Saturday, 22 November 2008
Monday, 17 November 2008
SLP performs miracle makes dead Enoch Powell smile!
Sadly I have come to know that at the week end the motion on Immigration was passed by the SLP congress without any changes.
I am extremely disappointed at this development of policy, which in my view is most disgraceful. I am even more disappointed on being told that the motion was proposed on behalf of the NEC by Arthur Scargill.
I have to live with my conscience and have to be totally honest, I will never ever defend this policy, If Executive or the Leader Arthur Scargill does not like it then they are welcome to withdraw my membership.
Arthur is one of the very few people on this planet for whom I have had the highest respect in my heart, but after this incident it has gone down hell of a lot. The same applies to members of the executive who in my view are collectively responsible for this narrow minded pandering to prejudices against the East European migrants and little England mentality.
For those who thought Arthur to be a socialist saint, now they may even go to the Pope and demand official sainthood for him on the basis that he has performed a miracle, by making dead Enoch Powell smile in his grave. Or should that sainthood be shared by whole of the NEC?
I am extremely disappointed at this development of policy, which in my view is most disgraceful. I am even more disappointed on being told that the motion was proposed on behalf of the NEC by Arthur Scargill.
I have to live with my conscience and have to be totally honest, I will never ever defend this policy, If Executive or the Leader Arthur Scargill does not like it then they are welcome to withdraw my membership.
Arthur is one of the very few people on this planet for whom I have had the highest respect in my heart, but after this incident it has gone down hell of a lot. The same applies to members of the executive who in my view are collectively responsible for this narrow minded pandering to prejudices against the East European migrants and little England mentality.
For those who thought Arthur to be a socialist saint, now they may even go to the Pope and demand official sainthood for him on the basis that he has performed a miracle, by making dead Enoch Powell smile in his grave. Or should that sainthood be shared by whole of the NEC?
Thursday, 13 November 2008
NEC's immigration motion should be opposed
I would have loved to be at the Conference in Blackpool to oppose NEC's motion on immigration, but due to a family member seriously ill in hospital I am unable to attend.
I am not one of those who campaign for complete open door unplanned and uncontrolled immigration policy. Although I can understand and respect the views of those who do exactly that.
Immigration policy should be fair and equally apply to every body. It should not be based on race religion or wealth, nor it should be opportunistic for brain draining the developing nations.
Sadly British Immigration policy since the war has always suffered from the above faults.
From a socialist organisation like the SLP led by Arthur Scargill I would have expected a better worded motion than the one proposed by the NEC.
Even at its best this motion only tries to expose the hardships being caused to the working people by the European Union, which is forcing many to leave their homes and search for jobs all over the place.
But the worse part of the motion is its language, that is full if little islander mentality. Which cannot be backed up with proper balanced argument.
Optimum population of any nation can always vary according to state of its industry and prevailing economic conditions. Any ill founded suggestions or loose talk or hint of overcrowding from a responsible party on the left will only provide credibility to far right organisations like the BNP or make Enoch Powell smile in his grave.
I think the authors of the motions have tried to hide behind our very right policy of opposition to the EU to deliberately or unwittingly attack the victims of the EU in mainly Eastern European nations.
While we should be using every opportunity to criticise the authoritarian corrupt and undemocratic EU Super State, we should not be picking upon the population and the workers in Europe.
But sadly the motion as drafted will end up giving the impression that the SLP is pandering to racist and or xenophobic prejudices against European workers mainly from Poland. That may not be the intention, but I am convinced that will exactly be the outcome.
So before we end up becoming topic of ridicule and end up loosing support I urge that motion should at best be referred back to the NEC for careful rewording or it should be voted down. Any thing else will be a mistake which we as Party will live to regret..
I am not one of those who campaign for complete open door unplanned and uncontrolled immigration policy. Although I can understand and respect the views of those who do exactly that.
Immigration policy should be fair and equally apply to every body. It should not be based on race religion or wealth, nor it should be opportunistic for brain draining the developing nations.
Sadly British Immigration policy since the war has always suffered from the above faults.
From a socialist organisation like the SLP led by Arthur Scargill I would have expected a better worded motion than the one proposed by the NEC.
Even at its best this motion only tries to expose the hardships being caused to the working people by the European Union, which is forcing many to leave their homes and search for jobs all over the place.
But the worse part of the motion is its language, that is full if little islander mentality. Which cannot be backed up with proper balanced argument.
Optimum population of any nation can always vary according to state of its industry and prevailing economic conditions. Any ill founded suggestions or loose talk or hint of overcrowding from a responsible party on the left will only provide credibility to far right organisations like the BNP or make Enoch Powell smile in his grave.
