Any discussion on the SLP relationship to ‘Your Party’ is in my opinion far too premature at this moment in time as we have no clue as to who they are or what they even represent, which therefore makes it impossible to make any reasoned decisions, but may I make the following observations on any ‘new left party’ that comes into existence?
Any ‘new left party’ may want to consider some of the pitfalls of building any ‘left alliances’.
By allowing any new party to become a “broad church” as some would seem to suggest could and would happen in this case, as history proves, embraces sections which are not committed to a fundamental change in the nature of our society. The term “broad church” was introduced to assist the right-wing, not the Left.
This, therefore, is in my opinion the main problem of why alliances of the left will always fail, and why the SLP should not even consider any alliances, but most importantly for me is the principle of being committed to the eradication of capitalism and the establishment of socialism and common ownership as Clause IV (4) in the Socialist Labour Party GB Constitution clearly states, a principle that we as a party will and cannot move on
The aim of common ownership as set out in Clause IV is designed to clearly commit our Party to a strategy for achieving socialism, that surely is what all of us as socialists should agree to isn’t it comrades?
Johnnie Taylor
SLP London Region