In the first round of the recent French
regional elections the far left alliance between the Lutte Ouvrière
(LO) and the Ligue Communiste Révolutionnaire (LCR) has secured a
remarkable 4.96%,
(
1,078,447 votes). In some areas
votes of 7.5% were achieved.
The full results are available on the
LCR web-page:
https://www.lcr-rouge.org/regionales2004/resultats.html
The result is very creditable,
especially as the two organisations only received around 3% in the 2002
parliamentary election. (Both results are
down compared to the amazing 3 million votes they received in the
presidential election earlier
that year, but nevertheless
the general trend is in the right direction). It is a remarkable and
historic achievement that the far left are even playing in the same
division as the Communist Party (PCF), which has been the traditional
party of French workers having significant links with the CGT union,
(and is much less radical than its name suggests!)
The alliance between LO and LCR
illustrates that there are two complementary processes at work, which
although intertwined are not necessarily identical.
Firstly, the space is opening up
across Europe for a credible electoral challenge to the establishment
left parties. The exact form that this electoral challenge takes has
varied from country to country, but the possibility exists to create
broad anti-capitalist parties like
Rifondazione Communista
in Italy, or the Scottish Socialist Party, that can go beyond
elections and also involve themselves in struggles and campaigns
outside the electoral arena. These new broad parties are wider and
more inclusive than the Marxist left. Indeed although the early
promise of the Socialist Alliance was not realised, some key activists
involved in building the SA have come from a social democratic
background (the Labour left).
Secondly, there is a process of
realignment between the groups of the revolutionary left. There is
recognition that none of the traditions of the far left have been
uniquely virtuous and we can all learn from one another. Again the
French experience is positive. Last year LO were not prepared to put
forward a joint slate with the LCR, despite the fact that they had
done so in 1999, successfully winning seats in the European
parliament. This year an alliance was achieved. This is quite an
achievement as the culture and outlook of LO and LCR are quite
different and working together must require compromise and patience on
both sides.
The LCR issued a useful appeal in
November 2003, calling for a regroupment of the anti-capitalist left.
A "project addressed to all those looking for a political alternative
in the interests of working people" ... "both to develop struggles and
mobilisations, but also to build a new broad, pluralist political
force, radically anti-capitalist and resolutely democratic". There has
been some sharp criticism on the e-mail lists of the role their
British cousins, the International Socialist Group (ISG), have played
around the launching of RESPECT. This criticism is by and large very
unhelpful, as even opponents of RESPECT should recognise that the ISG
are acting in good faith.
Of course the situation in England is
very different from in France. RESPECT may have the potential to
become a broad and democratic anti-capitalist party. However we must
recognise that many activists are not yet convinced of this. This will
largely, but not entirely be decided by how well RESPECT does in the
Euro and GLA elections on 10th June. Another important
factor is the degree to which RESPECT develops as an inclusive and
democratic organisation whose members have genuine influence over
policy.
It is interesting to see what lessons
the SWP are drawing from the French elections in an article by Alex
Callinicos in Socialist Worker, 3rd April (https://www.socialistworker.co.uk/1895/sw189506.htm
).
The first thing to note is that
Callinicos believes the results for the French left are poor, indeed
he says "There but for the
grace of God go us" However,
in reality if RESPECT gets 4.96% across England that would be an
amazing achievement and it would silence many of the doubters.
Callinicos identifies two problems
with the French left's campaign:
i) underestimating the loyalty
of workers to their traditional parties
ii) ducking the big political
issues
He argues that the LO/LCR failure to
call for a Socialist Party (New Labour) vote in the second round of
these elections will have alienated them from many traditional left
voters. Indeed Socialist Worker is calling for a second preference
vote for Livingstone in the London mayoral elections. But most voters
don't live in London, and certainly most of them don't read Socialist
Worker! As far as I know this is the SWP's policy not that of RESPECT
as a whole - it is not for instance mentioned on the new London wide
RESPECT leaflet published on 1st April. Elsewhere I have
been unable to find any RESPECT literature distinguishing between
Labour and the Tories. It will be interesting to see how RESPECT's
policy evolves on this, particularly as many of the non-SWP activists
in the Stop the War Coalition are profoundly anti-Labour.
The second point raised by Callinicos
is that the LO/LCR campaign ducked the big issues. Which big issues?
Bizarrely, he argues that the LO/LCR list will have lost votes by
failing to defend Moslem girls wearing a headscarf in schools. The
French left are wrong not to have defended the right of women to
choose for themselves what to wear, but this mistake is one of
principle: and principles don't always help you at the polls! RESPECT
will be standing for election on planet Earth where racism is a vote
winner.
Overall the article gives the
impression that Callinicos is getting cold feet. Most class conscious
workers who vote will put a cross next to Labour in June: not RESPECT,
not Socialist, but New Labour. We will not change that in 2 months. So
if we are not standing in the immediate expectation of defeating
Labour we should be using the electoral platform to get as much of our
politics across as we can. We do indeed need to take up the big
issues, but many activists feel the founding convention of RESPECT
went in the opposite direction.