11.01.1996

Scotland blazes the trail!

ON Saturday, January 13 Arthur Scargill has reconvened a further ‘recall’ meeting to discuss again the constitution of a new Socialist Labour Party and the timetable for its public launch. Much discontent has already been expressed with the undemocratic manner in which these meetings are being convened.

As we have reported, essentially it is being demanded that all organisations dissolve themselves unconditionally into the new party. Incredibly, the forces demanding this have not yet actually issued one pamphlet, one major policy document or organised a single discussion on what sort of a party we actually need to create and why. Characteristically, the most substantial document produced thus far is ... a constitution! A constitution - it is quite clear - carefully crafted by lawyers to keep communists, socialists and revolutionaries out of the new party, not to facilitate their inclusion.

Despite these inauspicious beginnings, the SLP project retains enormous potential. This is illustrated by developments in Scotland. Here, organisations like Scottish Militant Labour, the Socialist Movement, the Communist Party of Scotland, Liberation (left wing of the Scottish National Party) and others had already established a common forum. Now closer unity in a new socialist organisation is being debated and moved towards (see the draft discussion documents reprinted here).

The Communist Party welcomes this with enthusiasm. It will represent the coming together of workers, socialist and revolutionaries in Scotland on a qualitatively higher level. It underlines that developments in Scotland are well in advance of England and Wales.

Scotland is right to press ahead with the negotiations and debates around the launch of this new party. There must be no question of ‘caution’, or of waiting for England and Wales to catch up. If working class organisations north of the border are at the stage of achieving this level of unity, then this is something we must all welcome and seek to emulate as quickly as possible.

In fact, this development could provide a positive example to the rest of the country, where the launch of this new party of the working class remains shrouded in secrecy and bureaucratic intrigue. Scotland could blaze the trail in creating - in an open, democratic and principled way - the genuine socialist alternative to Labour our class needs in every part of the country.

Given the cavalier and offhand way comrades in Scotland have been treated, the documents we reproduce here are marked by a patient approach to the question of the relationship of the new organisation in Scotland to the still embryonic Socialist Labour Party in the rest of the country.

The initial response of the comrades from Scotland to the proposals from Scargill was to be an integral part of this new organisation (whatever internal constitutional arrangements they envisaged). The insensitive and undemocratic attitude they have encountered so far has clearly provoked a response from the comrades, although fortunately this has not taken the form of explicitly declaring UDI from the SLP in the rest of the country.

However, the high-handed and bureaucratic methods they have suffered must be rejected if the divisive forces of nationalism in Scotland are to be countered. So far, the Scottish comrades have essentially been told to go their own way because they cannot be either bureaucratically controlled or bureaucratically ignored. This narrow attitude amounts to playing games with the unity of the working class in Britain and the integrity of their organisations - for the sake of the egos and power game shenanigans of leading figures in our movement.

The Communist Party will fight for the new grouping in Scotland to be part of the process of building an all-Britain socialist party that can challenge the capitalist state, our common enemy.

It is in this context that we view the draft ‘Aims and Objectives’ of the proposed organisation in Scotland, which emphasises the need to preserve “political and constitutional autonomy”. Of course, we are positively for autonomy. All local Communist Party branches and cells - including our structures in Scotland - are autonomous. Lenin - polemicising against the Jewish nationalist Bund organisation - wrote unequivocally in favour of autonomy for organisations within the party (see One step forward, two steps back).

To have autonomy means to possess a large degree of self-government within an overall structure. This is vital in order to become a real party, to sink genuine organic roots in the working class. All constituent parts of the SLP - in Scotland, Wales, Yorkshire or Liverpool - must be autonomous and self activating.

But we believe that the new organisation in Scotland should be an autonomous part of an integral all-Britain party and operate within a common programme designed to overthrow the unitary British state. This is the objective reality of the common enemy facing Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish workers: as revolutionaries and working class politicians, this must inform the structures we create to fight for socialism.

This is one of the central principles our comrades will be fighting for in order to strengthen the work of all comrades involved in the SLP project in every part of the country.

We welcome the publication of the draft discussion documents printed below. Though there is much to disagree with in the content of them, open discussion and debate can take working class organisation onto a qualitatively higher level.

Our comrades will be entering the discussions armed with our recently produced draft programme which sets out the sort of fighting organisation we think the working class needs. We will be following the details of the debates in Scotland closely in the Weekly Worker so that they are taken to the rest of Britain as quickly as possible.

