27.02.1997

Appeal for socialist unity

The Socialist Party (formally Militant Labour) is standing Joan Barker against Harriet Harman in Peckham in the coming general election. Our campaign has been gathering momentum since it was announced in March 1996 when it was reported in the South London Press and several national papers.

Joan Barker is well known in Southwark for defending working class people. She was a leading figure in the anti-poll tax movement and defended thousands of people at Camberwell court who could not afford to pay. Joan was involved in establishing the SICK campaign that fought off plans to close Guy’s Hospital and she is now fighting plans to cut £20 million from the local health authority. Last year, Joan was instrumental in winning back discretionary grants for 16-19 year olds at Southwark College that had been cut by the New Labour council.

Joan has also been supporting socialists internationally and has the support of Biudun Sowunmi, who is public relations officer for the National Conscience Party (Nigeria) in Britain.

It is very disappointing that the SLP has now decided to stand a rival candidate. Why is the SLP opposing a socialist like Joan Barker who has an excellent local record and a socialist campaign underway?

The launch of the SLP was a chance to bring together all socialists in a united challenge to the capitalist policies of the Tories, Liberals and New Labour. We suggested to Arthur Scargill and his supporters a federal party that could include all socialists in one party. Unfortunately we were ignored. We then offered to discuss an electoral deal with the SLP to prevent the situation developing where socialists are fighting socialists rather than countering the rightwing policies of the main parties. This appeal was also ignored.

Locally we offered an arrangement where we would happily support SLP candidates in Deptford and Vauxhall and the SLP would support our candidate in Peckham. It is extremely sad that the leadership of the SLP have again turned down an offer of unity and then adopted a narrow, sectarian approach to the coming general election. Surely this is not in the best interest of the Peckham working class.

Joan Barker’s Socialist Party campaign is well under way and she remains the best candidate to fight for socialism in Peckham. The Socialist Party remains committed to building a new party to fight for the working class and appeals to all socialists to join us in doing so.

Socialist Party
Peckham