Pete Firmin, officer
Socialist Campaign Group THE LABOUR Left wants to sec a Labour government replace the Tories as much-if not more thananyone else.
But if Labour is elected on its current programme, then not only will it not reverse the damage done by the Tories. bul disillusionment might lead to a backlash that could bring the Tory right Most Labour Party members are willing to swallow their doubts over Blairs policies for the sake or gelung elected—as was shown by the ditching of Clause Four. The "don't rock the boat arument is persuasive But some of the Blairite gloss is beginning to wear off.
He had to employ the confidence in the leader' ploy yet A serious alternative Harman's to Blairism must There is a limit to how much of this campaign much people can take.
more openly Although the Labour Left is currently and clearly small and weak, it is better organise than it has been for a long time. Many on the Left have begun rater wan try to tuncoon as nolvicaals or become demoralised and drop The number of local Socialist Campaign Groups has risen during and since the Clause 4 campaign to forty.
But to pose a seriBlairism it is necessary to campaign much more openly and clearly. Campaign Groups are in the forefront of building solidarity with sections of workers in dispute, and in fighting around issues like the immicration and Asvlum Bill int siac and outside the party. Indy can begin to attract labour movement activists concerned with a serious fight against both the Tories and Blairism.
Links with trade unionists have to be work of Socialist Campaign Groups needs strong connections with left formations in the unions. Together we must challenge the support given by most union leaders to Blair's right turn.
It is also important to organise for the general election. The Left must clearly call for a Labour vote, while placing demands on the party to carry out the policies we need.
Such a campaign can strike a chord with many activists in the Party, unions and single issue campaigns. Ism on the agenda". It has called for an SLP vote in Hemsworth.
Finally, Hilai / Wainwright, who some expected to support Scargill, has criticised the SLP initiative. Writing in Red Pepper, she argues that it lacks any sense of strategy and timing. She is also concerned about the organisation's democracy.
nurse comons that there has been a lack of any sort of genuine discussion with other groups and constituencies on the left. If there had of been it is likely that the project would have taken a completely differ. gued for the left to organise as widely as possible. It would have been much more useful if Scargill had launched such a campaign, instead of an electoral party.
British politics has entered a Both the Conservative and sive choices about their futures. In this Centre Stage Toby BrewLabour parties face a series of deci- and Geoff Ryan looks at the historic ster reviews the terminal crisis of Toryism. onathan joseph analyse: the background to their difficulties failure ef the Labour Party to present a coherent alternative. Socialist Outlook 96 • February 3, 1996.