Mark Fischer

Below we reprint the discussion documents produced so far towards a united socialist party in Scotland

Aims and Objectives - Early draft for discussion

(Draft as agreed by the Steering Committee - Wednesday December 27, 1995)

1. The name of the party shall be Scottish Alliance/Scottish Socialist Party/Scottish Socialist Labour - to be decided.

2. The SSA/SSP/SSL stands for the socialist transformation of society. To replace the free market capitalist economy with an economic system based on democratic ownership and control of the key sectors of the economy. A system based on social need and environmental protection rather than private profit and ecological destruction.

3. The SSA/SSP/SSL will provide political support and solidarity to all those involved in fighting back against injustice, whether it be trade unionists, community organisations, tenants’ groups, anti-motorway protesters, anti-nuclear protesters, animal rights campaigners, anti-racist organisations and other campaigns and protest movements.

4. The SSA/SSP/SSL stands for the right of the people of Scotland to self- determination and will fight for a sovereign Scottish parliament which has the right to decide which powers to retain in Scotland and to determine its relationship with the rest of Britain and Europe.

5. The SSA/SSP/SSL actively promotes the international solidarity of the working class and oppressed to defeat capitalism and imperialism. While preserving its political and constitutional autonomy, the SSA/SSP/SSL will build the closest possible links with socialists in other parts of Britain, across Europe and worldwide. The SSA/SSP/SSL stands ultimately for a new socialist world, where poverty, starvation, environmental destruction, exploitation, war and racial hatred are eradicated.

6. The SSA/SSP/SSL will produce and campaign around a ‘Charter for socialist change’ - programme of specific economic, social and environmental policies relevant to the people of Scotland. The Charter will be regularly updated to take into account changing conditions.

Charter for socialist change - early draft only

The Steering Committee prepared this draft quickly, to give an indication of the type of Charter envisaged. It is not intended to be the ‘finished article’ but simply to help stimulate discussion.

We are asking people with interests in the topics listed to add detail/rewrite the sections. We envisage a final version being completed only after much wider involvement and discussion.

1. End unemployment - cut working hours
For an end to all unemployment. An economic programme which includes a planned and phased introduction of work sharing, without loss of pay, to create more jobs. For an immediate maximum working week of 35 hours (or similar cut in industries not on standard 40 hour week). A target set for early next century of a basic four day working week.

2. For a decent minimum wage
For a decent minimum wage based on the European Union decency threshold, currently around £6 per hour (2/3 of median male earnings). We would welcome, as a step in the right direction, the introduction of the rate favoured by many trade unions (50% of male median earnings), currently around £4.15 an hour.

3. For a decent welfare system
Scrap the Jobs Seekers Allowance and the Child Support Agency. Restore benefits to 16/17 year olds. Uprate benefits in a more inclusive benefit system.

4. The economy
Renationalisation of the public utilities under democratic control. Nationalise the banks, insurance and finance companies. Cancel the debt which is devastating house building at home and inflicting misery and famine abroad. Use the funds from the financial sector to rebuild the economy.

5. The environment
For an environmentally sustainable economic programme with measures being taken to counter the damage to the ozone layer. For an international ban on nuclear testing. For action at home to conserve energy and prevent pollution, to make toxic dumps safe and to safely remove hazardous substances, such as asbestos, from buildings and other structures.

6. Transport
For a subsidised, well resourced, environmentally friendly, planned and integrated public transport system. For the renationalisation of the rail industry. For an end to road/bridge tolls. For an end to new motorway building programmes and support to those communities resisting new road programmes.

7. Water
Return of water to public control through local authorities. Support for those resisting the unelected water quangos.

8. Energy
For an environmentally friendly, planned and coordinated energy plan involving coal, oil, gas and alternative energy sources, all under public ownership and control. For an end to nuclear power and open cast mining. For an end to VAT on fuel.

9. Housing
Cancel the housing debt to finance a massive renovation and building programme. End homelessness and huge housing waiting lists.

10. Health
Rebuild a well resourced, democratically controlled health service. End all hospital trusts. No hospital closures for financial reasons.

11. Education
For a fully comprehensive quality education service open to people at all ages. For nursery places to be available for all children and for quality before and after school provision. End student loans and for the restoration of grants at least to pre-1979 levels with the restoration of housing benefits and other benefits to students. For the right of school students to organise and negotiate with school administrations.

