23.10.2002

Liz Davies

As members of the Socialist Alliance executive are aware, I have resigned as national chair of the Socialist Alliance and from the executive. I have done so with deep sadness. I feel strongly that minimum standards of accountability and probity have not been upheld by some leading officers and members of the executive. Under the circumstances, it is clear to me that I will not be able to discharge effectively my duties to the members. The premise of the Socialist Alliance was that individuals and groups from differing political backgrounds and perspectives could work together on a common political project. It was always clear that trust among the elements of the Socialist Alliance, and in particular trust among members of the executive and national officers, was essential to this endeavour. As a result of recent events, I feel that trust no longer exists. I remain committed to contributing towards the development of a viable socialist alternative to New Labour. October 21 2002 SA executive We very much regret Liz Davies's resignation from the national executive. We greatly appreciate the contribution she has made on the national executive and as chair and thank her for this. We welcome her continued commitment to building a socialist alternative to New Labour, and we hope to continue to work closely with her as a member of the Socialist Alliance. As a result of Liz raising her concerns, the executive has taken urgent measures to deal with the important issues she has raised. Those measures will be monitored and finalised at the November meeting of the executive, which will also initiate a period of open and democratic discussion of the politics and operation of the alliance leading up to the alliance's annual general meeting on March 15 2003. The executive is looking forward to building on our excellent result in the recent Hackney mayoral election. Local alliances are already active in building broad labour movement support committees for the firefighters, and the executive decided to throw the whole weight of the alliance nationally behind this effort. With New Labour taking an openly anti-union stance against the firefighters, the need for socialists to unite in a campaigning organisation like the alliance has never been more urgent. The alliance is also in the forefront of the anti-war movement in many areas, and will be working to make sure that a clear and distinctive socialist message is heard in this new and growing movement. Lesley Mahmood and Steve Godward (joint vice chairs); Tess McMahon (treasurer); Marcus Ström (nominating officer); Rob Hoveman (secretary and campaigns officer); Will McMahon (membership secretary); Mark Hoskisson (trade union officer); John Rees (press officer); Nick Wrack (publications officer); Mandy Baker (youth officer); Weyman Bennett (race officer); John Fisher, Declan O'Neill, Alan Thornett, Martin Thomas (executive members) October 23 2002