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FOR public services - AGAINST privatisation in all its forms
John Nicholson
The meeting of People Not Profits, on Tuesday 17th May 2005, heard a wide range
of election views and experiences. From Greens to Socialists, from those who
voted Liberal Democrat to remove awful Labour MPs to those who voted for the
Workers Revolutionary Party because there was no-one else to record a protest
vote, from Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Walsall and London, there were no
fewer than 11 different parties and candidates who had been supported by those
present at the meeting.
But the irony of the recent election was noted - despite public services
supposedly being a major issue, the funding and control of public services never
came under the microscope. All three major parties were in agreement with the
neo-liberalisation and deregulation of services and all the major media failed
to give coverage to the progressive parties and candidates who were committed to
defending - and expanding - public transport, health, education, housing.
The result? Immediately after the election we see the government accelerating
its drive to put vital health services into private hands.
The discussion noted:
- that the BNP plus UKIP plus Veritas secured significant votes and the threat
of fascism must always be countered strongly
- that unions in the public sector were campaigning for Labour while their own
union policies were opposed to all that Labour was now putting forward; union
branches were moribund, unions were business unions (offering credit and
discounts but no campaigns) and were even dominated by high paid managers (now
one in seven of the working population), but the election of Matt Wrack to
General Secretary of the FBU and the campaign of the RMT to renationalise the
railways showed that progressive support was possible
- that Respect had made some magnificent gains - and Galloway was giving Blair
and the US Senate a good kicking; this could not be ignored, but the rest of the
left needed to unite, locally and nationally (possibly through the re-creation
of a socialist alliance)
- that all the progressive organisations needed to tackle the democratic deficit
that had handed Blair a majority on just 20% of the electorate
- that the Lib Dems gained support for (apparent) policies of taxing the very
rich and opposing the war
- that the left should be organised across Europe, and the EU constitution
should be opposed by a campaign from the left
- that there is more to life than elections, and we need to unite around
campaigning issues, here and now - and although the history of the SWP/Respect
leadership's destruction of the former Socialist Alliance needed to be
recognised and understood, bridges now need to be built on the left, including
between Respect and all other progressive/green/left groups and individuals;
- and so, locally, we can campaign - against fascism, against nuclear
weapons/nuclear power commitments the government is now making, against the EU
constitution, and in favour of the environment, migration and public services.
The meeting therefore agreed to:
* PRODUCE a second peoplenotprofits BULLETIN
* SPEAK AT the Centre for Democratic Policy Making/Red Pepper conference
(Conference June 4-5th, Workshop for the Charter for Public Services of
PeopleNotProfits to be 12.00 on Sunday 5th - Paul Gerrard to speak - all
welcome)
* SUPPORT the No One Is Illegal Conference in Manchester Saturday June 25th
(Chapel St) (more details on website
www.noii.org.uk or info@noii.org.uk)
* SUPPORT the Sefton Unison stewards facing discipline for opposing
privatisation - contact details from Sefton Unison office (especially relevant
for Unison members)
NEXT MEETINGS - Tuesday 21st June and Tuesday 19th July - Friends Meeting
House, Mount St, Manchester
People not Profits is a group of socialists in the Greater Manchester area
committed to fighting privatisation - a Charter for Public Services has been
produced and a first bulletin circulated widely.
Contact: People Not Profits, PO Box 200, Manchester M21 9YD or
peoplenotprofits@yahoo.co.uk
May 2005
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