THE CONFERENCE of the Left held in Chesterfield last Saturday - effectively the fifth Socialist Movement conference attracted around 600 people from a wide range of organisations.
The mood was militant, with a clear understanding that the most important task for socialists here and now is organising full support for the miners The gathering culminated ir a march to a 10,000-strong rally pit closures in Chesterfield's market square, addressed by Labour MPsTony Benn and Dennis Skinner, National Union of Mineworkers president Arthur Scargill and Betty Heathfield of Women Against Pit Closures.
Unfortunately, conference organisers had earlier refused Chesterfield MP Tony Benn to take a resolution from Labour Party Socialists - a Socialist Movement sector -calling for the relaunch of the paign.
Socialist Outlook sponsored two well-attended fringe meetings. A meeting on Maastricht, addressed by Francois Vercammen, editor of Belgian Fourth International weekly La Gauche attracted over 50 people. Others had to be turned away because of the small size of the venue.
Vercammen stressed the need for a working class fightback against the treaty and its associated austerity packages, pointing to the examples of Italy and Greece.
He later joined a plenary on left organisation alongside Campaign Group MP Jeremy Corbyn and speakers from Democratic Left, the Scottish National Party and the Socialist Society.
Outlook students also held a meeting on organising the student left.
Tory Crisis Special