THE LONDON Labour movement must wake up quickly to what Blair has in store for us in terms of London gorernment.
A directly elected mayor, a small and ineffective assembly and no tax raising powers is not a package that can rescue England's capital from the decay into which it is increasingty falling.
Sadly the so-called consultative conference of the Greater London Labour Party on October 12 was largely a missed opportunity to begin really to debate out an alternative to this nonsense and to bring together activists from the unions and Labour Party who want to cambaien for a meaningful referendum in May next year.
The conference itself was a farce. It was called by Labour Party full-timers desperate for supportive murmurings after the Greater London Labour Party Executive had constantly opposed the proposals coming from Millbank.
It was badly organised - so much so that many constituency Labour Parties did not receive the paper work. Most crucially it was not set up to take any votes.
No votes Despite the valiant efforts of the London MSF delegation and others no votes were taken. While it was clear that this was the intention of the platform it was a significant defeat that not enough noise was made to overturn them on this crucial question.
It was clear that there was a significant majority at the conference against a separately elected Mayor and for a bigger assembly with more powers.
Many seemed sympathetic to the need for a multi-question referendum to allow these choices to be made. At this stage however many of these forces were less fired with the sense of urgency about these issues which made the top table so determined to prevent them having an effective say.
This state of affairs must be rapidly turned round. It is positive that the Greater London Association of Trades Councits (GLATC), together with Ken Livingstone has launched a campaign for a multi-question referendum.
However despite their good intentions GLATC does not have either the resources or the political nous to fight the high profile campaign that is so desperately needed without significant involvement from all of the major unions. Political activists -whether Labour Party members or not - ana community groups must also be central to the project.
Priority
This issue has got to be a major priority for everyone in London over the next six months.
Socialists outside London
should not rest on their laurels either, as it has become increasingly dear that the model of elected mayors will be extended to all major cities if New Labour are able to get away with it in London. have an inevitable bureaucratic result. Learning the lessons of the SLP means rejecting pompous (and sectarian) self-declarations either by vainglorious leaders, or a gaggle of tiny groups, with small forces.
A new party means bringing together, in an open and democratic framework and based initially on a limited action programme, broad class struggle forces from the Labour and trade union movement, the social movements, radical youth and the far-left.
It is only size, social and political weight which can impose a sense of responsibility, order and procedure on such an initially diverse political formation, not the bureaucratic jack-boot.
Socialist Outlook believes such a party will only emerge out of big working class battles with the Labour government. But the existence of a broad vanguard of the class which is politically prepared for such an eventuality and able to give leadership can ensure its success.
We would enthusiastically build such a party and argue within its democratic structure for the adoption at a future conference of a more fully developed revolutionary programme.