26.09.1996

Need for organisation

Lee-Anne Bates spoke to Jimmy Nolan, one of the leaders of the Liverpool dockers, about his reasons for joining the SLP

Our dispute in Liverpool has shown how our class can act together. All leftwing political organisations have given us their support.

The problem at the moment is that we have a lot of organisations but no Party. This has been one of the reasons why we have been so isolated in our struggle. Through lack of support from workers in Britain our tactic has been to look for international support from other dockers, which has been tremendous. We have had financial support in Britain but no action against the government.

I joined the CPGB in 1966, but since the collapse, with the formation of the Democratic Left, I have been in the wilderness, as have so many others. The collapse of the Soviet Union and the corresponding splits in our movement, together with the increasing power of globalised capital, have left us in a very dangerous position.

At the moment I think the Socialist Labour Party has the most potential to rebuild our organisation and bring about socialism. The struggle I am now involved in has shown again the need for a socialist society and how the political machinery that exists in this country is used solely for the benefit of the employers.

There is potential now to overcome our past divisions and join in one party. We should all be in the Socialist Alliances for a start, where all groups can maintain their own identity and participate in discussions, just as has been happening in the dockers’ meetings. There has not been a bar on discussions. All are free to put their point of view forward. It was the same in the struggle on the docks in 1967 when I became a shop steward. We were all in different parties, but we all worked together.

Hopefully the SLP can play an important role in the SA in Liverpool. Old divisions like those between Trotskyists and Stalinists can now begin to break down. Common objectives and common work could be the basis for us coming together into one party and breaking down the old sectarianism.

For a revolution in this country we have to be organised together, and we can be because our common starting position is Marxism and Leninism - that is what we need to reaffirm.

The splits in our movement have only been demoralising. We need a strong, fighting alternative to Labour. Now is certainly the time to try and bring our forces together.