AN EVENING WITH THE BEAST OF BOLSOVER
Tonight we have a party of us from the GMB going to “an evening with Dennis Skinner”, a fund raiser for the two Swindon CLPs. We have all the officers of Wiltshire and Swindon W15 branch going, and all the Full Time Organisers from the Swindon office
Following a 2008 Congress decision all GMB branches are expected to affiliate and play an active part in their local Labour Parties; and this policy was unanimously endorsed by the Southern Regional Council. Indeed this policy is seen not as unconditional support for the government, but as a long overdue and serious attempt by a major union to try to restore the social democratic soul back into the party.
It has taken a while for our branch to put this into operation due to a lack of members of our branch eligible to be delegates to the CLP General Committee, (because that also requires individual membership of the LP), but after a bit of arm twisting we have overcome that obstacle.
Myself and the branch president had a meeting with Anne Snelgrove MP just before Xmas, and it was agreed that non-LP members were also welcome to their social events, which gives the GMB branch networking opportunities, for example the chance for us to point out informally to local Labour councillors areas where we as a union branch feel they might be able to help us. The branch has 800 of our 3000 members in Swindon, so we should try to punch our weight.
There is clearly a debate within the union between those who believe that working with the Labour Party is flogging a dead horse, and those who believe that GMB can still achieve benefits for our members through the party. It would be tempting to say that the nearer people are to the lay membership the more sceptical they are about the Labour Party.
Personally I believe that the important issue is that the union is taking very seriously the need to play an active political role, and independently articulate policies that would be of benefit to our members, and to the wider working class. Given the history and make-up of the union, then that political role has to take place primarily through the Labour Party, and that is unlikely to change in the forseeable future.
There are serious contradictions here, for example that very, very few members of GMB are actually LP members nowadays, and that even extends to some full time officers. It is also true that the Labour Party is much less susceptible to trade union influence than it used to be. And with the Labour vote close to collapse in local elections in Swindon, there is very little scope for improving the composition of the Labour group on Swindon Borough Council.
But GMB has started a process of trying to become more independent in the political arena, and that is entirely a good thing.
I always liked Skinner but thought him long since deceased. Like his party.
Comment by Neprimerimye — 26 March, 2009 @ 12:08 pm
So let me be clear you are encouraging union members to help fund the Labour Party while the majority of socialist activists are attempting to break the link with Labour.As for Dennis Skinner he has long been a tame tabby cat for Labour and as Chris Mullins noted in his recent diaries was an admirer of Blair.Sounds to me Andy that you have your priorities seriously distorted!
Comment by Hugh Kerr — 26 March, 2009 @ 1:05 pm
Join the NO2EU-Yes2Democracy campaign! The Labour Party is dead! Long live the labour movement!
Comment by Pete — 26 March, 2009 @ 1:23 pm
I wouldn’t say the Labour party is dead- But I hope NO2EU yes to Democracy does well.We need a progressive Trade Union campaign to send a message to the EU that we do not want its Neoliberal directives of privatisation and anti-working class legislation.
Vote NO2EU yes to Democracy
Comment by james A — 26 March, 2009 @ 1:42 pm
“But GMB has started a process of trying to become more independent in the political arena, and that is entirely a good thing.” …by asking branches to… “affiliate and play an active part in their local Labour Parties”
Eh? In which way is this different from the TU bureaucracy rallying around the labour party? In which way does this differ from the slavish devotion that was the previous GMB policy?
Comment by DuncanB — 26 March, 2009 @ 2:48 pm
Mr Skinner is a very sad figure, once upon a time a well respected Left wing working class MP. Now kept around by Neo Liberal Labour as some sort of sad wizened trophy and given a whistle and a pigs bladder on stick to wave at the Tories.
Skinner gives left cover to the Labour Parties privatisation,casualisation, war and torture.
A shrunken Blairite fool or jester.
How are the mighty fallen!
He used to repeatedly, he probably still does, tell groups of Trade Unionists/strikers/socialists/ anyone he thought would listen how he was getting his coat to go of to London right now to fight……. etc, etc.
What a sham the biggest actor of them all performing at the Palace of Varieties.
Comment by ANIN — 26 March, 2009 @ 3:23 pm
Skinner is a spent force and a complete irrelevance on the Left now.He hasnt really had anything of real import to say FOR YEEEEEEEEEEAAAARS.Unless I´ve somehow missed the point this Fundraising event is for the………..Labour Party….you got to be KIDDING!!!!!
Comment by Flea bite — 26 March, 2009 @ 3:26 pm
Skinner is a Great man
unlike the people who condem him on this blog
who are they, what have they ever done to progress the working class
Skinner has proven track record
of which any socialist could be proud
Comment by Tam — 26 March, 2009 @ 3:46 pm
“while the majority of socialist activists are attempting to break the link with Labour”.
I think youl find many in the Labour party still call themselves socialist and they have 100 times more members than any so called left grouping
Just what did happen to the Scottish Socialist party (a new workers party)
how many votes did the SWP/Respect get
get real
or get back in the telephone box
Comment by John — 26 March, 2009 @ 3:48 pm
There’s something tragically funny about this article.
