refuse to implement budget cuts and that union leaders at all levels argue for strike action to defend real wages. The political demand is that as capitalists demand the state is rolled back, we demand the contrary that market and private ownership is rolled back.

We are small so what can we do?

Left Unity is not going to replace the Corbyn led Labour Party now or in the near future. It would be sectarian and futile to seek to do so. We will work and argue for the Labour Party to win power and then continue to put the case that Labour in government will have to continue on a radical socialist trajectory to stay in government.

We need also to be clear that it is the relevance of ideas which is of key transformational significance. There is a real danger of the radical turn in the Labour Party being too closely associated with one person and not with what is in the Labour Party’s 2017 election manifesto. It is of critical importance that the policies in the manifesto continue to form the basis of discussion and campaigning beyond the confines of Labour Membership. That discussion must include a critical assessment of how the manifesto could be more radical such as over freedom of movement and not keeping to a balanced budget.

As an independent and open party Left Unity can help bring people together who agree that the case for a radical and international socialism needs to be argued and campaigned for. As stated in our conference motion we ‘will work with others on the left, including in the Labour Party, to advance shared progressive politics’. Many of us in Left Unity have been members of the Labour Party and know how difficult it can be to open up difficult debates and process action quickly through numerous rounds of meeting. We also know how difficult it can be for Labour Party members to be publicly critical of elected representatives who, for example, vote for cuts. If that is the experience we will help to provide the space where research into the effects of austerity and related discussions and possible action can take place. 

Many people of all ages and backgrounds who are experiencing the lash of austerity are getting involved in campaigns of direct action. It is very likely, that as household real incomes come under increasing pressure and the Gig economy of precarious employment expands, that there will be a renewed interest in trade union organisation and strike action. The issues that mobilise people vary around the UK and for Left Unity it is critical that they are supported and helped by socialists, that links are made with other campaigns against austerity, arguing for actively linking up and generalising where possible. The People’s Assembly remains in some areas, an important way of taking this forward.

So what is possible?

Short term

First, it is important that Left Unity sustains a political presence around the ideas that we think are distinctive and important. The Transform Journal and similarly our involvement in the PRRUK, our Left Unity website, the occasional broadsheet, social media, occasional media statements and newsletters to members and supporters are critical. Ideas and events don’t stand still and it is important that we help facilitate space for open discussion around the possibilities of radical analysis and action. Where we can initiate or help organise local meetings we should emphasise the importance of a workshop or seminar approach, always taking care to cover potential action at the end. Many of our members and close contacts have stories and thoughts they would like the opportunity to write about and local activity needs to be reported regularly on the UK website. Similarly many members have specialist knowledge and could do a speaking tour on this basis. These types of events should link up with Labour Party and other socialists as suggested above.

Second, fighting austerity in one way or another is something nearly all members are involved in. It is the nature of the struggle that the issue and the nature of the campaign vary around the UK. The important thing is that we argue for links to be made with others fighting at a local level, perhaps through the People’s Assembly and we look to demands that place the responsibility on the Tory government and press elected representatives into refusing to implement austerity policies. Again these campaigns need to be reported to the website.

Third, taking forward our internationalism and defence of free movement. We need to complete our European and international manifesto so that it is ready for freshers weeks in September. Already we are getting wider support for a UK delegation to the EL social forum in Marseilles in the autumn and this needs to be continued.

Longer term

In the end it is the relevance and strength of our core and distinctive ideas that will lead people to join us or become supporters. Our presence is a key to people knowing that we are around. We consider that there remains a space for a radical socialist party that is clear about the aims and vision we have together with our distinctive way of taking these forward.

We do not seek to argue that people leave the Labour Party to join us whilst it is led by Jeremy Corbyn. However do ask people to consider that if they have some degree of support of our radical socialist project and accept that it needs to be put before workers now, that there can be limitations in doing this solely through the Labour Party. So we suggest that we work together to create space providing opportunities to sustain the wider political discussion, develop demands and take action that may otherwise be delayed.