Socialist Alliance – still
breathing?
Declan O’Neill, SA
executive
To many the future
of the SA may seem an irrelevant sideshow, given that its largest
component, the SWP, has transferred its energies into Respect. However,
whatever ones view on the unity coalition, the Socialist Alliance still
formally exists, and more importantly its members have a right to decide
what happens next. In this context, the postponement of the national
executive, due to take place this Saturday (25 Sept) is worrying.
National secretary, Rob Hoveman, asked permission to postpone, given
that he, and other executive members, wanted to spend the weekend
canvassing in Hartlepool.
While the
postponement may be justified, the failure to decide on an alternative
date is not. Both myself, and Andy Newman, have contacted the national
secretary asking for a new date as soon as possible, but to date no
reply, or indeed, no formal decision to postpone, re-arrange or
whatever, has been circulated.
Does it matter?
Without an executive meeting it will be impossible to organise the – now
very overdue – national conference, provisionally scheduled for 4
December. The last special conference took decisions covering the
relationship between the SA and Respect only until the elections on
June 10. The membership of the Alliance has a right to take the
crucial decisions about its future; the SA executive has a duty to
organise the conference which will allow this to happen.
September 2004