25.04.2001

Greenwich and Woolwich

Enthusiasm restricted

The scheduled political discussions in Greenwich and Woolwich Socialist Alliance have got off to a slow start - the first was cancelled on the night through lack of a speaker.

At our last meeting on April 19 our candidate, Kirstie Paton (Workers Power), introduced a discussion on the private finance initiative. Despite a reference to nationalisation "under workers' and users' control" comrade Paton's opening was entirely economistic. There was much useful information such as the value of school grounds ripe for PFI profiteering - £58 billion; the initial estimate for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Greenwich - £30 million, doubled to £60 million under PFI and eventually costing £95m. Such interesting facts and figures were like music to the ears of the Socialist Workers Party comrades who saw an immediate opportunity for a leaflet. The subsequent discussion quickly centred on local activity and almost seamlessly merged into other technical matters about stalls, leaflets and petitions.

Comrade Paul Mason (WP) reported that Global Property Consultants had phoned him to "talk through our alliance bid for the Dome". We need to collect 1,000 signatures to back the bid. Comrade Paton reported that she, comrade Hannah Dee (SWP) and a number of alliance and anti-globalisation supporters will stage an anti-PFI stunt at the Cutty Sark on Sunday May 20 dressed as pirates!

An amendment to the election address from Terry Liddle (Republican Communist Network) held over from the previous meeting was first lost from the agenda and then pushed back to the end of the meeting. This was more through amateurishness than design. Comrade Liddle proposed the inclusion of "Abolish the monarchy and the House of Lords" and "For a united Ireland". As candidate Paton's own wording included a reference to "sweeping away the monarchy", Paul Mason suggested a rewording to incorporate the House of Lords. However, he did not think we could include "For a united Ireland" without the space to explain what this meant.

Most of the SWP comrades, unnerved by an apparent controversy (for which they had a week's notice), exchanged silent glances. Then Hannah Dee bit the bullet and opposed the amendment, saying that when she speaks to shop stewards they talk about PFI, globalisation, jobs, etc and have never raised the question of the monarchy. One local CPGB member countered by saying that we should not be content with the present level of consciousness amongst workers, but must develop it and should raise such questions - as we should raise the question of socialism. The issue, largely through a disorganised attempt to avoid controversy and reach consensus, was fudged - lost among the details of next week's stall. We will probably end up with some sort of reference to "sweeping away [maybe abolishing] the monarchy and the House of Lords".

The quality of political discussion finds its reflection in the quality of organisation. Many comrades are doing tremendous amounts of work, are raising money, are sincere and committed - but the disjointedness and amateurism that prevails has restricted the undoubted impact we have made. To make us greater than the sum of our parts we need to fight for both organisation and high politics.

Alan Stevens

SA Liaison Committee

The executive has called a full Liaison Committee meeting for Saturday May 12 in Birmingham from 12 noon to 4pm.

Each constituency Socialist Alliance contesting the election should send one representative. Voting will be on the basis of one voting delegate from each affiliated SA and supporting organisation, plus the executive.

Venue to be confirmed. A pooled fare system will operate and comrades are requested to use the most economical means of transport.