06.12.2001

Party notes

An unofficial paper

Around a third of the Socialist Alliance's December 1 conference voted for a regular publication - as a "step towards developing a newspaper". Though supported by the Communist Party of Great Britain, International Socialist Group, Alliance for Workers' Liberty and a wide range of independents, our forces were overwhelmed by the Socialist Workers Party bloc (plus Workers Power).

Once again the SWP shows that it is unable to act as an effective leadership of the Socialist Alliance. Its aspirations amount to no more than a united front. A useful appendage for the SWP sect, but useless for the working class - which needs an effective and democratic party.

Without a frequent Socialist Alliance paper the Socialist Alliance will never amount to much. Occasional leaflets, local bulletins, folders on racism, etc, are no substitute. Nor is the weekly factional press. Hardly anything of worth about the Socialist Alliance now appears in Socialist Worker. The Socialist was if anything anti-Socialist Alliance and has anyway now gone. A few thousand read the print and electronic version of the Weekly Worker. There is though no collective source of regular news and views - let alone theoretically underpinned arguments - coming from the Socialist Alliance as a whole.

Not surprisingly identification with the project is low. Local branches of the Socialist Alliance operate in the dark or as on-off SWP united fronts. Most are now ghostly affairs. As far as those who voted for us in the general election are concerned, the Socialist Alliance has all but disappeared. And mainstream politicians are attacked for only being interested in their constituents during elections! Obviously none of this is satisfactory.

So what is to be done? Wait another 12 months for yet another annual general meeting and an SWP change of heart? Frankly that would be to abrogate our responsibilities as Socialist Alliance members. The war against Afghanistan, the draconian laws on terrorism, the threats to Iraq and Somalia, popular disenchantment with Labour, anti-capitalism, the impending economic slump in the US-EU-Japan metropolis. All that and more demands that the Socialist Alliance is quickly built, not only in terms of numbers, but fighting capacity.

That is why the CPGB is making the urgent call to other principal supporting Socialist Alliance organisations and to all pro-party Socialist Alliance members and branches to begin serious discussion about launching an unofficial paper in 2002.

Are the resources there? Yes, after all the CPGB cell responsible for the Weekly Worker is financially autonomous. It manages to print and distribute a weekly paper on the basis of subscriptions and donations. Nothing more. With the resources of other organisations thrown in, with a wider basis of support, more can be done. Much more. And let me once again underline the CPGB's intentions. We envisage ending the publication of the Weekly Worker and putting all its financial, editorial and journalistic resources at the service of an unofficial Socialist Alliance weekly. We hope, but do not by any means demand, that other organisations act in the same pro-party spirit. Even if they do not though, rest assured the project is viable financially.

Editorial control? That must be negotiated through compromise and perhaps some hard bargaining. But comrades must be clear: we have no intention of insisting upon a CPGB majority on any editorial board. The only criterion we have is that comrades are united in pursuing the aim of an effective and democratic Socialist Alliance party.

What of politics? The political basis for unity exists already. People before profit is the bottom line. Our unofficial paper should promote and popularise the demands contained in our June 7 general election manifesto. Everyone will have their specific disagreements. On the other hand it was voted through overwhelmingly at the March 10 2001 Birmingham policy conference. It has proven legitimacy. An unofficial Socialist Alliance paper would defend, concretise and enrich the demands outlined in People before profit in order to recruit to the Socialist Alliance on the largest possible scale.

The paper must have an element of polemics - though any fixation with simply attacking the SWP and the Socialist Alliance majority should be avoided. Indeed SWP comrades should be asked to contribute. The best way to overcome the SWP bloc is through political engagement and by winning a whole layer of the working class to the Socialist Alliance. So, while controversy and debate should be encouraged, the prime tasks of the paper would be - agitation, organisation and education.

Every democratic issue, every grievance, every strike must be taken up and given overall political direction. Our Socialist Alliance paper must argue for action too. To begin with, no doubt, our efforts will be faltering and amateurish. But, with time, hard work, increased professionalism and an ever growing circle of loyal readers and engaged supporters, we can start to cohere as a real force, a real influence in the political life of this country.

A Socialist Alliance paper would send out an inspiring message to activists in the Socialist Alliance. Moreover it sets in motion a logic, which, if consistently and energetically followed through, would enable us to steadily deepen and massively extend our collective activity and political scope. Even though it would be unofficial, our paper would seek the affiliation and backing of Socialist Alliance members, branches and regions. Indeed, to the extent that happens, what begins as an unofficial publication will stage by stage gain the status of an official voice.

A collective organiser, distributed in the tens of thousands throughout the country and uniting a network of branches, would increasingly enable the Socialist Alliance to swiftly manoeuvre and take advantage of the establishment's exposed flanks and momentary vulnerabilities. A financial scandal, a police killing, the mass slaughter of prisoners in Afghanistan, a parliamentary rift amongst Labour MPs, etc. So an unofficial political paper more than complements and enhances official Socialist Alliance electoral interventions. It gives us all the means, which at present we lack, to build, maintain and coordinate - here in truth is the most challenging immediate task facing the Socialist Alliance.

Our unofficial paper must combine the role of agitation and organisation with education. Without a collective educator there can be no consistency of principle on the 'big questions'. Nor can there be a speedy and generally agreed response to the countless new challenges brought forth by the maelstrom of socio-economic, parliamentary and international events. No-one is suggesting that we will instantly reach unanimity. But, unless we constantly renew and steadily augment our ideas, there will be no future for the Socialist Alliance.

All partisans of the Socialist Alliance are urged to enter into discussions. With good will on all sides an agreement on finances, editorial content and goals can be reached. An official paper which contains all Socialist Alliance viewpoints would have been preferable. But we have no choice. It is an unofficial paper or nothing.

Jack Conrad