24.10.2001

London

Preparing for May

After months of not meeting, the steering committee of the London Socialist Alliance came together on Tuesday October 23. Much of our business naturally concerned anti-war activity, but the underlying theme was assessing what the role of the LSA is. With the growth of the alliance at an all-England level and the building of local bodies, the role of regional alliances has become somewhat uncertain. It was agreed that this was to be expected, but that it by no means followed that the LSA should be wound up.

On the contrary, as the work of the alliance broadens and deepens, the tasks of regional bodies such as the LSA will increase. As well as a round-up of anti-war activity, it was proposed that the LSA seek to organise a debate in the capital on the war between a prominent anti-war spokesperson and a speaker in favour of the war. The demonstration on November 18 will be a good opportunity to advertise the event. It was also pointed out that the placards at the last anti-war demo had the wrong slogan on them. They had the pacifist slogan ?No to war? rather than the agreed SA slogan of ?Stop the war?. This will be corrected for November 18.

There was discussion of the December 1 conference, with some debate over whether it was wise to limit it to discuss structure only. There was a motion from the Socialist Solidarity Network asking the Conference Arrangements Committee to extend the remit of the conference to include more political discussion. The steering committee will pass this on, though most thought that, given it was a one day conference, we should concentrate on the business in hand.

I moved the statement ?For a democratic and effective Socialist Alliance?, saying that this platform represented the broad needs of those in the SA who wanted to see it develop beyond its current format and more towards a party formation. Comrade John Rees of the SWP said he thought that much of what was in the statement was valid, but did not support the calls for the right to form platforms, which was more suitable for a party formation.

He was opposed to the SA becoming a party, because then it would be forced to make a choice between revolutionary politics and reformism. In a party, these two forces could not exist side by side, but in an alliance, that was possible. Where that leaves the Socialist Worker Platform in the SSP ones hates to imagine. When is the split to be staged?

Comrades Mark Hoskisson (Workers Power) and Greg Tucker (LSA secretary and International Socialist Group) said that they broadly supported what was in the statement, but didn?t really want to commit themselves. The statement received three votes for, seven against.

We then briefly discussed the future role of the LSA. It was decided that our structure needs to change to incorporate the growth of local alliances in London. From now on, the LSA will have on its steering committee voting representatives from local alliances. The executive will prepare for a late winter or early spring conference of the LSA to adjust our structure to reflect our developing role. The conference will focus specifically on preparations for the local government elections due in May 2002.

Marcus Larsen
chair, London Socialist Alliance