29.03.2000

Foot heads our list

London Socialist Alliance has finalised its list of candidates for the elections to the Greater London Assembly on May 4. Paul Foot, supported by five of the six organisations present, was elected to lead the LSA list. If we gain only a single seat, he will be our representative, subject to immediate recall by the LSA and accountable to an annual conference of the alliance. Further he will only take the average wage of a skilled worker in London.

Following a busy working meeting of agents, candidates and LSA activists, representatives of the six actively participating organisations met to draw up our united workers' slate and - crucially - finally decide the order of the list. The Socialist Party - which is not supporting the LSA list and thus disenfranchises itself from the alliance's proceedings - did not attend.

Paul Foot was nominated by the SWP and the International Socialist Group.

A discussion ensued, with the Alliance for Workers' Liberty opposing comrade Foot on the grounds that he was not an "active trade unionist". The AWL's proposal was either Janine Booth (AWL and RMT), Christine Blower (NUT activist) or Greg Tucker (ISG and RMT).

This position was roundly condemned by others as "workerist". All other organisations referred to comrade Foot's record as an active fighter for justice against the British legal system, his role in his union, the NUJ, his commitment to socialism and record as a campaigning journalist. The idea that he was not eligible to sit as a 'tribune of the people' was ridiculed.

While Paul Foot is on the right of the SWP, he will be subject to the developing accountability of the LSA should he be elected. If he should ever do the unthinkable and use his position to become another 'two Jags' he would be tossed out on his ear. Comrade Mark Hoskisson of Workers Power suggested that, as insurance, the LSA get signed resignation letters of anyone elected to be enacted should the LSA decide to recall a representative. The meeting agreed that a concrete arrangement for accountability needed to be finalised before May 4.

Speaking for the Communist Party of Great Britain, LSA chair Marcus Larsen said that the CPGB had originally intended to support comrade Greg Tucker for the pole position on the list. Comrade Tucker is branch secretary of Waterloo RMT and secretary of the LSA. However, the CPGB wanted to put comrade Tucker forward not because he was a 'worker', but in order to promote the LSA project past May 4.

Our principal concerns, said comrade Larsen, was that anyone elected to the assembly should be a member of one of the constituent organisations to strengthen any democratic accountability.

Further, the CPGB had been concerned that the SWP had made no concrete commitments to the LSA project post-May 4 in public (We reported last week - and welcomed - the fact that comrade John Rees of the SWP central committee had made commitments to the LSA at the previous LSA steering committee meeting). For this reason, we wanted a non-SWPer at the top in the interests of the alliance project.

However, comrade Larsen continued, given that comrade Tucker would not accept the nomination, the CPGB was happy to support comrade Foot, especially in the view of his Socialist Worker article in last week.

Reporting on a trade union hustings he had attended, the comrade said: "It was obviously necessary to establish out of the alliance some representative body which would advise and eventually control any elected assembly members" (March 25).

Responding to concerns from Mike Marqusee regarding Paul Foot's health and hence his ability to continue in his position for four years, John Rees said that this had been discussed with comrade Foot. Comrade Rees assured the meeting that Paul's health was improving, and stressed that he would not have undertaken such a commitment if he did not feel he could fulfil his duties.

Deciding on the order of the rest of the list, Workers Power and the CPGB proposed that the top six positions comprise representatives from the six constituent organisations. This was defeated, four to two. Arguments against pointed to the need for the alliance to "broaden out" beyond the initiating organisations. But comrade Anne Murphy of the CPGB argued for the list to reflect the fact that the reality of the LSA was the unity of its component organisations - and this lay at the heart of the LSA's strength.

The vote on the order of candidates was straightforward. Comrade Tucker was unanimously supported to be second. Janine Booth also went through on the nod, while Christine Blower gained a majority of four to two, as did Theresa Bennett (SWP).

Pat Stack (also SWP) proposed Anne Murphy for sixth and Kate Ford was also nominated for the place. Comrade Murphy was supported by the CPGB, SWP and AWL; Ford by ISG, ILN and WP. Murphy was sixth on the toss of a coin. Below seventh place, comrades were listed in alphabetical order.

