The People Need An Alternative to the Party Dominated System

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The People Need An Alternative to the Party Dominated System

London Meeting Hears Calls For Electoral Alternative to the Parties of Bombing and Big Business

The ousting of Iain Duncan Smith from the leadership of the Conservative Party highlights the deepening crisis facing the bourgeoisie's bankrupt "Westminster" system of party rule.

The toppling of Iain Duncan Smith and the elevation of Michael Howard as his heir apparent are signs of the desperate steps being taken by the financial oligarchy to rescue their system of two party rule and overcome its crisis of legitimacy. Today the standing of Tony Blair's Labour Party is at an all time low and people in their millions have rejected its neo-liberal programme of attacking the workers and their rights, privatising the social programmes in the interest of finance capital and waging wars of aggression on the international level. The broad opposition of the people to this programme is evidenced by the growing strike struggles of the workers, the mass opposition to the invasion and occupation of Iraq and the electoral rejection of New Labour at the recent Brent by election. It is this growing opposition which is driving the unrepresentative and undemocratic "Westminster" system into crisis.

This system relies on the "two major parties" taking turns to play the roles of "party in government" and "party in opposition" as a means of pulling the wool over the people's eyes while each one picks up from where the last one left off in implementing the programme of the rich and powerful. Today this programme of the financial oligarchs of "privatisation and war" is so hostile to the interests of the people that no matter what a political party calls itself, when it implements this programme the people realise that this is a force which is hostile their interests. This is why today many people describe Tony Blair's Labour Party as "following Tory policies" and why the Conservative party which too is associated with these policies is also being rejected.

The reactionary nature of the oligarchy's programme of "privatisation and war", which Labour is implementing, is such that the Tories now find it difficult to find a position "to the right of the Labour Party". This is the traditional role they have played in the "Westminster" pantomime as the "right wing party" contending with the "left wing" Labour Party. The great problem confronting the bourgeoisie is that in rejecting both of these "mainstream" parties, whether by voting against them or by refusing to vote, the people are exposing the lie of the oligarchs that the policies and decisions of their governments are carried out on the basis of "a democratic mandate" from the people. The real political dictatorship of the owners of capital is becoming obvious for all to see. It is this situation which the revamping of the Conservative party is meant to overcome. It is an attempt to turn the Conservative Party into a "credible alternative" to Tony Blair's Labour Party and to keep the people trapped within the two party system where they can be used as voting fodder to lend legitimacy to the implementation of the financial oligarchy's neo-liberal programme of privatisation and war.

The times call for the people to shape an alternative to these arrangements to serve their own interests. There is a need to build the workers' opposition; for workers to become political and set an agenda for a new future in their own interest and in the interest of the world's people. The working class and people need to put in place new arrangements through which the people themselves can select their own candidates from among their peers, set the agenda for these candidates and rally their forces in a contest for power with the representatives of the financial oligarchy.

On Wednesday, October 29, a packed Friend's House in central London heard a number of speakers call for an electoral alternative to the parties of "bombing and big business". The meeting which was called under the heading "British Politics At The Cross Roads" heard speeches from Salma Yaqoob, Chair of Birmingham Stop the War Coalition; Ken Loac,h film director; George Monbiot, writer and environmentalist; Mark Doolan, an area delivery representative of the CWU; Linda Smith, London Region treasurer of the Fire Brigades Union; John Rees of the Socialist Alliance; Bob Crow, general secretary of the RMT; and George Galloway MP.

Salma Yaqoob noted that the last week had seen the expulsion of George Galloway from the Labour Party but they could not expel his ideas from the minds of people. She said that it was Tony Blair and his government which needed expelling. She continued that the people have been betrayed by the politicians who answer to a tiny minority and not to the people. In every area of life hard won gains are being rolled back to the time of the Victorians she said. She condemned the Labour and Conservative parties as the parties of "bombing and big business" and the Liberal Democrats as the "reluctant party of bombing and business". She posed the question of what is the alternative to the present political arrangements which push aside and marginalise the voices of millions and in which there is a huge democratic deficit. In answer she said that the challenge is to harness the desire for a better world. We have to believe in ourselves, see ourselves as the agents of change and believe our own slogans that we are the world's other superpower. She continued that we need a new coalition which combines the social movement with an electoral strategy. She concluded by saying that given the vast disillusionment and radicalisation as a result of the anti-war struggle a window of opportunity exist and we should use it.

Ken Loach in his remarks noted that 100 years ago the Labour Party was established to give voice to the interests of working people but even at its inception it had a fundamental contradiction inherent in it, which was that it put the interests of employers first. He continued that Tony Blair was the logical conclusion of this "social democratic tradition" which in his view was now dead. He continued that the old idea of the welfare state cannot exist in this modern situation of globalised capitalism. Turning to the demand to "reclaim the Labour Party", he declared that "we don't want to reclaim the Labour Party at all – we need to start afresh". In conclusion he stated that to build an alternative it would be necessary to work out a detailed programme which would need a research unit and that spokespeople would have to be trained and that there was need to be professional.

George Monbiot said that on the right, both the Conservative and Labour parties were striving to occupy the same ground. At the same time from his speeches up and down the country he found that there was "public cynicism towards democracy" and a feeling that the existing order is a "scam". He continued that the structures of democracy are intact but democratic life within them has died. He called for the establishment of a coalition which embraced a social movement and an electoral challenge.

Mark Doolan explained to the audience why 30,000 postal workers were out on "unofficial strike". He said that after the return to work from action over the London weighting, Royal Mail had removed local arrangements and facilities agreements and launched a campaign of victimisation and harassment against the workers. He said that the postal service was on the brink of a national strike which had been engineered by Tony Blair, Patricia Hewitt and the Labour government. The government was attempting to smash the union and the issue of the CWU political fund was up for question. Why should the workers continue to give their money to a political party which was attacking them? He said there was a move among postal workers to use their political fund to defend their own interests.

Linda Smith said that the 85-year relationship between the FBU and the Labour Party was at a crossroads. In her view the leadership of the FBU had not prosecuted the recent strike struggle properly because they were under the illusion that having a Labour government in Downing Street meant that there would be someone to listen to their concerns. She said that FBU members were also asking why they were paying a political party which attacks them.

John Rees said that the anti-war struggle had laid the basis for the night's public meeting. The next major event was Bush's visit and he called on everyone to mobilise for this. He said that working people want an alternative to the neo-liberal programme of privatisers and warmongers. He stated that the only sustainable left needs a mass movement and an electoral machine.

Bob Crow stated that 100 years ago his union had been instrumental in establishing the Labour Party but today this party had shut its doors on democracy. He asked why he should support Labour MPs who privatise railways. He continued that today's discussions mirrored those of 100 years ago when many people raised the issue of not "splitting" from the Liberals which then enjoyed the political support of the working class. He stated that the RMT is going to back SSP candidates who support its members and noted that the RMT is a trade union with political views.

George Galloway called for the establishment of a popular unity movement which would unite the people opposed to globalisation and the uncontrollable growth of corporate power. He said this coalition should reject the division of the people, oppose the Bush /Blair project of endless wars and colonial occupations. He called for this coalition to contest the upcoming European and Greater London Assembly elections.