Comments on: Filling the Vacuum

By: John C. Todmorden

John C. Todmorden — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 22:53:35 +0000

The trouble with leftist political thought is that its all about utopian ideals of anti capitalism and everybody being on an equal footing. I share these motives and would love to live in such a world where everything is peaceful, everything is nice. Such a utopian system would take many decades if not centuries to be fully implemented. The problem is that while these debates stroll along at a snails pace, about the way forward, the one downtrodden group, the working class, will continue to struggle. The working class need immediate action to pick them off the floor. The working class haven’t got any longer to wait. They need an immediate change to the policies which have suppressed them for too long and perpetuated their miserable existences. The disastrous immigration policy, brought about by the middle class liberal left, which further suppresses wages, directly creating an uneven playing field of a system within which the working classes are supposed to compete. The benefit culture which keeps the low paid down and further creates an unfair system. In my view the low paid workers are propping up at their own expense, the long term unemployed and those not genuinely sick claiming benefits. We need to get away from this idea that all the working class holds a chip on its shoulder and someone owes them a living. Most of the working class just want fairness with their common man which would still apply to the worker in a non capitalist system. You want an end to identity politics but the working class are the one marginalised group at the moment which is constantly overlooked. The working class need specific help to bring them up to the level of other identifiable groups. The BNP may well be capitalist at heart and have some reprehensible views but they offer policies which the ‘working’ class believe can make an immediate and positive change to their lives in the short to medium term. If leftist working class organisations neglect these issues parties like the BNP will fill the vacuum.

By: Paul B

Paul B — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:17:51 +0000

The antics of the ‘left’ go far deeper and are much worse than merely attempting to set up fronts and dominate alliances. The role of the UAF/SWP/Middle class left in the events in Birmingham at the weekend is the latest low and over time will be a major set back for those attempting to build progressive working class politics.

Misguided, opportunist, stupid - and all the time playing into the hands of the BNP - they are a joke but a dangerous one.

For those of you interested have a look at the ongoing debate on Urban 75 where SWP apologists/middle class lefts are predictably proclaiming Birmingham as some sort of ‘victory’ for anti fascism. It’s hard not to despair because some working class people believe that these clowns are the ‘left’ alternative to the far right. Not hard to work out which side they will choose is it?

By: Dave S. Coventry

Dave S. Coventry — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 11:20:11 +0000

I agree with your analysis. The rise of the BNP has been created by the policies of New Labour and the failure of the Left Groups to fill the vacuum on the Left. In the case of the Socialist Alliance and the SSP, the SP and SWP sabotaged both. Their internal bureaucratic regimes and sectarian refusal to join United Fronts make them a blockage on the road. The only way is to build from below in the workplace, in community campaigns and in working class areas. Last month I became Chair of our local residents’ group. It’s hard work but it’s much more creative than slogging it out arguing with local hacks.

By: chuck wilson

chuck wilson — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 09:36:52 +0000

As usual a stimulating analysis that brings some much needed clarity to the issues that face us.The no platform/BNP are nazis has very little impact where I live and is absolutely useless if you have a couple of fairly articulate local BNP members who are prepared to argue/discuss politically their policies.They have attacked the banking issue and mps expenses from a left and populist position. What has been useful is hitting them where they are weak and that is spelling out the impact of their positions on council housing, trade unions etc. This is an area where that we could develop further.Unlike the cobweb left we also have something to say on crime and antisocial behaviour and drugs that goes beyond the BNPs ’shoot the first ten’.One of the problems with ‘anti fascism’ is that whilst it has splet out what it is anti , it rarely spells out what it is in favour of.

One of the issues that I don’t think we clarity on is where the IWCA ( and I speak as an avid supporter)stands on the industrial struggle that the SP and others focus on. I am not advocating a position ,as they do ,on the primacy of the work place or have any illusions about the ‘labour movement’ .Nor am I suggesting strike chasing.However in advocating the IWCA and similar formations as a trade union for the community it would be amiss not to consider our position on trade unions per se.

By: Paul B

Paul B — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 09:05:09 +0000

Very interesting meeting in London last night regarding the Vestas occupation. Like Visteon, Lindsay, Waterford Crystal the occupation and protest have not been organised or led by a union (there isn’t one a Vestas which is an strongly anti union employer) or any lefty group.

Vestas clearly represents the ‘new waves of protest and organisation by working class communities throughout the country’ that the IWCA predicated at the time of the Visteon occupation. Interesting too that green capitalism is now revealed as no different to other forms of capitalism, an obvious point which seemed to have stunned some of the greens at the meeting.

The lad from the factory who spoke was clear that the workers at Vestas - previously a divided mute group - have clearly recognised that no-one else would or could fight for their jobs better than they could. The working class communities on the IOW have very little other employment other than Vestas and the holiday industry and there are 60 workers for every vacancy already. 1,000 jobs (600 at the factory and 400 who supply it) are on the line - this is a fight to save their factory and their community.

