19.07.2000
Morning Star's CPB rejects LSA
The Morning Star's Communist Party of Britain stood in the London assembly elections and got a miserable 0.4% - a quarter of the London Socialist Alliance vote. But the LSA has consistently worked to overcome the disunity of the left when it comes to elections. To that effect the LSA wrote to the CPB, inviting it to join.
As can be seen from the reply of part-time general secretary Robert Griffiths, the CPB rejects our attempts to unify the left challenge to Blair, on the grounds that the LSA supposedly opposes trade unions, etc, remaining and fighting inside the Labour Party, and that the LSA has an electoral strategy of "blanket opposition" to Labour candidates. Apart from the fact that the LSA's politics are democratically decided, and therefore changeable, it should be pointed out that the LSA has no policy of calling upon unions to disaffiliate, nor are we committed to "blanket opposition".
In the forthcoming general election the LSA will not stand against principled leftwingers. Like the claim about "pro-imperialist elements" in the LSA, the CPB and comrade Griffiths need lurid invention in order to avoid principled unity.
Colin EnglishResponse to a political invitation
Thank you for your letter of May 31, which our political committee considered on June 9.
Our party's strategic perceptions are not compatible with the electoral approach currently taken by the LSA. While we share your opposition to many of the policies of the 'new Labour' government, we are in favour of affiliated trades unions, socialists and social democrats in the Labour Party fighting to defeat the pro-big business anti-labour movement trend headed by Tony Blair.
We do not urge them to walk away from the Labour Party, which is what the LSA electoral strategy of blanket opposition to Labour calls upon them to do.
There are no significant indications that the organised labour movement and the majority of socialists in the Labour Party are ready to quit that party in favour of political projects which ignore current organisational, political and ideological realities.
The Labour Party is still, at least for the present, the mass electoral party of the labour movement. This reality sets tasks for socialists and communists that are not addressed by the LSA. The Communist Party's approach is elaborated in the main resolution of our 45th congress, which was held in April.
At the same time, the CPB is always prepared to work with other left organisations to take forward the struggle against imperialism, for progressive advance and for socialist revolution. While pro-imperialist elements in the LSA limit the possibilities for cooperation, we are open to any proposals for non-sectarian left unity in action from anti-imperialist forces inside and beyond the LSA.
Robert GriffithsCPB general secretary