Local elections
London Socialist Alliance - a positive start
Greg Tucker – LSA Secretary & list candidate
46,530 people voted for the London Socialist Alliance in the elections to the constituency section of the Greater London Assembly – we averaged 3.1 per cent across the constituencies. 87,859 people voted for the LSA and other socialist candidates in the London wide top up list – 5.3% of the vote. Everywhere in London the LSA was able to engage working people in a real debate about a socialist alternative. But because the socialist vote was divided we did not succeed in having anyone elected.
LSA members are extremely heartened that, in the space of three months, we have been able to build an organisation which delivered three million leaflets, held over two hundred public meetings and was the only organisation which tried to engage in a debate with working people in the elections.
The media spent the whole election campaign fixated on the Mayoral race. But as all the candidates, Livingstone included, ran apolitical "personality" campaigns, at times the exercise had the aspect of a beauty contest.
Because of this it has been argued that you cannot read much into Livingstone’s election as he took votes from all quarters, including the Tories. Certainly his campaign "Ken4London" steered clear of most political issues.
Nevertheless the election of Livingstone as Mayor must be seen as a blow to Tony Blair’s project. Londoners have clearly rejected new Labour’s plans to privatise the underground. Their vote represents a desire to see an end to new Labour’s Tory policies.
The Greens did particularly well in the elections, picking up three seats on the top-up list. Their vote was boosted by a positive endorsement from Livingstone. Unfortunately for the LSA, this helped make a vote for the Greens appear more productive. First time out, the LSA was unable to break through that confidence barrier.
We also lost votes on the top-up list to other socialists – Peter Tatchell, Scargill’s SLP, the Campaign Against Tube Privatisation and the CPB (Morning Star). Despite approaches from the LSA they had gone their own way, the split vote costing the left a seat in the Assembly.
More annoying was the high level of mis-voting with 16 per cent spoilt papers. The government had done absolutely nothing to explain the voting system. With the Mayoral vote you had a first and second preference vote. So many voters thought that the two votes for the Assembly were on the same basis. So instead of voting for the same Party for constituency and top-up list many voted LSA constituency number one and then what they thought was their second preference on the list.
The size of the Nazi vote was a worrying factor. The BNP was able to save its deposit with 47,000 votes. They had been able to capitalise on William Hague’s offensive witchhunt against asylum seekers, itself given credence by New Labour’s own policies.
Part of the LSA’s future activity must now be to join with other anti-racists to stop the Nazis, by mobilising directly against them and by supporting campaigns defending the rights of asylum seekers.
The LSA is keen to discuss its way forward and our conference on June 11 will map out our next steps.
As well as continuing work around our election platform, such as making Livingstone fight the government over the future of the tube and taking up the issues of asylum seekers we need to be part of the fight to defend jobs such as at Dagenham.
Almost certainly we will want to look at standing in any parliamentary or local council by-elections and to prepare for the next General Election. At the same time we will discuss the best structure that can draw in those who became involved during the campaign and want to play a continuing role. London wide co-ordination will remain vital but so will organising in the localities.
With local elections elsewhere in England seeing good results for the left – another Socialist Alliance councillor in Coventry for instance, this is not just an issue for London but must be part of a Britain wide debate. So LSA supporters are keen to discuss with fellow socialists in England and Wales and with the SSP prospects for united campaigning.
Certainly we are sure that the positive experience in Scotland and our first positive steps in London indicate that thousands of people across Britain can be won over to a socialist alternative. The positive lessons gained by the comradely collaboration of the different socialist organisations and individuals working together in the LSA can be repeated