A fascinating day of discussion and debate on building broad left parties across Europe

Saturday June 28^th 10.30 – 6.00 – ULU Malet St. London – nearest Tubes Goodge St or Russell Sq.

Across Europe working people are looking for a political alternative. Their traditional parties have become parties of the rich. This conference will look at the experiences of socialist from across Europe in building new political voices for the working class.

Book now: Tickets are 10 pounds waged / five pounds unwaged / two pounds students. Pay to/order from “Resistance”, PO Box 1109 London N4 2UU or email contact@socialistresistance.net

Plenary speakers

Penny Duggan. Penny is a leading member of the LCR in Paris. She was a recently candidate on the “100% a gauche” list in both local and national elections in the 20^th district of Paris. She is involved in the current LCR campaign for a new anti-capitalist party in France and will speak on the current stage of this remarkable campaigns and the prospects for it.

Andrej Hunko. Andrej is a member of the board of Dei Linke in Northrhine-Westfalia and a supporter of the left-wing current inside Die Linke – the Antikapitalistische Linke. He is a long-standing activist of the German anti-war movement and the movement against public service cuts. He will talk about the importance of the emergence of Die Linke and the way it is developing.

Miguel Reis. Miguel is a leading member of the Portuguese Left Block. He will speak on how this important organization of the Portuguese and European left has been built and successes it has achieved in the electoral and other fields.

Willem Bos. Willem is a long-standing activist of the Dutch Socialist Party. He will be speaking in a personal capacity on about his experiences in this important and successful party of the left.

Nick Wrack. Nick is the National Secretary of Respect. He will be speaking in a personal capacity on the struggle for an effective left alternative to new Labour.

Joseph Healy. Joseph is a member of the Green Left and will speak on the European green parties.

Communist Party of Britain: The CPB is sending a speaker to introduce on where the CPB stands on the need for a new party of the and on its pamphlet The Fight for a Mass Party of Labour. Name to be announced as son as received.

Kevin Ovenden: How to build Respect?

Workshops

There will be workshops on: The German experience; the Portuguese experience; the LCR initiative, The CPB approach; the Dutch Socialist Party; building Respect.

Why attend?

There is clearly a very interesting and important discussion to be had about experience of building broad left parties.

Many socialists have rightly championed the idea of building broad anti-capitalist parties as social democracy have move ever further right. There have been difficulties and setbacks, however. In Brazil the long march of the Workers Party (PT) to the right has culminated with the ‘social-liberal’ Lula government. In Italy Rifondazione Comunista turned away from its championing of the global justice movement and went into a pro-capitalist government, and paid for it with a split and electoral wipeout.
Against these defeat the Left Bloc in Portugal has been extremely successful – maintaining an anti-capitalist perspective and representation in parliament. In countries like Denmark and the Netherlands broad left parties have enjoyed considerable success, as has Die Linke (Left Party) in Germany.

Socialist Resistance has since its formation has strongly argued for the building of a broad anti-capitalist party in England and Wales. It is involved in Building Respect today. But in the context of the new world economic crisis is this perspective still valid? What are the implications for a new party of the left. And what role does ecosocialism have in the perspectives and practice of the militant left? These and many more questions will be raised and discussed at the seminar.

Tickets are 10 pounds waged / five pounds unwaged / two pounds students. Pay to/order from “Resistance”, PO Box 1109 London N4 2UU or email contact@socialistresistance.net