Inspirational stuff - please support the occupation by donating money to the workers.

By: Paul B

Paul B — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 19:05:59 +0000

A bit harsh on the SP DBrum. The composition of their membership is more working class than other ‘left’ groups. Their focus this year has been pretty much exclusively around Linamar, the engineering construction wild cat strikes and Visteon. Hardly middle class issues - and in each dispute their members played major roles, critically because they were workers on those sites/factories rather than middle class students ‘intervening’ in issues they know sod all about.

That said the CNWP and the NSSN are indeed both SP fronts - the recent NSSN conference was real SP ra ra stuff - and No 2EU can only be described as a total disaster for exactly the reasons you describe.

I guess the need to ‘build the revolutionary party’ will always lead them to short term recruitment work rather than the patient, long haul work that IWCA have correctly identified as necessary (although of course the strength and hallmark of Militant used to be its patient work in the LPYS, estates and workplace)

By: DBrum

DBrum — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 12:37:28 +0000

It will be interesting to see the what the ‘New Workers’ Party will look like because we know it will be coming. The SP, along with the RMT backed National Shop Stewards Network, have hinted at this for a while. I predict that’ll be shaped along similar lines to previous attempts and fall in line with Trot/Marxist organising structures. Working Class issues will be ignored yet again.

By: Gonzo

Gonzo — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 23:12:13 +0000

As usual, an excellent analysis from the IWCA. Frustratingly, you and your ideas remain marginalised and the wider Left continue to demonstrate complete incompetence on the issue of tackling fascism.

Currently, it seems the Green Party is the only radical, progressive party capable of mounting a sustained and viable anti-fascist counterattack. They may not be the hardened working-class militants you’d like, but they are the best we have and a damn sight better than the Trot left.

By: mike

mike — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 16:13:32 +0000

i have found the recent discussions on here, regarding the b.n.p’s electoral success,
the most refreshing and honest analysis of the current state of affairs for quite some time!.
as well as the extreme importance of creating a credible pro-working class alternative to the b.n.p,
it is also clear that to change society for the better in the long term, this is the way forward,
localised long term campainging on issues that are relavent to people’s lives’.

the idea that the masses would take to the streets’ to confront global capitalism,
when key issues are still not being addressed seems laughable to me!
poverty, housing, crime and many other issues’ may not seem as cool and sexy,
as confrontation with the police, but until we change the entire culture of what passes for radical politics in this country, i feel that we as a class, and as people who believe in something better,
will easily still be in the same position or worse in many years to come!

i and im sure many others across the country look forward to anything, positive and credible for the long term that comes from the current analysis and discussions!

By: William Laws

William Laws — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 09:21:04 +0000

I think the analysis, again, is correct, in terms of the need to out-radicalise the BNP. I reckon the easiest issues to focus on in terms of their immediate impact are housing and working-class debt. Its already clear the real extent to which the BNP’s racialisation of class questions lets capital off the hook in terms of housing issues.The recent IPPR/Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) survey has shown that only 1.8% of social tenants had moved to the UK within the past five years.
Some 87.8% were UK-born and 10% foreigners who had been living in Britain for more than five years. The BNP focus on non-existent queue-jumping has resulted in attention being switched from the impact of privatisation , sell-offs and under-resourcing on social housing. Labour’s latest plan is to concede the need for more social housing, but only at the expense of funds allocated for repairs. The question,post-bail-out of the financial system, will be across the board, in pay, taxation, cuts-”who pays”-who foots the bill for the capitalist crisis?

One way of out-radicalising the BNP would be to focus on organising physical resistance to evictions, and actions against bailiffs operating in our communities. We would be seen to be acting and organising others to act in the interests of our own communities, with the BNP activists forced to either join in or scab on pro-working class action-the BNP activists would be forced to choose between the needs of our class and the respectability agenda of Griffin et al.

I’m not sure the Golding comments are entirely representative of the BNP today.The current BNP position re democracy is expressed as “to restore and defend the basic democratic rights we have all been denied. We favour more democracy, not less, not just at national but at regional and local level.Power should be devolved to the lowest level possible so that local communities can make decisions which affect them. We will remove legal curbs on freedom of speech imposed by successive Governments over the last 40 years. We will implement a Bill of Rights guaranteeing fundamental freedoms to the British people.We will ensure that ordinary British people have real democratic power over their own lives and that Government, local and national, is truly accountable to the people who elect it.” The 2007 manifesto makes clear that the BNP are in favour of “popular democracy”, with elected parish councils sending recallable delegates to district,county and new regional councils. Its possible to show that this would in fact engender less democracy, not more-because district,county councils and the proposed regional councils would be unelected but we need to be clear that under Griffin , BNP propaganda has foused on increasing democracy, not abolishing it.

The main issue will remain having to demonstrate that the BNP’s racialisation of class questions is against working class interests.