[Individual-members-EL] The Left England - new Perspectives

[Thomas Kachel]

Dear Stephen, 

thanks for keeping us posted on the Respect-and-aftermath-saga. You have raised two important issues for The Left (branch England) and the international individual members network. I personally think you guys should treat the two issues seperately. But as far as the UK is concerned, it would simply be foolish in my view to ignore your domestic context. Firstly, because as yours and Francis' postings make clear, there is still some movement there and it would be very timely (in the literal sense of the woird) to now grasp the oppportunity to engage with any of the splinters of Respect: The positions are not - yet - as entrenched and you have a really distinctive new input to give - the pro-European perspective! That would definitely put you on the map. I know this decision is not an easy one given the amount of time you guys would have to invest and - no bones about it - there are rocky waters ahead in any of the groupings - elements of islamic traditionalism (if not worse) in Galloways case (Is Selma Yacoob still with them?) and the hardened SWP-people with their control freakery on the other: However, what  you guys can offer is probably new, also - potentially at least - in terms of resources: The EPL and the Roas-Luxembrug-Foundation might take a real interest once we can convince them that it is possible over the next couple of years to build a socialist but  pro-European party with the potential of a long-term parliamentary representation (some targeted seats should be possible as early as 2013). I personally think its a project worth the effort if you take it to be long-term, I would certainly engage in it if I were still in England. Would be thrilled to hear your view, and Francis, and others' ... 

cheerio Thomas 

From: stephen_spence at btinternet.com
To: individual-members-el at listi.jpberlin.de
CC: bob.g.king at ntlworld.com; thomaskachel at hotmail.com; hh.ettinger at gmx.de; andrew3am at hotmail.com; claudiomolinario at talktalk.net; helmut.scholz at die-linke.de; martin.herberg at european-left.org; pascual.bb at tiscali.co.uk
Subject: SWP Respect Councillor Defects To The Conservative Party!
Date: Sun, 17 Feb 2008 14:14:14 +0000










Dear All,
 
I keep adding other individual members that I 
know about to this list.  I suggest if you are not on the list you should 
approach the Brussels office to be added.  Sometimes I remember to include 
you sometimes I don't.
 
In London a Tower Hamlet Respect 
elected Councillor has defected to the Conservative Party (The 
Tories).  In the Respect split he was with the SWP section of Respect 
rather than George Galloway.  A defection to Labour, the Greens, even the 
Liberal Democrats might be understood, but the Tories!  The concerns 
European Left England members have had about some elements of Respect have 
never been so clearly demonstrated
 
In relation to the Greater London Authority 
elections later this year the SWP Respect have selected candidates, George 
Galloway is still trying to put together a 'progressive' list although I have 
heard nothing more about this initiative.  I read on the Communist 
Party of Britain website or in the Morning Star, I can't 
remember which, that a 'Unity for Peace and Socialism' list is being developed 
for 'communists and their allies'.  This all seems to be the usual madness, 
three micro lists for 'the left'  The film 'Life of Brian' scene involving 
the 'Peoples Front of Judea', 'The Judean Peoples Front', and the 'Popular Front 
of Judea' comes to mind.
 
It is very hard to know how European Left England 
should intervene positively in this situation.  Only Francis gave some 
feedback which was not against the 'progressive' list whilst 
wary.  However the development of the 'Unity' list seems to me to make 
the 'progressive' list  less likely to bring people together.  It 
seems we all prefer to stay in our little groups or our independent individual 
position.
 
I have heard nothing on my request that 
European Left England be accepted as an observor member of EL but a few more 
indivduals have been in contact since the website www.theleft.org.uk was put 
together.
 
We continue to be a small group after six years of 
patiently putting things together.  Effectively in England we are a 
small network of individual leftists attached to nothing outside the 
EL.
 
It seems to me we either need to develop our 
connection in England with other groups to build something else broader (I 
thought the 'progressive' list was maybe a way of doing this) or decide its a 
waste of time trying to develop a samll nation based network and take the 
pan-European position of building the individual member network as one body 
across Europe through this list and to simply exist as the 'European Left 
Party - Individual Member Network' with no England, Belgium, Germany 
borders.
 
Does anyone have a view?
 
Bestest
 
Stephen   

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