Campaign for a New Workers' Party

If you think all the big political parties are the same - you're right! The bosses have got three parties - isn't it about time we had one of our own?

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RMT & the European elections

The following letter was carried in the Guardian on Friday 20 March 2009. A longer article on the RMT and the European elections will be carried here soon.

In his comment piece Jon Cruddas states that "a movement to leave new Labour and start a new workers' party is stirring" (Labour has misunderstood Britain, Guardian, 18 March). This mood has been stirring for years now, with working people leaving Labour in droves since the start of the New Labour project.

Now practical steps are being taken that could lead to a new workers' party coming about. In the European elections, the RMT will be backing a slate No2EU - Yes to Democracy, demanding an end to privatisation, opposing the racist BNP and calling for solidarity of working people across Europe against the bosses' EU.

This initiative is envisaged by the RMT as being only for the European elections, but it is the first time that a national trade union has backed an electoral challenge to the left of New Labour and it gives workers who feel they are cut out of the political process an alternative to vote for.

This sets a precedent; if we stand in Europe, why not the next council or general election? You couldn't fit a cigarette paper between the establishment parties these days - we need a new mass party that clearly stands for the millions of ordinary people hit by the recession, not the millionaires being bailed out of it.

Greg Maughan
Campaign for a New Workers' Party

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