Come on everyone, in times of pay cuts and sustained attacks on the class, let’s support fund raisers for Labour. Let’s take over the beast!
Painful.
MRD
Comment by MRD — 26 March, 2009 @ 4:33 pm
so for those of you saying we shouldn’t be doing this, how does that relate to the actually existing within the GMB?
And are you indifferent to whether Swindon has two Labour MPs or two Tory MPs?
Comment by Andy Newman — 26 March, 2009 @ 4:44 pm
#11 Well, some left social democrats might find it worthwhile doing this, it depends on what the two Labour MP’s in Swindon are like really. Are they New Labour, or are they socialists of some description?
It is unlikely that many revolutionary socialists will be interested in pursuing this strategy though. Why would they want to try and revive social democracy, a rival political ideology - when their main task is to try and build a much stronger revolutionary current within the working class movement? Each to their own really.
Comment by Anonymous — 26 March, 2009 @ 7:24 pm
Sorry, #12 was me.
Comment by Stockwell Pete — 26 March, 2009 @ 7:25 pm
Good on you Andy.
Even if local GMB members arent individual Labour members, you should use these opportunities to remind your local Labour councillors and MPs of your strength locally.
Whatever anyone says here, and if they have any engagement with their local CLP or council Labour Group, i’d be surprised, you can successfully put pressure on local representatives, particularly when it comes to councils, trying to curtail public service provision.
Comment by supporter — 27 March, 2009 @ 12:39 am
“Indeed this policy is seen not as unconditional support for the government, but as a long overdue and serious attempt by a major union to try to restore the social democratic soul back into the party.” Andy
Give us a break Andy.It´s a comedy night you mean.
More like this quite a pathetic and sad attempt to try to shore up support for New Labour in Swindon as it faces electoral annihilation at the next General electon with only it´s self to blame.Any self respecting socialist in Swindon would be well advised to keep a wide bearth from such a sacam.
As has been comented earlier, while Dennis Skinner may have a proven record as a Socialist forebrand and fighter dating back to the 70´s and 80´s, sadly in more recent times since Blue Labour came to power he does, as someone has already stated, merely give superficial Left cover to the New Labour neo liberal juggernaught and his once critical voice has been noticeably silent on a massive range of issues
Andy,it seems to me that you are trying to do some weird and not so wonderful acrobatics nowadays, a bizarre “a push me pull you act” nothing less,by increasingly by the day lurching in support of the fast fading Labour Left and supporting Respect Renewal at the same time, in a ever forlorn hope that some kind of social democratic party will magically come into being.Never mind your political priorities being seriously distorted, they now seem distinctly lost and desperate.Or have you left Respect renewal? We deserve to know .Please explain.I just dont get it?
Comment by Flea bite — 27 March, 2009 @ 1:30 am
#11 - And are you indifferent to whether Swindon has two Labour MPs or two Tory MPs?
Who can spot the difference? This whole ’support Labour or get the Tories thing’ went out with the Afghan War. Lesser evilism, particularly in the current context, but generally, leads to the paralysis of any form of independent political action. To hear it, so blankly stated, from a leading member of a left-of-Labour formation, is unbelievable. Show your working.
Comment by half-a-man — 27 March, 2009 @ 3:57 am
Lets
see about a potential new Tory government
cut after school clubs - umm lets see the impact of that
End Sure Start
new anti trade union laws, sign up every year again
Minimum wage wither
end to the contractors having to pay NHS rates in the NHS
whole sale privatisation of council services such as in Hammersmith and Enfield
no new green legislation
more immigration contral
removal of benefits
Anyone who doesnt think the Tories will wage a war on the working class and on the unions is listening to what the tories are saying
A party who many of our members may well be voting for
Comment by Tam — 27 March, 2009 @ 11:36 am
Your comment is a masterpiece of exaggeration. Do you really think the Tories will ‘remove’ benefits? Entirely?!
The rest of it leaves you wide-open. Trade union laws - Labour have done little to repeal them, have boasted of having the most restrictive laws in Europe. The minimum wage is disgustingly low - hence the campaigns for the Living Wage. More immigration controls - hasn’t the government just instituted a form of points system, a foul, inhumane approach to rest of the world?
Of course, the Tories are anti-working class to the core. But if Labour wither and die because of their absolute trashing of everything they could be said to believe in, they have only themselves to blame. Very few people will shed a tear if they get turfed out in 2010.
Comment by half-a-man — 27 March, 2009 @ 3:10 pm
lets see how much we are crying after a couple years of Tory rule
have you seen what they are doing in Hammersmith and Barnet ????
Comment by John — 27 March, 2009 @ 11:45 pm
I can understand the dislike of New labour and the war (understandably) but it does sound like
What did the Roman’s every do for us
Comment by Simon — 27 March, 2009 @ 11:46 pm
Skinner has been so silent through a whole range of things that I had the impression he was dead.
Comment by Faust — 28 March, 2009 @ 9:22 am
The only way the Tories can be worse than the current lot is if they introduce the delightful social norms on display in the graphic novel V For Vendetta.
I have lived under one form or other of Thatcherism since 1979, and for New Labour to scare me with the Tories doesn’t work when they are so much like them themselves.
Comment by Faust — 28 March, 2009 @ 10:58 am