LRC AGM

I attended the LRC AGM yesterday. The keynote speech was delivered by Tony Benn. John McDonnell MP chairing. Speakers included Ogmundur Jonassen MP (VG, Iceland), Jeremy Dear (NUJ) and Katy Clark MP who all discussed the current economic crisis and set the political scene for the first resolutions. I spoke in the discussion in favour of the resolution from Campaign for Socialism:

Despite the depth of the crisis that finance capital has provoked in pursuit of profit, the Left has not be able to win mass support for an alternative strategy which takes us in a socialist direction away from the individualised solutions to the crisis. In view of this, the LRC acknowledges that we need to construct the widest possible coalition of the Left, from within and beyond the Labour Party, that builds on the work of LEAP and other left strategies with a view to leading a serious campaign against the grip of neo-liberal ideas and practices in our society.

The reason I spoke was to draw attention to the attacks on the benefits systems, which are being continued during this current crisis. The hideous Green Paper on welfare reform that seeks to impose further sanctions and overall penalisation of the poor. I remarked that the ideology of NL and Purnell represents the politics of the workhouse. The divide and rule tactic that pitches working class people against working class people. I ended that NL should be penalising the tax havens and not the poor.

The next session was addressed by Matt Wrack (FBU) that set the scene for the resolutions on trade unions. The afternoon international session was addressed by Audun Lysbakken (SV Party, Norway) and chaired by Jeremy Corbyn MP. There were two resolutions on Iraq and Iran (LRC to affiliate to HOPI) that were passed.

The most controversial resolution of the day came from the Alliance for Workers’ Liberty (AWL) on workers’ representation. The crux of the resolution was arguing for support for non-Labour candidates in elections. I voted against this resolution for many reasons but the overriding one being that if the LRC was visible in supporting non-Labour electoral candidates then certainly many of us would be expelled from the LP and unions affiliated to the LP (such as the CWU) would cancel their LRC affiliation. It would also drive the LRC into political oblivion and sectarian isolation. The AWL put forward the same resolution last year and it was roundly defeated then so second time lucky…?

There were other resolutions on education, housing LP, transport, anti-racism and anti-fascism. Also, regional representation, support for the Convention of the Left initiative and rule changes.

We sang the Red Flag at the end though I much prefer Leon Rosselson’s version, and I know the words to that one as opposed to the genuine article (The cloth cap and the working class, as images are dated/For we are Labour’s avante-garde, and we were educated).

This is just a broad outline of the day. The results of the National Committee elections were announced and I was re-elected for another year. The conference was slighly bigger than last year, around 200+ along with collective energy, anger and dynamism…and that’s probably about the impact of the credit crunch and the banking bail-out has had on people.

Here’s to the socialist fightback!

I forgot to congratulate Susan Press who was elected to one of the Vice-Chairs of the LRC. Very remiss of me.  Sorry about that Susan and again, congratulations!