This is a report on Socialist Resistance’s recent AGM that will appear in the next issue of the paper. It omits to mention that a proposal from the Steering Committee to change the name of the paper was withdrawn due to a certain strength of feeling against our proposed title of Red Dolphin.
Socialist Resistance’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) has adopted a new manifesto calling for a broad ecosocialist and anti-capitalist current to be built in the labour movement, amongst young people and in the environmental movement. The September meeting endorsed ‘Savage Capitalism’, and the other reports given to the meeting, unopposed (some votes had a few abstentions).
Alan Thornett introduced the first discussion on Britain under Gordon Brown. He pointed out how Brown’s popularity honeymoon makes an early general election likely. Because the Southall by-election shows that Respect is in no shape to fight an election, a new crisis is opening in that party. However, struggles by public sector workers will build up pressures in the unions.
Tides are also turning internationally, as Phil Hearse pointed out introducing ‘Savage Capitalism’. The worst series of floods in living memory has struck every continent. The climate crisis connects with the international food and water crisis to produce the basis for a new savage capitalism which is harsher, more war-like and increasingly opposed to civil rights.
Hearse and other speakers stress that ecosocialism is not a new campaign, or something separate from and campaigning on Iraq or Respect. It’s a change in our overall identify and the way we use class analysis to connect climate change into all the aspects of our activity.
Liam Mac Uaid opened a discussion on tasks arising from the ecosocialist orientation. He explained that our newspaper will change in three ways: first, articles need to spotlight the issues, organisations and people who take an anti-capitalist approach to climate change; second, we are appointing an advisory board to guide us; thirdly we are inviting discussion and suggestions about the title of the newspaper.
The ecosocialist theme was continued in discussions on the Campaign against Climate Change trade union conference, and Latin America. Terry Conway introduced a discussion on developing our organisation. She noted that it was our first two-day AGM:, with 36 comrades attending, most from outside London. She outlined the substantial development of SR supporters groups over the last year, especially in Birmingham, Brighton and Manchester. Conway noted that stronger local groups have allowed us to publish seven new books over the last year. The AGM also accepted reports on our upcoming Women’s Liberation Forum and the International Youth Camp. It elected a steering committee and an editorial board.
Liam redux 
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