21.03.2002

Airbrushed out

The election committee of Hackney Socialist Alliance voted on Monday night to bar me from describing myself as a member of the CPGB in my election statement. The statement, which forms part of the election address for the May 2 local elections, is meant to allow a candidate to say who they are politically and what their history is. In my statement the part that described me as "a member of the CPGB, one of the groups which supports the SA," was deleted. The deletion had been made over the weekend by a couple of committee members. When I found out I objected and was then told I could raise it with the committee. Therefore I presented a motion on Monday night that called on the committee members to abide by the SA constitution, which specifically states: "Members of other parties, organisations and groups who join the Socialist Alliance are expected to be able to keep their identity while participating fully within the development of the Socialist Alliance." I asked that my right to retain my identity be upheld. Unfortunately, and far too predictably, I was refused this right. It was argued by some Socialist Workers Party members that we should be looking outwards, not inwards, and if my right was upheld it would make us look just like an alliance of tiny left groups. It was also said that portraying our candidates as members of "an organisation within an organisation" was not the way to promote the SA. The argument that the Socialist Alliance should avoid being seen for what we really are at present - the coming together of the left - is of course not a new one. SWP members who are SA candidates are not concerned to describe their affiliation in their personal addresses. Being the largest group in the SA, they probably do not see this as much of a sacrifice. They know they dominate the alliance and use it, in the words of one long-time member, as "a pool to fish in for SWP members". They do not want it to be seen as an alliance of 'the left groups and others', but an alliance of 'the SWP and others'. Janine Booth of the Alliance for Workers' Liberty, the SA candidate for Hackney Central, argued for my right to state my political affiliation and said that the SA must be honest about what it is. She called for a statement describing the reality of the SA to be included in our next leaflet. Otherwise we are not being honest about who we are. I argued that if the vote was lost on the use of 'CPGB' I at least be allowed to call myself a communist in my personal address. There was objection from some SWP members on a vote being taken on this and it was suggested that I submit an amended personal statement and we would take it from there. The right to openly call oneself a communist would of course have been a far more uncomfortable debate to have. Many leading Hackney SA members, including from the SWP, have admitted in private that they consider themselves communists. Maybe it would have been too much for their consciences to deny me this right. As I argued at the meeting, this debate is not simply about upholding the rights of one member; it is about the development of the SA as a whole. Bans and proscriptions should not be allowed to become part of our culture. We have seen what has become of the Socialist Labour Party under such a regime. I call on all democrats within the SA to uphold the right of candidates to state their political affiliation. I also call on the executive to take a stand to implement its own constitution and reverse this explicit attack on minority rights. Anne Mc Shane SA candidate, Stoke Newington Central