27.01.2011
A tad more radical
Tina Becker was at the Coalition of Resistance steering committee meeting
The Coalition of Resistance, whose steering committee meets every week in London, is continuing to build support. In the unfortunate myriad of anti-cuts campaigns, it is clearly the main show in town. It can boast of a range of regional and national trade union affiliations and big-name supporters like Tony Benn, Bob Crow, Ken Loach and John Pilger. It is by far the most publicly visible campaign and for the moment puts its two main rivals, Right to Work (run by the Socialist Workers Party) and the National Shop Stewards Network's All-Britain Anti-Cuts Campaign (run by the Socialist Party in England and Wales), in the shade. The coalition, led by John Rees's group, Counterfire, has recently made a conscious move to 'open up' - a welcome decision. The weekly meetings of the steering committee are open to representatives of different organisations and are run in a relatively democratic manner. COR regularly sends calls for unity to the other national anti-cuts campaigns - undoubtedly a crucial task: nationally agreed and enforced cuts and attacks on the working class cannot be defeated through local action. It needs national, united action if it is to be effective.
The SWP does send representatives to the COR steering committee (and vice versa with the RtW), but the atmosphere between these former comrades is decidedly frosty - despite the near identical politics of the two groups. SPEW, on the other hand, boycotts COR and continues to bank on the left of the trade union bureaucracy giving its imprimatur to the All-Britain Anti-Cuts Campaign.
The only trajectory towards unity seems to be happening between COR and the People's Charter (a rather uninspiring, minimalist 'manifesto' dreamed up by the Morning Star's Communist Party of Britain and backed by surprisingly wide sections of the trade union bureaucracy).
That points, of course, to its own set of problems: COR bowing to the trade union bureaucracy, just like its former comrades in the SWP. If the unions do not raise a particular demand, we should not either - that is the motto that has been repeated by Counterfire and SWP comrades up and down the country. However, Counterfire seems a tad more radical than the SWP in this respect, but it is only a question of nuance.
The other problem COR is suffering from is the lack of reliable activists. The Counterfire comrades on the steering committee (led by John Rees, Lindsey German and Chris Nineham) still talk and behave as if they had hundreds of members at their disposal who could be sent out to run regular stalls, give out thousands of leaflets or build local meetings. In reality, though, unlike the SWP COR is a loose network, where local components do their own thing.
Unfortunately, no attempt is being made to arrive at political clarity. What lies behind the crisis? Can a general strike defeat the government? Should we encourage the formation of credit unions, as voiced at the COR steering committee? If these are inadequate responses, what kind of action can defeat the government? Such questions remain unanswered.
The COR founding statement, fronted by Tony Benn, might include the idea of drawing up an "alternative budget" and the commitment to "develop and support an alternative programme for economic and social recovery" (sounds a bit like the CPB's Alternative Economic Strategy, doesn't it?). But no work has been done on that front. In fact, we were told there has been a deliberate decision not to carry this out - instead, there are a number of documents and blog entries available for download on the COR website.
COR has made a good start. But clearly much more is needed if we want to have a fighting chance of not being bled dry by the coalition government.
COR plan of action
- There will be a week of action against the cuts, starting on February 14 and culminating in a national day of activity on February 19. All anti-cuts campaigns and groups are encouraged to organise stalls, public meetings or other activity to build for the March 26 demonstration in London, in which COR wants to highlight its opposition to all cuts and not just 'fair cuts'. If you can organise a public meeting that week, let COR know by calling 07939 242229 or emailing coalitionofresistance@mail.com.
- February 5 is 'National day against library closures'. If you can organise read-ins, occupations and protests, please inform COR.
- COR will participate in Right to Work's People's Convention Against Cuts on February 12.
- A 'Carnival of Resistance' is being planned for April.
- There is talk of an 'activists forum' in May.
- A decision-making conference is being organised for early July - in all likelihood July 9.
- A 'European conference' will take place in London in the autumn (to roughly coincide with the European Trade Union Confederation day of action on September 29). An appeal to "unions, progressive forces and anti-cuts campaigns" will be sent out soon.
Affiliate to COR
- Individuals: £15 (£5 unwaged)
- Local organisation £25
- Trade union or trades council £50
- National organisation £100
Affiliate online (www.coalitionofresistance.org.uk) or send cheques, made payable to 'Coalition of Resistance', to:
- COR, Housmans Bookshop, 5 Caledonian Road, London N1 9DX.