2015 convention of the left
TRANSCRIPT
T e Lefh t
Tens of thousands of people within need for genuine democracy – trade unions, workplaces and in Parliament, in the communities are participating in many workplace, in grass roots different grass roots campaigns. The lobbying. Some local poor are paying for the economic authorities will be offered crisis. The system is delivering nothing devolution, but the intention is for the mass of the population, it just to devolve the cuts and destroy delivers for the rich. the welfare state. There are
no serious proposals for How can we bring together these activists - in campaigning more constitutional reform, such as effectively against, for example, proportional representation, privatisation, destruction of the NHS, bill of rights, recall of MPs benefit sanctions, bedroom tax, TTIP, and abolition of the racism, Trident and climate change? monarchy.We want to campaign for the planet,
We need social justice people, peace, public services and
based on the recognition of participation.
fundamental rights for all to the This political system is in disarray. necessities of life. The drive for
Half the population will not vote for privatisation is making profit the deciding the main parties in the House of factor. We need a rights based culture in Commons yet the first past the post
which employment, health, education, system imposes neo-liberal orthodoxy.
housing, transport and a sustainable The upcoming election offers no environment are available to all. And we
opportunity to vote for a government have to look at more democratic ways of offering an alternative running these services than the top down
This system is unresponsive to the structures that have existed.
NO TO AUSTERITY
YES TO DEMOCRACY
Saturday 13th June 2015 10.30am to 5pmMechanics Institute 103Princess Street, Manchester M1 6DD
IONTN OE FVN
OC
How do we make
a democracy
that delivers
social justice
for us?
Mechanics Institute, 103 Princess Street, Manchester M1 6DDSaturday 13th June 201510.30am registration, discussions: 11.00am until 5.00pmOrganised by Convention of the LeftFor more information email: [email protected] and [email protected]
This conference is aimed at activists who want to discuss our collective way forward. It will be a day for participatory discussion, not a platform led event. The organisers have no fixed objective, just an awareness that we are losing. The ruling class adapt their tactics, and we have failed to do so; we will not win if we just repeat the same ways of organising.
Yet there is an alternative. Many economists warned against cutting during a recession. No wonder we’ve seen stagnation across the Europe, devastation in Greece and growing poverty in Britain.
The truth is that the wealth exists in society to pay for our essential needs. Government's cuts are as senseless and stupid as they are savage.
Cutting civil servants who pursue tax evasion costs the economy billions. Privatising building and ownership of schools and hospitals puts the country into debt for years to come.
Instead we should cut Trident, stop the wars, and make the rich pay. We should build houses for rent, create sustainable jobs and promote peace.
The crisis of the economy was not caused by the poor – the government's response has only widened inequalities and encouraged racist scape-goating. We need to fight cuts and ever-lastings wars, racism and privatisation. We need to show that privatisation is costly, ineffective and simply wrong for services such as health, education, housing and transport. We need to promote the idea that public ownership is the only answer to the environmental and financial crisis of the wasteful, warlike and unfair system of global capitalism.
The governments of Europe are bending to the demands of the financial institutions. We need to make them bend to the demands of a united European working class.
The LeftOIT NN OE FV
NO
C