debate pointed out toat if was tae cope of the campaign itself which had allowed us draw in so many people and so much material support.
ASciSSOs took
place on how better address those who could be won vote SOCRlis Alliance in the long term, address those who see no difference between any of the parties, to thosc wno acciaca to kivc Blair one last chance.
T here was a fecling that perhaps we didn't respond sharply enough, except press CASCS media failed to carry, on the shitt in the new labour camnaign in the iu days belore the poll to promote themselves as the party that promoted public services.
Many comrades had anecdotes of discussions on stalls and polling stations with Labour voters who just did- alCos argued that New Labour was But most ended these discussions by saying that these tives, exchanges SEOUe restructuring the organisa.
The tion in advance of the con• ference and to reach as much consensus as possible, which a late autumn date.
Nellist also explicitly sup- a very positive role. ported the sort of proposals put forward by the SWP's indsey German in sockallsl Worker as the direction in which the Socialist Alliance fooc Hovd This was a very significant development given the fact previously been hostile to moves to further centralise the Socialist Alliance national rather emphasising its fedapproach was com- last year's bined with its acictminanon to stand its own candidates in seats which the Alliance had consciously decided not to contest, and very much to contro the Socialist Alhance campaigns in many of the where it had comrades stanolng All of this, together with non-attendance of Socialist Party representaother than Dave Nelist at national moctings SOCIALIST Allance campaigns t is recommending to on Tyneside challenged governthe liaison committee an Julv 14. which will ment ministers in two of the safest Labour seats in the countogether sup• porters from all local In Tyneside North, SG memer Pete Burett (right) opposcontinues to function on a monthly basis through to the ing Trade Secretary Stephen Byers, fought on the issues of CONTe CICE pro- poverty, job insecurity and posed for November 3. That this recommendation New bour's commitment to privatise EVERYTHING. went forward without dissent is a mark of how far More than 40 comrades from the SWP, the Sociakst Party, the tnines nave progressca suce in Labour Party and independents Coventry where proposals to took part in cuivassing and leafleting the sprawing concreate this sort of structure stituency. North Tyneside takes were acrimoniously defeated.
decided to in the shipyard workers of BCCHHR Howdon on the banks of the keep the Socialist Alliance national office open until at Fyoe, the leafy midole class least the November conter estates at Longbenton, and ence and set up a fund rais- one-time mining villages on the ing committee to look at the Northumberland border. qucstion or moancing We were able to attract The meeting also agreed a many new supporters from whole series of other proposcanvassing, and appeals for volals ranging from support for unteers at public meetings. a statement opposing police In Tyne Bridge SWP member Sam Robson stood in to replace original candidate Terry Rogers, who died in the early stages of the campaign. His large team of mainly SWP members performed extremely well.
SLP candidate and veteran Scalinist Jimmy Fitzpatrick issued a grotesque leaflet branding the Allance as loony Trotsky's murder unged voters to "reject dead ideas from Mexico". Tumout was dramatically down by 8,000 - a clear ejection of Labour's whip Dave Clelland (since sackied) as well as Newcastle's plans to demolsh vast areas of West Newcastle to hand the land over to private enterprise. and 485 for Sam did not reflect either the opposition to New Labour or the support for our policies that we found on the campaim.
One indication of this was the number of 'spoiled' votes at Several featured more than one cross -beside Byers and ness to popular opposition to Labour's betrayals and a reminder that the process of breaking with Labour is only just beginning.