Discussion & Debate

    The citizen’s income is a policy that could unite Left Unity, and put us on the road to socialism, says Stuart Watkins of the Leamington Spa group   If one thing is certain it is that, when Left Unity is formally established in November, the new party will be an explicitly socialist one. […] Read more »

  It is encouraging to see the debate develop over what kind of party is needed on the left. A number of options have been put on the table including the Socialist Platform, the Left Party Platform and the Class Struggle Platform. The following paper, by Steve Freeman, is not a platform but a discussion […] Read more »

    Nick Wrack, from Southwark Left Unity and one of the initiators of the Socialist Platform, was invited to speak at the CPGB’s Communist University on ‘Fighting for a Mass Party’. Here is an edited version of his opening contribution.   Comrades, first of all, I would like to thank the CPGB for inviting […] Read more »

Doug Thorpe from Haringey Left Unity reflects on the discussion about the new party. Some recent contributions to discussions on a variety of topics in the Haringey local group have raised the suggestion that there is a creeping reformist current in Left unity that wants a Left of Labour Party whose highest ambitions are “national […] Read more »

A personal view from Richard Murgatroyd from Huddersfield Left Unity There is growing concern about the role played by the platforms in LU. This came up at our local group meeting last week, Micheline Mason has written an article calling for ‘caucuses not platforms’ and in reply one supporter commented that while he initially supported […] Read more »

A personal view from Micheline Mason from Wandsworth Left Unity. I was a bit bemused when I first heard that LU had decided to allow ‘Platforms’ to put forward motions for debate at national meetings.  I was alarmed when they first started appearing.  Now I am really concerned.  I cannot see how this is democratic. […] Read more »

Stuart Watkins from Leamington Spa Left Unity argues for a party that is willing to learn from Occupy and modern forms of movements. Once upon a time, I was a member of a small socialist party that had a ‘platform’ indistinguishable (except to those trained in socialist scholasticism) from the ‘Socialist Platform’, currently the subject […] Read more »

Fred Leplat from Barnet Left Unity joins the debate about the nature of the party we seek to build. Nick Wrack accuses Mike Marqusee of “avoiding the issues” in his contribution about the character of Left Unity. One could equally retort to Nick that he does not pose the right questions about what sort of […] Read more »

In PART TWO of a 2-part article, Socialist Platform supporter John Tummon argues for a neglected part of the socialist tradition to pave the way for Left Unity to put together a compelling alternative to capitalism which can win the battle of ideas in the long-term, by focusing on issues the Left has too often […] Read more »

Soraya Lawrence, from Southwark Left Unity, makes some proposals for discussion and campaigns.  The debate of ideas is a healthy expression that those involved in Left Unity are striving to create a substantial force to change society. It is, therefore, essential that the tone of the debate should at all times be comradely, with no hint […] Read more »