Why Left Unity could become Labour’s UKIP
An article by Salman Shaheen in this week’s New Statesman
Undominated by a central charismatic figure, and uncontrolled by a single far-left group, Left Unity is a movement that is being built from the bottom up.
By Salman Shaheen Published 03 September 2013 12:01
“There is a spectre haunting Britain,” Ken Loach warned a packed conference hall at the first national meeting of a political movement in its genesis. “It’s called Nigel Farage.”
There will be few more haunted by the spectre of Farage’s UKIP than David Cameron as he heads into conference season. With the European Parliament elections looming – traditional high ground for UKIP – the Prime Minister will not be able to ignore a boisterous Tory right, both nervous and emboldened by Farage’s forward march and all the more dangerous for it.
Ed Miliband, by comparison, has had a relatively easy ride from the Labour left, comfortable in the assumption that there is no alternative. Miliband matches Conservative spending plans and where is the left? He refuses to pledge to repeal the bedroom tax and where is the left? He turns his back on the trade unionists who supported his leadership bid and where is the left?
Unfortunately for the working class people most devastated by the cuts, and for democracy as a whole, we now have three main parties fully signed up to an austerity agenda, while UKIP’s rise tugs the national debate even further to the right.
The left, divided and weak, has not yet been able to change the course of that debate, to make the case that it was not welfare spending that wrecked the economy, but a crisis of unfettered capitalism. But things are beginning to change.
In response to an appeal by Loach, almost 10,000 people have signed up to the Left Unity campaign to form a new party of the left, with around 100 local groups springing up organically across the country.
While for many this is not their first shot at uniting a fractured left and the painful experiences of the Socialist Alliance and George Galloway’s Respect are still fresh in their mind, there is a sense that there is something different about Left Unity. Undominated by a central charismatic figure, and uncontrolled by a single Trot group such as the SWP, Left Unity is a movement that is genuinely being built from the bottom up by local activists sick of austerity and fearful of the future of the NHS.
As Left Unity moves towards its founding conference at London’s Royal National Hotel on 30 November, the task of harmonising such a large choir of angry voices will not be easy. But the space is certainly there for a left-wing party to fill.
11 comments
11 responses to “Why Left Unity could become Labour’s UKIP”
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Whilst they do say that all publicity is good publicity I would hate for Left Unity to become known as the UKIP of the Left. There are many reasons for that not least of all the one about UKIP being a bunch of racist opportunists but also because it will make people think that Left Unity are an anti-EU party in principle. That is a second version of the chauvinist NO2EU who think attracting fascist votes is what the left should be about.
Our attitude to the EU should be that we want its founding treaties renegotiated in accordance with socialist principles (EU-wide living wage, full employment, national banks lending Euros at base rate and facilitating social investment, etc) not that we want out of it. On the other hand of course in the event of an `in-out’ referendum called by the Tories or New Labour we cannot vote positively in that case for the EU given the neo-liberal principles on which it is currently based and which are tearing it apart. We must vote out whilst explaining what kind of EU we want but to go around being anti-EU in principle is just Stalinist nonsense.
I’m in favour of remaining within the EU and pushing for socialist principles within it.
I think the UKIP of the left analogy – which I rarely use and also agree is not perfect – in the context of this article is clearly limited to seeing UKIP as a gravity well pulling the course of mainstream debate to the right. We need a gravity well pulling the course of mainstream debate to the left. This is the only sense in which I think the UKIP analogy is useful.
Another well written piece by Salman. Baton Rouge, read it again, we have to stop over complicating articles written with good intent by using words to make something sound different than it was intended. You know a few of your ideas as others make common sense but then go off on a tangent. Let us all concentrate on what we agree. Nearly ten thousand have joined not Stalin ,Lenin or Linford christie, they have joined left unity. They are waiting for all the left to stop take note of different views and move on and do something with it and grow. The time of wordsmiths talking different dialects must end. Strength comes from unity and common goals. November 30th is getting closer.
With hindsight it is easy to brush off the Socialist Alliance (SA) and Respect as ‘painful’ experiences. The SA in 2001 was a brave attempt to unite the Left for an election, while something political had to emerge from the biggest demonstration in British history – Stop the War in 2003. Brilliantly, StW campaigners can take full credit for the Parliamentary votes against the UK joining with US in proposed bombing of Syria – a decade of campaigning (a period measured by only two general elections).
