London Political Forum

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London Political Forum

Health Workers Forum:
Don't Attack Iraq! Reject the Use of Force! Build the Movement to End the Threat of War!

The London Political Forum (LPF) is an open forum concerned with building the alternative to the party-dominated system of government in Britain today. It is a place where people can come together to address the questions which are facing society and need to be answered. At each meeting there has been wide-ranging discussion on getting to the essence of problems, building the workers’ opposition and turning around people’s disempowerment.

At a discussion meeting on November 14, the issue was addressed about how the participants in LPF can take up responsibility for the success of its work and help widen its influence. Those that contributed to this meeting, which was composed of many of those who have been part of the work of LPF, joined in discussing and making proposals on how the programme and agenda for the London Political Forum can be advanced.

It was decided to hold a further meeting to further discuss the proposals which were adopted, and everyone active on a broad front of struggle is invited to come and participate in this important meeting and make their contribution.

The proposals can be summarised as follows:

(i) a committee constituted of all those present plus those who have participated in the LPF be formed to further the aims of the Forum, meeting on a monthly basis;

(ii) the committee should organise a monthly meeting of the London Political Forum;

(iii) as part of the programme of the London Political Forum, the committee should organise a one-day conference in around nine months’ time which focuses on the topic of bringing the alternative into being, at which all participants should come, take part and speak, with all those who appear on the panels of the monthly meetings being invited;

(iv) the committee should further discuss what the next of the monthly meetings should be on, with the suggestion that it focus on strike actions, for example of the fire-fighters, lecturers, communications workers, airport workers, and others, and at which the question of the national wealth, the value of the workers’ labour and labour power is discussed;

(v) the London Political Forum should, while holding regular meetings, also encourage the participants to go into the workers’ and people’s movements to elaborate and clarify issues and forms of discussion amongst the wider movement, and consider how that work can be developed.

Please come and contribute from your experience in an atmosphere of working together in our common struggle of bringing the alternative into being!

Wednesday, November 27, 2002
7.30 pm sharp

Marx House

37a Clerkenwell Green, EC1 (nearest tube: Farringdon)

 

The London Political Forum aims to:

1. Raise the level of political discussion in the capital;

2. Strengthen the coherence of the forces fighting to stop the "Third Way" from going through;

3. Build the alternative to the party-dominated system of government.

On Wednesday, November 13, the Health Workers Forum met in South Shields to discuss the call to oppose the attack on Iraq, reject the use of force in international affairs and to build the movement to end the threat of war. This was the second in a series of Health Worker Forums on topics which are central to the interests of the health workers’ movement.

The Forum has so far set itself the aim of raising the level of political discussion among health workers so as to increase their participation in politics by directly representing their own interests and those of society. The idea of building the Forum is starting to take root. Whilst more attended the Forum this time than ever before, the most impressive thing remarked on was the quality of the discussion and the way the topic was discussed in the interest of unity and progress for all the peoples regardless of their differences, whether of race, nationality, politics or religion. At the same time, discussion which presents rational ideas and examines a topic in an all-sided way is an approach some had not experienced before. Some of the participants of the Health Workers Forum spoke from their own experience in the Stop the War movement. Others, not so involved, and who may have had reservations before coming were able to explore their thinking and rationale in an open discussion where people simply gave their views and left everyone to draw their own conclusions themselves. Organising such discussions is of the utmost importance because they give coherence to the workers’ movement. At the end of the Forum the chairperson warmly thanked all the participants for coming, listening to the speakers and making their own contribution to the Forum. He called on everyone to prepare for the next forum by talking to people about it and inviting people to the next one.

What was said at the Health Workers Forum

Roger Nettleship, who had stood in the last general election as a health worker politician chaired the Forum. In his introduction he said that it was one of those moments in history where people think that they can really make a difference and you can see that by the massive demonstrations that are taking place not only in Britain but throughout the world. This whole movement, he said, whether, or not, it stops the attack on Iraq, if it is further developed and strengthened will contribute to building a new world and new societies where use of force is not used in solving international problems.