I think the authors of the motions have tried to hide behind our very right policy of opposition to the EU to deliberately or unwittingly attack the victims of the EU in mainly Eastern European nations.
While we should be using every opportunity to criticise the authoritarian corrupt and undemocratic EU Super State, we should not be picking upon the population and the workers in Europe.
But sadly the motion as drafted will end up giving the impression that the SLP is pandering to racist and or xenophobic prejudices against European workers mainly from Poland. That may not be the intention, but I am convinced that will exactly be the outcome.
So before we end up becoming topic of ridicule and end up loosing support I urge that motion should at best be referred back to the NEC for careful rewording or it should be voted down. Any thing else will be a mistake which we as Party will live to regret..
Learn from past mistakes vote against immigration motion
I have always said that if immigration and race were the only issues I would never have supported the Labour Party or the British Trade Union Movement.
After leaving the New Labour in 1996 to stay a socialist I joined the Socialist Labour Party with the hope that under Arthur Scargill's leadership I won't have to put up with the hypocrisy on Race and immigration practised by The Labour and continued in New Labour Party.
Sadly that hope was completely shattered at the first conference of the SLP in Conway Hall, London. When one delegate from the stage standing only few feet away from the Leader, for whom I have always had and still have the greatest respect for defending the workers rights, announced “We do not want bloody foreigners in this Party.”
Yes there was a huge collective gasp by most of the delegates in typical traditions of British hypocrisy but nobody told that son of the bitch that he was not addressing the conference of fascists, but a socialist gathering led by Arthur Scargill. Even a deaf person would have clearly heard the complete silence of the leadership.
So ever since I have stuck to my old well stated, and resented view by many in positions of power, that “If Immigration and race were the only issues I would never have joined even the SLP”.
Yes this was a great disappointment but probably my expectations were too high. After all I have always been bit of an idealist and supporter of Arthur.
Even if there was any illusion left in my mind about the true nature of double standards even in the SLP, it did not take it too long to disappear, thanks to many events that followed.
In Southampton we had some complete right wingers xenophobes who joined the SLP, later on they ended up joining the UKIP. I remember having complained many times about their activities to Patrick who was then the General Secretary of the Party. But got no where.
So during Arthur Scargill's visit to Southampton I even handed over the video recordings of a TV programme containing certain well known local con artist and lunatic Len Hickman saying that this is a small island and cannot have any immigrants. But I heard nothing more on that subject.
By the way Len Hickman was the guy who used to make all sorts of false claims, like him having been a local councillor and Mayor of Southampton. As both Southampton City and Hampshire County Councillor at the time I like many others had often told him that he was a liar. He must have been the only one who was prisoner of war in Japan, who was let out to fight in France on D-Day and then allowed to return to the same camp in Japan to be released! Having been MP in Australia used to be another of his boasts. Obviously Pat Sikorsky and the rest trusted that crook more than me and some other socialists.
So under the circumstances it may not be surprising that theme of motion on Immigration in front of the conference is also very similar to what looni Len had said on the TV.
Any way these people were not expelled from the Party on that basis either. But only when they openly attacked the SLP and justified UKIP. Local press even ran the story of them having an office with SLP signs on the front and brothel inside.
With lack of commitment or desire to crack hard on undesirables like this, it is hardly surprising that having given it our best shots in Southampton we cannot get the SLP going in our area. People keep on reminding me the adverts in local press put in by certain Kim Rose in the name of SLP offering people free phone connections and calls etc!!!
It is such a big disappointment for me that even I myself cannot motivate myself to put in the required efforts any more.
Sadly I have reached the conclusion that as an organisation we are not learning any lessons from past mistakes.
Motion in front of this years conference (Oh sorry shall I call it Congress before being chewed up by proposed committee on ideology???) on Immigration is one such example. If adopted it will do more damage to our image than the NEC that has drafted it realises.
If passed few years down the line I will once again have the satisfaction of saying I told you so, but rather than doing that I rather warn everybody about the dangerous path just about to be adopted.
So for the sake of credibility of our Party I hope this ill thought or badly worded or combination of both, motion will be referred back for proper balanced consideration or will be voted against. Otherwise we will live to regret the consequences.
Finally I accept that mistakes can be made, but we should try to learn from the disasters of the past and try not to repeat those all over again. Adopting immigration motion as it stands will be step in the wrong direction. So please think before you vote.
After leaving the New Labour in 1996 to stay a socialist I joined the Socialist Labour Party with the hope that under Arthur Scargill's leadership I won't have to put up with the hypocrisy on Race and immigration practised by The Labour and continued in New Labour Party.
