29.08.2013

Socialist Platform - amendments

The CPGB will be proposing changes to the platform at the September 14 meeting of supporters

1. The [Left Unity] party is a socialist party. Its aim is to bring about the end of capitalism and its replacement by socialism.

CPGB amendment

• Delete second sentence and insert: “It seeks to bring about the end of capitalism and its replacement by the rule of the working class. Our ultimate aim is a society based on the principle of ‘from each according to their abilities; to each according to their needs’. A moneyless, classless, stateless society, within which each individual can develop their fullest individuality.”

2. Under capitalism, production is carried out solely to make a profit for the few, regardless of the needs of society or damage to the environment. Capitalism does not and cannot be made to work in the interests of the majority. Its state and institutions will have to be replaced by ones that act in the interests of the majority.

CPGB amendments

• First sentence: delete “solely” and substitute “predominantly”.

• Delete the last two sentences and insert: “Neither capitalism nor its state apparatus can be made to work in the interests of the mass of the population. The rule of the working class requires a state to defend itself, but a state that is withering away, a semi-state.”

3. Socialism means complete political, social and economic democracy. It requires a fundamental breach with capitalism. It means a society in which the wealth and the means of production are no longer in private hands, but are owned in common. Everyone will have the right to participate in deciding how the wealth of society is used and how production is planned to meet the needs of all and to protect the natural world on which we depend. We reject the idea that the undemocratic regimes that existed in the former Soviet Union and other countries were socialist.

CPGB amendments

• First sentence: delete “complete” and substitute the words “the fullest”.

• Last sentence: change full stop to a comma and insert: “represented either the political rule of the working class or some kind of step on the road to socialism.”

4. The [Left Unity] party opposes all oppression and discrimination, whether on the basis of gender, nationality, ethnicity, disability, religion or sexual orientation, and aims to create a society in which such oppression and discrimination no longer exist.

5. Socialism has to be international. The interests of the working class are the same everywhere. The [Left Unity] party opposes all imperialist wars and military interventions. It rejects the idea that there is a national solution to the problems of capitalism. It stands for the maximum solidarity and cooperation between the working class in Britain and elsewhere. It will work with others across Europe to replace the European Union with a voluntary European federation of socialist societies.

CPGB amendments

• Second sentence: Insert “basically” after “The interests of the working class are …”.

• Last sentence: delete all after “across Europe” and insert: “for the overthrow of the European Union and the creation of a united socialist Europe under democratic working class rule”.

6. The [Left Unity] party aims to win support from the working class and all those who want to bring about the socialist transformation of society, which can only be accomplished by the working class itself acting democratically as the majority in society.

CPGB amendment

• Add extra sentence at the end: “This means that the organisations of the working class must be democratically, not bureaucratically, organised.”

7. The [Left Unity] party aims to win political power to end capitalism, not to manage it. It will not participate in governmental coalitions with capitalist parties at national or local level.

8. So long as the working class is not able to win political power for itself, the [Left Unity] party will participate in working class campaigns to defend all past gains and to improve living standards and democratic rights. But it recognises that any reforms will only be partial and temporary so long as capitalism continues.

CPGB amendments

• First sentence: after “to defend” insert “and radically extend”.

• After “past gains”, delete “and to improve”. Insert colon, then the phrase “for example”. The section would now read: “to defend and radically extend all past gains: for example, living standards and democratic rights”.

9. The [Left Unity] party will use both parliamentary and extraparliamentary means to build support for its ultimate goal - the socialist transformation of society.

CPGB amendment

• Delete all after “support for its” and insert: “goals of sweeping away the capitalist state and the socialist transformation of society.”

10. All elected representatives will be accountable to the party membership and will receive no payment above the average wage of a skilled worker (the exact level to be determined by the party conference) plus legitimate expenses.

Add new point at the end:

“11. All members of the party must accept that these aims and principles form the basis of agreed common actions, though they may have disagreements with particular points.”

Socialist Platform meeting

Saturday September 14, 1pm. The Meeting Place, 2 Langley Lane, London SW8.

To discuss the platform - amendments by Sunday September 1.

luspcontact@gmail.com