Last August I wrote an article arguing that Labour must take a strong position against ATOS Work Capability Assessments. They didn't, Ed Miliband and Labour remained silent whilst the sick and disabled who clearly weren't fit for work were being found found capable for work by ATOS and their benefits cut. Journalist Sonia Poulton carried out a high profile campaign calling on Ed Miliband to take a stand, yet he remained silent.
Because of this silence I felt I could no longer remain a member of the Labour Party and cancelled my membership. I had only been a member for a couple of years, I joined after the 2010 general election along with many others from the left hoping that Labour would change and reposition itself back on the left. I accept that I was naive and made a mistake. We were let down, and whilst I agree with some Labour policy and at the moment would vote for them to remove the Tories from power, they are not a genuine alternative to the current government.
The problem is that currently there is no real alternative to the Labour Party. There are many groups and parties on the left whose policies I agree with, but they are small and don't realistically have much chance of growing beyond their current support base.
The only answer is left unity. This has been tried in the past with groups like the Socialist Alliance and Respect, but for various reasons have never managed to unite the left. This is not however a reason not to try again.
I have signed up to Ken Loach's appeal for left unity:
The welfare state is being dismantled by the coalition government, bringing great suffering to the most vulnerable in society and eroding the living conditions of millions of ordinary people. Worse still, the Labour Party is not presenting a strong opposition to austerity and instead appears to have wholeheartedly adopted neo-liberal policy, advocating its own brand of austerity and privatisation.
Ken Loach's The Spirit of '45 gives us a perspective on the achievements of the post-war generation, transforming the lives of ordinary people by bringing improved health, housing, education and social security to the people of Britain. We need to defend these achievements and continue the tradition of protecting the most vulnerable in society.
Support Ken Loach's appeal to discuss the formation of a new political party of the Left to bring together those who wish to defend the welfare state and present an economic alternative to austerity.
I call on all those on the left to sign the appeal at http://leftunity.org/appeal/ and help shape the future of the left in Britain.
If you are in York a Facebook group has been set up at http://www.facebook.com/groups/126850760835222/http://www.facebook.com/groups/126850760835222/
