25.04.2007

Election lottery

On Thursday May 3, voters in Wales go to the polls in what is dubbed by many the 'Welsh general election'. However, if interest in the event is to match that rather grand title, there would have to be a significant increase in the 38% turnout recorded for the last assembly elections in 2003. Bob Davies reports

For those interested in the minutiae of leftwing politics, there is a wide array of organisations contesting the regional lists. At least two and as many as five left slates are vying for the same vote in every region. Arthur Scargill's Socialist Labour Party and the Morning Star's Communist Party of Britain are contesting all five, while the Socialist Party (standing as Socialist Alternative) and Respect are also on the ballot in South Wales West and South Wales Central. In addition, one of the fragments of the former Workers Revolutionary Party, the Socialist Equality Party, is standing in the last named region.

Thankfully Forward Wales has not added to the confusion by contesting the regions, although its two most well known members, Ron Davies and John Marek, are standing as independents in Caerphilly and Wrexham constituency seats.

The campaigning efforts of these organisations have hardly set the world alight so far. Take Respect. The organisation in Wales has not conducted any public activities in the run-up to May 3. Indeed, the latest Respect national members' bulletin, whilst commenting on the 2008 mayoral election in London and the local council elections in England on May 3, has chosen not to even mention Wales in any shape or form.

The SLP, lying dormant and unseen for the last few years, has done its best to let us know it still exists - if only on paper. Although its party political broadcast had already been screened, its manifesto was launched only on April 22, a little over a week before the election date. Meanwhile, the Socialist Equality Party has parachuted into South Wales Central (each of its candidates live outside Wales).

Only the CPB and the SP seem to be putting some effort into campaigning. No doubt buoyed by "the first communist broadcast since the 1970s", the CPB has been holding a series of public meetings across Wales. The SP has organised a smattering of events in south Wales and its website at least gives the impression of up-to-date campaigning activity.

But what are the political differences that separate all these groups and prevent them even discussing an electoral pact, not to mention a common campaign? Most readers will not be surprised to learn that, for the most part, there is not that much. Take a look at the material available on their respective websites and the literature handed out at public meeting - it says it all.

True, the SEP's broader manifesto specifically questions the nature of UK democracy, but the common themes promoted are defence of public services (particularly the NHS) and opposition to imperialist war. Of course, both of these are essential demands, but the question of how we are ruled, including the national question and the constitutional monarchy system, are almost totally absent. The brand of politics being offered to the electorate, including in relation to imperialist war, is economism - albeit with a particular Trotskyist, Labourite, reformist or populist twist.

Furthermore, the fact that the electorate in South Wales Central region, for example, has a choice of five very similar slates typifies the problem facing our class: that the organised left (in Britain generally) is, in fact, splintered and, actually, highly disorganised. The question of party is not considered a priority. The glimpses of left unity seen in previous elections in Wales (the United Left in 1999 and the Welsh Socialist Alliance in the 2001 general election) have long gone. The situation would be amusing if it was not so tragic.

CPB's general secretary Rob Griffiths dismissed concerns about such disunity at a recent election launch in Swansea when I asked him how serious a problem he thought it was that the electorate has so many left candidates to choose from. "It can be seen as confusing," he said, "but we don't think that there is only a small number of leftwing votes to be won [!]. It is a task for everyone to build the leftwing vote." Well, comrade, perhaps you are unaware of the procedure, but each voter can only put a cross next to the name of one slate. But which one?

From the CPGB's point of view, there is no straightforward answer to that question. But, however weak and inadequate their politics, we say support working class candidates or slates that are for an immediate and unconditional UK withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan, and who are against sanctions or an attack on Iran.

Faced with a choice of the sectarian fringe candidates or slates, rather than strain to decide which platform is marginally preferable, we recommend a vote for the leading or best placed. Here and there that can obviously mean voting for Labour candidates.

What of Plaid Cymru? It is a nationalist party, through one claiming to come from a socialistic or social democratic tradition. There is quite a strong Plaid left. Despite this there is talk going the rounds in Wales that a Plaid-Tory coalition is on the table. If the left in Plaid allow this to go ahead they certainly no longer deserve to be called left.