RESOLUTION TO THE CNWP FROM THE SOCIALIST ALLIANCE ON MOVING THE PROCESS FORWARD

SUBSEQUENTLY AGREED UNANIMOUSLY BY THE CNWP OFFICERS ON JUNE 14

The CNWP notes that at its 2008 Conference

  • It recognised there was an urgent need for the left to get its act together given the fact that:

v Workers increasingly accept that Labour can no longer be reclaimed

v Labour's shift to the right – or far right – means there is a vacuum which the left could, and should, fill.

v There is the growing threat posed by the racist/fascist BNP

  • It confirmed its view that the best way to confront these issues was to campaign for a new socialist party – a new workers' party – and agreed that, as part of the process of building a new workers' party, it was necessary to bring together as many of the disparate left forces as possible, in addition to the work being done to build the Party within the working class
  • It also agreed that the time was right to start moving towards a pro-party alliance or a pre-party formation that, as well as campaigning for a new party, would also begin work to determine the structure and rules for such a party

As part of the process of implementing these policies, we agree that the prototype of such as new Left Party will be established before the end of 2011 at the latest. This process will include the drawing up of a simplified draft constitution for consideration by a founding conference which, initially, incorporates the following requirements:

  1. Simplified objectives outlining the long-term aims of the Party,
  2. A federal structure recognising the rights of both affiliating organisations and individuals,
  3. A mechanism to ensure that no single affiliated organisation can impose its views on the Party as a whole,
  4. Clear democratic structures to ensure that any internal Party body is representative of the Party as a whole,
  5. Recognition that affiliated organisations remain free to campaign externally to the Party,
  6. Recognition that members are entitled to form open political factions able to campaign both internally within and externally to the Party.

Moved by the Socialist Alliance