1 Nov 2010

I would like to thank the SWP

Well on the left we have our disagreements but I just wanted to say a thank you to the Socialist Workers Party.

Unusual you might think for me, I have been quite critical of them in the past. However I was pleased they reported on Hugo Blanco's speech to the anti-cuts demo in Nottingham.



The rally heard speeches from trade unionists, the Labour group leader Alan Rhodes, and people who use the services.
There was even a speech from Hugo Blanco, veteran Peruvian peasant leader and contemporary of Che Guevara, about the need to overthrow capitalism. The rally finished with chants of “No ifs, no buts, no cuts,” loud enough to be heard up in the council chamber. They could also have been heard at a nearby school where David Cameron and Nick Clegg were speaking. Union members were hugely buoyed by the size of the lobby and were starting to talk about the next steps in the campaign to resist the cuts.

Many recognise that industrial action needs to be on the ta
ble. (Socialist Worker)

I was even more pleased to hear that in Cardiff they cancelled a meeting they had organised so that it did not clash with Hugo's meeting.

I think on the left, we have many differences and we need to be critical of each other and honest about our many and often important disagreements but we need to work together where possible.

I am not a Lenninist, I think the idea of building a single vanguard party which will create change is very problematic. Often the left has been poor on ecology (although to be honest Greens can sometimes, shockingly be poor on ecology too! German Greens and biofuels/Irish Greens and motorway, aargh!). And there have been ways of doing 'Leninism' that have been more 'centralist' than 'democratic'

However lets work together where we can, despite differences. Its also fair to say that people like Martin Empson, Jonathon Neale and Gareth Dale who I count as friends have done brilliant work promoting climate campaigning.

Of course dozens of people need thanking for the Hugo Blanco tour, its been a Green Left and Socialist Resistance driven project but greens and reds up and down the UK have worked really hard to make it a success, Green Party outside Green Left, Morning Star, Scottish Socialist Party and the Peruvian organisation Quinto Suyo and Bolivar Hall all deserve thanks. Adam in Cardiff did a very good job mobilising people for his meeting. Inevitably I have left out loads and loads of people, do however think its important to thank the SWP for being non sectarian and supportive.

I also love all their work for Jerry Hicks, who I am very lucky to count as a friend, along with Hugo, both men are amazing fighters for socialism and ecology.



2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I find a lot to annoy with the SWP, not least their lack of interest in solutions or alternatives to cuts, because they are expecting or wanting a general strike or workers uprising or whatever, so solutions/alternatives are not wanted seen as a silly distraction.
However they have been on the streets with petitions ect. while everyone else has been doing nothing and or not realising anything needed doing. They always turn up for demos and events, whatever whenever. I felt quite annoyed at someone recently who was complaining about them being at a demo and "putting other people off" well sadly SWP slogans will be as nothing to the horror the con=dems are already inflicting! We have to and need to work together as much as we can.

Derek Wall said...

Fair points, we have to keep our critical edge but work together where ever possible!

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