The conditions for left unity

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LEFT WING unity is very desirable but very hard to create.

Socialist Organiser is for unity. Indeed, Socialist Organiser actually initiated the only successful work of building left unity in the recent history of the British labour movement. The paper itself has, of course, grouped different tendencies together (though some have left us). We initiated the very important broad unity of the Labour Left around the Rank and File Mobilising Committee in 1980-1. Without the collaboration of Vladimir Derer, Frances Morrell, and others, we would not have got it off the ground. But it was Socialist Organiser who saw the opening and moved to take it.

But unity cannot be created at will, or just by 'demanding' it loudly enough. The conditions have to be right.

Because unity is desirable the cry for it is popular and bestows popularity on those who raise it. At any given moment, many who would like left wing unity don't understand how difficult it is to achieve, or haven't given much thought to the problems of creating it, or are not acquainted with the history of attempts to secure it. This means that there is usually a receptive audience for demagogic cries for So the cry for 'unity' can become a sectional catchcry -a way of prosecuting the factional war 'by other means'. Perhaps because unifications - let alone successful unifications - on the Left are so rare, the cry for unity is more often One grouping - the organisation that used to be the IMG - specialised in a type of appeal for unity which they knew privately as a 'unity offensive'. Peace is war!

Such operations inevitably tend to poison the political atmosphere and devalue the whole idea of unity.

The recent Labour Coordinating Committee appeal for unity belongs essentially to the 'unity offensive' school. The LCC, which was one of the first to break with the Rafk and File Mobilising Committee is attempting to use unity as a club in the cause of the Kinnock leadership. They are attempting to exploit the widespread labour movement desire for unity to kick out the Tories to bludgeon the serious Left into disarming itself politically and falling meekly into line behind the Kinnock-faced version of Wilson's, Callaghan's, and There must be unity in action to kick out the Tories and put in a Labour government with everyone in the Labour Party, not only with Kinnock, but with Dennis Healey too. But to accept internal party unity, and ideological unity with the Kinnock leadership, is to abandon the struggle for a socialist Labour Party, and, ultimately, to abandon the hope of the labour movement developing a basic and fundamental That is why Socialist Organiser agrees in Labour Briefing's response (in its February 1. We stand for a working class socialist Labour Party, committed to fighting for a fundamental transformation of society, which would take control of the economy and the state out of the hands of the bourgeoisie and into the hands 2. We stand for an internationalist Labour Party...

3. We stand for a Labour Party committed to fighting oppression of women, black people, lesbians, gay men and 5. We stand for a Labour Party which is relevant to the It is unfortunate that three of the four in the working party writing the platform (John Bloxam of Socialist Organiser being the exception) voted to include in it a British nationalist position on the EEC (smothered in international. ist phrases and good wishes for working class unity). To call for withdrawal from the EEC cannot in political reality mean anything other than proposing an 'independent' capitalist Britain as our alternative to the bourgeoisies fumbling But that only, goes to emphasise once again essentia: part of working towards left unity - of the gro nd for it- is the organisation of serious unity.

than not just such a cynical catchcry.

Foot's Labour Party. alternative to the Tories and Toryism.

general with issue) to the LCC's 'unity offensive'.

The authors rightly say: "... There is no basis for unity in proposals that give uncritical support to the present Labour Party leadership, a leadership which is still witch-hunting socialists..."

They then list five points (each expanded detail) as a political basis for unity:

of the working class.

other oppressed groups...

4. We stand for a democratic Labour movement.

lives of ordinary working people... efforts at European integration.

that an preparing political discussion on the issues that divide us.