Sadly that hope was completely shattered at the first conference of the SLP in Conway Hall, London. When one delegate from the stage standing only few feet away from the Leader, for whom I have always had and still have the greatest respect for defending the workers rights, announced “We do not want bloody foreigners in this Party.”
Yes there was a huge collective gasp by most of the delegates in typical traditions of British hypocrisy but nobody told that son of the bitch that he was not addressing the conference of fascists, but a socialist gathering led by Arthur Scargill. Even a deaf person would have clearly heard the complete silence of the leadership.
So ever since I have stuck to my old well stated, and resented view by many in positions of power, that “If Immigration and race were the only issues I would never have joined even the SLP”.
Yes this was a great disappointment but probably my expectations were too high. After all I have always been bit of an idealist and supporter of Arthur.
Even if there was any illusion left in my mind about the true nature of double standards even in the SLP, it did not take it too long to disappear, thanks to many events that followed.
In Southampton we had some complete right wingers xenophobes who joined the SLP, later on they ended up joining the UKIP. I remember having complained many times about their activities to Patrick who was then the General Secretary of the Party. But got no where.
So during Arthur Scargill's visit to Southampton I even handed over the video recordings of a TV programme containing certain well known local con artist and lunatic Len Hickman saying that this is a small island and cannot have any immigrants. But I heard nothing more on that subject.
By the way Len Hickman was the guy who used to make all sorts of false claims, like him having been a local councillor and Mayor of Southampton. As both Southampton City and Hampshire County Councillor at the time I like many others had often told him that he was a liar. He must have been the only one who was prisoner of war in Japan, who was let out to fight in France on D-Day and then allowed to return to the same camp in Japan to be released! Having been MP in Australia used to be another of his boasts. Obviously Pat Sikorsky and the rest trusted that crook more than me and some other socialists.
So under the circumstances it may not be surprising that theme of motion on Immigration in front of the conference is also very similar to what looni Len had said on the TV.
Any way these people were not expelled from the Party on that basis either. But only when they openly attacked the SLP and justified UKIP. Local press even ran the story of them having an office with SLP signs on the front and brothel inside.
With lack of commitment or desire to crack hard on undesirables like this, it is hardly surprising that having given it our best shots in Southampton we cannot get the SLP going in our area. People keep on reminding me the adverts in local press put in by certain Kim Rose in the name of SLP offering people free phone connections and calls etc!!!
It is such a big disappointment for me that even I myself cannot motivate myself to put in the required efforts any more.
Sadly I have reached the conclusion that as an organisation we are not learning any lessons from past mistakes.
Motion in front of this years conference (Oh sorry shall I call it Congress before being chewed up by proposed committee on ideology???) on Immigration is one such example. If adopted it will do more damage to our image than the NEC that has drafted it realises.
If passed few years down the line I will once again have the satisfaction of saying I told you so, but rather than doing that I rather warn everybody about the dangerous path just about to be adopted.
So for the sake of credibility of our Party I hope this ill thought or badly worded or combination of both, motion will be referred back for proper balanced consideration or will be voted against. Otherwise we will live to regret the consequences.
Finally I accept that mistakes can be made, but we should try to learn from the disasters of the past and try not to repeat those all over again. Adopting immigration motion as it stands will be step in the wrong direction. So please think before you vote.
Tuesday, 11 November 2008
Southern Star Winter 2008 issue.
The Winter 2008 issue of the Southern Star the journal of the Socialist Labour Party in the South East of England is now available for free download from: http://www.southeastslp.org.uk
- Who pays for the Credit Crunch?
- Don't shoot, I'm not a terrorist!
- Prison Officers Stand up to New Labour
- The sinister world of ID cards and the database state
- Workfare, the Final Straw for New Labour?
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No Paramjit you are wrong comrade.
The free movement of capital and labour is something socialists - and only socialists/communists have opposed historically. Migrant labour is about exploitation and maximisation of profit of that labour. It's not about anything other than that. It undermines trades union conditions and wages. We are internationalists. We oppose imperialism and neo-colonialism. YES, again YES, to asylum and immigration but no to exploitation of vulnerable working people. In fact the case can be made that that supporting migrant labour is to support the imperialist undermining of sovereign nations by taking their young, their educated and their vibrant workforce leaving those left behind to a life of poverty.
True internationalism means true international solidarity. That means support for working class struggle everywhere throughout the world. The "no borders" argument is not in working people's interests here or anywhere else in the world
Arthur is correct on this issue.