- Peace (2)
- People not profit (4)
- Planet (3)
- Planning (6)
- Power and politics (7)
- Statements (10)
- 23/06/2008: Transport Meeting at the Convention of The Left
- 06/06/2008: Working class people deserve a party to speak for them by Nick Wrack
- 03/06/2008: What is the true cost of Britain's involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan?
- 03/06/2008: John McDonnell MP: After Labour's electoral disaster - we need action on policies.
- 03/06/2008: Can Brown be beaten by John McDonnell’s Manifesto? by Mark Hoskisson
- 04/05/2008: First thoughts on the elections
- 17/04/2008: Towards The Convention of The Left: Progress so Far.
- 17/04/2008: The missing theme - trade unionsim at home and abroad
- 07/04/2008: What they're saying about the Convention of the Left
- 10/03/2008: A Socialist Vision of Health Care in a World Out of Balance
Blogroll
- Communist Party of Britain
- Communist Students
- Convention of The Left
- Greater Manchester Association of Trades Councils
- Greater Manchester Respect (renewal)
- Green Left
- Labour Briefing
- Labour Respresentation Committee
- Liverpool Trades Council
- Manchester Green Party
- North Manchester Against Wars
- Permanent Revolution
- red pepper
- Respect
- Scottish Socialist Party
- Socialist Workers Party
- Stop the War Coalition
Supporting blogs
Invitation to be part of a Convention of The Left
The Manchester “Convention of The Left”, from the 20th -25th September, will bring together opponents of New Labour’s neo-liberal warmongering to discuss how we can develop unity in action - just a stone’s throwaway New Labour’s party conference.
We want an entirely different world. One built by the working people for the working people, not based on profit, environmental destruction and oppression, but a socialist society. We bring together people from different radical traditions - greens, lefts, internationalists and communists, civil liberties campaigners, anti-deportation fighters and trades unions, peace and public service campaigns – but united in our determination to combine our strengths and open a debate about how we can rebuild the left today.
The Manchester Convention steering group invites anyone who wants to participate in, shape or promote the event to join us in Manchester on Sunday 24th February, at the Friends Meeting House, Mount Street Manchester between 3.00-6.00pm.
There is obviously no final agenda as yet, but the loose proposal is that through the course of the Labour Party conference week, the Convention will organise a counter conference and actions.
The Convention will start on Saturday with a full day for discussion and debate between activists to see how we can work together better and co-ordinate our struggles, followed on a week of discussion possibly themed around;
Peace – how we organise our struggle against imperialist wars and support the just struggles of peoples against national oppression
People not Profits – how we oppose the privatisation of public services – and how we would run the services of the future
Planet – how we can fight global warming and environmental destruction
Power and Politics –how the struggle against oppression means fighting for power to change our lives
If you would like to attend the Convention Organising Group, then feel free to come along, all welcome, individuals and groups or groups of individuals, or if you can’t make it on the day, then get in touch with our e-mail (john at conventionoftheleft.org) and we will be happy to facilitate your involvement in any way we can.
Over the next weeks and months in the run up to the Convention we will be trying to shape a debate around the issues that face the left today.
Yours, John Nicholson
Convenor, Convention Organising Group
13/02/2008 at 09:29 am
Please feel free to add your comments and suggestions. Over the coming weeks and months we will add more content for discussions and debate.
20/02/2008 at 12:16 pm
Is it a national event for all? Will there be a social programe as well as a politcal programme?
Well done everyone - sounds wonderful - cant wait to go (note to my diary: book some accommodation fast!)
Neil
20/02/2008 at 12:54 pm
At a time when New Labour is attacking youth culture and criminalising young people, when goths and skateboarders are subject of attacks by feral youth and young people are being sent to their death not just in Iraq with the war but also London and Manchester, and Leeds with knife crime surely there is a need for a focus on youth issues?
23/02/2008 at 12:41 pm
Jonny
There is a need for a youth focus. Unfortunately most of us who have been involved in the convention initiative so far are by no means young. You would be very welcome to come to our next meeting (Friends Meeting House Manchester Sunday 24 Feb at 3.00pm) or alternatively/additionally please contribute to our discussion via this blog.
regards
Peter
24/02/2008 at 08:14 pm
Good first meeting- very open, very positive, but acknowledging that we have to win new forces to the left.
All in all, a good start I think. More here http://permanentrevolution.net/?view=entry&entry=1937
25/02/2008 at 11:03 pm
I;ve written a little piece extracted below:
Brown’s New Labour circus and its associated troupes of advisers, commercial lobbyists, hangers-on and power-mad wannabes, is coming to town, September 2008. But this year, socialists, shut out of the conference and the party, are planning our very own welcoming event- a counter conference and protest.
Amidst the razzmatazz, the ragamuffins are coming up, out of the gutters to take a snipe, and to speak truth to power. And- to give power to our truths- we’ll be holding our very own conference to discuss how to get control and meaning back in our own lives.
Because one thing’s for certain- there won’t be anything even approaching meaningful discussion in the hallowed halls of New Labour’s micro-managed control culture conference.
But fear not (unless you happen to be a New Labour functionary casually glancing through these pages): we’re coming out of the sidelines to steal the show!
Now that war is declared and battle come down, Manchester is calling to the underworld!
conitinues here http://www.permanentrevolution.net/?view=entry&entry=1941
01/03/2008 at 07:51 pm
Everybody must stop being ‘Precious’
The usual suspects have done similar things for years. They have to bite the bullet and get others involved, and drop some assumptions and any pretentions to leadership. Passing motions, leadership positions and so on.
The focus MUST be class struggle and building capacity. What matters is orientation and plans to move forward and grow outside of their bubble. Just saying they want to is not enough, there must be practical plans.
I think they should also stop obsessing about elections, given the position of weakness it is premature to go for 2009 because by itself it stops the politics of practical growth and making socialists. Just cos someone votes for you does not mean they are a socialist.
Instead the focus should not be local, national/general or european elections in 2009, the target for them perhaps should be 2013/14. Although i am not totally dismissing electoral work, when eg. it maybe useful in anti BNP work. In the meantime all efforts should focus on capacity building, networking, and class struggle. Only in that way can theory attempt to join with practice in a realistic and not a premature way, and serious attempts at different politics can be properly assessed.
I would like to be placed on the email list for organising this event if you could be so kind.
Here is Mayday magazine issue 1, the next left;)
http://platypus1917.home.comcast.net/~platypus1917/mayday_uk_issue1_win2007-08.pdf
Also Platypus1917 are a very good Marxist group (in USA) which you should all checkout
03/03/2008 at 06:01 pm
Some interesting ideas from Trevor.
Come along and join in the deabtes and protests! meanwhile keep posting here.
I agree that excessive focus on elections is not the way forward and agree with capacity building and networks of resistance.
On what sort of movement do we need, I’ve written my two-pennorrth here
http://permanentrevolution.net/?view=entry&entry=1961
Cheers
Jason
03/03/2008 at 07:59 pm
I think this is a good, and timely, idea.
The only thing I’d add is that many like minded people with other commitments will not be able to spend a day in Manchester being part of this.
We could do with thinking about putting people in touch with each other to set up local networks along similiar lines.
03/03/2008 at 08:02 pm
Well exactly- this is the sort of fertile idea that such a convention is meant to engender!
Any ideas on hpw you might start- perhaps use this site a sa bit of a message-board and in mean-time get out there and start some networking?
Jason