WeeklyWorker

18.12.1997

SLP Democratic Platform

Statement issued prior to the congress

The building of a genuine socialist alternative to New Labour requires not only an organisational break, but a political break from its methods. Given that the SLP members come from a wide range of political origins, if we are to build such an alternative, we have to work to develop agreement on what sort of socialism, how to fight for it, and what sort of party we need.

Some comrades may believe that because the SLP was a new organisation, with a general election to fight, the leadership had to take decisions without a full discussion and membership endorsement. However, this has been accompanied by a number of unacceptable violations of members’ rights.

1. Policy on the European Union was decided by the NEC and not party conference. Members who signed the ‘Statement on the question of party democracy’ were told by the GS to “accept party policy” on Europe, or leave.

2. The NEC has applied the constitution in an arbitrary fashion. The members have been denied the right to endorse it or even to discuss it.

3. The GS/NEC imposed a number of parliamentary candidates against the wishes of local parties.

4. The NEC has excluded some members for unspecified breaches of the constitution, denying them the right to a hearing in which they can defend themselves against written charges.

5. Denied some members their democratic rights by not allocating every member to an existing CSLP.

6. Issued a ‘Message to the members’, banning people from meeting to discuss party issues.

7. Whilst some members who owe subs have been sent letters asking them to pay, others have been told they are no longer members because they owe subs!

8. Whilst membership of other organisations is barred, the leadership turns a blind eye to some (if they support the leadership), such as the ex-ILWP, which produces the Economic and Philosophic Science Review. Complaints from the Lesbian and Gay Commission against its disgusting homophobic content have been ignored. There is ‘lack of proof’ despite the contents of the EPSR.

9. The general secretary recently, in a public meeting, threatened members in Scotland that if they met with the Scottish Socialist Alliance they would be “acting outside the constitution”!

10. The listed party members shown [below] are standing on a platform of defending and extending the democratic rights of rank and file members. In challenging such actions by the leadership, we call for:

    1. A membership discussion bulletin and pre-conference discussion bulletins.
    2. A Socialist News open to political discussion and debate.
    3. A disciplinary procedure incorporating the right to written charges, a hearing in which those charged can defend themselves, and the right of appeal to conference against disciplinary action. Members excluded without such rights should be reinstated.
    4. Members should have the constitutional right to organise tendencies and platforms to fight for their views and circulate them within the party.

If we are to build an alternative, then the party must be mobilising against the New Labour government. Our policies must be genuinely supported and understood, and not simply imposed from above. The party must be open to the possibility that new policies may be developed from amongst the membership. A full discussion of alternatives, tested against experience in the class struggle, assists us to develop our policy and practice.

We need a membership-wide discussion prior to, and after, the 1997 congress, at party meetings, in an internal bulletin and in Socialist News, on the following issues:

We have nothing to fear from such discussion. We need to create a party in which comrades feel free to express their opinions, in a lively but fraternal atmosphere. As a new party we need to patiently develop political agreement based on full discussion and political activity.

Terry Burns, Chris Erswell, Jack Gilbert, Chris Jones, Matthew Jones, Terry Pearce, Lee Rock, Martin Wicks