;'' ,,o Labour Party leaders on public spending cuts, public sector wages and

,i . pehsions and on welfare benefits...' .' These statements broadly confirm their support for the rationale and

,' approach of the Con-Dem government towards these issues.They highlight

$ the need for collective thought and action by the labour movement in3* general - and by the trade unions in particular.

, As a contribution to the broad, inclusive and intensive discussion that wer; i believe is needed on the left and in the labour movement, the CommunistB i Party has issued the statement below.

S ! et".te read and discuss it with friends, workmates, trade union colteague, .i L,.

il and comrades.We urge you to raise these issues in your trade union and !. S'

- political organisations. . &'tr i *orld atsl welcome any comments you would like to make to the,. ' Cormunist Party directly (please indicate whether you wish them to remain - I

confidential).Our labour movement needs to face up to its responsibilities, in the

" knowledge that millions of people took to its organisations for support andsolidarity. lt is with this in mind that the Communist Party feels compelled toraise these issue now, as a matter of urgency.

$ Robert GriffithsCP General Secretary

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Ooen Letter to the Labour Movementz. , _ _ -_._ .*-.- _, _,_. -.*_ __

Britain'sRoad toSocialism

The new edition of Britain'sRoad to Socialism, theCommunist Party's programme,adopted in July 20 I l; presentsand analysis of capitalism and

imperialism in its current form;answers the questions of how arevol utionary transformationmight be bought about in 2lstCentury Britain; and what a

socialist and communist societyin Britain might look like.

The BRS was first published in

195 I after nearly six years ofdiscussion and debate across theCP, labour movement and

working class. Over its Ieditions it has sold more than a

million copies in Britain and

helped to shape and develop thestruggle of the working class formore than half a century. Otherprevious editions of the BRS

have been published in I 952,

1 958, 1 968, 1977, 1989 and2000 as well as multiplesubstantially revised versions.

The Crisis of Political Representationin the lahour movementThe Cornrnunist Partyrejects the aualysispeddled by the banks,hedge funds and Con-Dem government thatpast levels ofpublicexpenditure were themain cause of theeconomic and financialcrisis.

We reject, too, theremedy dictated by Cityof London financialinstitutions and the EUCommission andEuropean Central Bank.notably that massivepublic spending cuts anda savage attack on thewages and pensiorrs ofpublic sector workers are

necessary irr order toreduce the public sectorfinancial deficit.

The policy of the Labour

Party leadership to alignitself with this analysisand these remedies is abetrayal of the millions ofworkers and their familieswho should be able tolook to Labour forsupport and solidarity. Inparticularo recentstatements b1' EdMiliband, Ed Balls andLiam Byrne in support ofdeep cuts in public sectorwages and pensionentitlements, and inwelfare benefits,represent a shamefulcapitulation to the barrks,the Con-Dem regirne andthe right-rving rnass

media.The refusal of the

Labour Party leadershipto fight for policies thatwould defend public

services, jobs, wages andpensions and so reviveeconomic growthhighlights the extent towhich the interests of thelabour movement - whichare also those ofthepeople of Britaingenerally - go largelyunrepresented in theHouse of Commons. Notsurprisingly, therefore, ina period of rnass localcampaigning and bignational one-day strikesagainst against Con-Dempolicies, the Labourleadership has utterlyfailed so far to achieve a

clear and substantial leadin opinion polls.The leaders of Labour-

affiliated trade unionsmust know that theirmembers need, in

Ooen Letter to the MovementLabour

addition to the videstpossible mass movement, a

Labour Party that defends

their interests. stands up forpublic services, opposes theu,hole rotten set-up incorrupt, big business, rip-offBritain - and renounces a

