03.02.2000

LSA looks ahead

The coordinating committee of the London Socialist Alliance met on February 1, with representatives of the Socialist Workers Party, Communist Party, Alliance for Workers' Liberty, Workers Power, Socialist Outlook, Independent Labour Network, and the Socialist Party. A businesslike meeting reviewed the progress of the campaign, received reports of the local constituency meetings that have taken place so far and briefly discussed the possible future of the LSA after the May 4 Greater London Authority and mayoral elections.

Comrades also added a sixth name to the initial PR candidates for London-wide slate. Anne Murphy of the Communist Party was proposed by Marcus Larsen (CPGB), seconded by Pat Stack (SWP) and adopted unanimously.

During the item on local meetings, Marcus Larsen of the Communist Party reported on the recalled Greenwich and Lewisham meeting (see 'Socialist Party fudges on unity', this issue). He pointed out the glaring anomaly that now exists, given the SP's decision to pledge its support to the Campaign Against Tube Privatisation slate for the all-London list section of the contest, but support the LSA at constituency level. He and later speakers from the SWP pointed out that the majority of socialists in the constituency - who undoubtedly want to support the LSA slate - are now placed in an invidious position. How can they give out campaigning literature which does not call for a vote for this list or - worse still - actually agitates for an opposing slate?

Jim Horton, the SP rep, rather limply suggested that campaigning for the Socialist Alliance in the constituency poll would mean that the name seeped into people's consciousness and this would result in a larger vote for the London slate. For the SWP, John Rees underlined that we should be campaigning in Greenwich and Lewisham to maximise our vote across the capital. There is clearly a clash of interest which, after the local meeting on January 31, remains unresolved.

Comrade Horton reminded others that the principle that has guided the LSA in the past is that of the "autonomy" of local alliances. Clearly, in this instance, the SP is mangling this concept to justify its own tortuous position. The LSA is an electoral bloc, drawn together in its current form on a commitment to stand candidates at a London-wide and local level in the GLA elections. If one organisation does not agree with this perspective, whatever its protestations of proven commitment to the project in the past, surely there is a big problem.

There was a brief discussion of perspectives for work submitted by Workers Power. The consensus seemed to be that while these contained some good points, much of it was presumptive. Thus, rather than commit ourselves now to building "an open conference of workers' organisations [defined earlier in the document as "trade unions, tenants organisations, anti-racist campaigns, etc." - MF] soon after the May election", comrades preferred to see how the campaign itself developed over the coming months. However, there appeared to be a general agreement - even at this early stage - that the experience of LSA needed to be collectively discussed and continued in some form after May.

Socialist Outlook has pledged £2,000 to the campaign and delivered its first £500 on the night. Donations to build the united left challenge to Blair are urgently needed. Cheques and postal orders made payable to 'London Socialist Alliance' can be sent to the LSA at PO Box 20492, London SE11 5WL.