NHS demo and anti-BNP protest

In response to the Exeter University Debating Society's reckless calling of a debate on the question of whether the BNP should be allowed a platform on campus (a position we strongly disagree with as the presence of fascists, which the hard-core BNP members undoubtedly are, leads to intimidation and violence against groups such as ethnic minorities and homosexuals, and also gives the impression that the BNP are a legitimate political party which only lends them credibility), Devon Socialist Party, and other groups such as Exeter Socialist Students, Exeter Socialists and Devon NUT, organised a protest outside the debating chamber.

The debate was won (if not on strength of argument but because the right wingers who see having fascists on campus as a 'cracking wheeze' dominate the Debating Society turned out in force) by those proposing the BNP be allowed on campus to spread their poison and cause safety issues for large numbers of students. They will now undoubtedly try to invite someone like BNP Fuhrer Nick Griffin down to speak, something which will be resisted by all anti-fascist campaigners. As last Friday, the Socialist Party and Socialist Students (who organised the protest last week) will be at the forefront.

On the Saturday, Socialist Party and Socialist Students members travelled from Exeter to London to go on the march to defend the NHS. It would be fair to say that the four main things you could always see on the demonstration were people, banners for the health union UNISON, banners for the general union Unite and Socialist Party members, placards, banners or papers.

The rally held at the end of the demo was kept deliberately non-political by the UNISON leadership, who seem determined to remain several centimetres up the Prime Ministers unmentionable. In UNISON they bitterly oppose any attempt to question the donation of millions of pounds of UNISON members money to the New Labour government that is kicking them in the teeth and the NHS in the direction of private sector fat cats.

We say - Break the link with New Labour - don't fund those who kick us in the teeth
- Support the Campaign for a New Workers Party and candidates standing on anti-cuts and save the NHS platforms
- Link up the local NHS campaigns to form a fighting national 'Save our NHS' campaign free from the obstructions of the likes of UNISON leader Dave Prentis

Save our NHS national demo - free bus places left

On Saturday 3rd November there will be a national 'Save our NHS' demonstration in central London. Socialist Party members will be out in force as always, arguing not just that the NHS is an essential serve, but that the privatisation and introduction of markets and competition needs to be stopped and reversed.

The NHS needs to be a public funded and democratically run organisation to be a success. Cuts and siphoning off money to the wallets of rich shareholders of PFI and private health companies removes money from front line services and results in overstretched staff, fewer services and the rise of the superbugs MRSA and C. difficile.

The demonstration, organised by the health union UNISON, starts at 11am at Temple Place, Victoria Embankment. UNISON in Exeter and Barnstaple are running buses to (and from) the demo. There are still free seats left on the buses, which leave Exeter at 7am and Barnstaple at 5.30am (from the Square). If you are interested in getting the Exeter bus, please contact Jim at maj_mij@hotmail.co.uk. If you are interested in getting the Barnstaple bus, please contact Sue Harte on 01271 322353 or unisonhealthndevon@hotmail.co.uk .

It is still time to drive out the profiteers and save the NHS! Please make it to the demonstration if you can!

CWU action and Shop Stewards Conference report

Postal workers staged a second 24-hour strike over 12-13th July. Devon Socialist Party members have again supported the strike across Devon. There will be a fuller report on this website on Friday, but briefly, it is clear that the strike was still near solid. Going by our experiences on the picket lines, the CWU's estimate of 90+% seems accurate. The Royal Mail's claim of 5-60% is laughable.

In parts of Devon, Socialist Party members have also raised money for the striking postal workers, written letters to local newspapers, and delivered union leaflets outlining the reasons behind the action, and countering the misinformation of the Royal Mail bosses.

The important thing now is to keep up the pressure on the arrogant Royal Mail management who refuse even to negotiate with the representatives of the people who actually make our postal service work, and don't get fat million-pound bonuses for it. Public sector unity in opposing privatisation is also essential, as all parts of the public sector face similar threats.

The National Shop Stewards Network held its first conference on the 7th July, attended by nearly 300 trade unionists, and addressed by RMT (Rail and Maritime Transport) general secretary Bob Crow (pictured, left), PCS (Civil servants' union) general secretary Mark Serwotka and PCS President Janice Godrich.

There is a full report on the Socialist Party website here, but it's worth putting on here the significance of the establishment of the network, which in the words of Bob Crow, "will be seen as the starting point in rebuilding the TUC". The network, when it grows and develops, will play a key role in uniting workplace struggles and fighting for decent pay and conditions and opposing pay cuts and freezes and privatisation.