British foreign policy thatrnires us in aggressive u'ar,the mass slaughter ofcivilians" internatiorralkidnapping artd torture anda new generation ofnuclear\{.eapons.This, in turn, raises the

need for the affiliated unionsto campaign in a moredetermined. planned andcoordinated lvay to changethe policies and if necessary

the composition of theLabour Party leadership.The duty of the afliliatedunions to fight forprogressive" left and socialistvalues il the Labour Partycould not be clearer.Al the sanre tirne. lhis is an

irnportaut part of an everr

bigger question: hou, can thelabour rnor-ement bestensure that its collect.iveviews and interests arerepresented in theWestminster parliarnent?This challenge must be

faced by the $-hole

movemellt, includiug thoseunions not affiliated to theLabour Party.The Labour Party u'as

forrnded hr the trade urtiortrno\.ement. It still receives

the support of or-er olle-thirdof volers. Brrt this support is

not guaranteed. is

increasingly volatile andcould quickll- disintegrate ifthe party's right-rriug course

is rnaintained. The tradeunion movement. and itsmembers locallr'. have a

dutl to interrene to reclaimthe partl- as politicalrepresentati\-es of theinterests of rrorking people.'t Affiliated uniorrs should

respond inruediatelv todemand-. frorn theirmernbers arrd cease payingfinancial doratiors to theLabour Partv centrallyuntil its leaders and ]IPsoppose real cut-q in publicsector wages and express

solidarity u'ith rvorkersfighting to deferd theirpensions,

* Affiliation fees should be

rnaintained in order tostep up the challelge tothe Labour leadership'scurrellt policies fronr

inside the party as well as

from outside.'* Affiliated trade uuiorrs

should rneet to con\.ene alrall-Britain conference att he earliesl opport rrnil1 todiscuss the current crisisof political represerrl aliorrfor u'orkers and theirfamilies.

We belier-e these actions are

the rnost realistic andeffective u'ar. of errsuringthat the ilterests of u'orkingpeople are represerrted irr theVestrninster parliament.Should the Labour Partycontilue orr a right-t'ingcourse. its future uill be atrisk aud the trade uuionmo\.ernent n'ill have a dutlto re-establish a rnass partl-of

'lahour capahle of rtirrrrilrg

electious. forrniug a

governmerlt aud enactingpolicies in the interests of thepeople not the bankers.

* Affiliatecl unions shouldalso consider demaudingthat a special ernergencvconference of the LahourPart-1 be held to considera furrdamental chauge ofeconornic and financialpolicy on

the capitalist crisis, publicspending and investment,public sector v'ages andpensions, privatisationand taxation.

* The TUC should resume

its historic responsibilityand convene a specialconference of all labourrnovernerrl. organsatiorrs todiscuss the politicalrepreserrtation of thelabour rnovement il theHouse of Cornrnolls.

Lr the face ofthe currentrrrling class offelrsir e againstthe rvorkirrg class and themass of people generally, theIabour movernent needs todel,elop the maximurnclarity and unity. For itspart, the Cornrnunist Partyv-ill continue to develop itsMarxist analysis, project analterrrative economic andpolitical strategy for theu.orking class and its alliesand strerrgtlrerr rrorr-seclariarrleft unity.The Cornrnunist Party

therefore u'elcomes thedecision of readers andsupporters of the MorningSlar to call al all-Britairrconfereuce on March 31 (atthe Bishopsgate hrstitute.central London) to discussthe ways il u.hich mass.

popular resistance can bebuilt to the Con-Demgolerllmerrl arrd ils policies.This will provide a majoropportunity for a u'ide rangeof left, labour rnovernent andprogressive forces to considerthe kind of initiatives andpolicies that rnight benecessary. Pointing a rvayforr-ard in the immediatebattles should help creaternore far ourable corrdilionsin u.hich to resolve thelabour movement's crisis ofpolitical represerrtation.

Ooen Letter to the Lobour Movement

*lx*,mn"g":Jl3'Readers' & Supporters'groups.

For a People's Britainnot a Bankers' Britain

Sat. 31"t March 10.30 am to 4.45 pmWHAT lS tT? A maior conlerence to bring together a broad range ol local,regional and national labour movomenl ard anti-culs bodies and activists.

$1,7, Wxenef Bl.hopsgate lnstftute, 2!10 Bishopsgate, London,

LS EC2M 4aH - ,n tlp anct nt ctty ol tondu, o ftw mlnut s' wolk|.r1.':.,4' oclw"ct, lil,Etpoot St scauon and Spltalftclds Ma*et.

HOWTOREGISTER? Contac{: