It has not been about the 'restoration of democracy' after Saddam - but protection of America's political and economic interests, particularly oil.
We urgently need an independent, political alternative for working people that would be anti-war, socialist and internationalist."
Councillor Dave Nellist
Chair, Campaign for a New Workers' Party.
Labour MP from 1983-1992
We need a new mass party that's:
- For the millions, not the millionaires
- Anti-war, anti-cuts, anti-privatisation
Five years ago, millions of ordinary people took to the streets of London in opposition to the threatened invasion of Iraq. Tens of thousands of Labour Party members tore up their party cards in disgust at Blair & Brown’s actions. It's not just the war that repels people; on the question of public services, pay, union rights, pensions, council housing and much more, the Blair-Brown axis has overseen a fundamental change in the nature of the Labour party. Bluntly, it's now a party for big business and the super rich.
The big anti-war demo on February 15 2003 offered a chance to redress the balance in British politics - if the call had been put out to launch an anti-war, anti-privatisation, pro-public services party from the platform, then on that day alone tens, if not hundreds, of thousands would have signed up. Unfortunately, this was a missed opportunity, but the fight for such a party is still going on.
A new mass party that stood for the millions, not the millionaires would be a powerful ally to the anti-war movement and also act as a focal point for struggle against cuts, privatisation and all the other attacks that we face.
It seems simple really: if the bosses have now got three parties, isn't it about time we had one of our own? If you agree, sign up to the Campaign for a New Workers’ Party today.
2 comments:
The anti war movement politicised a whole generation of young people. In March 2003 the idea of "walking out" from school or college against the war spread like infectious wildfire across the country , it seemed like young people were protesting everywhere finally having the opportunity to have a say against what was going on. I was 17 and it felt like the world was moving , you would stand outside schools and you couldn't give out leaflets fast enough. In Cardiff on day x we took over the town centre and mass blockaded transport house.
Imagine if all that political energy from young people had been channelled into a call to build a new party that organised against the war , against privatisation , for free education and gave young people the strength to organise struggles in the schools , colleges and workplaces.
Five years on and the need for a new party is even clearer , the vast majority of people in Britain are to the left of the three main parties and young people are utterly disgusted and alienated with with everything on offer from New Labour , the Tories and Liberals. That is why the CNWP is so important and needs to be raised at every opportunity especially where young people are struggling against university fees , privatisation , racism and in the workplace against low pay and bullying bosses. As these struggles develop the idea of why a party is needed will be become more concrete to young people.
Good to see the CNWP blog up and running. I hope it is regularly updated and becomes a must-read site in leftyblogland.
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