Missing from both the SA and Respect were organised workers, primarily because of the low level of strikes. Left Unity could face a similar problem in assuming there is a vacuum to the left of Labour that a Left Party can fill without organised workers at the forefront of such struggle and/or without a working relationship with Labour, particularly those around Owen Jones and the People’s Assembly (PA).
In Norwich the general ‘buzz’ is all about the PA’s rally here on Sept 12th in the city’s largest venue. The pull of the meeting is twofold: a) it enables Labour, Greens, anarchists, socialist revolutionaries, campaign groups and, especially, organised workers to come together; and B) the PA leads on to the demo at the Tory Party Conference and local actions.
The problem with a ‘vacuum’ is that it can’t be filled without fighting for the oxygen that can only come from a generalised fight back by workers. The ‘gravity’ is here and not in the mainstream if we’re serious about creating a real break from Labour. StW campaigners have shown that fighting back outside parliament is more important than being inside it. Thereby, don’t count Left Unity percentage at the next election. Rather, think what has been done – what is to be done?
SA parliamentary candidate Waveney 2001
Rupert, I don’t discount the achievements of the Socialist Alliance and Respect. As you know, I campaigned with you in both. But I think the SA was let down by the attempt to patch together existing far left groups and finding one dominating, I think Respect was let down by the dominance of one charismatic, but unaccountable individual. I have a lot of time for what the People’s Assembly is doing and Left Unity is part of that movement. But if we’re to show Labour that it can’t take working class votes for granted, then we also need an electoral project. And if we’re to learn from the mistakes of the past, then it must be a transparent, democratic one built from the bottom up.
Agree with much you say Salman (though I’m not sure what “transparent” means anymore as everyone uses the term…? Democracy is it, full stop. Back in the 70s when I worked in factories votes in the union branch were it – we were utterly transparent amongst ourselves – but not with the boss! When and only when we achieve a classless society must all things be utterly transparent!
I’m all for a break with the Labour Party! I’m all for Left Unity! Yes, you were a key figure in SA campaigning but I had open big problems with Respect, particularly in targeting seats while expecting national support; anti-imperialism without connecting this to working class struggle. I
However, the biggest problem for Respect (and all on The Left) was that it appeared the working class was outside the project. Some years on, work place struggle is still at a low ebb – though, importantly, in the public sector this Autumn there will be big strikes, while things are also stirring in the private sector.
Ultimately, for me, much is about unionisation. A lot of people on the Left question whether the unions can be rebuilt (it’s the same kind of speculation before New Unionism in the 1890s). Brilliantly, fast food workers struck in the USA last week to raise poverty minimum wages and used ‘flash mobs’ as secondary pickets to protect workers while spreading the action. For me, this is the way forward. And this is very much in the spirit of the Labour Movement that I expect Left Unity wants to lead.
i think left unity is different things for different supporters. i do agree with comments concerning winning working class people to join left unity. i would say through community campaigns and within the labour movement.
im not sure why the peoples aaa is the only place the left can come together.
surely we think left unity can be an instrament and that we should be calling events and supporting others in a campaign against intervention in syria!
perhaps kate hudson and other speaker could do a left unity speaking tour. we would need to agree a position first though.
`I have a lot of time for what the People’s Assembly is doing and Left Unity is part of that movement.’
Sorry Salman but cannot agree with that. The People’s Assembly is not a political alternative to New Labour but a front for sects that apolitically substitutes itself for the working class in order to opportunistically cosy up to a few left bureaucrats and reformists. If Left Unity is to be a genuine alternative then it must be a resolutely political party seeking to influence the labour movement not substitute for it. For that it must have its own principled programme.
You are joking aren’t you? Talk about sense of self importance. How many votes do you guys expect to get at the next elections? Hold on weren’t you having a debate about whether to field candidates a while ago? I don’t think you will have much of an impact if you choose not to stand any candidates. There’s a winning strategy. Marvelous.
Robboh, You have been a pointlessly hostile , extremely regularly posting, Troll on this site since its start-up. Since you now claim to have “joined the Labour Party”, it would surely be more politically mature to devote your energies to that politically bankrupt entity, rather than continuing your polluting postings on our site. Goodbye Robboh – hopefully.
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