12. Trade union/workers rights
For the repeal of the anti-trade union laws and support to workers who defy these unjust laws. For a positive charter of workers rights, which will include the right to belong to a trade union, the right to strike and full rights for all part-time workers.

13. Anti-racism
Action to counter discrimination against black people in housing, employment and all walks of life. Support for the victims of state racism, institutional racism as well as action against the overt racists around fascist organisations. The repeal of all racist immigration/asylum laws. To promote an anti-racist culture where racist language, ideas and propaganda are not acceptable.

14. Women’s rights
Action to counter discrimination against women in employment and all walks of life. Equal pay for women to become a reality. A wages/benefits structure that allows women to be economically independent from men. For abortion rights for women. For an environment where women can feel safe and for support to all victims of domestic violence. For decent crèche, nursery and childcare provision throughout society.

15. Youth rights
End exploitation of youth. For decent jobs, education and a minimum wage for youth. No workfare for the under 25s. Restoration of benefits for 16/17 year olds.

16. Senior citizens’ rights
Immediate uprating of pensions. Lower retirement age. Free fuel, telephone and TV licence for senior citizens. A re-examination of the Community Care Act to delete the punitive regime for senior citizens in need of residential care.

17. Nuclear disarmament
Remove Trident and all nuclear weapons from Scotland. For a jobs diversification plan that ensures alternative employment for the workers.

18. Animal rights
End live animal exports. End blood sports.

19. Justice for all
Restructure the judicial service to end class bias. Police accountability to the community. Access to legal aid. Scrap the Criminal Justice Act. Abolish the royal prerogative. Introduce a Bill of Rights.

20. Ireland
Support for the peace process in Ireland. For all party talks without preconditions. For the release of all political prisoners.

21. Europe
We reject compliance with the monetarist dogma of the Maastricht Treaty. We will seek dialogue with socialists across Europe to develop an alternative to the pro-capitalist policies of the European Union.

22. Internationalism
We actively promote international solidarity of the working class and oppressed to defeat capitalism and imperialism. For fair trade and the cancellation of the Third World debt to the banks and western governments. For a new world order where poverty, starvation, environmental destruction, exploitation, war and racial hatred are eradicated.

Structures - early draft only

Draft as agreed by the Steering Committee - Wednesday, December 27, 1995

(This draft is mainly for discussion purposes. To give a broad indication of the type of structures envisaged - further detail will need to be added after broader discussion)

1. Any individual or organisation (eg, political group, trade union at any level, environmental group, tenants’ organisations, community group, anti-nuclear group, civil rights organisation, animal rights group, anti-racist organisation, international solidarity campaign etc) who broadly agrees with the ‘Aims and Objectives’ and agrees to abide by the constitution may join the SSA/SSP/SSL.

2. The SSA/SSP/SSL is politically pluralistic and encourages all individuals, organisations and groups who share our socialist vision to fully participate.

3. All organisations and groups participating in the SSA/SSP/SSL must be affiliates. Affiliation assumes a political commitment and all affiliates should also encourage individual membership from their respective organisations. All representatives from affiliated organisations to the SSA/SSP/SSL must also be individual SSA/SSP/SSL members.

4. An organisation of this type, broad and voluntary, must be open, inclusive and flexible.

5. Individual members are allowed to belong to other political organisations (whether affiliates or not), but dual membership should be declared on application/renewal of membership.

6. The SSA/SSP/SSL will organise at a local branch level, area level (based on Euro constituencies) and national level.

7.
(a) Individual members will be entitled to participate in branches, based upon residency, place of work or place of study.
(b) Organisations (eg, trade union branches, tenants; groups, hospital campaigns, etc) can affiliate at this level.

8.
(a) Regular Aggregate Meetings will be held at an Area level - open to all members.
(b) Organisations (eg, trade union branches, anti-motorway campaigns, etc) can also affiliate at this level.

9. Policy will be decided democratically by a National Conference, consisting of branch delegates and delegates from nationally affiliated organisations. Branches and affiliates are encouraged to seek a gender balance in their delegations.

10. There will be a monthly National Council consisting of office-bearers elected at the National Conference, branch delegates and delegates from affiliated organisations. Branches and affiliates are encouraged to seek a gender balance in their delegations.

11. The elected office-bearers will be responsible for the day to day running of the national organisation.

12. The SSA/SSP/SSL allows individual members and affiliates to organise in sections (eg, Youth Section, Women’s Section, Black Section).