BLAIR HAS offered the labour movement a short course in the pre-emptive sell out. In his short tenure Blair has delivered blow after blow against the political body of traditional labourism. In the last month alone the party leadership has made further moves to break the union link and has begun to tout its solution for youth unemployment: workfare in all but name.
To cap it all, Blunkett attacks comprehensive education for failing the young, capitulating completely to the Tory agenda.
What does Labour now offer youth? Forced labour and bigger prisons.
What does Labour offer trades unionists? Subordination to management in the "competitive global economy Not much use if you are a Liverpool And to those who nave ocienuca tie comprehensive education system? fes lecture about fallure Blair knows that to implement Eurocon susniy no mes caucae sotic of the most favoured nostrums of laCounsta soughi to radically transtorm ine world—it never had any socialist content-but because the basic demands of labourism can so longer be met by the British economy. basis-the promises of free welfare. free education and full employment.
The 1945 settlement has melted away.
What should Labour Party socialists many of whom support the Socialist Campaign Group - do in response to its crisis?
Trying to resucitate the political body is pointless.
Four things are necersary. . to Blairism in the run up to the election. This is the purpose of the Socialist Campaign for a Labour Victory initiative.
To be successful the SCL.V must reach out to new forces that exist beyond the already organised layers of the left. It must also draw in those who are to the right of the Socialist Campaign Group supporters network in the trades unions and the constituency parties.
suena campal nonave puntose it must avoid the recitation of the litany of labourism and look at socialist answers to Britain in crisis—it can begin this by focussing on half a dozen key issues central to the interests of the working class. Group must both nationally and locally tum outwards to those who are at the sharp end of capitalism. It is pointless drawing up a socialist platform if it is not imbued with the experiences of those in strusele It is out of such struggles that sub. stance of an alternative can be developed.
Third the SCG must organise the broadest possible alliance in defence of the material gains most associated with labourism, including the welfare state. free education and the union link.
A working. if partial, alliance with aune newsos aso one cards-the paper that supports the minimum wage and full employment. The purpose of such alliances should be both to further the interest of the working class and to recompose the left in the Labour Party and trade unions around class struggle politics.
Lastly, the Socialist Campaign Group must build on its recent successful growth by developing its campaigning inmacres, surcagaching the winks Tribune's Mark Seddon between the national committee and the local groups and forging a national profile for itself.
It also needs to harden up its organ-an expanded network bulletin drawing on the campaining acoviies of local groups would be a start. The offer of Socialist Group News to give more space to SCG network activities It is important that socialists in the Labour Party and trades unions combine their support for those in struggle with the creation of an organised left.