[Individual-members-EL] Individual Members in Britain

[Steve Spence]

As Uli has indicated there was an attempt to get people who were interested in individual membership in GB to meet with Martin from the EL Brussels office when he was in London in January.  Unfortunately with holidays and other factors it just was not possible to make it happen.

There are a number of people in GB interested in individual membership.  In addition a number have expressed general interest in EL without developing an association.

Efforts have been advanced to establish a network of these people in GB under the title of 'The Left - Members of European Left' and a website has been prepared. It is on hold presently.

There has been discussion about the Respect Coalition which operates in England and Wales joining EL and frankly most of those interested in individual membership of EL are uncertain about this.  There was a Council of Chairs and Executive Board in Berlin 13 -14 January and there was discussion about the network going to discuss this issue.  However there was not a clear understanding on this, there was also some concern about what a network with no status could say, and organisational questions also meant that this did not happen.

A week after the EB it is no clearer what has happened in relation to Respect joining.  This is one of the reasons the website has not gone 'live'.  The EB was asked to formally recognise the existence of an individual members network in GB, to confirm the formal status of that network within EL, and to assure that the network could continue to exist and operate regardless of what happened with Respect.  One week following the EB nothing has been communicated.

One of the frustrations in trying to establish the network in GB has been this kind of organisational difficulty.  EL has lofty ambitions: 'another Europe is possible' but finding a mechanism for people to join, pay, be issued a receipt, be issued a party card, and be notified of a formal status has proved impossible, despite the very real efforts by Martin, Liberte and others to help overcome these problems.  It is also beyond the organisational capacity of the individuals interested in the EL in GB to do these things.  There are few, all are extremely busy, and have other issues to consider. 

In my case I play no formal role as in addition to my family commitments I work at a senior level within an independent trade union that in its rules is specifically 'non-party political'.  I am simply an individual with an interest in EL, am interested in the development of the left, and can do little more than attend the occassional event I am invited to like the Founding Conference, Summer School and Trade Union Network.  If EL developed further in GB I could be interested in maintaining an association on a personal level but the development seems to be very difficult.  

If Respect are involved things will be more complex still.  There are elements of that coalition that by their involvement in EL would make EL a broader body than the democratic left organisation I've viewed it as.  Respect's progressive elements are clearly a part of the European Anti-Capitalist Left, they are more LCR than PCF, but does EL seek to be broader than the democratic left space?  

If the answer is yes, my question would be why?  There is already GUE/NGL , as broad as can be, too broad in my opinion. An alliance of stalinist left, democratic left, radical left and elements of radical nationalism can only be a confederation of parties, each a particular political strand, that actually are in competition with each other at electoral level, not a single party.  

I thought the EL was to be the party of the democratic left stand; Synaspismos rather than KKE. Stalinism is clearly rejected by EL, but what of the radical left strand, does it sit within EL alongside the democratic left strand?  

I don't believe EL should be beyond the democratic left strand.  The democratic left base is broad enough, it's left social democrats, left socialists, left eurocommunists, left reformists, social liberal leftists, and red green democrats.  There may be some other labels that are in but for me vanguardists, democratic centralists, and marxist-leninists belong elsewhere.

So developments, organisationally and politically are a challenge at present.  My political development over the last thirty years means I have evolved to a space that is keen to see the development of a democratic left political space independent of stalinism, radical leftism, social democracy, social liberalism and progressive nationalism, but also prepared to enter into popular front rainbow coalition work with these groupings on areas of common interest.  Conservative, right liberal and neo-fascist parties are not part of our rainbow and generally represent those forces we will work to oppose.  However within the progressive camp we must work to grow the influence of the democratic left strand and for me that is why it is important for EL to a border it's democratic left position.

I will be very interested to hear one day what happened in Berlin in January.  If the EB and the Council of Chairs came to a similar conclusion I will be happy.  If they decided otherwise I am less so.

Meanwhile I get on with my trade union work, enjoy my leisure time with family and friends, maintain my political beliefs on a private and personal level as an independent leftist, as the EL develops in a direction that moves either towards my beliefs or away from them.  

Best wishes

Stephen    

 
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