After speaking about the "war on terrorism" and the various pretexts being used by the US and Britain the Chairperson went on to say what he thought people should think about in order to build this movement to end the threat of war. It has to start, he said, with taking a stand of principle in defence of the rights of all in society, condemning injustice and defending the sovereignty of nations. He pointed out that the imperialists make the question one of systems. So for example, instead of recognising the sovereignty of nations regardless of differing social systems they make systems the issue and use it as a justification to launch their wars of aggression and murder people. Also, he said that what also must be rejected is the method of force and terror as a means of settling international disputes. Britain must not ally with the US and people must fight for a foreign policy for Britain which is independent, just and peaceful.

Then the chairperson emphasised the importance of building the Health Workers Forum. We must involve health workers in politics and come together to discuss international and national problems, he said, and find solutions and intervene in the political life as a way forward to build this movement. This we had started, he said, by standing a health worker politician as a candidate in the last general election.

In conclusion, introducing the next speaker, the Chair spoke about the work of the Tyneside Stop the War Coalition and its work that has acted like the conscience of thousands of North East people, regardless of their political and other views, by taking political action to unite people to oppose the war.

Julie Fowler speaking on behalf of the Tyneside Stop the War Coalition started by saying that the latest news was that Iraq had accepted the Security Council resolution. She said that in her view Bush would have a field day in using this resolution to trip up Saddam Hussein and then attack Iraq and get the war that he wants. She said that a demonstration against war was the culmination of the first ever European Social Forum in Florence. The demonstration had been the biggest in Europe for a very long time with the organisers saying that it was close to 1 million. Speaking about the demonstrations in Britain she mentioned the recent demonstration in London where 400,000 took part and the demonstrations against the war in Afghanistan of 30,000, 50,000 and 100,000. She mentioned the demonstration last year in Newcastle, which had attracted 800, and said that they wanted to build on that with the demonstration that was to be organised on November 30. Speaking about how the Stop the War movement can involve health workers she mentioned the video Not in Our Name which had been produced and which had been shown in the Newcastle General Hospital to great effect.

Julie Fowler then spoke about how the Tyneside Stop the War Coalition started. She said that it was formed in September 2001 by a group of various people from different backgrounds when the war against Afghanistan was looming. She said that the aim of the coalition was very simple: stop the war currently declared by the United States and its allies "against terrorism". We condemn the attacks on New York and feel the greatest compassion for those that lost their lives on September 11 but any war will simply add to the number of innocent dead, cause untold suffering, political and economic instability on a global scale, increase racism and result in attacks on civil liberties. She said that the aims of the campaign were expressed in the name Stop the War Coalition. She said in conclusion that the coalition in Newcastle was organising fortnightly meetings, a stall at the monument and called on health workers to join in this work, giving money, taking the petition around at work as well as supporting the organised events.

The Chairperson then introduced a student from Newcastle University who has been involved in the Stop the War movement in the region and at the University.

He said in his remarks that he was very encouraged that the Health Workers Forum was taking place to discuss the movement to end the threat of war. He said that wherever you look you will find youth in the forefront of the struggle for a just and peaceful world. He spoke about the atrocities committed and the possibility of a world war the way things were going. He said that the elimination of terrorism was an issue that had been established for solution but the actions of the Labour government and Bush administration did not in any way work towards a solution. He remarked that in fact they do the opposite and seek to institute the method of force and terror in international affairs. Referring to the leaflet for the meeting he said that Blair and Bush are giving encouragement to Israel – the only nuclear power in the Middle East – to carry out its barbaric plans to eliminate the Palestinians as a people from their homeland. The state of Israel, he said, is committing crimes against humanity.

The speaker then pointed out that this was a time when the youth are faced with the question of what kind of world you want to live in and grow up in. Will the voices of the people and the youth be heard? He emphasised that we must condemn the US and British support for state terror by Israel, demand an end to the "war on terrorism", and an end to all this talk about "failed states" or "weapons of mass destruction" as pretexts for military intervention, with first the war on Afghanistan and now the threat of war against Iraq.

He pointed out that the "war on terrorism" is really a declaration against all those who stand opposed to the interests of the big powers. This means the criminalisation of political dissent is also being stepped up and is being further widened to include legitimate protest.

The speaker then went on to speak about the Stop the War movement in the universities and colleges. He concluded by saying that students are taking a stand of principle in defence of the rights of all, condemning injustice, defending the sovereignty of nations and rejecting the use of force to resolve conflicts.