Socialist Appeal - Labour Party

NEW FROM WELLRED

THE CLASSICS OF MARXISM

Four great works in one book

>> Click here to buy online

Labour Party

Blair backs nationalisation... of our identities

Thursday, 30 June 2005

This article was written before today's terrorist attacks on Central London. However, today's events will undoubtedly be used to strengthen Blair's attempt to introduce ID cards in Britain, with the excuse that they will help "fight terrorism". They exist in the rest of Europe, so “what’s the big deal?” many may think. The point is they will not be mere ID cards. The legislation that is being prepared will allow the government to have detailed files on the activities of every person living in this country.

Labour wins third term - Only Labour can defeat Blair

Friday, 06 May 2005

Labour has won an historic third term victory in the 2005 General Election, yet there will be no dancing in the streets, no street parties, in fact little enthusiasm at all. The combination of widespread opposition to the war in Iraq, distrust of Blair, and disillusionment with the failures of the last two terms of Labour government means that Labour won the election with the lowest share of the vote, just 36 percent, of any victorious party in history.

Britain: Don't let the Tories in... and kick them out of Labour

Friday, 04 March 2005

Tony Blair has called the general election for May 5. He did this as opinion polls show a sharp fall in Labour support, down to 37% of the electorate, with the Tories close behind at 34% and the Liberal Democrats at 21%. This would indicate another Blair victory but with a much reduced majority and with significant layers of the working class voting for nobody. There will be no street parties this time.

Labour government launches unparalleled assault on civil liberties

Thursday, 24 February 2005
The cornerstone of a freedom established almost 800 years ago is now under threat from a Labour government. The latest reactionary piece of legislation hands power to the Home Secretary of the day to hold those he claims to be suspected terrorists under house arrest indefinitely.

Labour Representation Committee rally in Brighton: Growing opposition to Blair in Labour Party

Thursday, 30 September 2004
The Labour Representation Committee (LRC) held its first rally last night at this year’s Labour Party Conference in Brighton attended by some 250 activists. This successful event marks an important milestone in the challenge to Blairism and the campaign to reclaim the Labour Party. Alan Woods was among the speakers.

Alan Woods' speech at the Labour Representation Committee rally in Brighton

Wednesday, 29 September 2004
Alan Woods was invited officially to speak at the LRC rally. Here we provide the text of the whole speech.

Editorial statement of the Socialist Appeal on Tony Blair's speech at 2004 Labour Party congress

Tuesday, 28 September 2004
The Blair government is facing serious difficulties. It cannot convince the trade unions that its pro-big business policies, its continued privatisation of public assets are in the interests of the working class. Brown tried to make up for this by hinting that in some way he might be “old Labour”. In reality there is no fundamental difference between the two.

Britain: Open Letter to SSP Comrades

Tuesday, 23 March 2004

The Annual Conference of the SSP (Scottish Socialist Party) meets this weekend to discuss a draft manifesto for the European elections and debate other issues against the background of the recent events in Spain. Despite the successes over the past period there is a growing unrest in the party over the reformist and nationalist drift of the leadershp. The road of nationalism and reformism offers no way forward for the working class in Scotland or elsewhere. The struggle for socialism is international or it is nothing. We must learn the lessons of the past so that we may prepare for the future

RESPECT – a �new� alternative to New Labour?

Tuesday, 24 February 2004
With the media frenzy over tuition fees and the Hutton report, you can be forgiven for not noticing the launch in the same week of a new British political party called simply RESPECT. The launching of RESPECT, also known as the Unity Coalition, was the brainchild of a layer of people disillusioned with Blair who wanted to form a left alternative to New Labour.

Blair U-turn on "Red Ken"

Tuesday, 24 February 2004

The decision to readmit London Mayor Ken Livingstone back into the Labour Party has came as no surprise to anybody. A third Labour victory at the next general election is no longer the certainty many once though it was. Only through a socialist programme alongside a fighting leadership, rather than the pro-big business bunch we have at present, can a Labour victory be assured and the hopes of the Tories and the rest be ground to dust.

Britain: Top-Up Fees - New Labour Attacks Students

Thursday, 15 January 2004
Once again Tony Blair and the Labour Cabinet are prepared to take on the wider labour movement and its own natural supporters in imposing the unpopular policy of top-up university fees. Will they get away with it this time?

Why we are launching the Labour Representation Committee

Monday, 03 November 2003
Socialist Appeal's deputy editor, Rob Sewell, interviewed Mick Rix, the former general secretary of ASLEF and instigator of the new Labour Representation Committee, about his views and prospects of reclaiming the Labour Party.

The Challenge to Blairism

Monday, 03 November 2003
Strikes, demonstrations, political crises, Britain looks a lot different now than it did when Blair and co came to power. For us the task of the hour is to give active support to workers struggling to defend jobs and services and carry that fight over into the Labour Party, into a fight for socialist policies.

Overturn the expulsion of Galloway now!

Friday, 24 October 2003

George Galloway, the Labour MP for Glasgow Kelvin, was yesterday expelled from the Labour Party by the three-member National Constitutional Committee, which is in reality a kangaroo court designed to simply rubber stamp whatever Blair wants. George Galloway took a clear stand against the war in Iraq. This is the reason why he was expelled. They had tried to remove him on the basis of falsified documents “found in Iraq”. As they were not able to remove him with these, they decided another road.

Britain - Labour Party Conference: NHS, Hutton Inquiry, Brent East... - Blairism on the rocks

Friday, 26 September 2003
The 2003 Labour Party Conference meets at a critical moment. After six years of Labour government nothing has been solved for the majority of working people who look to Labour to tackle the problems they face. Phil Mitchinson analyses the situation. This article was also published in the latest issue of the British Socialist Appeal.