Also significant was the closing address by Bob Crow:

"We can't separate the trade union and the political path. We can have a great shop stewards' movement that can get pay rises and so on, but when the economy goes down those gains are taken back. That's why I argue we need not just new militant trade unionism but an alternative political party."

We fully endorse that position, which we have been arguing for quite some time, and campaigning for it in the form of the Campaign for a New Workers' Party.

Campaign for a New Workers' Party conference - a report

On Saturday, four Devon CNWP supporters travelled up to London to attend the second national conference of the Campaign for a New Workers' Party (CNWP). The CNWP is a campaign aimed at building support among socialists, trade unionists and campaigners for the establishment of a new political party, one that explcitly campaigns for workers - a workers' party. Such a party would be able to provide an important united political voice for trade unionists in struggle and campaigners.

At the moment there are 2,500 supporters of the CNWP. In addition to events being held across the country like the one we had in Exeter a few weeks back, we try to gain support for the campaign in our workplaces, unions and campaigns.

The national conference was an opportunity to take stock of the successes and disappointments so far, and to debate and decide upon how further progress might be made. The general consensus seemed to be that steady, if unspectacular progress had been made. Many people have been disillusioned by new parties - the Socialist Labour Party, the Socialist Alliance, Respect - that had failed. Some people are willing to give Mr PFI Gordon Brown the benefit of the doubt. Also, a failure of the campaign has been local groups not notifying the Press Officer Pete McLaren of events that they have held and building they have done. We have been guilty of this, and it means he cannot publicise what is going on, giving the false impression of inactivity. Communications have been a problem in particular, and steps will be taken to send all supporters a monthly bulletin letting them know what is going on with the campaign and update the website more often.

Concerning the direction the campaign needed to take, the officers proposed a resolution updating the declaration to take account of new political developments such as the exit of Blair, as well as some basic points outlining what we stand for. Conference agreed it would put the horse before the cart outlining a fuller programme before a party is even formed, so these basic eleven points were agreed upon -

- Keep health and education public. Stop and reverse cuts in, and the sell off of, our public services. For properly funded, democratically controlled public services for all.
- For decent, affordable public housing for all who want it.
- No to racism and discrimination - oppose the divisive BNP. No to the specific oppression that people suffer due to their ethnic background, nationality, gender, sexuality, age, disabilities or health.
- For a living wage of at least £8 an hour, and a living pension - restore the link with earnings now.
- No to trident nuclear weapons - spend the £76 billion on public services.
- Ownership and planning of energy and transport, leading to massive investment and expansion of renewable energy and clean, public transport.
- Immediate withdrawal of the troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.
- For a democratic republic - a radical extension of democracy including all representatives elected by proportional representation, subject to recall, and paid the average wage.
- No to the capitalist profit system. For a democratic socialist society, based on public ownership of the major corporations that dominate the economy, and run to meet the needs of all, and to protect our environment for future generations, instead of the profits of a few.

There were some amendments put forward aimed at hemming the not-yet-formed party into detailed prescriptions and directions, but these were heavily defeated. Comrades from Workers Power, the Communist Party of Great Britain and the Campaign for a Marxist Party argued that the points outlined above set in stone a strategy of reformism (the idea that a democratic socialist society can be achieved gradually, with parliamentary legislation), as opposed to their proposals setting in stone a revolutionary strategy (proposing workers seize political and economic power now).

There are two arguments against their points. Firstly, the officers' resolution simply stated that we wish to replace the current capitalist system with "a democratic socialist society". The resolution rightly doesn't state how we get to that point - that is a matter for internal debate in the party once it is formed - the different organisations inside the party can argue for their point of view, it shouldn't be determined before the party is even set up. Secondly, the idea that a mass revolutionary party can be built at the present time in England and Wales is ludicrous. The workers movement is still barely recovering from the huge setbacks under Thatcherism, and confidence and political consciousness is still very low.

The debate was passionate but friendly, and there were some welcome new faces, particularly the comrades from the Democratic Labour Party in Walsall. The Democratic Labour Party was formed by socialists who had been chucked out of the Labour Party for being too left wing. They recently won a seat on Walsall council, and the two who spoke were clearly hard working, principled socialist campaigners, precisely the sort of people we need to get on board in this campaign.

There are more extensive reports and records of the motions passed and officer elections on the CNWP website.