16.05.2001

Nottingham

Blair ambushed

Nottinghamshire Socialist Alliance moves into its second week of official campaigning buoyed by its recent, successful intervention at Blair?s flying visit to an old people?s home in the Carlton area of the city.

The SA?s presence at this rushed ?meet and greet? session made the national Sunday papers, where we were the victims of the bourgeois media, whose misrepresentation of the whole event would lead the reader to believe that we were outnumbered by Tory protestors, when, in fact the opposite was the case. However, this successful event, and the national and local press coverage it generated, provides the springboard we need as we throw ourselves into leafleting, canvassing and further fundraising.

Thursday May 17 will see Notts SA?s first major press conference. As well as our candidate, Pete Radcliff, we have also invited SA candidates from neighbouring constituencies: Jeannie Robinson (Chesterfield), Ian Thomson (Newark) and George Watson (Ashfield). In essence, the event is an East Midlands launch.

The next three weeks are extremely busy, with events or activities virtually every day up until June 7. But logistical problems still take up an enormous proportion of our meetings. For example, we obviously have to decide whether or not election addresses should be put in personalised envelopes for distribution by Royal Mail.

But time at weekly meetings is short, and should not be wasted on such questions. More a matter for the elected officers, to be honest.

Up to now there has been very little by way of political discussion at our meetings, and one might have thought that what little there is would, understandably perhaps, disappear altogether as the election draws nearer. However, next week?s meeting will include a discussion on the future of the Socialist Alliance - a chance for the more politically frustrated comrades to have their say.

This meeting will also provide the chance for Notts SA comrades to fix their minds on matters after the election, and help us define the way forward - hopefully towards a single party structure.

Sam Metcalf