The Launch of The Labour Representation Committee
John McDonnell MP, Chair of Socialist Campaign Group of Labour MP's & Chair of the Labour Representation Committee writing for Tribune
Over the last four years each July the Socialist Campaign Group of MPs with the support of Tribune has convened the immensely successful annual Socialist Conference. The aim of the conference has been to lift the level of policy debate on the Left so that a clear programme emerges of socialist policies which can be taken forward to the TUC and Labour Party conference. The Socialist conference is strategically timed to enable discussion and negotiation over policy priorities between representatives from the trade unions, constituency parties, affiliated bodies and campaigning organisations both in terms of immediate issues such as resolutions to conference but also longer term directions for future conferences and policy forums.
The main criticism of the Socialist Conference has been that it has produced excellent policy debate from which attendees leave the conference inspired and refortified to engage in trade union and party activities but there is no organisational back up or follow up which allows them to effectively put their ideas into practice when they get back to their unions or constituency parties. The conference has been rightfully criticised for being strong on rhetoric but weak on action. As one rank and file activist put it succinctly at last year's conference 'what we are producing is very inspiring words on the air and well argued and drafted policy discussion papers to provide an interesting read but these are soon forgotten and have limited effect in the real world of policy formulation within the party.'
At last year's Socialist Conference the argument was put very forcibly that what was needed was an organisational form which could maintain the momentum of policy debate and development beyond just an annual conference and which would assist rank and file members of the party and trade unions to win the argument for these policy position within the Labour and Trade Union movement.
On Saturday at the TUC's Congress House a conference takes place to launch an organisational form to reflect this demand. Rank and File members of CLPs, trade unions and socialist societies will be coming together to launch the Labour Representation Committee. The LRC aims to bring socialists together from within the Labour party, trade unions and campaigning organisations in order to establish the principles and policy direction which we wish to see the Labour party adhere to and take for the next generation.
Like the development of the New Left policy initiative in the 1960s the LRC initiative aims to launch a renaissance in socialist thought and policy development within our movement. This means bringing together over the next period much more effectively rank and file activists working within particular sectors and industries with researchers and academics to develop and make concrete the socialist policies needed by a Labour government if we are to be successful in securing socialist change in this country and internationally.
The aim is to open up the debate amongst socialists within our movement and to make that debate founded in the real experiences of working people from across our community and from across the globe. This also means ensuring a dialogue with movements and campaigners working on diverse and leading edge issues, often not normally associated with socialist or European style social democratic organisations but who share many of our objectives.
In addition to radicalising and upgrading socialist policy debate and development within our movement the launch of the LRC rises to the challenge of how we as socialists within the Labour Party can link up more effectively and consistently to promote our ideals within the Labour party and trade union movement. The aim is to establish the LRC as a membership organisation similar to the Fabian Society and other socialist societies so that Labour Party members, Labour Party CLPs and branches, Trade unions and other affiliates may join the LRC and come together to discuss, develop and publish policy papers upon which party members can organise and campaign for policy change within the Labour party. This is aimed to provide socialists with an organisational form to support the promotion of socialist policy debate within the party and hopefully the adoption of these ideas and policies by the party and their implementation by a Labour government.
The newly founded LRC intends to organise conferences and policy debates around the country and in Scotland and Wales in order to bring together socialists within the party and wherever possible to recruit new socialists to the party. This will establish an organisational form which enables socialists within the party to work together consistently for socialist change.
At present there are numerous calls and initiatives being launched to reclaim the Labour Party, Save the Labour Party or to win the Labour Government to a radical third term. Many of these are based upon party members or existing campaigning organisations and at least one has been launched by the 'big four' unions. Increasingly the party is beginning to look more like a Glastonbury festival of dissent but these are all signs of the continuing and strengthening critique of New Labour and its increasing irrelevance to the long term future of the Labour Party.
The LRC aims to complement and work alongside these initiatives by serving as an avowedly and forthright socialist voice within the party and movement based upon creative and involving participatory policy development and organisation. Saturday's launch conference for the LRC is shaping up to be the most significant event for Labour's socialists for the coming generation.
