Calling all Labour Supporters
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I would like to let you know of a Labour Movement led by young people that you may not know of already. On The Student Room's website, there is a section called the Model House of Commons (MHOC). The MHoC is an environment where people can express their political views freely and take part in a range of interesting and engaging debates. You can create bills and motions on a topic of your choice. These pieces of legislation will then be opened up to the other members of the House who will debate about that issue and then vote on whether they want them to pass. The MHoC is anything but a commitment – instead it is a place to unwind in our otherwise stressful lives. The Labour Party is represented in the MHoC but is in desperate need of new members. I know that there will be many Labour supporters that would love to get involved if they knew of its existence. I would really appreciate it if you could spread the word about the TSR Labour Party. Here is a link to our Q&A page: http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2322751. For those of you concerned that the TSR Labour Party is only for students, do not fear. We have a wide range of age ranges and the MHoC prides itself for catering for people, whatever their requirements. If you would like to get involved, please post below and I can run you through the next steps.
There is a 'Socialist party' described as
Quote:The Socialist Party has:Campaigned for the disestablishment of the Church of EnglandCampaigned for a fairer system of Corporation TaxCampaigned for the formation of the British RepublicCampaigned for the right to be treated as human beings irrespective of sexualityCampaigned for recognition of the horrors of the HolocaustCampaigned for greater cooperation within EuropeCampaigned for a cleaner environmentCampaigned for less pre-charge detentionCampaigned for the protection of vulnerable young peopleCampaigned for the secularisation of schoolsCampaigned against private healthcareCampaigned for free school mealsCampaigned for a United Ireland free from British ruleCampaigned for more powers granted to devolved bodiesjondwhite wrote:There is a 'Socialist party' described asQuote:The Socialist Party has:Campaigned for the disestablishment of the Church of EnglandCampaigned for a fairer system of Corporation TaxCampaigned for the formation of the British RepublicCampaigned for the right to be treated as human beings irrespective of sexualityCampaigned for recognition of the horrors of the HolocaustCampaigned for greater cooperation within EuropeCampaigned for a cleaner environmentCampaigned for less pre-charge detentionCampaigned for the protection of vulnerable young peopleCampaigned for the secularisation of schoolsCampaigned against private healthcareCampaigned for free school mealsCampaigned for a United Ireland free from British ruleCampaigned for more powers granted to devolved bodiesThere is indeed a Socialist Party, yes, and if you are interested in joining them, I can get you set up. The Labour Party in the Model House of Commons is a lot bigger and a lot more active though.
Maybe we could settle the question “What would be the attitude of a member of the SPGB if elected to Parliament, and how would he maintain the principle of ‘No Compromise’?” in the Model House of Commons.
Here's the original reply to the famous "W.B of Upton Park" in the February 1910 Socialist Standard:
Quote:W. B. (Upton Park) asks, what would be the action of a member of the S.P.G.B. elected to Parliament, and how would he maintain our principle of "no compromise" ?By compromise we understand "political trading," the "one-and-one principle" for example (see first page). The Socialist member of Parliament (while in the minority, of course), would advance the interests of the working class by caustic and enlightening criticism of capitalism in all its manifestations—political, industrial, educational, etc., etc. He would take every opportunity that offered to use this higher and well-heard platform as a means of spreading Socialist understanding.His presence, backed, as it must needs be, by a wide-awake electorate (suggestive of more to come and the threatened "end of all,") would in all probability evoke the initiation, by one or other of the capitalist parties, of measures that may conceivably contain some small advantage for the working-class. Now intellectual vitality requires the continual absorption, and digestion of new facts as they occur. So with Socialism and proletarian politics. The S.P.G.B. is always ready to consider new facts and phases when these present themselves, and therefore the question of whether Socialist representatives should support any such measures in Parliament, is one that we do not, in January 1910, pretend to answer. We can only say as to this, that as we progress and new situations arise, our membership, ever guided by the revolutionary principle of NO COMPROMISE, by our general understanding of Socialism and the requirements of the greatest interest of the working class, its emancipation, will DEMOCRATICALLY direct the action of its representatives. Each new situation, will have to be faced and Socialist action be decided upon the merits of the case. Meanwhile we may not claim rank with the Pope or Old Moore, and it should be understood that there is room for difference of opinion upon a matter that, at the present stage, is only of secondary importance. Our work to-day is to teach our fellow toilers their position and show them the indispensable steps they must take to win freedom.—(Ed. " S.S.")jondwhite wrote:Maybe we could settle the question “What would be the attitude of a member of the SPGB if elected to Parliament, and how would he maintain the principle of ‘No Compromise’?” in the Model House of Commons.Due to the electoral system that is used in the Model House of Commons, there is nearly always a coalition. The most likely coalition that the Socialist Party would be involved in would be a Labour/Socialist/Green coalition. I believe that the Socialist's unwillingness to compromise could be complemented quite well with Labour's willingness to do so (in the MHoC that is). That way, the Socialists would be able to get their voice heard in Government. The attitude of a Socialist member if they were elected to Parliament would often be to place a strong emphasis on nationalisation but there are a plethora of other left-wing policies that the Socialist Party is in favour of.
Quamquam123 wrote:The attitude of a Socialist member if they were elected to Parliament would often be to place a strong emphasis on nationalisation but there are a plethora of other left-wing policies that the Socialist Party is in favour of.Except that this Socialist Party, the real McCoy, is not "left-wing" and does not advocate nationalisation.Left-wing is a term which comes from the old French legislature, referring to that section of the membership sitting on the left side of the chamber (as viewed from the president’s chair) holding progressive liberal opinions.Socialists reject the conventional method of political analysis which seeks to understand politics in terms of ‘left’ or ‘right’. The left and right are different only to the extent that they provide a different political and organisational apparatus for administering the same capitalist system. This includes those on the left who claim to want socialism some time in the distant future but in the meantime demand some form of transitional capitalism. For this reason the World Socialist Movement, of which the SPGB is part, cannot be identified as either ‘left-wing’ or ‘right-wing’.Nationalisation is the wages system under new management. It is state capitalism and does not differ from private capitalism insofar as the exploitation of the working class is concerned. We still need our trade unions, and the strike weapon, to protect ourselves from our employers. The SPGB has never supported nationalisation. It is not socialism and neither is it a step towards socialism.
jondwhite wrote:How would we set up a Socialist Party representing the SPGB alone?Fortunately we don't need to; one already exists…
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