The final order of the LSA's London-wide list therefore is: Paul Foot (SWP), Greg Tucker (ISG), Janine Booth (AWL), Christine Blower (NUT), Theresa Bennett (SWP), Anne Murphy (CPGB), Kate Ford (WP), Toby Abse (ILN), Jean Kysow (Lewisham Tenants), Mark Steel (SWP), George Taylor (former Labour councillor in Romford). Jim Stanley has been withdrawn as a candidate by the SWP.

Action stations

Representatives from the combined London constituencies, as well as the London PR list candidates, got down to a detailed and businesslike meeting late on Sunday afternoon.

Rob Hoveman (SWP) and Greg Tucker steered comrades through the maze of legal detail with which we must comply in order to prevent future technical challenges when our LSA candidates are elected.

The LSA is formally the 'London branch of the political party called the Socialist Alliance', with the LSA logo registered on the government website as one of three used by the Socialist Alliance (England). The comrades underlined how every piece of propaganda material used in the campaign must bear a 'printed and published by ...' line to comply with electoral law. And every piece of expenditure must be accounted for. Anything freely distributed (leaflets, folders, posters) promoting one or more candidates must be included, even when locally produced.

'Vote Ken' will no longer appear on materials, since promoting his candidacy on LSA material would cause complications financially under electoral law. Nothing bearing joint support for Livingstone and the LSA must be distributed after April 2.

Most combined constituencies have now, following sterling efforts, collected £1,000 each, and all will be putting in nominations this week. But funds are urgently required, as expenditure will now be stepped up. This week, one and a half million leaflets will be produced, 100,000 needing to be dished out within 10 days or so in each constituency. No canvassing can start until this task is complete.

Comrades were reminded that copies of press releases in each constituency (and subdivisions, where there is sufficient organisation) should be sent to the LSA main office.

Land and Freedom

Some 600 people filled Logan Hall to see Land and Freedom, Ken Loach's inspirational film on the Spanish Civil War. Around £3,000 was raised for the LSA.

Comrade Loach, a keen LSA supporter, introduced his film and replied to questions and contributions after the screening.

SP opposes LSA

The Socialist Party is continuing with its disastrous sectarian spasms against the LSA.

Increasingly under pressure in the capital, the SP official stance of not having a stance on the GLA elections is further isolating them in the trade unions.

Socialist Party members effectively have a free vote on whether to back the LSA or the Campaign Against Tube Privatisation (strange for a supposedly centralist organisation). But under the guiding hand of SP industrial organiser and ultra-sectarian Bill Mullins this has become an excuse for opposing the LSA in the unions.

At last weekend's conference of the Campaign for a Fighting Democratic Unison, Socialist Party and Labour Party members united to oppose a motion calling on the CFDU to support the LSA.

With around 40 Unison members in attendance, 10 comrades from the AWL, Workers Power and ISG supported the pro-LSA motion. The motion received minimal non-aligned support and it was not clear whether all ISG comrades voted in favour.

The SWP - which has a long-running feud with the SP in Unison - did not attend the conference, in marked contrast to its recent non-sectarian behaviour.

SP member and CFDU secretary Glen Kelly from Bromley Unison claimed that it was not possible to support the motion. Clouding the issue, comrade Kelly did not oppose the LSA outright, but said that, as there were competing workers' lists, it was not right for the CFDU to take a position. Grasping at straws, he even claimed the nomination of Peter Tatchell on the, er, Peter Tatchell list was another reason against taking a position. Amongst other 'policies' Tatchell is calling for Pall Mall to be frozen over and used as an ice rink in winter.

This crazy sectarianism effectively saw the 15 SP members blocking with the likes of Labour Party loyalist Jon Rogers from Lambeth Unison. Given that the SP now takes the view that the Labour Party is an out-and-out bosses' party, it must have been mighty uncomfortable for comrade Kelly to align himself so closely with Labourites.

Taaffe's NUT madness

At the Waltham Forest branch meeting of the National Union of Teachers earlier this week, activists proposed that the branch support the LSA candidate for London North East, Cecilia Prosper.

In what amounts to a turnaround compared to the previous position, Linda Taaffe and two Socialist Party members opposed the motion. This is pure sectarianism, given that the official position of the SP was to support the LSA in the constituencies, while allowing a 'free vote' for the London-wide list. The pressure must be mounting at SP HQ.

In opposition to the motion, comrade Taaffe proposed that the NUT branch support the abstract call for a new workers' party. Thankfully, the SP was completely isolated with all other NUT members present supporting Cecilia Prosper's election campaign.